Easter camping: plenty of options in the Moreton Bay region
CAMPING can be as rough, comfortable or luxurious as you wish and this region has plenty of options for the perfect getaway, no matter your preference.
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CAMPING can be as rough, comfortable or luxurious as you wish and the Moreton Bay region has plenty of options for the perfect getaway, no matter your preference.
You can head to the beach, out bush or set up camp at a caravan park, national park or even a scout camping ground.
Tracey and Simon Gavin loved their regular camping spot so much, they bought it.
The owners of Neurum Creek Bush Retreat made their tree-change more than 13 years ago and their son, Bailey, who is now 17, has grown up on the 126ha property.
“We bought the place we liked to go on holidays at. We were looking for a lifestyle change,” Tracey recalls.
“It’s a lot of hard work but it’s gratifying; it’s such a family park,” she says. Tracey loves seeing children outside enjoying themselves rather than inside looking at mobile phones and other devices. “We’re one hour from the northside of Brisbane. People can pick their kids up from school and set up before dark,” she says. “You can bring your dog, have a camp fire and swim in a waterhole.” Guests can enjoy bushwalking and bike tracks and bring a canoe to explore Delaneys Creek. The dog-friendly setting is suitable for camping, caravanning, motorhomes, camper trailers, motorhomes or swags, and has hot showers and eco-friendly amenities. There is plenty of wildlife including platypus, wallabies, goannas and possums.
Campers can even rent a tent to be ready for them when they arrive, with mattresses, a table and chairs.
On Australia Day, the Kickstart Covers Band will play “Aussie Greatest Hits”. There will also be wine tasting, a coffee cart, treasure hunt and ice cream across the weekend.
To book, visit ncbr.com.au
BEACH CAMPING
For campers who want to feel the sand between their toes, Bribie Island National Park has five options for beach camping — but you will need a 4WD or boat to get there.
Bookings, camping permits and vehicle access permits are a must. Everything you need to know is online at
npsr.qld.gov.au/parks/bribie-island/camping or you can phone 13 74 68.
FIVE BEACH CAMPING OPTIONS IN BRIBIE ISLAND NATIONAL PARK
1. Ocean Beach
This 63-capacity camping ground is accessible by 4WD only and offers beachside camping behind the dunes on the ocean side of Bribie Island. It is ideal for tent or walk-in camping, camper trailers and large groups.
There are two camping zones. Zone one has sites which are spread out to create a greater sense of isolation. There are no toilets, so campers need to bring a portable toilet. Fires are permitted only in fire rings provided. Zone two offers a more social setting with clusters of camp sites. Toilets and cold showers are provided and bush toileting is not permitted. Fires are allowed in the fire rings provided.
2. Gallagher Point
This is a small, low-key camping area on the western side of the island, with views of Pumicestone Passage, the Glass House Mountains and Toorbul. Camp sites are closed on occasion due to flooding on very high tides. It is 2km north of White Patch, with six numbered sites and is accessible by 4WD only. There are no boat launch or recovery facilities, and it best suits small campervans, caravans and camper trailers, or tent camping beside your car. Sites accommodate a maximum of six people. There are no facilities. Fires are only allowed in the fire rings provided unless a fire ban is in place.
3. Poverty Creek
This is a large camping area on the western side of Bribie Island that has open grassy sites and shady trees on land which was once a cattle property. It can only be reached by 4WD and boat but there are no boat launching or recovery facilities.
The camping area has 14 sites plus one large group and/or trailer area, and is suitable for tent camping beside a 4WD and walk-in camping. There is also an area designated for camper trailers or large groups. Open fires are allowed in the fire rings provided except when fire bans are in place. Fuel stoves are recommended.
4. Mission Point
There are 12 sites in this camping ground on the western side of Bribie Island overlooking Pumicestone Passage, with views of the Glass House Mountains. The sites are only suitable for tent camping and they are accessible by boat, with relatively protected boat anchorage nearby. The camping ground has micro flush toilets, screened cold showers, a water tap (treat before drinking), picnic tables and fireplaces. Open fires are allowed in fire rings when fire bans are not in place. Fuel stoves recommended.
5. Lime Pocket
There are six sites in this camping area on the western side of Bribie Island overlooking Pumicestone Passage, with views of the Glass House Mountains. It is accessible by boat only and camp sites are sometimes closed due to flooding on very high tides. There are no facilities for the sites, which are suitable for tent camping only. Open fires are allowed in fire rings only except when fire bans are in place. Fuel stoves are recommended.
CAMPING IN STYLE
Glampers can enjoy wide open spaces in luxury at Ocean View’s Worldsaway Retreat, which has more than 16ha of rolling hills overlooking the Glass House Mountains and Moreton Bay.
It has two self-contained lodges, a first class lounge and plenty of open space for those who would rather bring their tent or camper trailer.
Manager Fiona MacLean says she first visited the retreat as a guest more than four years ago after seeing a stall at Dayboro.
She and her business partner were looking for a retreat to visit and unwind — it was the perfect location. “I became friends with (owner) Dean Sullivan after that,” Fiona says. He happened to be looking for a manager and she jumped at the opportunity to live and work on-site. Fiona says it is the perfect place for guests to “recharge, relax and get back in touch with themselves with low technology”. There are no TVs, microwaves or “anything that beeps at you”. But there is still mobile phone coverage and internet access. Attractions include mountain and creek walks, hikes to waterfalls, open campfire dining, hammocks to relax on the deck, a camp kitchen and barbecue area.
Fiona says Dean bought the former cow paddock about 16 years ago and was looking for a place he could bring together “different elements and learnings” he picked up on his extensive travels overseas.
“The place is designed for families and couples to get away from the hectic pace of life,” she says.
“It’s an awesome retreat for a mini retreat for a couple of friends, or families for a reunion. It’s a space that works really well for that.”
The eco-friendly lodges are made from plantation cypress pine and were brought onto the property on the back of trucks. She calls the large windows in each of the lodges “bush TVs” because of the uninterrupted view out to the Glasshouse Mountains and beyond. There are three campsites with access to power, water and the same incredible views. Caravans are not permitted but tents and camper trailers are allowed. She says it is important vehicles are rated for the camper trailers to ensure easy access to the property. Worldsaway Bush Retreat is open all year round but, this year, will close for the last two weeks in January.
Visit worldsawayretreat.com
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