Fort Lytton in Brisbane great day out for family: Backyard Tourist

It was designed to be a secret — but just one hour from the Gold Coast is a hidden fortress just waiting to be discovered. Here’s how to find it.

IT was designed to be a secret.

And it’s so well kept that as a Gold Coast local, I – who frequently travelled up to Brisbane as a teen and still do to this day – had never heard about it.

But seriously, wow.

Fort Lytton isn’t a national park of old trees and native animals flitting through the undergrowth.

Fort Lytton. (AAP Image/Renae Droop)

The reserve is a historical fortress, built in the 19th century – 1881 to be exact – to stop invasions from enemy ships along the Brisbane River.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE BULLETIN FOR $1 A WEEK FOR THE FIRST 12 WEEKS

The pentagonal fort is even concealed behind grassy knolls and surrounded by a moat, similar to a castle. Imagination, run wild.

The site is also home to a quarantine station, built in the 20th century.

Fort Lytton has an amazing history. Image: Tourism Queensland.

It helped to prevent diseases spreading among the growing population.

Fort Lytton is only open on a Sunday and public holidays if you wanted to soak it up on your own, otherwise you can visit during the week and book a guided tour.

You can wander between the fortified buildings and museum or take in the view from the grassed hills or the picnic tables.

There will be a canon firing this weekend. Image from Tourism Queensland.

The park even holds cannon firings – one is happening on Sunday((AUG 4)), at 11am, 1pm and 2pm.

For those unafraid of the dark, there’s even Fort Lytton at Night, a dramatic re-enactment using the ruins to tell the story of WW1 soldier Raymond Augustus Stanley.

Fort Lytton is at 160 South St, Lytton. Phone [phone].

EAT AND DRINK

Papercup Coffee, Labrador.

BLINK and you’d miss it, but this little hole in the wall at Labrador is a must-try.

Set next to the United petrol station off Frank Street, you could be forgiven thinking Papercup Coffee’s inner decor would be a little boring.

Not so. The cafe partners with a local florist to showcase beautiful bouquets of flowers, including natives, as well as a large homely table to drink your coffee.

OTHER NEWS

Boy, 8, ‘sexually assaulted’ in toilets of school

VOTE: Which Gold Coast baby has the cutest smile?

Millionaire too scared to face ex-bikie in court

While their coffee may be what they’re known for, their sweet treats such as raw slices and their delicious acai bowl are to die for.

This cafe is open at 5am so you can head out to Fort Lytton nice and early.

WHILE YOU’RE THERE … DO

A day tour at the old convict settlement on St Helena Island. Picture: Copyright David May.

IF you have time to spare – think a weekend trip – then perhaps you might also be interested in St Helena Island National Park.

It’s a 45-minute boat trip from Manly and New Farm and the southern part of the island is open to the public. Other parts of the island must be accessed with a tour guide.

St Helena is another amazing historical place. There are stone ruins to take in, as well as an eclectic mix of native plants, former crops and the leftover landscaped gardens.

DISCOVER

Warders pose outside the St Helena Island prison, at the mouth of the Brisbane River, in 1893. Picture: State Library of Queensland

ST Helena has a rich history with multiple, fascinating stories intertwined.

One of the first talked about an Aboriginal man, called Napoleon, being banished to the island after stealing an axe on North Stradbroke Island. He managed to paddle back to the mainland after fashioning a canoe.

The island was also the state’s first penal settlement, opening in 1867. It closed in 1932.

And in the 1860s, the island was used to export dugong oil, but luckily that didn’t last too long.