Dry, dusty, and desolate are words that are routinely used to describe outback Queensland, but if you’re in the right place at the right time, the words oasis, waterhole, and secluded can be more appropriate.
Toss ‘free’ into the mix, and you’ll come up with an accurate description of five of my favourite outback camping areas, each of which is on the bank of a picturesque lake or a lazy stream. And that means that there are plenty of opportunities for a good time at no more than the cost of a breath of fresh air…
BLACKWATER CREEK – ADAVALE
Adavale is a long hike from any well-beaten tourist trail, and it’s that fact that adds to the appeal of this almost comatose town, which lies 100kms north of Quilpie. In the distant past, when its streets and thriving businesses were bustling with as much activity as you’d find at a convention of nerds in Silicon Valley, Adavale was destined to become the capital of the region, but in 1917, when the railway arrived at Quilpie, that dream was shattered.
Today, with only around 15 residents, it’s as quiet as an ice factory in Alaska, but if you drop into the pub you’re sure to encounter faint signs of life. The publican, or locals who’ve dropped in for a beer and a yarn, will happily direct you to the camping area, which is about a kilometre east of town. “It’s down that way mate, on the bank of Blackwater Creek,” they’ll tell you as they point towards the road that leads to Charleville. And unless you arrive when Adavale’s annual fishing competition or gymkhana are under way, there’s a good chance that you’ll have the place all to yourself.
Follow the barely discernible track that leads from the road across flat open ground towards the creek and you’ll find enough space to park a convoy of double decker buses. The best spots however, are hidden among the gnarled gum trees that huddle close to the banks of the creek, and are only accessible to travellers whose vehicles are small enough to weave their way through the vegetation and under low branches.
If you’d hoped to have a swim here, you might change your mind when you see the creek’s perpetually muddy water, but if you’ve arrived with hook, line, and sinker, you can try your luck at catching some of the golden perch of monstrous proportions that, locals insist, inhabit the deepest pools of this diminutive waterway that eventually meets the Bulloo River.
There are no facilities at the camping area, but hot showers and flushing toilets are available at Adavale’s community hall. There’s no hint of luxury here, but the water, sourced from the Great Artesian Basin, is always steaming hot, and although its aroma of sulphur might initially seem unpleasant, it’s more than adequate to wash away the sweat and dust of an outback adventure.
WALLAM CREEK – BOLLON
Bollon, in comparison to Adavale, is a town that’s almost wide awake, but with little here other than a pub, a café/general store, a post office, and a small museum that’s only open on request, there’s rarely any hint of frenetic activity. Its star attraction is Wallam Creek, a picturesque stream that meanders along the edge of the town, and that, thanks to a low weir, never runs dry. A free camping area, on the western side of the town, sits on the shaded bank of this lethargic waterway. You’ll find it down Fire Station Road that, predictably, is next to the fire station, so unless you’ve got less grey matter than a fossilised bed bug you’ll have no trouble locating it.
The only facilities at the camping area are a flushing toilet and a washbasin, but there’s a dump point nearby, and it’s only a short walk back to the heart of Bollon where free hot showers are available at the public park.
You can swim, fish for yellow belly, or explore the creek in a kayak or canoe, but if you’re feeling about as energetic as an inebriated sloth, just sit back and watch the many species of birds that reckon this is a good place for a little R and R too.
You’re sure to spot white necked herons, greater egrets, and nankeen night herons that, despite their common name, are often out and about in daylight hours. And if you turn your gaze westward, at dusk or dawn, you might see brolgas performing their elegant dance in the grasslands that surround the historic cemetery that you’ll find right on your doorstep.
LAKE CORELLA – NEAR MOUNT ISA
Turn off the Barkly Highway, which links Mount Isa to Cloncurry, and you’ll be in for a pleasant surprise, for near Lake Corella, which was created in the late 1950s when a dam was constructed on the Corella River, you’ll find more than one scenic camping area.
You can make yourself at home on the lake’s vast bank, close to the boat ramp, which is the only facility provided. Another option is to camp on the dam’s long flat spillway, but if you do so, you’ll need to keep your eyes on the weather. If heavy rains fall and the water level in the lake starts to rise dramatically, you’ll need to skedaddle out of there and move to higher ground to avoid the disaster that would occur if the dam were to overflow.
With its backdrop of low wooded ranges and jagged peaks, and with numerous inlets and bays along its immense shoreline, the lake is a fantastic location for fishing or for pottering about in a tinny. A wide range of waterbirds is drawn to this spectacular environment too, and you won’t have to look hard to see brolgas, spoonbills, ibis, pelicans, and many other aquatic species dabbling about in the shallows.
If you’re looking for an equally attractive yet more secluded camping area, you’ll find it only a short distance away. Follow the road beyond the turnoff to the boat ramp, pass through the gate that bears the name of Timburu Station, and wind your way along a meandering track, and in no time at all you’ll arrive at Clem Walton Park.
Here, below the dam’s high wall, lies the Corella River. Unlike the open and often windswept area surrounding the lake, this is a sheltered retreat with an extensive riverbank camping area that’s shaded by a forest of trees, and where the clear waters of the river are perfect for swimming and canoeing. The bird life is dramatically different here too, and wrens, kingfishers, sulphur-crested cockatoos, red winged parrots, and black kites will be your constant companions.
The facilities include picnic tables, wood-fired barbecues, and flushing toilets, and you won’t have to spend a penny to answer the call of nature or to make this hidden corner of the outback your temporary retreat from the rest of the world.
THE LONG WATERHOLE – NEAR TAMBO
If you’re travelling along the outback road that links Tambo to its easterly neighbour of Springsure, keep a lookout for The Long Waterhole. The name of this waterhole, which is part of the Nive River, is very apt indeed, for it’s so extensive that a walk to discover its beginning and its end can be as daunting as an expedition in search of the mythical Holy Grail.
There are no facilities here, other than a concrete picnic table, but you can camp in a large clearing among tall and shading gum trees that’s only 50 metres from the road, close to the banks of the waterhole, and easily accessible to all travellers, whatever the size of their vehicle or rig.
The camping area is surrounded by unfenced grazing lands, and there’s a good chance that kangaroos will occasionally come bounding through the surrounding grass, and that you’ll find cattle wandering past your door. Unless you’re a city slicker who’s terrified of such large beasts, you’ll have nothing to worry about, but if you’re travelling with a dog, ensure that your pet doesn’t hassle any livestock or you may have more problems to contend with than simply a boot daubed in fresh manure.
A barrier of melaleucas and other native shrubs and trees sprawls along the banks of the waterhole, and while this makes access to the water far from easy, it brings a guarantee that, particularly when shrubs are flowering, you’ll have a wide range of birds on your doorstep.
You might see corellas and galahs fluttered among the treetops, kingfishers darted into the calm water, and honeyeaters competing with hordes of bees for the nectar provided by bouquets of native flowers. As dusk arrives and the last rays of the sunlight slide beyond the horizon, a flock of sulphur-crested cockatoos might utter their final screeching calls before vanishing into the darkening shadows of the forest to leave the landscape drenched in silence. And with the nearby road as busy as a highway across the Sahara, silence will rule until a dawn chorus of birds heralds the start of a new day in the outback.
REDBANK PARK – JERICHO
Jericho, with a population of around 100, and with no commercial facilities other than a general store and a pub, is another outback town that’s about as lively as an annual gathering of barnacles. There’s one very good reason to end your day’s journey here however, and that is that Redbank Park, a popular free camping area, is less than a five minute drive from the main street.
If the best spots aren’t already taken, you can set up camp right on the bank of the Jordan River that’s the main attraction here. For much of the year many of the pools that line the river’s tortuous route are dry, but there’s a large billabong, shaded by coolabah trees, that’s rarely devoid of water. If you don’t mind getting mud between your toes to reach the murky water, you can have a cooling swim, and while you won’t catch monstrous cod or barramundi here, there’s always the chance of hooking a yellow belly or two, and of snaring a few yabbies.
A narrow walking track leads from the camping area to other sections of the river, and although in dry times these are not the most scenic of places, when the river’s in good health and full of water you’ll find plenty of additional swimming holes, and more fishing spots where you can try your luck.
The extensive grassy camping area, which is shaded by large trees, has ample room for all sizes of vehicles and rigs. The facilities provided here include a small children’s playground, picnic tables, flushing toilets, and an area for a wood-fired barbecue.
You can camp at Redbank Park for a day or for several weeks and it won’t cost you a cent, but unless you’re as miserly as a Dickensian Scrooge, drop a couple of gold coins into the donation box provided, and your assistance towards the cost of maintaining the facilities will be greatly appreciated.
Spend some time at any one of these waterfront locations and I’ll bet my mate’s last pair of clean socks that in no time at all you’ll be itching to return to the Queensland outback, where camping can provide memorable experiences day after day.
FIVE FREE OUTBACK CAMPING AREAS
There is no charge to camp at any of the following areas, and pets are permitted at each of the sites.
BLACKWATER CREEK – ADAVALE
Getting there:
Adavale is approximately 100kms north of Quilpie, with much of the route to the town being unsealed. The camping area is approximately 1km east of the town on the Charleville road.
Facilities:
There are no facilities at the camping area. Flushing toilets and hot showers are available at the community hall. A donation to the Royal Flying Doctor Service is appreciated for the use of the facilities. There are no commercial facilities in the town other than the pub.
Contact:
For additional information contact the Quilpie Shire Council by phoning (07) 4656 0500, or by logging onto www.quilpieshire.com.au/visit/adavale/index.htm
WALLAM CREEK – BOLLON
Getting there:
Bollon is 114kms west of Saint George. The camping area is on Fire Station Road, which is on the western side of the town.
Facilities:
There is a flushing toilet, which is wheelchair accessible, at the northern end of the camping area, there are several taps to provide water, and there is a dump point nearby. There are public toilets and hot showers in the town’s public park.
Contact:
For further information, contact the Balonne Shire Visitor Information Centre at Saint George, by phoning (07) 4620 8877 or log onto www.beautifulbalonne.com.au/bollon
LAKE CORELLA – NEAR MOUNT ISA
Getting there:
The turnoff to Lake Corella is on the Barkly Highway 54kms west of Cloncurry and 65kms east of Mount Isa. A two kilometre long unsealed track leads south from the highway to the camping area beside the lake, while the riverbank camping area at Clem Walton Park is another 5kms further on.
Facilities:
The only facility at the lakeside camping area is a boat ramp. At Clem Walton Park, there are flushing toilets, picnic tables, and wood fired barbecues.
Contact:
For more information, phone the Mount Isa Visitor Information Centre on (07) 4749 1555 or log onto www.outbackatisa.com.au.
THE LONG WATERHOLE – NEAR TAMBO
Getting there:
The Long Waterhole, on the Nive River, is 25kms east of Tambo via the Wilderness Way. The access track to the camping area, when heading from Tambo, is just beyond a stock grid, and on the southern side of the road.
Facilities:
There are no facilities other than a concrete picnic table.
Contact:
For more information, contact the Tambo Visitor Information Centre by phoning (07) 4654 6408 or sending email to tourism@btrc.qld.gov.au
REDBANK PARK – JERICHO
Getting there:
Jericho is 500kms west of Rockhampton, 225kms west of Emerald, and 90kms east of Barcaldine. The turnoff to the camping area is at the eastern end of Jericho’s main street. Simply turn into Bessemer Street and follow the signs.
Facilities:
There is a small children’s playground, and there are picnic tables and flushing toilets.
Contact:
For more information log onto www.barcaldinerc.qld.gov.au/tourismjericho or phone (07) 4651 5600.