The great outdoors
5 best Instragram spots in Ipswich
At first glance, I’ll admit that Ipswich may not look like the most picturesque city. But as we soon discovered, there are some stunning spots that will be sure to set off your Instagram feed, you simply have to know where to look.
We have narrowed it down to five of our favourites, from sweeping panoramas to gorgeous gardens and urban backdrops perfect for the social fashion ‘Grammer’ on the rise.
White Rock
Even if you aren’t familiar with Ipswich or White Rock Conservation Estate, you will likely have seen a photo of the scenic spot pop up in your feed recently. The bush walk in can be as challenging or as easy as you would like. There is an easy track which takes you through the trees and winds up the hill via nice wide dirt roads with a little climbing at the end to reach the famous rocky outcrop where you’ll want to set up your shot. We took the more moderate track instead of the ridge track, making it easy to carry a camera and tripod.
It also means you could easily walk the track in the very early hours to catch the sunrise from the rock, which would be absolutely magical. This is a popular spot on the weekend, so if you can start hiking early or go during the week so you don’t have to share it. Our route was about 8 kilometres long and took just over 2 hours including shooting time.
River Heart Parklands
We came upon River Heart Parklands by chance. The rail bridge caught our eye as we were passing and we circled back to go and take a look. The boardwalk itself offers a pretty stroll alongside the Bremer River with seating and a water feature at its closest viewing point. That’s where we stopped to take some great images with the rail bridge towering over.
Beautiful Building Facades
You will notice many of the heritage listed buildings around Ipswich, some dating back to the 1800s, are being lovingly and painstakingly restored to their former glory with new lives as trendy shops, bars, restaurants and hotels. While some of the grand old homes of the city have also received much needed facelifts, there are a number of houses that are still waiting for that magic wand. Photographers and creatives alike will no doubt find they will catch your eye as they did mine.
Ripe for use as a backdrop for an Insta-fashion shoot or those looking for more of an urban theme for their feed, you will find yourself spoilt for choice. This snap was taken at one of the many historical buildings at Woodlands of Marburg.
Kholo Gardens
We weren’t the only keen Instagrammers, camera at the ready in Kholo Gardens. As I angled to capture the light popping off a lily-covered pond, across the water a couple cosied upon a rug quickly begin to pull out some signature Insta-poses and a lens much bigger than my own to snap them all. Perfectly picturesque, Kholo Gardens offers a number of Instagram-worthy backdrops from the towering bamboo over the bridge for a fashion capture to the river banks where we found our ourselves alone on the banks on a beautiful sunny day. It’s there you’ll find the makings of a lovely landscape photo.
Flinders Peak
Flinders Peak has all the ingredients of an Instagram money shot. Not for the amateur, the Flinders Peak hiking trail is a challenging hike for skilled hikers. You’ll need to be fit and confident in scrambling at certain points. The reward? Ever-expanding views back to Brisbane, the Fassifern Valley and south west to Lamington plateau until you reach the peak. Allow a full day for the hike, return and or course time to get those incredible Insta-worthy images from the top.
