Creek, rocks and wildlife
Currumbin Creek
About 20 km long, with mangrove, saltmarsh and Casuarina forest in the lower estuary. City of Gold Coast names Currumbin among the places you can see mangroves from a boardwalk, and tidal flushing and coastal sand shape the creek's lower end.
Flat Rock Creek
This one starts on the ridgelines of Currumbin and Tugun Heights and runs north east to Currumbin Beach. Stormwater drains feed its upper reaches, so the water you see isn't always tidal, and it's worth tipping out your own after rain.
A wildlife hospital nearby
City of Gold Coast says injured animals can go to Currumbin Wildlife Hospital if you have transport and can handle the animal. Most of the time, a call to a wildlife carer is the better first step.
Fire ants
They head the table below for a reason. Queensland law gives you 24 hours to report them to Biosecurity Queensland.
Who do you call?
| What you've found | Who to call | Worth knowing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suspected fire ants | Biosecurity Queensland | A report within 24 hours is the law. Not a pest booking. | |
| Sick or hurt wildlife | Wildcare Australia | Or the RSPCA | |
| A flying fox, alive or dead | Bats QLD | Never handle one | |
| A snake on your property | A licensed snake catcher | The council doesn't deal with these on private land | |
| A bee swarm | A local beekeeping club | Swarms are usually placid if left alone | |
| A possum in the roof | A private contractor who can lawfully catch and release | Protected, and released within 25 metres | |
| Rats, mice, cockroaches | A pest business | All introduced pests | |
| Termite damage or mud leads | A termite inspector | Don't disturb them |
When it's a real pest job
Rats are the likeliest to confuse people here, since Australia has native rodents too. Ones in the roof or the kitchen are almost always the introduced kinds, and they're a straightforward job. Keep food sealed and fix leaks before anyone comes out.
Termites are the bigger risk to your house. Most owners find damaged timber or a mud tube rather than the insects, and the QBCC suggests a yearly inspection. For a building and pest inspection in Currumbin, the pest half is what we cover, and the building report needs a licensed residential building inspector.
Mosquitoes along the creek
City of Gold Coast inspects mapped breeding sites on public land at least fortnightly. What's on your block stays yours, so a weekly tip out of saucers, buckets and boat covers does more than anything else. A pest business can help around the yard, but ask what it can realistically change this close to the estuary.
What we'd do when something turns up
Work out which row of that table you're in before calling anyone. If it's a pest, and it's inside the house or the timber, tap what you've seen and your postcode.
Want someone to look at it?
Tell us what you've seen and your postcode, and a local pest business that handles exactly that calls you to talk it through.
