Editor's Column - Go Camping Australia Dec 2013 by Andrea Ferris

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Benmara Nicholson

Armraynald Inverleigh

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Meadowbank

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Augustus Downs

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1622 Bartle Frere Ravenshoe Mount Garnet

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Mount Surprise

Gilbert River

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Blackbull

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Atherton

Almaden

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Einasleigh

Lihou Reef and Cays

Innisfail Flinders Reefs

Silkwood Mission Beach Tully Dunk Island Rockingham Bay

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Cresswell Downs

Abingdon Downs

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Maggieville

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Burketown Doomadgee

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Hinchinbrook Island

Abergowrie

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Mallapunyah Springs

Halifax

Palm to the shops in the Islands Budoomed. There’s no quick trip

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Palm Island G Great Palm four-wheel-drive or Ingham boat to restock – we would R E Island HALIFAX BAY Bambaroo AT Hills Kangaroo Robinhood Iffley Ri Ri BalgaltoBeach have had to paddle Tin dCan BeachBay and Paluma back ve ve lan r Greenvale h ine Lorra s Mt r Halifax ke Bairds Table Mount ry Bu Magnetic Island abandon the entire trip. Sylvester La 1063 rego Riversleigh T 750 R Lyndhurst Clo TO r NS VIup LLE Gallipoli G A R veHowever, Deeragun i disaster averted, andW we set n BA dria R xan Bowling Green Bay Ale Marion Reef A cu B NG rry Mt Elliot L Kamileroi Giru RR y a camp just metres from the water to enjoy a E B Canobie 1235 e E t r Ayr lark a ia L nton C Thor Downs Bluff Woodstock Home Hill IE A Morstone Waitan Chudleigh Park Wando Vale quiet evening, punctuated Numil Downs 2 00 N Riv Mingela ever-so-slightly by R Clare er D Gunpowder Undilla Abbot Point nd Ranken er Isla the distant sound of the ferry. t s e Gumlu c Sax by Bowen Glou Hayman Island Ravenswood Camooweal Balfes Kajabbi Mt not Abbotas The southern west coast of Fraser is Mount Sturgeon Saxby Downs Mt Stewart Whitsunday Group Creek Dalgonally Charters 1056 R R 997 Bald Hill Lolworth popular R EE as the surf-side and the ‘touristy’ areas Whitsunday Island Dalbeg Towers Airlie Beach Homestead 689 Burleigh Soudan Avon Downs Hamilto e n Island Yelvertoft asp R F p Proserpin m e a C further north. Theiv coast isMount mostly mangrove Ri Quamby Collinsville CLAR Flind Pentland ve Lindeman Group KE ers r Wambiana er Ravenswood Re Creek Julia Barkly Downs areas with the occasional spot where the forest Gilliat Top to bottom CUMBERLAND Richmond er Cloncurry Midge Point p u l se R Austral Downs Prairie B a y a ISLANDS RivHughenden Burramurra Nelia TOH sits on a magnificent fallen tree that Cr Dalrymple Torrens Creek Ck Mount Isa meets the water providing a sandyLake beach. There ee nd Maxwelton ra e k g RA Seaforth C Scawfell Island Mt William Longton Min provided a great place to hang our wet gear at River ha Mt Norna Mt Walker N are lots of shifting sand bars exposed at low tide n Mount Elsie 1259 GE ne l 472 415 campsite #2. Note the low tidal flats  Campsite Vale on Finch Hatton Malb Marian h Tarbrax m Nas Natal Downs Lake Alpurrurula making access to shore tricky in a larger boat Newlands MAC Fre n KAY at Coolooloi Creek  The makeshift table made Malbo Cassilis Ri ve ay Walkerston McKinl r Glenden Stamford Georgina Hay Point GE Oban that can’t be beached. from a piece of washed up marine plywood – Downs AN Mount Ck Coolon Yarrowmere Sarina R a ess itow Duch Ann SE am just the right height for the Helinox chairs ut t a tail wind LW Y The next day,Lake weMount tookDouglas advantageSof AM gh or R N RA N Kynuna in GE Koumala Barenya NH NORTHUM BERLAND Aberfoyle ok Corfield Nebo DE Buchanan W to paddle ‘sail assisted’ about twenty kilometres Kerrs Table Mount Goonyella Dajarra Urandangi 304 Moray Downsat Garry’s Anchorage. Saumarez Reef Argadargada north to the next campsite Hill e Carmila phat Phos ISLANDS Coppabella Moranba h Mt Hogarth Corinda worth Chats Carandotta 330 n Strathfilla But we were disappointed. The access to the Saltbush Park BROAD Lerida Oorat ippra SHOALWATER Frankfield Lake Galilee had eroded significantly SOUND Peak Downs Buckingham Downs Toolebuc campground since we BAY Townshend Island Winton St Lawre nce Middleton Tobermorey Saraji Pit Eastmere last visited, making it virtually impossible to get uri Muttaburra Port Clinton Dysart 387 Mt Unbunmaroo P Cape Clinton Ogmore Roxborough Downs (Black Mount) the loaded kayaks out of the water Blair and, Athol there EAK Lucy Creek Clermont Ck R Marlb oroug h ns were people there (drat); about eight luxuriousMiddlem A ount Tarlton Dow Aramac Byfield Cork Morella Junee Marqua Boulia Tieri looking yachts andSurbiton some day-trippers. After Sailing towards Tin Can Bay with the wind zroyR Glenormiston it Capella F Yeppoon Leura on behind – just four hours from camp to some Riv e Vale ilt enjoying a much-deserved lunch, we Peak decided AN Yaamba Great Keppel Island Jervois r m yummy fish and chips! NE Rubyvale Ha Emu Park Longreach Ri Mt Tabletop Emerald ve L ROC to head back south (against the wind and tide) KHA y a MPT ON Barcaldine r Words & Images: Andrea Ferris pel B Marion Downs 833 Anakie Capricorn Group Jericho Blackwater Kep Vergemont Grace mere Bogantungan Ilfracombe Springvale Rive r R Mayne and look for a quieter spot or try and make it back Cu Her rt r on Island is I Arrilalah e Comet Port Alma Lake Alpha Bluff R iv Kinrola Mount Morgan Maraboon Diamantina Lakes to Coolooloi Creek – definitely over-ambitious Duaringa GLA Coorabulka er DS TO DA NE Wowa v Breadalbane n W CH Mount Larcom South Ri S thinking. Port Curtis A Durrandella Yalleroi Blackwater Calliope Tannum Sands N N Springsur EL e sojourn on the southern end of the west coast have a theory. One of several perhaps, but a picnic table says: ‘Look, a dingo!’ Said ort TOH The conditions were uncomfortable, we Davenp Woorabinda Connemara Lad y Elliott I Baralaba Nandowrie Isisford can grabbed the Warbrec this one is that people have an affinity with Callid of Fraser Island. dingoDowns then jumped up on the table, Agn e es Water were tired, the sun was sinking and therefore, Blackall Stonehenge Castlevale Banana R R Miria m ourie Vale Bed iv Biloela Rolleston either the earth or the sea. That’s not to say I think I’ve previously mentioned in this IVE nearest bag and scampered off into the bush Moura er on spotting a sandy beach with a smidgeon a rs Thangool R a rr Arno that one can’t like both, but I’m convinced E Lakeare in terms G column how TARDIS-like sea kayaks with us in hotFpursuit. It happened to be a plastic N Emmet A GO enough water for us to R land, we decided to do RA ES W Machattie Yandaran AN Fraser Island Consuelo Peak DAW Tambo O Palparara bag loaded last thing intoJundah Glengyle that people are drawn more to one than the of carrying capacity. It’s astonishing howMon much shopping my boat San dy Cape RA kira EG Yaraka just that andRRcamp for the night – which turned1174 Bargara o Mont Theod o A o ore c Mt Drummond Collabara W r Gin other; are more comfortable either on the water Gin ‘stuff’ one can pack – including on this trip forty with my towel, half a new bikini, $800 glasses a CA B into three nights! BU RN NDABERG Waddy Point 859 Getting there Galway Downs Currawilla AR a Morea VO HERVEY or on the land; are rubbish swimmers, but avid Mount Perry litres of water. How? In Bilp separate and all my cash inThree it …Sisters TOH gave up theRetreat chase Claypan ten-litre water N We’d bought a beach camping permit; there If you’re planning a kayak trip to the west 300 BAY RA Childe rs Cracow Eidsvold Ck bush-walkers – get the drift? R bladders that sit on the floor of the boat. A pretty quick but, damnWindora it, I love that new bikini, h HERVEY BAY coast of Fraser Island, pick your launch r weren’t any ‘no camping’ signs (just one that N Howard R I n Trinidad e tt T E Rlaunched Biggenden so I figured as soon as it worked out there was from Tin Can BayNTjust after FRASER ISLAND A D E S We spot carefully planning Taroom and spend time Mund N ubbe O indicated no fires); we knew we’d leave nothing ra S A P Maryborough Betoota S I M N advantage of the tides and wind. Gayn Augathella Durrie Much to my sailing fanatic father’s to take nothing to eat in the bag it would drop it – and it lunch on a Tuesday on an outgoing a AM tide into dah I G Mt Hutton D Adavale but footprints when we left, and that’s how we Keeroongooloo Tiaro E Injune Be prepared 940 Ambathala to abandon the trip if the disappointment I lean strongly towards the did Lake – thank heavens. solid south-easterly breeze Birdsville (can’t have it both Moonda n Corner Haddo justified our choice. As luck would have it, a large Thylungra Tin Can Bay l Corner conditions change and make sure you Wando an earth-bound, landlubber, feet-firmly-plantedPoeppeways!) and a face-splashing chop – the first time Feeling chuffed about dodging a holidayProston Ck Pandie Pandie piece of ply wood had washed up onto the beach T Murgo R E n S have appropriate safety equipment E Y D than Charleville TO Morven Guluguba U R T SA camp despite his earnest attempts to convert S T months! out paddling for six bitNmore ruining bullet, I walked back to camp to ask where Gympie Wondai Lake Etamunbanie Wallumband advise the Coast Guard of your that made a fabulous table when laid across ma la Mungallala illa a Yam Howitt was. Gone! Mount me pre-teens era. It is, therefore, no doubt a Roma two hours later we reached the entrance toLake theYamm the orange dry-bag with the food Yuleba l Cheepie Quilpie Westgate el Mitchell NOOSA HEADS Dulacc (Mackillop) a trip. We left from Tin Can Bay and, after Cooroy the two kayaks. Bliss, bliss,ng bliss. No dingoes, Miles Eromanga Kingaroy chilla extremely amusing for dad, some forty years A Great Sandy Strait at Inskip Point – the popular Dingo had doubled back and nicked the next Cooladdi ChinGuard, When to go chatting to the Volunteer Coast Jand Cordillo Downs owae Arrabury Na MAROOCHYDORE mbour manageable sandflies and mosquitoes (homeNanango Mount later, to listen to my tales from the cockpit of a camping area near Rainbow Beach and where bag off the table. Again, as luck would have it, IMargaret Island, however were advised to leave the car YarraAny Co in the man time is nice on FraserCA LOUN DRA n made citronella candles in a can, long-sleeved Bell Kilcoy da Brithe Conda mi Other bie sea kayak (equipped with sail) on the southmine had heard some rustling in the bush as I came four-wheel-drivers pick up the ferry to Fraser Isla the waterways get busy on weekends carpark adjacent to their facility. nd n Surat Tartulla e Durham Downs Bo nga shirts and trousers; Bushmans and mozzie ree Toompine n Hills enough to TOH Wyandra Crows holidays. Cliftoclose organ places to Glenm launch fromTara (on a high or east Queensland high seas. I confidently wax Island. When I finally got back from the first foray and guessed which way Tobermory Dalby and school Cape Moreton Nest Esk coils), and some terrific equipment that makes Caboolture Moreton Isla Humeburn Meandtide) incoming arra that are closer to Fraser on about tides and currents and knots, and the (he paddles his personal expedition tangent) the food had gone. TOH went bush and returned nd Lake Wivenhoe Kumbarilla Moreton Bay minimalist camping a pleasure. Island are Poona or Maaroom, which Oake y Further information Cecil Plain e ripped bag, but only missing a zip-lock Merria s other knots, and wind waves, chop, swell – a to ask where to aim to on the island to hit theNappawith Gatton Nockatunga is about two hours’ to Garry’s Moonipaddle Thursday was heaven – sun, swimming, Pittsworth To book a camping permit, download a map e Innaminckabag of muesli bars (hope the rotter choked on regular salty sea dog am I – to a certain extent … campsite the answer was: ‘Don’t know. I think Lake Kajarabie River Anchorage. have very River Both these towns Nothe BAfind IPSout rthisland WICH Stradbro Millm and about facilities on andke Island ah arie reading and relaxing. Friday blew a savage northerran Dynevor Thargomind Cow Bollon Because, this is where the Ferris-theory kicks Cunnamulla the wrappers!) Worthwhile to note that the bag it’s a bit north of the ferry drop-off.’ ‘Where’s the OM Jimboomba Downs O nice caravan parks with pleasant tent South Stradbroke Leume ah s at Inskip Point visit St Oriento George W o I O easter that I wouldn’t have ventured out into for Clift on Boo O nah o T in, I like sea kayaking because it can transport me map?’ says I. ‘Somewhere in there,’Moo says had mostly tinned food in it and weigheduat ll least mba he, Eulo DARLING DOWNS www.nprsr.qld.gov.au camping facilities. Beaude sert Murra Murra or OL phone 13 74A 68. G B D CO SERT DE I ST anybody, but our campsite was sheltered from all AR Nindigul TIR ly Yakara Wa d to isolated and spectacular camp spots but, even rwickMCPH waving vaguely six kilograms. oo oobeah lapulathe front of the boat. uover Woolerina indi ER O N T TWEED HEADS Talw Lake M LAKE ka Bulloo Downs Killarney Volunteer SCoastguard ndiw directions, we just picked up the tent and moved Australian after three years of paddling and training, thanksEYRE So map-less, weMul paddled across I knew that dingoes are a problem (read Murwillumbah LECKI Z E Great RA R o S T R the Where to campGoo Ingle wood Naryilc Bundaleer Oce an Shores (Tin Can Bay) – (07) 5486 4290 it. Saturday Westlea dawned calm and, as we waited for Dirranbandi Thallon Lake Wyara Caiwarro H Yelarbon Stanthorpe NORTSandy to the folk at the Queensland Sea Kayak Club, the Strait C(which ‘challenge’) on Fraser, but I had no idea that they oop er is a tad daunting) to the Kyogle The two southern-most designated Mullumbimby Du a o er m Ca pe Byr RT E Etadunna S Bon v E albo g D i l a slight the tide to come in enough to launch, ar Texas ocean and I, well it’s just not like comfy slippers. island, turned north into the sheltered waters were so opportunistic and downright brazen. Poona Palms Caravan Park Byron Baon Hungerford es Mungindi campsites on the island are Coolooloi Cu Hebel R y Lake q Cas Wallangarra Yetma ra ino n Lake r r y Corne na Creek andGarah Garry’s Anchorage. Both gorcampsite Came northerly breezed in and we had a following sea Ballina www.poonapalms.com.au Despite my distinctCalack I irracanworship and, luckily (for TOH), foundGre the at ron Henceforth, all our provisions were strung up Goodooga awwater bu Fort Grey dibarrof Bonshaw Alst onv t ta ille LIS MO u RE C have picnic tables, but no other facilities. Weilmoringle or (07) 4129 8167 and a tail-wind little sails all the way back am confident of my paddling ability to a point, Coolooloi Creek after about fifteen minutes. high off the ground – luckily we’d packed Thurloo a Enngonia to fill the Tenterfie ld Downs Yantabulla Coolatai Evans Head Clayton BYO water and no fires allowed. a Lightning Ridge More S Ashfo che r e rra rd Blan to Tin Can Bay in just four hours. e Tiboobu Lak so TOH (the other half) and I took advantage Oh, the joy of mid-week adventures! Lake The decent length of rope. AN Baryulgil Park ha Maaroom Caravan MAST ER MR A ok r e ek Iluk Collarenebr a i C B Mehi Lake Eyre Deepwater a And this is where one feels a sense ofWanaaring My theory was tested and satisfied. I enjoyed WariaPoint of an unseasonably warm October and loaded campsite – we thought. AsCalla webonn You Rive canralso camp at Inskip lda on www.maaroomcaravanpark.com Yamba South all to ourselves a Ck npeowie Cumborah ilch Tilcha Mur Delun Bridge Mac Fords gra T lean Glen ree Innes or (07) 4129 8222 R the mainland. the boats with enough provisions for a four-day beganMar to unload the gear from the boats onto vulnerability: if we’d lost our food bag we were the paddle to get to the land, which I justTerewah loved.  Rowena Grafton Or Brewarrina a Bingara Inverell Narran Lake da m Tingha Bellata Ya n Moolawatana G d w Burren Walgett Junctio n Nymboida yd i Salt Bourke r Wee Waa NEW ENGLAND Freeling Heights Lake Yancannia Nam oi llers Creek reag Bundarra Yarrawin G Glen o C a hm p i nWo g olgo Austr a li a | 5 4 | G o C a m p i n g A u s t r a lMii a 944 m ANDEWAR Cobha olga Mulyah N Mount Guyr a t Pilliga Mount Lyndhurs Border Downs Narrabri Dorrigo RA Tongo Barrab Lyndhurst CO a Carinda FF Round Mtn S Arkaroola Arm HARBOU R idale 1586 Sawtell Andamooka oi R ER Louth LAKE Gwabegar Byrock

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