A male Australian king-parrot (Alisterus scapularis) surveys his surrounds in Greater Glider Conservation Area. So much of Redland City’s appeal lies in its foreshores. Check the #redlandsanyday tag on Instagram, and you’ll see what I mean—stunning photo after stunning photo of the tranquil waters surrounding Straddie, the bay islands and the stretch of coast from Thorneside in the north to Redland Bay in the south. One of the best kept secrets of the region, however, is the wealth of beautiful wilderness areas found inland from the coast, where even on a weekend, the crowds can usually be escaped. It’s not just the larger reserves and National Parks of places like Mount Cotton that are worth checking out either—even Alexandra Hills, the most heavily-populated suburb in the region, has environmental treasure aplenty!