River Heart Parklands (Partially Open)

**Ipswich City Council Notice: Due to the 2022 flooding, sections of the River Heart Parklands are currently closed for public health and safety. The concrete footpath connecting the Parklands to Bob Gamble Park is open. All other boardwalks and decks within the Parklands remain closed.**

The Bremer River is at the heart of Ipswich, so the fantastic River Heart Parklands on its banks are aptly named. Here you’ll find wheelchair and pram-friendly boardwalks of 1.2 kilometres which extend from the old rail bridge and Bradfield Pedestrian Bridge (which leads across the river to popular Riverlink shopping centre), through to the aquativity section known as Bob Gamble Park.

Enjoy the river breezes as you stroll through a mini rainforest, and past a cascading waterfall and sculpture pond. You can learn about the area’s fascinating history courtesy of the information plaques, for instance Ipswich was going to be the original state capital but because of the river not being deep or wide enough for large ships, the mantle was taken by nearby Brisbane. As a testament to this, old sandstone blocks in a retaining wall are thought to be associated with a wharf owned by the Australasian Steam Navigation Company.

There are viewing platforms and plenty of car parking onsite. River Heart Parklands is definitely a must-see if you’re in Ipswich.