Pan Pacific Peace Gardens

The Pan Pacific Peace Gardens at Redbank is a short detour off the Ipswich Motorway and this serene spot is well-worth exploring.

With concrete pathways that meander throughout, the 7-hectare reserve is an ideal location for littlies on bikes or scooters to tootle around at their own speed. A full circuit is approx. 1.1km long and is mostly flat with just a couple of slight slopes, so it’s definitely a fun, outdoor space for children to burn off extra energy and enjoy being out in nature at the same time.

Not all of the park is heavily treed, so you’ll find a number of wide open spaces that are perfect for flying a kite when the wind is right, having fun kicking a ball around or just to lay out the picnic blanket and relax.

There are modern picnic tables, some undercover, and free-to-use electric bbqs dotted around in a couple of leafy green areas, including the ET McGreevy Memorial Lookout which can found in the reserve, making this park the perfect locale for family gatherings, big or small.

As you wander along the paths, you’ll discover a number of raised boardwalks which take you just off the forest floor and one of these is within The Bernard Treloar Rainforest Collection, a cool, small pocket of specially planted vegetation that acts as a memorial to Ipswich’s history.

A lovely salute to the soldiers of World War II, the recreational parkland features a Japanese Memorial Post that carries the always-important and poignant message, May Peace Prevail On Earth. It’s amazing how such a simple post can invoke a meaningful moment of reflection.

Overlooking the lake is an open-air bush chapel and a quaint gazebo that are both popular for wedding ceremonies. You will need to apply for a permit to use either, which can be done online on the Ipswich City Council website. 

Calling this wildlife corridor home is a small colony of flying-foxes, mainly little reds, that roost in the most southerly section of the park, and depending on when you visit, it’s not uncommon to be surrounded by a colourful float of butterflies as they flutter around, exploring their habitat. Always happy to drop in uninvited, inquisitive willy wagtails love to put on a dance in the hope of impressing potential mates, and the water birds at the lake are happy to be treated to a titbit.

Need to know – Being a sanctuary for native fauna, dogs aren’t allowed in the park.

Nice to know – There is another bush chapel in the Ipswich region, located in the heart of Queen’s Park.

Nice to know – The toilet facilities at these gardens are wheel-chair friendly.

By Danella Perrins

And, for more great things to see and do in Ipswich, visit Discover Ipswich HERE.