The creek that doesn't exist?
Calamvale Creek runs through part
of the suburb of Calamvale, on the
outskirts of the Brisbane metropolitan area in Queensland,
Australia. Brisbane is the fastest-growing city in Australia.
You probably won't find the name Calamvale Creek on any map except the map on this website.
Brisbane City Council has referred to it as Scrubby Creek, but because there are already more widely known areas called Scrubby Creek, we call it Calamvale Creek, because that's what most locals call it and there is no other creek in the world by that name.
The creek and upstream wetlands together are referred to as the Golden Pond wetland system.
Above: This wooden bridge over the creek is exactly 18 kilometres south of Brisbane city. The wooden bridge joins parkland on one side and a boardwalk on the other. The boardwalk and track follow the creek south past a small lagoon, and branch off to another park with a playground.
Source of the creek
Amazingly, the most upstream source of all this
beauty starts with a stormwater drain that spills out under
Parklands Street, Calamvale, about one kilometre upland from the
wooden bridge.
(See drain in the next photo.)
A number of other stormwater drains run into it
along the way. Most of the time they produce only a trickle, but
the Golden Pond wetlands, and the downstream natural creek it
runs into, are a permanent waterbowl and wildfowl habitat that are either home to, or a
retreat for, many critters.
The Golden Pond wetland system
The photo above was taken on April 13, 2007. It shows the constructed Golden Pond wetland, looking north from Golden Avenue. At the far end is a sediment basin. Golden Pond is in fact two adjoining constructed wetlands, one on each side of the Golden Avenue bridge (the road bridge — not the wooden bridge pictured above).
The whole Golden Pond wetland system consists of two constructed wetlands, a sediment basin, two below-ground gross pollutant traps, a natural riparian wetland, and a natural downstream creek and lagoons.
The photo above, taken the same
day as the previous photo, shows Wetland 2 (on the southern side
of Golden Avenue). Wetland 2 was originally a small farm dam (see
photo of the farm dam on the wetlands
history page).
At the far end of Wetland 2, the water flows left into a natural riparian wetland, and runs for about 600 metres through two small lagoons, and finally leaves Calamvale as it flows under Gowan Road into the adjoining suburb of Stretton. (Photo note: A small white dot at the far end of the photo above, on the right bank, is Harry the white-faced heron, who flew in moments before this photo was taken.)
Gross pollutant trap
The photo above shows a gross pollutant trap at the wetlands being emptied in May 2000. The trap collects litter, sediment, and other debris and allows the filtered water to flow into the wetlands system. The trap is known as a CDS (Continuous Deflective Separation) trap. Brisbane City Council empties it periodically.
Favourite areas
Many people walk the whole length of the creek every day. It provides excercise and fresh air, and even though this wetland area is tiny compared with many others, it offers encounters with wildlife that most people don't find in their backyards.
There are walking tracks (see one at left), parks at
every end, and playgrounds for the kids.
A lot happens around the wooden bridge. Butcherbird Lookout is only 20 metres (60 feet) from it, Kookaburra Corner is nearby, the Big Gum (tallest tree around the creek) is next to the bridge, and you can see the ducks, dusky moorhens, and noisy miners around the bridge.
If you visit the area, look at our map to see where the boundaries are.
See also: