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Casuarina Camping Area, Glen Rock State Forest, QLD.

June 14, 2016, 11:38 pm
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Glen Rock, reflecting the setting sun.
The drive south from Gatton to Glen Rock has great views of the food producing farms along the valley floor. We passed an organic pecan farm and a paddock with three camels. Closer to the campground there are Brahman cattle farms where the cattle come in three colours; red, black or white.

Food crops growing in fertile alluvial soil.
Pecan trees.
Red, white and black Brahmans.
The road has been done up since it was extensively damaged by flooding and is in good condition. The concrete causeways, some with 3m markers, indicate that flooding should be taken seriously around here.


We set up in the well appointed campground and had the place to ourselves for a couple of days before people started arriving from the Mitsubishi 4WD Club for a working-bee to help the rangers. 

Casuarina Camping Area, Glen Rock State Forest.
There is a slab hut opposite the campground which is used as an information centre. We browsed through the hut but had to return with a torch to read the maps as it is surprising dark inside.

Slab Hut at Glen Rock State Forest.
Detail: slab hut at Glen Rock.
A resident goanna cruised around the campground. 

Lace Monitor (goanna)  Varanus varius
The most common birds in the campground were Noisy Miners but Grey-crowned Babblers were also present as well as Butcherbirds and Magpies. Every afternoon Rosella's flew overhead. There were Crimson Rosella's and Eastern Rosella's and large numbers of birds that at first glance appeared to be Pale-headed Rosella's but proved to be hybrids on closer inspection. Despite their numbers they proved challenging to get photos of.

Grey-crowned Babbler
We noticed strange alien-like creatures had emerged from holes in the ground. Upon further research I discovered that this is the empty pupal case of a Bardi Grub. The grub is actually the caterpillar of the large Rain Moth and it lives in the ground for many years feeding on the roots of trees. The adult emerges just before heavy rain, typically from April to June, leaving the empty case sticking out of the ground. 

8 cm pupal case of the Rain Moth Trictena atripalpis

Details for Casuarina Camping Area, Glen Rock State Forest, QLD.

Access: Narrow sealed roads in good condition for most of the way. Good dirt road for the last few kilometers. Caution: this is a floodplain.

Directions: Glen Rock State Forest is 42 km south of Gatton, on East Haldon Road via Tenthill and Junction View. The route is well sign posted.
Type of Camping: tent beside your car, caravans, camper trailer, motor home. Maximum stay of 30 days.

Sites: Not numbered. One large grassy area with two sites and another large grassy area divided into 4 large sites with small trees separating each site. Each site suitable for up to 12 people. Also a group camping area and a horse yard (a new yard was being constructed while we were there).
Facilities: drop toilets, cold showers, covered tables in each site, fire rings, non-potable water taps. BYO wood. Walking is permitted on roads and tracks. Shared walking, horse and mountain bike trails. No bins. We had no Telstra phone reception. 

Prohibitions: No domestic pets except horses. No generators. Do not collect firewood from the park.

Fees: $5.95 per person, children under 5 years are free. There is a Family Rate of $23.80 for 1 to 2 adults with children under the age of 18, with a maximum of 8 people in total. 

Bookings: Phone 13 74 68 or online at https://qpws.usedirect.com/QPWS/Facilities/SearchView.aspx

Cautions: Floodplain: some causeways have 3m flood indicators. Narrow bridges, causeways and grids. The creek near the campground was completely dry while we were there. One of the campsites was heavily affected by ants.

Day Use Area: Large shelter with tables and wood BBQ's, individual tables and wood BBQ's, drop toilets. Bush Tucker Walk.

Wildlife List for this trip:
Eastern Grey Kangaroo. Wild dogs/Dingoes could be heard at night and we saw their footprints when we went on the Blackfellow Creek Walk. The ranger we spoke to said there are Dingoes in the area. Unidentified small and large bats.
Butterflies: Large numbers of Monarch and Lesser Wanderer. 
Birds: Pacific Black Duck, White-necked Heron, White-faced Heron, Masked Lapwing, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Brown Goshawk, Peaceful Dove, Bar-shouldered Dove, Crested Pigeon, Galah, Australian King Parrot, Crimson Rosella, Eastern Rosella, Eastern Rosella hybrids, Laughing Kookaburra, Rainbow Bee-eater, White-throated Treecreeper, Variegated Fairy-wren, Striped Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Lewin’s Honeyeater, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Eastern Whipbird, Grey-crowned Babbler, Jacky Winter, Grey Shrike-thrush, Rufous Whistler, Grey Fantail, Willie Wagtail, Magpie-lark, Dusky Woodswallow, Grey Butcherbird, Pied Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Pied Currawong, Australian Raven, Welcome Swallow, Golden-headed Cisticola, Double-barred Finch, Silvereye. 
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Shared Walks in Glen Rock State Forest, QLD.

June 27, 2016, 11:49 pm
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Before arriving at Glen Rock State Forest we printed out a shared trail map. It turned out to be a good thing that we brought our own map because we couldn't find any information about walks at the campground or in the information hut. Even with the map we had a great deal of trouble finding the starting point for Christies Loop. We walked back along the entry road and eventually noticed a new shinny gate in a fence. We could just make out another new gate on the other side of the paddock which was flanked by a couple of green posts of a type commonly used in national parks. Throughout the walk we came upon several green posts whenever there was a choice in direction to be made but unfortunately they were all new and none of them had any arrows or other information on them. As we climbed we had phone reception so we ended up using Google Earth to guide us. We had to backtrack a couple of times but there wasn't much chance of getting completely lost as there were fantastic views of the valley below. We were more concerned about adding too many extra kilometers to the walk as the going was pretty tough. Later, a ranger told us that 4WD clubs had helped the rangers by installing the green posts. As we packed up to leave the campground, members from a couple of 4WD clubs were arriving for the weekend to continue helping with the establishment of the trails. 

Christies Loop, 5.2 km return. Shared walking, horse and mountain bike trail. Good fitness is required because the trail has a very steep ascent and a very steep descent. 

The starting point of Christies Loop. Only a few cow pats to negotiate!
The walk crosses the valley floor and climbs to the top of the ridge before descending again. The only answer to "Why did we do it?" is "Because it was there!".

The creek crossing was completely dry.
At the top of the ridge looking back at Glen Rock.
Our destination.
From here we walked on the most pleasant part of the trail to another peak only to discover, when we looked at Google Earth, that this wasn't part of Christies Loop and we had to back track.

The pleasant part of the trail that wasn't part of the trail after all.
Rufous Whistler, female.
We didn't see a great variety of birds on this walk but there were quite a few Yellow-faced Honeyeaters, Rufous Whistlers and Fairy Wrens.

The descent required a bit of concentration as it is quite steep but before long we were back walking along the creek bed. We saw a few cows on the walk but they seemed quite shy. In our absence a herd of cows had moved into the paddock, even though we tried not to disturb them, they quickly left when we showed up.



Blackfellow Creek Trail, 16 km return. Shared walking, horse and mountain bike trail. 

Blackfellow Creek Trail
This trail heads along the valley floor towards Main Range National Park. The walk is easy and pleasant. We didn't see any other people but we could see wildlife footprints along the track. The trail went past Glen Rock and we were able to view it from a different angle.
Dingo and Eastern Grey Kangaroo footprints.
Glen Rock
We noticed that large numbers of Double-barred Finch were sheltering in lantana alongside the track. Thankfully some of them emerged enough for us to get photos.
Spot the Double-barred Finch.

There were also plenty of Silvereyes feeding alongside the track.

Silvereye.
Soon we came to a waterhole and after that the creek was flowing and we saw a greater variety of birds.

The first waterhole that hadn't completely dried out.
White-necked Heron
White-faced Heron.
Rosellas
Rufous Whistler, male.
We arrived at a creek crossing and startled a magnificent adult Brown Goshawk. We spent the next 20 minutes playing hide and seek with the goshawk in the hope of getting a usable photo but goshawks are very intelligent and it had no intention of giving us a good view. 

Coming up to the creek crossing where we startled a brown Goshawk.
We found several pupal cases emerging from the ground but we didn't see any Rain Moths. We did see lots of Monarch butterflies.
Monarch Butterfly Danaus plexippus and Pupal Case of the Rain Moth Trictena atripalpis
We had spent so much time taking photos that we ran out of time to complete the walk and we reluctantly decided to return to the campground. We will definitely be back.
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Auburn River National Park, Queensland.

July 27, 2016, 5:49 pm
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Auburn River National Park

Auburn River National Park is about 410 km north-west of Brisbane. Access to the park along Auburn River Road is slow going as it is rough and corrugated for 7 km. 4WD is recommended in the wet.

The campground has 5 areas/sites but the booking system allows for 10 bookings. We came here after a busy school holiday weekend and we heard many complaints that over the weekend there were more than five bookings and when people arrived they found that the five areas were full and that despite having paid for a booking they ended up camping along the road wherever they could pull up. Personally I wouldn’t come to Auburn River if there were more than 3 or 4 bookings as I like to experience the remote feel of the place and there is only one toilet.
Each site has a different layout. 1st site top left. 3rd site top right. 4th site bottom left. 5th site bottom right. The 2nd site was occupied by a large family group.
How many sites are there at Auburn River National Park?
There is a Day Use Area with a large shelter over two tables and a gas BBQ. The day use area shares the toilet with the campers.


Day Use Area, Auburn River National Park.
Gorge Top Walk: Class 3, 3.2 km return.
The first walk we did was on a pleasant walking track to a lookout over the gorge. We loved the spiral rock work at the lookouts in Auburn River National Park.


Lookout at the end of the Gorge Top Walk
The view from the Gorge Top Walk Lookout.
A feature of the walk were two types of Bottletree. The Queensland Bottletree Brachychiton rupestis has a swollen trunk and small leaves. The Large Leaved Bottletree Brachychiton australis has a slimmer trunk and distinctive large leaves the shape of maple leaves. Large Leaved Bottletrees are deciduous but there were a few leaves left for us to look at.
Large Leaved Bottletree Brachychiton australis
Queensland Bottletree Brachychiton rupestis 
We noticed a couple of other interesting plants: a type of She Oak that had very long needles and a fleshy vine.
Unknown fleshy vine and a local Causarina (She Oak) at Auburn River National Park
Gorge Lookout: Class 3, 600m return.
A short walk from the Day Use Area to a lookout over the gorge.


Auburn River Gorge Lookout.
Riverbed and Rockpools Walk: Class 4, 1.5 km return
A rough track drops down to the gorge and fitness is required to return up the track to the campground. Once arriving at the bottom of the gorge you can scramble over large boulders to interesting rocks rounded by the flow of the river. To get to these “dinosaur eggs” Parks Queensland has painted dinosaur tracks to mark the way. We were keen to see the rocks but after only going a short distance we decided to call it quits as our rock scrambling skills weren’t up to the task. We turned back and found a nice spot to have a picnic. 
Following the dinosaur trail.
Tranquil spot in Auburn River Gorge for a picnic.
We scanned the rock face in front of us for Peregrine Falcons but had to content ourselves with seeing some tell-tail “whitewash”  and a few twigs which may have been where the falcons roost.


A zoomed in look at the rockface for evidence of Peregrine Falcons.
Auburn River National Park is known to have a number of lizards, including the Rainbow Skink Carlia pectoralis. We didn’t see any lizards or snakes at all. In fact, we didn’t see any animals on this trip. The weather and the time of year may have contributed to this lack of wildlife sightings. It was the middle of winter after all and it poured with rain on our first day and was very cold and windy on our second day.

The main campground birds were Pied Currawongs. There were a few Striated Pardalotes, Whistlers and Pied Butcherbirds about. Overall our birdlist was disappointingly short.
Adult Pied Butcherbird sharpening its beak on a well worn fork in a tree where it "butchers" its prey. Immature Pied Butcherbird (R)
Rufous Whistlers.

Details for Auburn River Camping Area, Auburn River.
Access: 4WD in wet weather.
Directions: It is important to put Auburn River Camping Area, rather than Auburn River National Park, into Maps or you could end up being directed to a section of the national park that is on the wrong side of the gorge! Auburn River is about 410 km north-west of Brisbane and about 40 km south-west of Mundubbera. Travel 13 km south of Mundubbera along the Mundubbera-Durong Road, turn west into Hawkwood Road. Travel approximately 20 km before turning into Auburn River Road and drive a further 7 km on the rough road to the camping area.
Type of Camping:tents, camper trailers, Off Road caravans.
Sites: The campground has 5 areas/sites but the booking system allows for 10 bookings.
Facilities: 1 toilet, tank water at the Day Use shelter. Fire rings. Generators permitted. No showers. No drinking water. We had Telstra mobile reception.
Prohibitions: No pets. Do not collect wood from the park.
Fees: $6.15 per adult per night. Family rate available.
Bookings:  Phone 13 74 68 or online at https://qpws.usedirect.com/QPWS/Facilities/SearchView.aspx
Cautions: 4WD access when wet. Stay on the road as the soils can be treacherous in the wet. The lookouts are not fenced. 
Day Use Area: Sheltered picnic tables, Gas BBQ, toilet, tank water.

Birdlist over the three days:
Pied Butcherbird, Crow, Pied Currawong, Striated Pardalote, Golden Whistler, Rufous Whistler, Grey Fantail, Weebill.

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Ban Ban Springs, Queensland.

August 9, 2016, 2:59 am
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One of the things we have learned is that when you are on a roadtrip for any length of time camp fees add up! $12 - $25 a night seems cheap when you only go camping for a few nights a year on holiday but when you pay night after night it can have a serious impact on your budget. One way to get around this is to spend some nights in the many free camps scattered throughout Australia. Free camps vary enormously from something suitable for an overnight rest stop on a long trip to camping areas worthy of being a bucket list destination. We often drop into free camps to take a break on our travelling days and I usually take a few photos so I have decided to add posts about the free camps we see on our National Park Odyssey in the hope that this information will help encourage more people to get out there and see this wonderful country of ours; even if they are on a tight budget. I will label all the free camp posts so that our readers can find them on the right hand side of my blogs by clicking on Free Camp.

The northern half of Ban Ban Springs Rest Area.
The rest area at Ban Ban Springs is on the side of the road just south of the junction of the Burnett and Isis Highways: 28 km south of Gayndah and 37 km west of Biggenden. These are busy highways with continuous traffic noise. Overnight camping is allowed in this large rest area for up to 20 hours. Toilets, bins and picnic tables are available. There is a service station nearby and a seasonal produce stall on the other side of the road. There is a separate truck rest area to the south of the public rest area.

There are permanent springs at Ban Ban Springs that are sacred to the Wakka Wakka people. In 2005, the springs became the first place in Queensland to be formally registered as an Aboriginal Heritage Place on the Queensland Aboriginal Heritage Register. 

On our trip in July we stopped for about 15 minutes and saw quite a few birds. Blue-faced Honeyeaters mobbed our picnic table and a large group of squabbling Apostlebirds arrived. Other birds we saw were, Grey-crowned Babblers, Magpies, Striated Pardalotes and Red-backed Fairy Wrens.

Blue-faced Honeyeater
Apostlebird

Details for Ban Ban Springs Rest Area, QLD:
Near the junction of the Burnett and Isis Highways: 28 km south of Gaynder.
Nearest National Park: Coalstaun Lakes National Park, 18 km.
20 hour rest stop. Free.
Types of camping: caravans, motor homes and large rigs. 
Pets allowed.
Facilities: toilets, sheltered picnic tables, bins, wood BBQ's (BYO wood), turning circle. 
Of interest: Aboriginal history, permanent springs. Service station. Produce stall.
Cautions: Close to highway. Road noise.


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Mount Walsh National Park, QLD.

August 19, 2016, 4:10 pm
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Mount Walsh National Park has three different entry points. Coongarra Rocks is accessible by 4WD, the Waterfall Creek section is remote and can become inaccessible even by 4WD in the wet and the Mount Walsh Day Use Area which is accessed by a short 2WD dirt road.

It is well worth a drive to the Mount Walsh Day Use Area. There are beautiful views of Mount Walsh on the drive in.


The Bluff Walking Track, otherwise referred to as the Summit Walk leaves from the Day Use Area. Starting out as a Class 4 walk it quickly becomes a Class 5 walk. Good fitness is required as this is a tough steep walk. We slogged up and up for a long time but we did not make it all the way. There is little shade on this walk and we made the mistake of attempting it in the middle of the day. We were rewarded with great views over the surrounding countryside. We climbed high enough to observe Peregrine Falcons dart past and Wedge-tailed Eagles glide by. 


Looking towards Biggenden from Mount Walsh
The day use area is a nice spot for a picnic. We saw quite a few birds as we recovered from the walk.

White-throated Honeyeater
This Mistletoebird seemed reluctant to show his face.
Bird List: Black Kite, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Crested Pigeon, Laughing Kookaburra, Red-backed Fairy-wren, Noisy Miner, White-throated Honeyeater, Rufous Whistler, Golden Whistler, Grey Fantail, White-winged Chough, Mistletoebird.

Details for the Mount Walsh Day Use Section of Mount Walsh National Park:
Where: 84 km west of Maryborough, QLD. Turn off the Maryborough-Biggenden Road 2 km east of Biggenden, travel along a good 2WD dirt road for 5.3 km.
Facilities: Toilets, cold showers, tank water, sheltered picnic tables, parking area, walk access.
Cautions: The Bluff Walk requires a high level of fitness.
Camping: Remote walk-in bush camping is permitted in Mount Walsh National Park with a permit.
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Jaysee Park, Mundubbera (The Black Stump), QLD.

August 26, 2016, 11:07 pm
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This rest area is listed as Mundubbera Jaysee Park on Wiki Camps and as Black Stump Rest Area in my Camps 7. I can understand why people refer to it as The Black Stump. 



This is just a rest area on the side of a busy road but it's worth stopping by to see the Bimble Box Tree, commonly known as a Knobby Tree for obvious reasons. Unfortunately, the one here is in poor condition. We did see a much healthier specimen growing on the side of the road but it was not worth the risk of pulling up with a van on the back to have a closer look. Keep an eye out for it on the way to Gayndah, about 4.5 km from this park on the left hand side. 


Bimble Box Tree / Knobby Tree / Poplar Box Eucalyptus populnea
Artwork at the entrance to Jaysee Park

Details for Jaycee Park, Mundubbera:
Where: On the Burnett Highway about 2.5 km north-east of Mundubbera.
Camping: 20 hour rest area.
Facilities: Toilets, pets, water, picnic tables, phone, TV and WiFi reception, information signs, play ground,views. No longer has showers.
Of interest: The Bimble Box Tree.
Cautions: $5,500 fine for staying longer than 20 hours in every four week period.
Nearby National Park: Auburn River National Park, 41 km.
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Coalstoun Lakes National Park, QLD.

August 31, 2016, 5:47 pm
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Coalstoun Lakes National Park
At only 26 ha, Coalstoun Lakes National Park is Queensland's smallest national park. This small area protects an extinct volcano, Mount Le Brun, and it's two crater lakes. The lakes were dry when we visited recently but sometimes they contain water. 

The car park is only about 1 km off the Isis Highway between Ban Ban Springs and Biggenden on a narrow gravel track with limited room to turn around at the end. We stayed at Mountain Views Caravan Park in Biggenden for a few days while we explored the national parks in the area.


Excerpt from a sign near the car park.
The walk from the car park to the lookout and picnic table is a steep 350 meters. The views at the top are worth it. 


Views over the countryside towards the small town of Coalstoun Lakes.
Views of Mount Walsh National Park.
The walk along the craters rim is listed as a Class 4, 2 km return walk of approximately 30 minutes. The track has been damaged by cattle in some places and requires stepping over small volcanic rocks in other sections. We spent about three hours exploring the craters, checking out the interesting volcanic geology and bird watching.


Bird hide at the first crater lake.
The crater lakes are lined with volcanic rocks and rimmed by melaleucas and blue gums.


Edge of the first crater lake.
We saw a great variety of birds on our walk. There were Wedge-tailed Eagles soaring overhead and along the edge of Mount Le Brun. A Brown Falcon shadowed our every move and seemed to be playing peek-a-boo with us. We saw lots of Varied Trillers, Rufous and Golden Whistlers and Australasian Figbirds in the surrounding melaleucas. Dozens of Double-barred Finches were scrabbling about on the crater floor sharing the dead sedge grass with Golden-headed Cisticolas.


Brown Falcon
Varied Triller and Striped Honeyeater
Golden Cisticola and Double-barred Finch
After a full morning of exploring we headed back to the picnic table for a well earned break.


Coalstoun Lakes Lookout: our kind of picnic spot!
As we descended along the track we noticed that some cattle were crowded around our ute. It seems they love it has much as we do as on our return we found that it was covered in cow licks! 


Yum, a nice new ute to check out.
I've had Coalstoun Lakes on my bucket list for a while and it didn't disappoint. However, I've popped it back on the bucket list to return when the lakes are full of water.

Details for Coalstoun Lakes National Park:
Where: 105 km west of Maryborough, QLD.
Access: Turn off the Isis Highway, 20 km south of Biggenden. Entry road is a 1 km gravel track.
Facilities: Car park. Steep 350 m walk to a picnic table. 2 km walking track. Bring your own water.
No Camping.
Cautions: Cattle.

Bird List: Wedge-tailed Eagle, Brown Falcon, Varied Triller, Grey Fantail, Grey Shrike-thrush, Little Shrike-thrush, Golden Whistler, Rufous Whistler, Willie Wagtail, Golden Cisticola, Double-barred Finch, Australasian Figbird, Striped Honeyeater.
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Woowoonga National Park, QLD.

September 17, 2016, 10:36 pm
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While staying at Biggenden in July, we drove to Woowoonga National Park for afternoon tea and a look around. 

Day Use Area at Woowoonga National Park

Summit Walk, 1.6 km return, Class 4, allow 3 hours.
We didn't have the time to climb to the summit of Mt Woowoonga but we did walk part of the way.

Trail head at Woowoonga National Park
Yellow-faced Honeyeater.

Birdlist: Australian Brush Turkey, Golden Whistler, Rufous Whistler, Grey Fantail, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Brown Quail.

Details for Woowoonga National Park
Where: 14 km north of Biggenden, 42 km south-west of Childers.
Access: The Day Use Area is reached via Giles Road and Mt Woowoonga Road. Good gravel roads for the last few kilometers.
Facilities: Picnic shelter, open fireplace, tank water, bin. Walk to the summit of Mt Woowoonga.
No camping.

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Boat Mountain Conservation Park, South Burnett, QLD.

October 29, 2016, 3:06 pm
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Boat Mountain rises 589 m above the surrounding farmland.
Although camping is not allowed at Boat Mountain it is well worth a visit. We camped at Goomeri Caravan and Bush Camp and drove there in our ute.

Car park and picnic area at Boat Mountain Conservation Park
Thousands of Caper White Butterflies rose in great clouds around us as we drove along the entrance road, Hebble Drive. We saw quite large numbers of Caper Whites over the next week but nothing compared to the thousands at Boat Mountain. On our walk we saw quite a few caper bushes in flower and this probably contributed to their vast numbers.
Caper White Butterfly, male and Caper Bush

Braithwaites Lookout, Daniels Lookout and Silburns Vine Scrub Walk, approx. 3 km.

Excerpt from the Queensland Parks and Wildlife information sign.
While it is only 250m to Braithwaites Lookout there are 179 steps!

Braithwaites Lookout
From Braithwaites Lookout to Daniels Lookout is a very pleasant, easy, flat walk along the top of Boat Mountain. 

Walking along the top of Boat Mountain.
Daniels Lookout is well worth the walk and offers great views over the surrounding countryside. Red, iron rich soil was exposed along the track.

Daniels Lookout, Boat Mountain.
View from Daniels Lookout. The Seven Sisters in the distance.
On our return walk we diverted to Silburns Vine Scrub before returning to the car park. We saw quite a few quail platelets along this part of the trail. As we are always on the lookout for Black-breasted Button-quail we got very excited when we saw a small round bird in the scrub, low to the ground. However, on closer inspection we realised that it was an immature Eastern Yellow Robin.

Eastern Yellow Robins.
Leaden Flycatchers serenaded our walk and one seemed as interested in us as we were in it.

Leaden Flycatcher, female.

Wildlife we saw in October:
We did catch a glimpse of one wallaby and heard some others but we didn't see enough detail to identify them.
There were huge numbers of Caper White Butterflies both on the entrance road and along the walk. We also saw a few Lesser Wanderer Butterflies.
Cane toads were evident in broad daylight.
Birds: We saw many quail platelets along the Vine Scrub Walk but no quails. Willie Wagtail, Eastern Yellow Robin, White-browed Scrubwren, Lewin, Galah, Rufous Fantail, Grey Fantail, Eastern Whipbird, Pheasant Coucal, Magpie Lark, Pied Currawong, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Shining Bronze-cuckoo, Leaden Flycatcher, Striped Honeyeater, Pale-headed Rosella, Brown Thornbill.

Any form of trailer is prohibited on Hebbel Drive.
Details for Boat Mountain Conservation Park:
Where: 94 km west of Gympie or 58 km north of Kingaroy.
Access: the roads are all sealed however the entrance road, Hebbel Drive is very steep and is signposted as prohibited for towing any form of trailer or large vehicle.
Facilities: Parking area, picnic table, walks.
No Camping.

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Mudlo National Park, Kilkivan, QLD

November 17, 2016, 5:54 pm
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Approaching Mudlo National Park from Kilkivan.
While camping at the Goomeri Caravan and Bush Campground in October we visited Mudlo National Park, north of Kilkivan. The national park protects one of the few remaining native hoop pine vine forests in the local area.First,we drove past the Scrubby Creek Day Use Area and checked out the Mudlo Gap Picnic Area. On one side of the road there are picnic tables and the toilets are on the other side of the road.

Mudlo Gap Picnic Area.
Native Hoop Pines in Mudlo National Park.
Then we drove back to the Scrubby Creek Day Use Area where we saw three Eastern Whipbirds posing right out in the open and we were still too slow to get a photo. The walk from here to Pearson's Lookout is a 3 km return, Class 4 walk.

Scrubby Creek Day Use Area
The view from Pearson's Lookout
On the return walk we did the remaining side of the Scrubby Creek Circuit. The complete circuit is a Class 2, 1 km loop. We arrived back in time to see the national park rangers removing the fence from the picnic area.

Strangler Fig on the Scrubby Creek Circuit.

Wildlife for Mudlo National Park seen in October:
Butterflies: Blue Tiger, Glasswing, Caper White, Monarch.
Birds: Galah, Lewin, Eastern Whipbird, Wonga Pigeon, Spotted Pardalote, Spangled Drongo. We could hear Paradise Riflebird, Kookaburra and Pheasant Coucal. Sadly we saw Indian Mynas on the side of Mudlo Road as we drove in.

Details for Mudlo National Park:
Where: Mudlo Road, 8.5 km north of Kilkivan, 45 km north-west of Gympie.
Access: gravel road with some pot holes and corrugations.
Facilities: Walking trail. Scrubby Creek Day Use Area has two picnic tables and a car park. 1.4 km further along Mudlo Road the local council has provided Mudlo Gap Picnic Area with flush toilets on one side of the road and picnic tables and wood BBQ's on the other side.
No Camping.
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Jack Smith Scrub Conservation Park, QLD.

November 18, 2016, 11:35 pm
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View over the South Burnett Valley 
When we were at Boat Mountain Conservation Park we saw information about Jack Smith Scrub Conservation Park and drove the short distance to have a look around. We had a pleasant picnic overlooking the South Burnett valley before doing the easy 900 m Orwenia Nature Circuit.



Black-breasted Button-quail are found here and we saw large numbers of platelets on and beside the track. Platelets are circular depressions left on the ground by quails spinning around. We did see more Caper White butterflies and cane toads were out and about.


Caper White Butterfly

Cane Toad

Wildlife List on our short visit in October:
Many Caper White Butterflies. Black-breasted Button-quail are found here; we didn't see any but we did see large numbers of platelets. Australian Brush Turkey, Willie Wagtail, Torresian Crow, White-browed Scrubwren, Magpie, Eastern Yellow Robin, Rufous Fantail, Golden Whistler. 

Details for Jack Smith Conservation Park:
Where: 16 km north-west of Murgon or 9 km west of Boat Mountain Conservation Park.
Facilities: Picnic table. Small car park with a short rough driveway off Smith's Road which may prove difficult for a small sedan or low vehicle.
No Camping.
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Goomeri Caravan & Bush Camp, Goomeri, QLD.

November 20, 2016, 6:38 pm
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Goomeri Caravan & Bush Camp
In October we chose to camp at Goomeri Caravan & Bush Camp while exploring the South Burnett region because we needed to stay somewhere with phone reception at the time. 
Goomeri turned out to be a good choice because this is a campground where a lot of thought has gone into what campers want and it is very peaceful. There are no cattle wandering through the campground. There isn't a lot of shade yet because the plants are still growing but we usually park in the open to optimize our solar power anyway. The entire Goomeri area is very very dry at the moment and the creek running through the campground was mostly dry, as are all the local creeks. However, there is plenty of bore water available via taps at the sites and tank water is collected at the amenities block for the showers. We were very impressed with the amenities block as the showers had hot water which is always a treat when bush camping!


The amenities block

Every night the sunset would throw out different colours to end a perfect day.



A highlight of our trip was visiting Boat Mountain Conservation Park where we really enjoyed the walk and we got to see close up the incredibly large numbers of Caper White butterflies on the move. We also visited Kinbombi Falls (which I've yet to blog about), Jack Smith Scrub Conservation Park and Mudlo National Park while staying at the campground.


Despite the dry conditions we saw quite a few birds and butterflies in the campground and we enjoyed walking around the campground when we weren't out exploring the area. There is also a ridge walk leaving from the campground but we will have to come back for that one as we ended up getting the phone call and we had to move on.


Red-backed Fairy-wren, male.

Golden-headed Cisticola

White-throated Honeyeater and Dollarbird

Glasswing Acraea andromacha
On the outskirts of the western side of Kilkivan on the Wide Bay Highway, there is a produce stall that sells pineapples and pure honey. There is room on the other side of the road to pull up if you are towing and travelling east. We had to stop for the pineapples as they were a lovely yellow colour. It's such a pleasure to eat pineapples that have actually been picked ripe! We bought some sweet potatoes as well and they were selling beetroot at the time.


Produce stall in Kilkivan

Wildlife seen on our stay: Grey Kangaroos.
Birds:Brown Quail, Australian Wood Duck, White-faced Heron, Cattle Egret, Black-shouldered Kite, Peaceful Dove, Little Corella, Galah, Rainbow Lorikeet, Pale-headed Rosella, Channel-billed Cuckoo, Pheasant Coucal, Laughing Kookaburra, Dollarbird, Red-backed Fairy-wren, Spotted Pardalote, White-throated Honeyeater, Brown Honeyeater, Scarlet Honeyeater, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Golden Whistler, Willie Wagtail, Magpie-lark, Olive-backed Oriole, Australasian Figbird, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Pied Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Pied Currawong, Torresian Crow, Golden-headed Cisticola.

Details for Goomeri Caravan & Bush Camp 
Where: Lot 147 Wide Bay Highway, Goomeri, Queensland. Phone 0418 734 060
Access: On left if heading towards Goomeri from Kilkivan. Turn off highway at signs. 2.5 km dirt road in good condition. Suit all rigs.
Facilities: Group or single sites, every site has a fire ring, communal campfire, can collect or purchase firewood, lots of taps with bore water, lots of bins. No powered sites or slabs. Small camping generators allowed 8 am to 9 pm, pets allowed. No trail bike riding allowed. Gas refills available. Nearest supplies in Goomeri 3 km away. Amenities Block has toilets and hot showers. We had Telstra phone reception, TV reception and internet.
Fees: $15 per night for 2 people, extra adults $7.50, children 5 yrs to 17 yrs $5 per night, children 4 yrs and under free. Special: watch out for pay for 3 nights stay 4th night free deal.
Cautions: Limited shade. Creek dry at time of our stay.
Whats special: Friendly host and caretakers, excellent facilities for a bush camp. 
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Kinbombi Falls, Queensland.

November 23, 2016, 2:28 pm
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Kinbombi Falls 
While camping at Goomeri Caravan & Bush Camp we checked out Kinbombi Falls. The falls were down to a trickle due to the very dry conditions in the whole Goomeri area. 

There are lots of concrete steps to negotiate on the way to see the falls.

Steps down to view the Falls
From the falls we could see another lookout so we returned to the car park and made our way to that lookout. There were a few more steps to negotiate but our reward was a nice view over the gorge.


Steps to the second lookout


View of the gorge
There is a large flat area at Kinbombi Falls where free camping is allowed. For details see below.

Kinbombi Falls camping area

Datails for Kinbombi Falls Free Camp:
Where: Between Goomeri and Kilkivan, Queensland.
Access: About 5 km along Kinbombi Road; good gravel road.
Camping: Allowed. Suitable all rigs. Flat areas. We couldn't determine the time limit because the sign had been damaged.
Facilities: Picnic tables and bins. Flush toilets are down a flight of stairs. Pets allowed. We ran out of phone reception about halfway along Kinbombi Road.
Of Interest: Beautiful gorge. Waterfall and lookouts.
Caution: No disabled access to toilets. Several flights of stairs to see the waterfall. Very dry at the moment so the waterfall is just a trickle. Some water still in the gorge.
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Lake Borumba, QLD.

December 8, 2016, 11:14 pm
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Borumba Dam
Surprisingly, we have never been to Lake Borumba so we decided to remedy that situation by  taking a short camping trip to Borumba Dam Camping Grounds. The caretakers gave us a friendly welcome on arrival and suggested we walk around and choose our own spot. They mentioned that the campground would get busy in a few days because a fishing competition was being held on the coming weekend. We chose a spot where we could hear Yabba Creek in the background and settled in for a couple of nights. The campground was very peaceful while we were there. The caretakers told us that Southern Boobook owls came into the campground at night but we slept so well that we didn't hear a thing.

Our tranquil spot.
There was an access point to Yabba Creek not far from our van. When we wandered down we discovered why we could hear the sound of water so clearly. The creek was rushing along at quite a fast pace over a small weir before continuing on its way. Here we saw a couple of Spectacled Monarchs.

Little Yabba Creek alongside the campground and a Spectacled Monarch.
Just north of the campground there is a causeway over Little Yabba Creek. This area is popular with both locals and campers for kayaking, swimming and fishing. We enjoyed a stroll to the causeway a few times during our stay.

The causeway north of the campground.

A pleasant spot for fishing and swimming next to the causeway.
A Pale-headed Rosella and a Common Bluetail Damselfly Ischnura heterosticta.
In the afternoon, we walked about 800 m to have a look at the lake and the dam wall. There is a new boat ramp and an adjacent parking area with picnic tables. At the end of the road there is a Day Use Area with a few more parking spots, covered picnic tables and a toilet block.

New boat ramp at Lake Borumba.

Day Use Area at Lake Borumba.
Sadly, there are no official walking trails in the area. However we had a look on good old Goggle Earth and decided that there did appear to be a forest trail along the eastern side of the lake which we decided to check out in the morning. We set out early the next day and were watched by a few Whiptail Wallabies as we walked along. It is not surprising that another common name for them is Pretty-faced Wallabies as they do have quite striking facial markings.

Whiptail Wallaby Macropus parryi
Initially, all the gates we passed had do not enter signs due to an old quarry. We were relieved to find that that the trail we wanted to take didn't have one of these forbidding signs. The trail rose gently as it hugged the contours of the headlands around the lake and after a while we spotted a track that descended to the lake. This seemed to be an unofficial area where people had been launching their boats but there was no one about while we were there. We made our way back to the campground before the heat of the day.

The track down to the lake.

Lakeside.
The main birds in the campground were Noisy Miners and as some fellow campers found out there were a number of Brush Turkeys that weren't shy about helping themselves to the odd loaf of bread!

This Noisy Miner had an unusually coloured head. I assume it had anointed itself with a heady dose of pollen.         Australian Brush Turkey.

From our van we could see Rose-crowned Fruit Doves and there were Wompoo Fruit-Doves in a nearby tree. King Parrots added to the local colour.

Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove.

Australian King Parrot, male.

There were plenty of butterflies about during our stay.
Orchard Swallowtail Papilio aegeus, Lesser Wanderer Danaus chrysippus, Caper White Belenois java, Australian Painted Lady Vanessa kershawi.
Orange Ringlet Hypocysta adiante, Blue, Meadow Argus Junonia villida, Large Grass-yellow?

Wildlife List: Bandicoot, Whiptail (Pretty-faced) wallabies. Lots of very large hares. Deer were seen while we were there but not by us.
Butterflies: Monarch, Lesser Wanderer, Orange Ringlet, Blue Tiger, Meadow Argus, Australian Painted Lady, Glasswing, Large Grass-yellow, Caper White, Orchard Swallowtail, small blues. Magpie Moth.
Birdlist: Wompoo Fruit-Dove, Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove, Rainbow Lorikeet, Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Pale-headed Rosella, King Parrot, Red-backed Fairy Wren, Spectacled Monarch, Blue-faced Heron, Pied Cormorant, Little Cormorant, Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo, Australian Brush Turkey, Welcome Swallow, Lewins Honeyeater, Little Friarbird, Noisy Friarbird, Pheasant Coucal, Australasian Figbird, Magpie, Pied Butcherbird, Laughing Kookaburra, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Little Shrike-thrush, Golden-headed Cisticola, White-browed Scrubwren. Other people also saw Southern Boobook.

Borumba Dam Camping Grounds from the south and from the north.
Details for Borumba Dam Camping Grounds:
Where: About 176 km, 2 hours 15 min drive, north west of Brisbane.
Access: Head north along the Bruce Highway, turn west at Federal. Drive along Yabba Creek Road until you reach the campground before the Day Use Area.
Camping: Suitable for all rigs and tents.
Facilities: Toilets, showers, non-drinking water taps, powered and unpowered sites, two picnic shelters with picnic tables, bins, playground, fire rings (note fire bans), intermittent Telstra phone reception, public phone. Office/kiosk sells ice and other supplies. Caretaker. On banks of Yabba Creek.
Prohibitions: No pets. No hunting. No chainsaws. No generators. There was a fire ban in place when we stayed in November.
Fees: $10 per Adult, $8 per student, $5 for younger children. Additional $6 per night per site for power.
Of Interest: There is a causeway just north-east of the campground where swimming, fishing and launching kayaks is popular. 
Phone: 07 5488 6662.

Borumba Deer Park: A nearby campground that allows pets. Ph 07 5484 5196.

Borumba Dam Day Use Area: Picnic shelters with picnic tables, electric BBQ's, toilets, boat ramp. No swimming, no playground, no pets.

Lake Borumba: Allowed: motorized and non-motorized boats, water skiing, wake boarding, jet skiing, tubing, kayaks, canoes. No launching or landing watercraft around the lake other than at the designated area. Boating permits not required. Fishing from boats and the shore is allowed but a fishing permit is required. Not allowed: pets, swimming, hunting, camping around the lake other than at the campground.
More Information: www.seqwater.com.au

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Charlie Moreland Campground, Imbil State Forest, QLD. Pre-Christmas Revisit.

December 31, 2016, 7:09 pm
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After the amazingly prompt delivery of our new Aussie Wheel caravan mover from Perth we decided to pop over to Charlie Moreland Campground for a couple of nights. We were pleasantly surprised how quiet the campground was in the week preceding Christmas. 


Red-necked Pademelon
We love the plants and wildlife at Charlie Moreland. Once again we saw Regent Bowerbirds, unfortunately, they seem to be shy here and we have never been able to get a great photo but just to prove that we really do see them, here is a photo of the male:


Regent Bowerbird, male.
Unfortunately, we dipped out on seeing Paradise Riflebirds or Noisy Pittas on this trip. We did see a Russet-tailed Thrush in the early morning; a bird we haven't seen here before. We also enjoyed observing the antics of about 20 White-throated Needletails overhead one afternoon.

Russet-tailed Thrush
There are usually some nice butterflies to be seen around the campground. Little Yabba Creek is a great place to spot dragonflies and turtles.

Varied Eggfly, male Hypolimnas bolina
Yellow-tipped Tigertail Choristhemis flavoterminata

Short-necked Turtles at Little Yabba Creek


Lacebark Tree Brachychiton discolor

Paradise Riflebirds, Regent and Satin Bowerbirds are attracted to Lacebark trees. At this time of year the flowers form a carpet on the forest floor. One advantage of visiting the area at different times of the year is that we get to see the different seasons reflected in the flora. 

Native Rosella, Native Ginger in flower, Cheese Tree.

Red-necked Pademelons, Brush Turkeys and goannas are frequent visitors to the campground.


Lace Monitor (goanna)
Of course not all things in nature are cute and furry. We spotted this fearsome looking wasp nest on the underside of a solar panel at the "beach" area of Little Yabba Creek. There was also a damaged termite nest beside our campsite and this proved to offer access to a tasty snack for the native Brush Turkeys.

Wasp nest high up on a solar panel.

Damaged termite nest

A few more bird photos:
Logrunner, female (L) male (R)
Black-faced Monarch and Spectacled Monarch
Brown Cuckoo Dove, Crimson Rosella and wompoo Fruit Dove.

Bell Miner
Common Koel, female

Charlie Moreland is one of our favourite campgrounds and I have written several blogs about this beautiful area. To access the blogs either type Charlie Moreland in the search box in the top right hand corner above or click on Charlie Moreland in the label list along the right hand side.

Wildlife List:
Red-necked Pademelon, Eastern Water Dragon, Short-necked Turtle, Lace Monitor (Goanna).
Butterflies: Meadow Argus, Brown Ringlet, Monarch, Varied Eggfly.
Bird list: Australian Brush-turkey, Pacific Black Duck, Azure Kingfisher, Noisy Miner, Bell Miner, Channel-billed Cuckoo, Lewin's Honeyeater, New Holland Honeyeater, Laughing Kookaburra, Spangled Drongo, Regent Bowerbird, Australasian Figbird, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Wompoo Fruit-Dove, Brown Cuckoo-Dove, Wonga Pigeon, Golden Whistler, Brown Gerygone, Brown Thornbill, Variegated Fairy Wren, Rainbow Lorikeet, Australian King Parrot, Crimson Rosella, Grey Shrike-Thrush, Grey Fantail, Rufous Fantail, Eastern Yellow Robin, Pale Yellow Robin, White-throated Needletail, Russet-tailed Thrush, Logrunner, Black-faced Monarch, Spectacled Monarch, Pied Currawong, Torresian Crow, Pied Butcherbird, Australian Magpie, Magpie-lark, Willie Wagtail, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Common Koel. We saw platelets but no quail. Heard but not seen: Green Catbird, Pheasant Coucal, Paradise Riflebird.


Charlie Moreland Campground
Details for Charlie Moreland Campground, Imbil State Forest:
Where: About 130 km northwest of Brisbane. Southwest of Kenilworth on Sunday Creek Road. 
Access: About 5 km of 2WD gravel road to the campground. Past the campground Sunday Creek Road becomes 4WD and is a popular drive through to Jimna.
Camping: Suitable for tents and all rig types. Open grassy sites, some shade.
Bookings: https://qpws.usedirect.com/QPWS/Facilities/SearchView.aspx or phone 13 74 68. No mobile phone reception at campground. There is a booking phone at the rangers station on the drive in on Sunday Creek Road.
Fees: $6.15 per adult per night, family rates.
Facilities: Flush toilets, non-potable water taps, fire rings, BYO wood. Swimming in Little Yabba Creek. Walks. 
Prohibitions: No pets. No generators. No fishing.
Cautions: Gets extremely busy at peak times. Bookings are taken for up to 380 people.

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Peach Trees Camping Area, Jimna State Forest, QLD. February 2017

February 28, 2017, 2:46 pm
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Peach Trees Camping Area in the late afternoon.
Due to breaking my ankle recently our planned road trip didn't go ahead at the start of this year. In February we did manage to slip away and spend a few days camping at the idyllic Peach Trees Camping Area in Jimna State Forest. Peach Trees is a large grassy campground with plenty of shade trees. Eastern Grey Kangaroos graze throughout the campground. Although this campground is a bit out of the way it is very popular and is well worth the detour from Kilcoy. If you are a 4WD enthusiast you would enjoy camping here then driving along Sunday Creek Road to Charlie Moreland Camping Area in Imbil State Forest and Booloumba Camping Area in Conondale National Park. I blogged about our trip to Peach Trees Campground in January 2016, however, there have been a few changes since our last visit which are worth noting.

Eastern Grey Kangaroos. Some children never seem to notice it is time to leave home!
The public pay phone has been removed and QLD Parks and Wildlife now provide free 24 hour Wi-Fi in the park. Mostly this is to insure that everyone can make bookings on arrival as there is no Telstra phone reception available, although I believe there is phone reception for other carriers. There are limitations to the Wi-Fi use but it is handy for checking the weather and receiving emails.

Wi-Fi near the amenities blocks.
The Day Use Area which used to be a fenced off area inside the campground has now been removed. This means there are now only a couple of tables left in the campground. On Saturday we had day trippers set up either side of us to enjoy a BBQ and explore the park with their children.

There used to be an elaborate wooden swimming platform overlooking the creek but it was severely damaged by flooding and the area was out of bounds for a long time. The remains of the old platform has now been removed and has been replaced with a simpler and hopefully hardier design. The water in Yabba Creek is black and may not appeal to everyone as a swimming spot.

New swimming platform on Yabba Creek, Peach Trees.
Little Pied Cormarant, Australian Wood Duck, male (top), female (bottom).
There is a small Platypus Viewing Platform on the way to the swinging bridge. I was going to say that in all the times we have camped here we have never seen a platypus but at last we did see one. We saw the platypus while walking on the Yabba Creek Circuit on the opposite side of Yabba Creek to the platform but it would have been visible from the viewing platform at the same time. By the time we raised our camera the platypus disappeared in a trail of bubbles.

Information sign at the Platypus Viewing Platform.
Periodically, Peach Trees gets overrun with Sulphur-crested Cockatoos and we found this to be the case on this trip with large numbers of these extremely raucous birds roosting in the park overnight and hanging around during the daytime. There are so many cockatoos that many trees are showing signs of damage from their constant gnawing. There are quite a few Bell Miners (Bell birds) around and they have also caused some damage to trees in the area.

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo.
Medium sized goannas patrol the campground. They don’t lead a peaceful life here as both the Brush Turkeys and the Sulphur-crested Cockatoos harass them as they lumber by.

Lace Monitor (Goanna)
We were woken several times during the night by a Brush-tailed Possum which was trying to gain access to our sturdy rubbish bin. On the following nights we didn’t bother to get up as the possum never managed to get into our closed plastic bin. On our last night we were sitting under the stars when we saw a couple of Northern Brown Bandicoot. There are often owls in the campground at night but I thought it prudent not to go looking for them on this trip as I don't want any setbacks in the healing of my ankle.

I mostly sat around the campsite with my feet up and I found there was plenty to observe without venturing far. Indeed, on several occasions the wildlife came to me. There are some nice walks leading from the campground which I covered in a previous blog.

Apparently this Eastern Grey Kangaroo believed the grass in front of my seat was better than the grass elsewhere.
There were quite a few butterflies in the campground; mostly Lesser Wanderers and Blue Tigers. My ankle meant I was too slow to take many butterfly photos. Strangely, I did manage to get a photo of a Blue Triangle; a butterfly that became my nemesis in the past as I struggled for a long time to photograph one.
Lesser Wanderer Danaus petilia and Blue Triangle Graphium sarpedon
We saw an unusual looking male Regent Bowerbird. I inquired about this bird on the excellent Facebook page Australian Bird Identification and the very knowledgeable Nikolas Haass confirmed that it is a four year old sub-adult male emerging from it's immature to adult plumage. Unfortunately, it was a fair distance away and our photos are not very good but it is the first time we have seen a Regent emerging into adult plumage so we would like to record it here.

4 year old male Regent Bowerbird
Male Regent Bowerbird

Here a few of the birds we saw:

Australian Brush Turkey
Noisy Miner
Blue-faced Honeyeater
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
Satin Bowerbird

Australian King Parrot
White-throated Treecreeper

Wildlife viewed on this trip: This list was impacted by my lack of mobility.
Eastern Grey Kangaroo, Red-legged Pademelon, Lace Monitor (goanna), Long-necked Turtle, Eastern Water Dragon, Brush-tailed Possum, Platypus, Northern Brown Bandicoot, Hare.
Butterflies: Orchard Swallowtail, Blue Triangle, Blue Tiger, Lesser Wanderer, Monarch, Common Crow. I saw several types of Whites, Yellows and Skippers but wasn’t able to get photos or get close enough to make positive ID’s. We also saw an impressive 5 to 6 cm moth on our van one night which had an orange body and fairly plain brown wings.
Bird List: Regent Bowerbird, Satin Bowerbird, Australian Brush Turkey, Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Little Pied Cormorant, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Pied Currawong, Torresian Crow, Australian Wood Duck, Brown Cuckoo-Dove, Red-browed Finch, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Lewin’s Honeyeater, White-napped Honeyeater, Azure Kingfisher, Laughing Kookaburra, Magpie, Magpie-lark, Bell Miner, Noisy Miner, Black-faced Monarch, Australian King Parrot, Eastern Yellow Robin, Crimson Rosella, Pale-headed Rosella, Eastern Spinebill, Welcome Swallow, Bassian Thrush, White-throated Treecreeper, Eastern Whipbird, Willie Wagtail, Tawny Grassbird, Australasian Figbird, Variegated Fairy-wren.

Details for Peach Trees Campground, Jimna State Forest, QLD.
Where: 45 km north of Kilcoy. 145 km north-west of Brisbane.
Access: The road from Kilcoy climbs steadily but is quite pleasant. The last 2 or 3 kilometers into the campground are unsealed and on this trip we found it a bit corrugated.
Sites: Large grass area. No defined sites. Suitable for all rig types.
Fees: Adults $6.15. Family rates are available. 
Bookings: There is free Wi-Fi available at the campground for making bookings. Book before arrival during busy times. QLD Parks and Wildlife.
Facilities: Flush toilets, non-drinking water taps, free Wi-Fi, walks, fire rings.
Prohibitions: No pets. No generators. No collecting wood. Some restrictions on smoking.


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Maleny, Sunshine Coast Hinterland, QLD.

March 16, 2017, 3:51 am
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Platypus in Obi Obi Creek, Maleny.
Maleny and its surrounding hinterland is a nature lover’s wonderland. Add to that, great cafes and highly regarded restaurants, famous quality dairy products, fresh local produce and a great village vibe; it makes sense to place Maleny on your must visit list.

Lookout over Obi Obi Creek
Obi Obi Creek Boardwalk: 
The boardwalk starts opposite Bicentenary Lane on Coral Street, Maleny. It may be only 300 m long but it is the premier place in the Sunshine Coast hinterland to see platypus. On this visit, we started the walk about 7 am on a very cloudy day. We immediately saw a platypus but we didn’t have the camera ready. Typical, we thought but we needn’t have worried because we saw several more before heavy rain set in. The platypus here seem oblivious to traffic speeding by, the local gym pumping to the beat of loud music and the steady trickle of fitness and dog walkers. The platypus are very active and it is possible to observe them foraging for food and going about their daily business. We observed a variety of behaviours including swimming, floating, sifting through mud, climbing over logs in the water, scrambling through small cascades and rolling around in what can only be described as playing. I even saw one leave the water, roll over and wriggle on its back over some smooth pebbles.




Other wildlife we saw were turtles, Eastern Water Dragons, Pacific Black Ducks and Azure Kingfishers. 


Eastern Water Dragon

There was a chorus of birdsong along Obi Obi Creek but forgive me if I didn’t pay them my usual attention as the stars of the show were the platypus and my focus stayed on Obi Obi Creek.



Azure Kingfisher

Maleny Showgrounds Camping:
The boardwalk connects to a path which makes for easy and convenient access between the town centre and the showgrounds.
Camping is available for tents and all rig types at the showgrounds for $15 for two adults per night. It is the same price with or without power and water. Dogs are allowed. Camping is restricted to three nights and be sure to check for blacked out dates before arriving. There are also regular markets held at the showgrounds.


Camping at Maleny Showgrounds

Maleny Attractions:

Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve, 148 Mountain View Road, Maleny: A must do when visiting the area. Picnic tables (many with shelters), Electric BBQ’s, toilets, children’s playground, new Information Centre, new Café opening soon, walking tracks including a 1.7km wheelchair friendly loop track, and views over the Glass House Mountains. This is a great place to see Red-legged Pademelons, a variety of birds and other wildlife. No pets allowed.


BBQ's overlooking a Children's Playground at Mary Cairncross Reserve.

McCarthy’s Lookout, 563 Mountain View Road, Maleny: One of our favourite lookouts. There is a large shelter with two picnic tables overlooking the Glass House Mountains and an additional sheltered table next to the road. Usually the view here is mesmerizing but on this occasion we were in the clouds, which has its own kind of magic.


McCarthy's Lookout

Gardners Falls, Obi Lane South, Maleny: We didn’t visit the falls on this trip due to the rain. Perhaps it was just as well as I am still hobbling around in a moonboot due to my broken ankle; apparently a broken talus bone takes longer to heal than other bones. It’s a 300 m walk from the car park. Swimming is popular on warm days.

Restaurants and Cafes: There are many highly regarded cafes and restaurants to choose from in the area. Some you might like to try: Maleny Food Co, Icebox Cafe for Vegetarian and Vegan, Monica's Cafe, Lumbini Nepalese Restaurant. The new cafe at Mary Cairncross Reserve is opening soon and it has been designed to enjoy magnificent views.


Soon to be opened, cafe at Mary Cairncross Reserve.
Other Attractions: Maleny Dairies, Maleny Cheese, Maleny Botanical Gardens and Bird World (entry fees), Gerrards Lookout, Maleny Mountain Wines and McLeod Brewing Co, Sweets on Maple, Maleny Markets.

Nearby: Mapleton National Park/Mapleton Falls, Kondalilla National Park/Kondalilla Falls, Montville, Lake Baroon, Sunshine Coast Hinterland Great Walk.


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Swinging Bridge Park, Cooyar QLD.

May 11, 2017, 1:56 pm
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Barn Owl
We have visited Swinging Bridge Park a couple of times while driving past but this time we decided to stay the night as the park has resident Barn Owls and sometimes platypus can be spotted as well. We were really happy with our decision because we did see a Barn Owl at night as well as several Brush Tailed Possums.

Brush Tailed Possum
We saw platypus in the afternoon and in the morning. They were shy compared to the ones at Maleny but we managed a quick photo of one peeking out of Cooyar Creek.

Platypus
The camping area is pleasant especially if you are self-contained but there is a toilet block not too far away in Memorial Park.

Swinging Bridge Park Campground
Memorial Park, Cooyar.
The swinging bridge is a pedestrian bridge and makes for a great spot to do a bit of platypus watching.

The Swinging Bridge, Cooyar
There are a surprising number of birds to be seen in a short walk around Cooyar.


Red-backed Fairy-wren
The Cooyar Hotel, established in 1903, is close to the Swinging Bridge Park and serves meals. Every second Saturday of the month there is live music and Pig on the Spit. You can also get a hot shower at the Hotel for $3.

Cooyar Hotel
Details for Swinging Bridge Park Campground:

Where: Swinging Bridge Park, off Fergus Road, Cooyar. Between Crows Nest and Yarraman on the New England Highway. Or about 195 km north-west (2 and a half hours) from Brisbane. 
Access: Suitable for tents and all rig types.
Fees: Free or $5 for power (pay at the Cooyar Hotel), no bookings. $3 showers are available at the Hotel.
Facilities: Picnic shelter with BBQ and Water Tank. No toilets but there are toilets nearby in Memorial Park. Bins. No phone reception.
Pets allowed.

Wildlife: 
Brush-tailed Possum. Platypus. Micro Bats.
Butterflies: Lesser Wanderer, Glasswing, Common Crow.
Bird List:
Barn Owl, Apostlebird, Pied Butcherbird, Cicadabird, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Galah, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Pied Currawong, Torresian Crow, Pacific Black Duck, Australian Wood Duck, Bar-shouldered Dove, Variegated Fairy-wren, Red-backed Fairy-wren, Grey Fantail, Restless Flycatcher, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Lewin’s Honeyeater, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, White Ibis, Azure Kingfisher, Laughing Kookaburra, Rainbow Lorikeet, Australian Magpie, Magpie-lark, Masked Lapwing, House Sparrow, Double-barred Finch, Red-rumped Parrot, Crested Pigeon, Grey Shrike-thrush, Welcome Swallow, Eastern Whipbird, Rufous Whistler, Willie Wagtail.


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Wilga Bush Camping Area, Lake Broadwater, QLD.

May 13, 2017, 3:45 am
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Picnic Shelter, Wilga Bush Camping Area
Self-registration and the amenities (Bush Toilet)
Exiting through the narrow entry to Wilga Bush Camping Area.
Wilga Bush Camping Area is a basic National Park campground set in dry bushland away from the lake.There were a surprising number of butterflies, mostly Caper Whites, and an annoying number of flies in the campground. 




Details for Wilga Bush Camping Area, Lake Broadwater, QLD:

Where: Lake Broadwater Conservation Park, 237 km west of Brisbane (about 3 hours). 28 km south-west of Dalby along the Moonie Highway.
Fees: $6 per Adult. Self-register on arrival. No bookings. Maximum stay 21 nights.
Campsites: 10 individual sites and 6 fire places.
Camping Type: Tents, suitable most rigs. Big rigs may struggle to negotiate the narrow entry and there are overhanging bushes in the campground.
Facilities: Pit Toilet, Fire places, Picnic Shelter, Tables, Tank Water, Walking Track.
Prohibitions: No pets. Do not collect fire wood.


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Lake Broadwater Conservation Park, QLD.

May 15, 2017, 2:20 pm
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Lake Broadwater
We moved the short distance from Wilga Bush Camping Area to the Lake Broadwater Recreation Area Campground in Lake Broadwater Conservation Park. We set up further away from the amenities and overlooking the lake. There was quite a strong wind coming off the lake but we weren't complaining as we no longer had those pesky flies we encountered at Wilga Bush Campground. We woke up to fabulous sunrise views in the mornings.

Sunrise from our campsite at Lake Broadwater
There were large flocks of Little Corellas in the campground and a few Sulphur-crested Cockatoos.
Little Corellas and a Sulphur-crested Cockatoo
There is an easy bushwalk from the recreation area campground to Wilga Bush Camp. I think it is approximately 4 km return. 


Walking trail between the two campgrounds at Lake Broadwater.
We saw a great variety of birds on the walk. A Pallid Cuckoo was of particular interest to us as we have never seen one before.


Pallid Cuckoo
Whistling Kite, White-throated Gerygone and Red-winged Parrots.
We were excited to see a Yellow-spotted Monitor, as they are listed as vulnerable. These goannas are distinctly different from the more common Lace Monitors and they can be confused with sand goannas but I believe this one was a Yellow-spotted. (Please feel free to correct me if I’m wrong as I’m always happy to learn.)

Yellow-spotted Monitor Varanus panoptes
In the opposite direction from the recreation area there is an elevated bird hide overlooking “The Neck” of the lake. There weren’t many birds on the lake while we were there; mostly Eurasian Coots.

Bird Hide at Lake Broadwater


View from the bird hide.
There is a self-drive track further along from the bird hide. Be warned, the loop section of the track requires a high clearance vehicle.

Varied Eggfly, female, Hypolimnas bolina
We did quite a bit of walking in the Conservation Park and were rewarded with close up views of a large and healthy looking Shingleback.

Shingleback Tiliqua rugosa aspera


Details for Lake Broadwater Recreation Area Campground in Lake Broadwater Conservation Park, QLD:
Facilities: Two amenities blocks with flush toilets (one with hot showers, one with cold showers), bins, tank water, variable phone reception, TV reception, gas BBQ’s, fireplaces, picnic shelters and tables.
Campsites: Large campground that is popular even during the week. Grassy areas with some trees. No defined sites. No power.
Fees: $6 per adult, self-register, no bookings.

Wildlife List: Grey Kangaroo, Yellow-spotted Monitor Varanus panoptes, Shingleback Tiliqua rugosa aspera, Dwarf Tree Frog
Butterflies: Orchard Swallowtail, Caper White, Meadow Argus, Varied Eggfly and some Yellows.
Birdlist: Apostlebird, Grey-crowned Babbler, Whistling Kite, Pied Butcherbird, Cockatiel, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Little Corella, Galah, Eurasian Coot, Pallid Cuckoo, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Pied Currawong, Torresian Crow, Pacific Black Duck, Australian Wood Duck, Peaceful Dove, Variegated Fairy-wren, Grey Fantail, Double-barred Finch, Restless Flycatcher, White-throated Gerygone, White-necked Heron, White-faced Heron, Scarlet Honeyeater, Forest Kingfisher, Rainbow Lorikeet, Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Australian Magpie, Magpie-lark, Noisy Miner, Australian King Parrot, Red-winged Parrot, Crested Pigeon, Grey Shrike-thrush, Silvereye, House Sparrow, Buff-rumped Thornbill, Golden Whistler, Rufous Whistler, Willie Wagtail.



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