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Our latest trip with the Tvan was from Adelaide in June to the warmer parts of Australia, namely Hervey Bay & Bundaberg in Queensland. Here is a day by day run down of our route and the great camping spots we found (GPS logs in brackets).
Distance travelled was 6,400 Km.
Day 1. Leaving Adelaide we headed north, up through Burra, Terowie, Yunta, Mannahill, Cockburn & into New South Wales to Broken Hill then southeast to Menindee. It was getting dark when we arrived at our campsite on the banks of Lake Pamamaroo. Once setup and with our meal cooked we eat outside without lights on so as to fully enjoy the amazing clear night sky full of stars. Being so clear it was a very cold night.
(32* 19.090 S 142* 27.149 E)
Day 2. Dawn reveals a great sunrise over the lake filled with dead trees. We pack-up & head to Menindee to follow the Eastern side of the Darling river up stream. Only dirt roads from here but quite good averaging 60 kph. The countryside is very dry with the drought, so stock numbers are way down on normal. Crossed the main road near Wilcannia & had lunch in the Paroo-Darling National Park, at an established campsite on the banks of the Darling river. By mid afternoon we had reached the "town" of Tilpa, one pub
& a couple of houses. A couple of kilometres out of town is the Tilpa weir,
which holds back Darling water, a good campsite site overlooking
the river. The weather has been warming up as we head north & tonight there is some
cloud cover so it is not a cold night.
(30* 55.126 S 144* 27.540 E)
View of Darling river from Tilpa Weir campsite
Day 3. On the road fairly early we go through Louth and then hit bitumen road just out of Bourke. From Bourke its east to Brewarrina and Walgett then North to Lightning Ridge, a black opal mining town. Having been
to Coober Pedy & Andamoooka, South Australia's opal mining towns, Lightning Ridge was a huge
surprise. We decide to return when we have more time to explore. We keep
heading North over the border into Queensland, through Hebel & camp
just out of Diranbandi.
(28* 35.875 S 148* 12.556 E)
Historic Building in Lightning Ridge
Day 4. Broke camp & headed east arriving at Goondiwindi for lunch. The local tourist information office told us about a pleasant drive along the Dumaresq River which was great. On through Inglewood to Warwick where their tourist info office told us about
the Queen Mary Falls just out of Killarney.
Arrived at the falls late in the day and checked into the caravan park
opposite, a change for us bush campers! Checked out the nearby lookout and walked to the falls before dark.
(28* 20.565 S 152* 22.229 E)
Queen Mary Falls
Day 5. Up early to check out Daggs Falls and do a rock scambling walk to Browns Falls. Left the caravan park & headed into the hills through forests &
rain forest valleys. Took a wrong turn & doubled back ending up just over the
range from where we camped!
Crossed back into New South Wales & finally got back on to the bitumen and headed for Kyogle. Decided to revisit nearby Nimbin. Great scenery through the steep hills and Nimbin had certainly grown in the 8 years since our last visit. It was then down to Lismore & over the range to Byron Bay. Again huge growth since our last visit and filled with international visitors. Getting late in the day we head for the hills, through Nightcap National Park to Rummery Park Camp in the Whian Whian State Conservation Area.
Unfortunately the camp ground wasn't at all friendly to camper trailers so we headed up the hill & found a nice secluded spot in amongst tall timber just outside the park area.
(28* 35.364 S 153* 22.797 E)
Day 6. Back down to the flats through Mullumbimby & onto the Pacific Highway heading North past Surfers Paradise. Bypassed Brisbane on the tollway & took the Bribie Island exit. Over the causeway on the island the local tourist info office told us about a couple of 4WD campsites on the western (mainland) side. The one called Poverty Creek Camp ground was recommended so after a phone call to the Parks Dept to book a site we head off. About 7 km of sandy track requiring 4WD leads to a great
camp ground with designated spots, tables & toilets, a short stroll to the
waters edge. The only downfall was the sandflies & mosquitoes that ate us
alive. Some rain overnight.
(26* 59.440 S 153* 05.715 E)
Poverty Creek Campground
Day 7. The track out was easier after the rain. We checked out the eastern side of the island, the holiday side, and were amazed by the amount of housing development on the island generally. Back on the mainland we headed north through Maroochydore, Gympie, Maryborough & Childers to Miriam Vale where we turned off the Bruce Highway heading to the coast and our next campsite at Agnes Water. Arrived just on dark at the Workmans Beach Campground.(24* 12.783 S 151* 54.912 E)
Day 8. After a week of travelling we decide to spend 2 nights at Agnes Water. The campsite is great with just a 200 metre walk down to a small private beach. Bush turkeys or bustards roam the campground so we soon learnt not to leave any food out!!
Agnes Water is a small developing town with all modern facilities & a full caravan park right on a huge surfing beach. About 5km up the road is the town of 1770, where Captain Cook landed in that year, another beautiful spot with a caravan park right at the waters edge.
Day 9. Awoken at about 5am by new arrivals in the campground, the start of a long weekend!! On the road early heading south to Bundaberg, a big busy town with a distillery. Checked out nearby Elliott Heads, a great spot on the coast.
Continuing south through Childers, turned off at Howard & arrived at Hervey Bay, a town of some 55,000, at about lunchtime. Our plan is to spend 4 nights at Hervey Bay visiting a friend who moved there from Adelaide 12 months ago.
Day 10. The weather is great for our morning stroll along the beach. We go for a drive back up to Childers for a stroll around the town and have lunch at the quaint pub at Apple Tree Creek, a very small town just north of Childers. We then head for the coast, Burrum Heads, a beautiful spot where the caravan parks are full of southerners having fun in the sun & fishing in the river & coastal waters. Back to Hervey Bay to book our day trip to Fraser Island tomorrow.
Day 11. It's up early & down to the boat harbour to catch the fastcat over to Fraser Island, a trip normally of some 40 mins but today a bit longer due to fog. We arrive on the western side of the island at the Kingfisher Resort jetty and jump on a 40 seat 4WD bus with some 15 other local & interstate tourists. We travel at some speed on narrow tracks over this huge Island of sand with an amazing diversity of vegetation to the beach on the western side. We then race up the beach dodging the incoming tide to Eli Creek where megalitres of clear fresh water runs out to sea every day. A walk up the boardwalk & then back down through the creek (2-3 feet deep) is the custom here. Back on the bus & its up the beach further to see the coloured sands outcrops & then back down for a stop at the wreck of the "Maheno". After lunch at a resort we travelled inland to see "Central Station" the site of a former logging camp with a rainforest boardwalk. Then further inland we stopped for a long walk to a "perch lake" to paddle in acidic water. Back on the bus for the last leg back to Kingfisher Resort & catch the 5pm fastcat back to Hervey Bay.
What a great day!! Would love to come back & camp for a week on Fraser Island.
Day 12. Today we wanted to explore to the south of Hervey Bay so it was out through Maryborough & to Tin Can Bay, a great beachside holiday/retirement town. Then we went through a new housing development called Cooloola Village on the way further south to Rainbow Beach. The main street leads right to the beach, part of a huge bay.
Just north of Rainbow Beach is the Inskip peninsula which is a National Park and has some great bush camping spots right on the beach or just back a bit in the trees. At the northern end of this peninsula a car ferry departs for the 10-15 minute crossing to Fraser Island. Beach driving is ok here but you need a permit.
We then headed off inland to Gympie, a hilly town with a very long, one
way, main street.
Then back through Maryborough to Hervey Bay.
Day 13. We depart Hervey Bay early with light - medium rain which continues until we get past Kingaroy. The rain is sorely needed in these parts & while refuelling in Dalby we are quickly told that they had had 2 inches. Further west to St. George then south to Diranbandi and Hebel where we camped. Great bush camping site about 3 km north of the town on a creek but very sticky mud after the rain. Our peace was shattered about midnight when 3 locals in utes arrived for a fire, a few grogs, country music & some circle work. It was a weeknight so it only lasted about an hour & a half.(28* 57.472 S 147* 49.398 E)
Day 14. We left Hebel in Queensland, great looking country pub, & continued south over the border into New South Wales to Lighting Ridge again for a better look around.
From the local tourist info office we got the recommendation & maps to check out the local car door scenic drives around town and the working mine areas some 40km west of the town. The working mine areas were fascinating with three separate "townships" namely The Grawin, Glengarry & Sheepyard. The Grawin in home to "Club in the scrub", a golf course fashioned out of the bush complete with a 19th hole. Glengarry has the "Glengarry Hilton" a very casual indoor/outdoor bar where we got directions from the locals for the
back way to Brewarrina, to save us backtracking through Walgett. Arrived in
Brewarrina about 3.30pm & found the Four Mile Camping area about
6km east of town. Another great bush camp right on the banks of the Barwon
River.
(29*58.934 S 146* 55.349 E)
Campsite on the Barwon River
Day 15. Awoke to clear blue skies & bright sunshine, then hit the road west to Bourke then south to Cobar then Hillston & meet the mid western highway at Goolgowi. Have done over 600 km today through mainly station country & at about 4pm looking for somewhere to stop for the night. A few kilometres out of Goolgowi we spot a large patch of scrub with no fences & kangaroos bouncing around, so we follow a track in and set up.
(33* 59.971 S 145* 33.365 E)
Day 16. It's cloudy & threatening rain as we head east to Hay, Balranald & Mildura.
Just out of Mildura the heavens open up and its rain all the way back to Adelaide.
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