Redcliffe Botanic Gardens

In the heart of Redcliffe lies this unexpected lush green oasis, part Moreton Bay rainforest and part wallum (banksia) heathland, with picnic tables and a tangle of walking paths through its midst.

Features include the sensory native 'quota' garden, the Chorizema spring (which was designed to emulate a natural pond system and has its own resident frog) and the impressive herb garden with over 500 species of medicinal, culinary, native and industrial herbs.

But the star attraction here is the extraordinary bat colony which noisily inhabits the rainforest – at any one time over 1,000 mostly black flying foxes eat, screech and flap their way around the treetops by day and night. Take the track through the forest for a rare and amazing opportunity to get close to and see them in action at any time of day.