Why should I do the Manly to Wynnum walk in Brisbane?

The Manly to Wynnum walk in Brisbane includes parks, playgrounds, pools, mangroves and wildlife. The interpretive signs make an enjoyable walk educational.

When it comes to waterside walking trails, Sydney tends to hog the limelight. The Bondi to Coogee coastal walk is justifiably world famous, while the Hermitage Foreshore Walk along Sydney Harbour is thoroughly enjoyable too.

Brisbane’s walking trails don’t tend to get as much attention, but that’s perhaps unfair. Brisbane’s beach suburbs are nowhere near as spectacular as Sydney’s, but there’s a good walk to be tackled along the coast in Wynnum and Manly.

6 supreme Brisbane day trips that will improve your holiday

Moreton Island day trip – with kayaking, sandboarding and snorkelling or with dolphin-feeding and desert dunes adventure.
Springbrook National Park glowworms and rainforest tour – including Tamborine Skywalk.
Eumundi Markets day trip – Australia’s best markets, plus the Sunshine Coast Hinterland and Noosa.
North Stradbroke Island day tour – with cruise, wildlife spotting and guided walk.
Tamborine Mountain winery tour – with gourmet lunch.
Maialia rainforest walking and wildlife tour – visit lesser-known D’Aguilar National Park.

The Manly to Wynnum walk

There’s no official Manly to Wynnum walk, but there’s a signposted trail along the Esplanade in Manly that finishes at the mangrove boardwalk in North Wynnum. The Manly to Wynnum walk goes for around 5km in total, taking in playgrounds, public pools, large parks and views out over the mudflats to Moreton Bay.

Brisbane isn’t known for its beaches. A look out to sea unveils plenty of sand, but it’s all on top of the big dunes on North Stradbroke Island in the distance. The Moreton Bay islands protect the bay from the ocean, but they nick all the sand too. Brisbane’s coast is left with boat moorings, mangroves, mudflats and massive tides.

With the sun out, the Manly to Wynnum walk is always going to be a pleasant stroll. But it’s the interpretive signs along the way that make it worth doing. You can get some exercise, enjoy the Queensland sunshine and learn plenty at the same time.

9 brilliant Brisbane experiences to book in advance

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary tickets (or entry plus river cruise combo) – hold a koala and see lots of adorable native wildlife.
Brisbane River cruise – see the key sights and learn about the city on the way.
Story Bridge Adventure Climb – walk along the top of Brisbane’s famous bridge, with 360 degree views.
Combine the Southbank Parklands, City Botanic Gardens and Kangaroo Point Cliffs on a fun Segway tour.
Helicopter flight – see the city from a bird’s eye view.
Kayaking tour – choose the night tour to see the city light up, the day tour to enjoy the sunshine.
XXXX brewery tour – see how Australia’s most famous beer is made.
Guided wine flight tasting – get an Aussie wine introductory course.
See Brisbane’s spooky side on a city centre ghost tour.

Brisbane wildlife on the Manly to Wynnum walk

The signs tell of how the Brisbane coastline works and the wildlife that lives there. It’s a bit of a stat barrage. The Eastern Curlew, apparently, is the largest shorebird in the world. Around 20% of the world’s Eastern Curlew population spends its non-breeding time in Moreton Bay. And when they’re not there, they’re on epic journeys – travelling up to 25,000km a year. The biggest birds will sometime take on 6,000km without stopping. That’s the equivalent of an 80kg human running 16 million kilometres non-stop, and losing 32kg in the process.

There’s plenty more of this sort of thing before reaching the Wynnum mangrove boardwalk. Go when the tide is out, and you can stare between the mangrove branches to watch kingfishers nab worms from the mud.

Wynnum Mangrove Boardwalk in Brisbane — The Wynnum Mangrove Boardwalk makes an appealing end to the Manly to Wynnum walk in Brisbane. Photo by David Whitley/ Australia Travel Questions

What Brisbane is good at

The Manly to Wynnum walk is fairly low key, but that’s what Brisbane is good at. The city is at its most appealing when it doesn’t try too hard. Before driving from Brisbane to Byron Bay, or taking the drive north to Hervey Bay, it’s worth wandering through the City Botanic Gardens. Or admiring Brisbane’s public art. Or learning about the city’s history. None of these things will be the highlights of your trip to Australia, but Brisbane is all about relaxed geniality rather than supposed star turns such as climbing the Story Bridge.