In short
- Lake Wivenhoe is about 76 km from our Hendra yard to the dam by OpenStreetMap's routing, a little over an hour, out the Warrego Highway and up the Brisbane Valley Highway.[3]
- Seqwater opens the dam and its recreation areas seven days a week: 5.30am to 6.30pm from September to April, and 6.00am to 5.30pm from May to August.[1]
- You can swim only in the designated areas, at Logan Inlet and Billies Bay, and there are no lifeguards. Picnic areas have tables, shelters and free barbecues.[1]
- Water skiing, jet skiing, wakeboarding and tubing aren't allowed on Wivenhoe; for those, Seqwater points to Lake Somerset, south of Kilcoy, which keeps the same hours.[1][2]
- Leave pets at home, as Seqwater asks, and check its recreation and safety notices before you go.[1]
How do you get to Lake Wivenhoe from Brisbane?
From 238 Nudgee Road, OpenStreetMap's car routing takes the Inner City Bypass and the Legacy Way tunnel to the Western Freeway, then the Centenary and Ipswich motorways, about 15 km of the Warrego Highway, and about 23 km of the Brisbane Valley Highway to the dam: roughly 76 km and 67 minutes before traffic.[3]
Legacy Way is a toll tunnel, 4.6 km from the Inner City Bypass at Kelvin Grove to the Western Freeway at Toowong.[4] A rental car's tolls are billed as described in Tolls in Brisbane, and our toll tunnels guide explains the tunnel itself.
On Seqwater's map, Hay Road and Logan Inlet Road lead off the Brisbane Valley Highway towards the Logan Inlet complex, and the Wivenhoe Hill trails are reached off Fig Tree Road.[1] For Lake Somerset, keep heading north; Seqwater locates it south of Kilcoy.[2]
Wivenhoe or Somerset: which lake for what?
Seqwater describes Lake Somerset as nearby,[1] and the two lakes suit different days out. Which one to drive to depends on what you want to do:
| Lake Wivenhoe | Lake Somerset | |
|---|---|---|
| Hours | 5.30am–6.30pm Sep–Apr; 6.00am–5.30pm May–Aug[1] | Same[2] |
| Picnic areas | Hamon Cove, Logan Inlet, Cormorant Bay, O'Shea's Crossing, Spillway Lookout, Billies Bay/Hays Landing[1] | Kirkleagh, Somerset Park, The Spit[2] |
| Swimming (designated areas, no lifeguards) | Logan Inlet, Billies Bay[1] | The Spit, Kirkleagh[2] |
| Jet skis, skiing, wakeboarding, tubing | Not permitted[1] | Permitted[2] |
| Walking and riding trails | 16 km of multi-use trails at Wivenhoe Hill[1] | None designated[2] |
| Drinking water | Bring your own to be safe | Only at Kirkleagh and Somerset Park[2] |
Wivenhoe is the bigger of the two: Seqwater calls it the largest lake in South East Queensland, supplying more than half of the region's drinking water.[1] With no jet skis or ski boats allowed, Wivenhoe is the calmer water for paddling, while Somerset is where the powered water sports are.
Where to stop at Wivenhoe
- Logan Inlet: the main hub, with a picnic area, playground, the designated swimming area and a boat ramp. The privately run campground for caravans, camper trailers and tents is nearby.[1]
- Billies Bay / Hays Landing: the second designated swimming area, with a boat ramp.[1]
- Hamon Cove and Cormorant Bay: picnic areas with playgrounds; Cormorant Bay is also one of the spots where shore fishing is allowed.[1]
- Spillway Lookout: a picnic area by the dam's spillway, and the way to Atkinson's Crossing on the Brisbane River below the lake.[1]
- Wivenhoe Hill trails: four tracks from 3 km to 5 km for walkers, runners, mountain bikers and horse riders, rated class 3 and needing reasonable fitness.[1]
Every picnic area has tables, shelters and free barbecues.[1] Bring a bin bag anyway and take your rubbish home if the bins are full; Seqwater asks visitors to leave facilities as they found them.[1]
Is it safe to swim, and what about blue-green algae?
Swim only in the designated areas, and remember Seqwater has no lifeguards on duty at either lake.[1][2] At Somerset, if you're picnicking at The Spit, bring enough drinking water: the supply there is only for washing hands and cleaning fish.[2]
Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) occur naturally in lakes. Most of the time numbers are low, but under some conditions they bloom and can produce toxins that harm your health if you swim, boat or fish in the affected water. Seqwater publishes current algae levels on its website.[1] Look them up on the morning you go, along with Seqwater's recreation and safety notices, which list closures.[1]
Fishing needs a Stocked Impoundment Permit Scheme permit at both lakes, bought before you start.[1][2]
Can you bring a boat or kayak?
Non-motorised craft and restricted motorised boats are allowed on Wivenhoe. Motors must be low-emission (four-stroke or direct-injected two-stroke), speeds are capped at six knots, and motor boats may only launch from the ramps at Hamon Cove, Billies Bay and Logan Inlet. Overnight stays on the water aren't allowed.[1]
What changes after heavy rain?
These are working dams, and after big rain Seqwater may release water. Its public safety app combines dam release notifications, dam levels, recreation and lake closure updates, and weather alerts, so it's worth installing before a trip in the wet season.[1]
Country roads flood too, and a crossing that was dry in the morning may not be on the way home. Never drive into floodwater: our guide to storms and flooding covers the rules, and the rental terms forbid it too.
For a shorter outing on a day when the lakes are closed, the Mount Coot-tha lookout is on the way out of the city, and a weekend further west suits the Granite Belt.
Sources
- Seqwater: Lake Wivenhoe recreation map (tear-off map, updated January 2026) (read 5 November 2026)
- Seqwater: Lake Somerset recreation map (tear-off map, 2026) (read 5 November 2026)
- OpenStreetMap (OSRM routing): Directions: 238 Nudgee Road, Hendra to Wivenhoe Dam (car) (read 5 November 2026)
- Linkt (Transurban): Legacy Way (read 5 November 2026)
Written by the Rentzy team at Rentzy Car Rentals. Rentzy prices, fees and rules in this guide come from our published terms and update with them; rules set by others (roads, tolls, licences, transport) are from the official pages above, as read on the dates shown. Something out of date? Tell us.
