Qld Camping

Flanagan Reserve Camp

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Are We There Yet?

I’m back tracking a little tonight to record on the blog our ‘maiden voyage’ camping trip with Karen Camper!

The week after we brought Karen just happened to be the start of the September school holidays so we made a snap decision that we would take off for one night away camping to test out the camper and kick start the school holidays (yes – this is the trip we did without a brake controller – eek! See this post if you’re not sure what I’m talking about). We roped Ben & Amy and the kids into coming along with us to celebrate our very first adventure.

As we were only heading away for one night we wanted to go somewhere close so we opted for Flanagan Reserve http://www.flanaganreserve.com.au. Flanagan Reserve Bush Camp is less than two hours from Brisbane, out past Beaudesert on the banks of the Logan River and you are able to take dogs, so Jerry got to come with us on this trip too!

It was a nice spot but the campsites were a bit too dusty for our liking. The camp ground is large though so we got to spread out and not have neighbours right beside us and the kids loved playing in the creek! There were toilets and showers (coin operated) and you could have your own campfire which was great as it was quite cool even at the end of September!

Anyway – I’ll let the photos tell the rest of the story – we had a fun time (despite the fact that we discovered the camper fridge was not working!) and it was a good first test run!

All hitched up ready for our first ever trip away with Karen Camper!

All hitched up (yes it did take a few goes and some yelling at each other!) ready for our first ever trip away with Karen Camper!

First setup – this is where we learnt that it is important to put the handbrake on the camper FIRST, before unhitching!!!

Fealy Kids terrorising the campground.

Dad and his girl off for an evening stroll around the camp.

Hours of fun to be had in the creek

There are plenty of spots along the creek to explore and swim in.

Girl Fun – making ‘sand cakes’

Leaf boat racing – the best fun for a boy!

The creek does get busy but there is plenty of room for everyone.

Mt Barney – plenty of hikes to be done around here but we didn’t have time to check any of them out.

Lizard of some description! Anyone know what he is??

Categories: Camping, Qld Camping | Tags: Camping, Flanagan Reserve Bush Camp, Mt Barney | 3 Comments

Agnes Water Camp

Posted on March 31, 2013 by Are We There Yet?

In attempt to cheer myself up from the fact that we are not spending Easter with all the family this year and Matt is off at work trying to do as many hours as he can over the long weekend, I thought a bit of blogging distraction might help! Oh, and I can guilt free let the kids scoff themselves on chocolate so they are happy and I can type uninterrupted!

On our way home from Easter at Emu Park last year, we stopped in and had two nights exploring Agnes Water and 1770.

We camped at the Agnes Water Beach Caravan Park which was a lovely spot right on the beach. The caravan park was packed given that it was the Easter school holidays and Matt doesn’t like camping in caravan parks at the best of times, especially not when we are jammed in like sardines! However, the park had nice grounds, clean amenities, a very basic camp kitchen and the kids really enjoyed the outdoor movie at the park where they got to see ‘Mr Popper’s Penguins’ lying on grass in their sleeping bags with the sound of the waves crashing in the background!

Our tiny little camp site - we had to leave our travel in a designated trailer area.

Our tiny little camp site – we had to leave our trailer in a designated trailer area.

View from our camp site

The camp kitchen had a great view!

Agnes Water and 1770 are about 5-6 hours drive north from Brisbane. They have the northern most surf beach on the east coast of Australia. The beach at Agnes Water was a bit too rough for our littlies while we were there – the kids just kept getting dumped and swept towards the rocks, but the beach at 1770 did look much calmer with lots of boats moored there.

On the beach in front of the Agnes Water Caravan Park

Walk on the beach Agnes Water – Tobes had the kindy monkey visiting on this trip! Thank goodness the monkey made it back to kindy in one piece!

We walked along the beach for an hour one morning and hardly came across another person!

We walked along the beach for an hour one morning – very peaceful

The townships are very small and quiet and are nestled between two National Parks; Deepwater and Eurimbula. We spent a whole day exploring Deepwater National Park http://www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/parks/deepwater/about.html#features and wished we had more time to explore Eurimbula.

Four wheel driving in Deepwater National Park – I need to improve my 4wd Action photography skills!

On the beach in front of Middle Rock camping area – bush camping only – no facilities

A walk along the beach – Middle Rock

We spent most of the day relaxing on the beach in front of the Wreck Rock camp ground. The Wreck Rock campground has 14 numbered and defined sites which are all quite shady. There are picnic tables, composting toilets, rainwater and bore water (must be boiled) and one cold shower. Unfortunately no open fires are allowed otherwise the spot would be just about perfect!

Wreck Rock

Kids playing on the beach

The boys loved playing in the sea foam

We found a nice shady spot in the dunes for a picnic

And an even nicer spot for an afternoon nap!

Definitely a place to add to your ‘must visit’ list. I think 1 or 2 weeks here would be a great way to really wind down and enjoy the slow pace for a while.

Happy Easter Everyone!

Oh – and just a photo of the wedge tailed eagle we spotted on the way home – quite an impressive bird!

Wedge tailed eagle somewhere on a country road outside Bundaberg

Categories: Camping, Qld Camping | Tags: 1770, 4wding, Agnes Water, Agnes Water Beach Caravan Park, Camping, Deepwater National Park, Middle Rock, Wreck Rock | 1 Comment

Easter at Emu Park

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Are We There Yet?

With Easter just around the corner (I confess to cracking open my first sneaky Easter Egg tonight!) I thought I would share with you my favourite camping trip (to date) – Easter at Emu Park. For the last two years in a row we have spent five days camping at Emu Park which is on the Capricorn Coast, 45km east of Rockhampton. We picked Emu Park because it is about halfway between Brisbane (where we live) and Far North Queensland (where most of the extended family live) which meant that it was about a day’s drive for all us to be together. It is also very close to Yeppoon which is where my Mum’s family camped many times when they were growing up, so a nice bit of family tradition continuing.

Beautiful, beautiful spot!

We camped at the Bell Park Caravan Park;

http://www.bellparkcaravanpark.com.au

We had about 6 families – my Mum and Dad, my sisters’s family, my cousins and their families and the Thom Family – friends of my sister who are brave enough to join our family mayhem – last year we had 15 kids between us!! The caravan park has lovely big grassy sites which were fantastic for accommodating a big group like ours. The amenities are clean and well looked after and the caravan park is right on the beach – so only a short walk down for a swim and no crossing roads with kids! It is also a short walk into town to the IGA for groceries, or to grab a coffee and the paper, or some fish’n’chips! There is also a great park beside the Caravan Park with a kids playground, skate ramp and the markets are held there every Sunday.

Emu Park is famous for its ‘Singing Ship’ which sits up at the lookout – spectacular views from up here!

The beach is perfect at Emu Park for younger kids as there is enough ‘surf’ for the kids to learn to Boogey Board, without fear of them being dumped and rolled and dragged out to sea by a big wave! At Easter the water is just sooooo perfect – not too cold – not too hot!

Kids learning to ride their Boogey Boards

the kids would spend hours digging on the beach

As if all of this isn’t enough – there is also plenty to do only a short drive from Emu Park. We loved heading to ‘The Causeway’ in the afternoon – only about 6mins drive away – to grab an icecream and fish and go yabbying.

Yabbying

Fishing

Last year we also took a daytrip to Byfield National Park http://nprsr.qld.gov.au/parks/byfield/index.html and Sandy Beach – both spots were absolutely beautiful and we will definitely be stopping there again on the final leg of our ‘around Oz’ trip!

Byfield National Park

Sandy Point – Byfield National Park

I’m going to apologise in advance if there are too many photos in this post, but they show better than I can say, how much fun we have at Emu Park! I am sooooooo disappointed not to be heading back there again this Easter, but Matt is picking up a stack of overtime over the long weekend to top up the piggy bank for the big trip. Oh well – might just have to spend a few weeks there on our way home next year, that’s something to look forward to! What are you all doing for Easter this year?

Camp Central – we had a big communal tarp set up for cooking & eating together – tents all around the outside of it

The camp ‘train’ the kids loved playing this game!

After spending the morning at the beach it was always craft time/nap time after lunch

Grammy’s craft corner under the shady tree

Sarah’s playdough was a hit!

Afternoon Fun

Kids working together to build a camp fire on the beach

Campfire with Grunda on the guitar

Gotta roast some marshmallows!

Easter Egg hunt on Easter Sunday which finished with the kids digging for treasure on the beach

Digging for treasure at ‘X’ marks the spot! (Grammy & Grunda sat on the beach to guard the loot until the kids found it – true grandparent dedication!)

the Easter Egg ‘haul’!

Camp kids Easter Sunday

Sarah & Chris driving into Byfield

The water at Byfield was freezing!

Sandy Point

Girl fun on the beach

All sorts of fish for the kids to check out!

Swimming at ‘The Causeway’

Cousie Bro’s – icecream at ‘The Causeway’

The early bird kids get taken out of camp in their PJ’s for a walk to let the rest of camp have a sleep in!

A game of 500 is always a must!

‘The Family’ – yes we are a bit of a herd!

Emu Park Easter 2012

Categories: Camping, Qld Camping | Tags: 4wheel driving, Bell Park Caravan Park, Byfield National Park, Camping, Easter, Emu Park | 10 Comments

Archer Creek Camp

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Are We There Yet?

Ok – a break from the nitty gritty of the around Oz trip – now a post to prove that we do actually do some camping! When we brought ‘Peter Prado’ we decided to try to get away at least once a month to get our value for money out of owning a 4wd. Our first trip was to Archer Creek Campground in the D’Aguilar National Park. http://nprsr.qld.gov.au/parks/daguilar/camping.html#archer_camping_area

Our setup – yes this was pre ‘Karen Camper’

Archer Creek was great as it was less than an hour from home, there was a creek for the kids to play in (albeit the creek in front of our campsite was pretty yucky at the time we were there but it was only a short walk to the Broadwater Day Use Area with a lovely spot for the kids to swim around in), we could have open campfires and there were heaps of four wheel drive tracks and waterholes/walking tracks and lookouts to explore. Oh – and a bonus – there were toilets and taps!

We had Matt’s brother and the kids’ cousins join us on this camp which always makes for a good time!