Gastro strikes Inskip Point campers, DES keeps park open

Despite “official” numbers suggesting otherwise, campers continue to be struck down by gastro at Inskip, with one rushed out in an ambulance last weekend, and three members of another family in the same campground getting violently ill.

Gastro outbreaks continue to be reported at Inskip Point campgrounds, but the state government says no grounds have been closed since the end of 2021.

The Inskip Point campgrounds on the Cooloola Coast remain open in the lead-up to Christmas holidays despite gastro cases continuing to crop up, including one which left three out of a group of four with “explosive vomiting and diarrhoea”.

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The group was staying at the Sarawak campgrounds on Inskip from October 27-30 when the illness struck after a neighbouring camper taken away in an ambulance.

They were approached by park rangers early on the second day of their trip.

“Two female rangers came to camp and let us know there was a gastro outbreak … within Sarawak and a member had been taken to hospital in an ambulance but not to worry as there had only been one person affected,” a member of the camp group said.

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She said she and her partner were “super diligent” with hand hygiene after the warning, and covered their food but “come 10.20pm that night – (a young male member of the camp) went down with explosive vomiting and diarrhoea”.

“I heard someone else through the night vomiting down on the beach,” she said.

A group who camped at Inskip at the end of October had to cut their trip short after experiencing vomiting and diarrhoea.

“We packed up and came home the next morning immediately.”

Their neighbour at the campsite, who had their owner camper and toilet, “was also really nauseous and had diarrhoea that evening before”.

“He was taking anti nausea tablets to compensate.”

When they got home to Brisbane the other woman in the group became ill on Saturday night and a third member went down on Sunday morning.

“It was so awful,” she said.

A Department of Environment spokesman said there had been four gastro cases reported to Parks and Wildlife Services in all of 2022 within the Inskip area.

Those included two in February, one in May and one in October, they said.

Multiple campsites were shut at the end of 2021 following continued severe outbreaks of the illness.

A state government spokesman said all campsites at Inskip Point remained open and the only four gastro cases had been recorded in 2022, three of them in the first half of the year.

“Following the reports, rangers conducted a deep clean of the facilities and provided advice and education to campers,” the spokesman said.

Rangers routinely deep clean the park’s facilities and give health advice to campers, he said.

“This has proven successful with no camping areas have been closed at Inskip due to illness since December 2021.

“Gastroenteritis is highly infectious and can be passed from person to person very easily.

“People who are experiencing signs of illness should postpone their trip, and refunds are available for camping and vehicle access permits.”

He said people preparing to camp at Inskip “are reminded to make personal hygiene their top priority by packing plenty of soap and freshwater and their own personal hand towels in their camping kit”.

“Hands should be thoroughly washed with soap and clean running water after using bathroom facilities and before preparing food.

“Campers are also encouraged to bring their own portable toilet to Inskip Point camping areas.”