St George

 29 - 30 September 2025

We left Tenterfield and headed along the southern side of the NSW/Qld border, on the Bruxner Highway. We had a friend who, alongside her son, was taking part in the 2025 Postie Bike Challenge from Brisbane to Canberra via the Outback. We knew our route would take in part of theirs so we weren't surprised when we started to see small groups of these small motor bikes. They were generally very courteous and easy to get around. 

We passed quite a few bikes along the way into Goondiwindi where we stopped for lunch. We're not sure if we saw Kathy on the road - it's a bit hard to recognise someone who is kitted out in full safety gear including helmet. It was a really hot day and we felt for the participants, who seemed to be having a great time anyway.

After a lunch stop in the park at Goondiwindi, and a chat to one of the "Postie Bikers" we decided to press on towards St George. We made our way to the caravan park on the Balonne River where we set up with a bit of shade. We enjoyed a stroll along the river and a restful night. It was still school holidays but not at all crowded in western Queensland.

There's a lovely walking track along the river

Before leaving town we fuelled up and called in at the hardware store. We continued west along the Balonne Highway towards Cunnamulla.

Tenterfield

 26 - 29 September 2025

Our stay in Port Macquarie had been fabulous - spending time with friends, and a pelagic boat trip for Mick. The weather had been great too! It was now time to turn north and start heading back towards North Queensland. We wanted to stop in Tenterfield but weren't sure whether we'd get there in one go, or whether we might stop somewhere along way, so we set the GPS for Tenterfield and headed off.

There are a number of ways we could go, but we decided on the Gwydir Highway via Grafton. We drove north on the motorway, back through Coffs Harbour, then turned off towards Grafton. We found a rest area to make a cup of coffee, then continued to Grafton and on through the mountains.

We stopped at Hills Lookout, then continued on to Gibraltar Range Picnic Area where we had lunch. Our next stop was Raspberry Lookout which had fabulous views over the Gibraltar Range and beyond. We drove in to Washpool National Park to have a look at the campground but were put off when we saw people with unrestrained dogs in the picnic area. Dogs are not permitted and  this is one of the reasons we like camping in National Parks so much. Once we reached the top of the range we decided that we could easily get to Tenterfield so stopped in Deepwater and called ahead as we knew we would be arriving quite late.

Quite a view from Raspberry Lookout

We made it into Tenterfield late in the day and settled in to the caravan park, only to discover that our power lead was not working. It was bad timing as we had just spent two nights with a licenced electrician who might have been able to fix it for us, but without his expertise we had to buy a new one. I made it to the local hardware store with only minutes to go before closing. Uusually we would be fine without power but a very cold night was forecast and we knew we would need the heater. With an overnight temperature of 0.2°C we were glad I'd made the mad dash into town.

Mick has access to a private property that is well set up for birding just out of town, so he headed out early in the morning for a session. On his return we headed into town to do some shopping and have a look around. We had planned to stay only two nights but decided to stay and extra one, giving Mick a few more opportunities to visit one of his favourite spots. 

We had wanted to stay in Girraween National Park again but it was fully booked so we researched a few more places that might suit us, without success. It was school holidays in both Queensland and New South Wales so all the popular spots were taken. We left Tenterfield and headed towards Cunnamulla - again not really sure where we would end up for the night.

Port Macquarie

 23 - 26 September 2025

After a false start due to a lost phone, we drove south from Sapphire Beach, on the motorway towards Port Macquarie. Once again we found a rest area to have a picnic lunch and arrived at our caravan park around 1:30pm. The one we had chosen is right in town, by the breakwall. Our friends, Anne and Stephen, had already arrived from their home at Fingal Bay so we joined them once we had set up. We all went for a walk along the Hastings River towards Town Beach and discussed our plans for the next couple of days.

There's lot to see and do in Port Macquarie

The next day we all went for another walk towards Town Beach, then drove to Sea Acres Rainforest Centre. We had morning tea at the cafe before walking along the elevated boardwalk. Mick was hoping to spot the Powerful owl that makes Sea Acres it's home -  once again without success. 

Mick had to get organised for the pelagic boat trip the following day so Anne and I walked in to town to do some shopping and pick up some supplies. In the evening, after some drinks and snacks we wandered down to a nearby cafe for a light meal. The weather was perfect, but there had been some discussion that the boat trip might be cancelled. Confirmation that it would go ahead came quite late in the day, but Mick had everything ready anyway.

We had to be up early to so Mick could be at the boat for a 7:00am departure, and Anne came for the walk with us. It's a very pleasant walk along the breakwall, especially early in the morning. Anne and Stephen had to leave that morning so I had the rest of the day to myself to potter around and wander into town. 

Mick arrived home after a successful day's birding and I met a friend for a drink at the same cafe we had eaten at the day before. Sally and I worked together in Townsville more than 10 years ago so it was nice to catch up again. 

We enjoyed our three nights in Port Macquarie but it was time to move on, so we set the GPS for Tenterfield, not sure whether we would get there in one go or have an overnight stop. We headed back up the motorway and turned off towards Grafton.

Sapphire Beach

 21 - 23 September 2025

Leaving Lennox Head we stopped at one of the lookouts and saw humpback whales on their southern migration, off in the distance. We continued on through Ballina and on to the motorway southbound. We still weren't sure where we would stay but thought somewhere near Coffs Harbour would be nice. We decided to go in to Red Rock for lunch and to make up our minds.

There is a lovely and very well used parkland on the banks of the Corindi River so we stopped there for a picnic. There were so many people enjoying the sunshine, having picnics and paddling in the shallow water we wondered what it would be like closer to Coffs. We decided not to stay at Red Rock but to continue on south. We rang a couple of caravan parks and found that they were full. We hadn't realised the impact that Queensland school holidays would have on this part of the New South Wales north coast. 

Fortunately the caravan park at Sapphire Beach had room for us - and plenty more - so we headed in there and scored a good spot right near the beach. There was some bush behind us and a walking track to the sand. It's always nice to be able to hear the waves nearby. 

No crowds at Sapphire Beach

We went for a long walk on the beach and  then drove into Coffs Harbour to do some errands. Mick also carried out a small repair on the camper trailer while I did some washing. Sapphire Beach turned out to be a terrific spot to spend a few nights - close enough to town, but far enough away to be peaceful.

Our next stop would be Port Macquarie, which we were looking forward to very much as an opportunity to catch up with friends and for Mick to get out on a pelagic birding trip. We had a bit of a false start when Mick left his phone at the caravan park and we had to backtrack. Luckily we had only travelled about 1/2 hour down the road before we received a call to say it had been found - he hadn't even realised he didn't have it. So, back we went and started all over again. It was a good thing that we didn't have a long way to go that day.

Lennox Head

 19 - 21 September 2025

We set off from O'Reillys and drove back down the windy mountain road to pick up the camper trailer in Canungra. We had enjoyed the usual enormous breakfast before leaving so knew we could hold out for a slightly later than usual lunch. We continued through the back of the Gold Coast and south onto the motorway, and some significant traffic jams. We really don't like this much traffic. We found a rest area to have a quick picnic lunch and then continued on to Lennox Head.

We had wanted to return to Ballina to visit Flat Rock, a favourite birding spot, but when we checked caravan parks a few weeks before, we found they were way overpriced, many had 4 night minimum stays, and some seriously concerning reviews. Some had all of these which really put us off. Happily, we found the caravan park at Lennox Head, just north of Ballina, to be more reasonably priced and to have space for us. On the website a four night minimum stay was advertised but a phone call established that they were happy to waive this for us.

We arrived early in the afternoon and set up on a lovely big spot in an area that was not full, but with some friendly neighbours. Once we had settled in, Mick made contact with a birding friend and headed off to meet him. By chance the spot they were going is actually closer to Lennox than to Ballina anyway, and Flat Rock is half-way between the two. While Mick was gone I socialised with our neighbour, a solo female with a dog, on their first "shake down" trip. Mick joined us, and another solo neighbour, and we shared lots of travel tales.

On Saturday Mick went out early to the spot in heathland near Seven Mile Beach that he had been told about and later we headed down to Flat Rock together.  Although the birding wasn't great, we did see whales offshore. Late in the afternoon we went back to the Heathland spot and wandered the tracks looking for birds.

We could see whales from the lookout

Once again we left our camp spot not really knowing where we would stay next. We still had 2 nights to fill in before we were booked in at Port Macquarie. Leaving Lennox Head, we stopped at one of the many lookouts and again saw humpback whales - there seemed to be lots about on their southern migration. We returned to the motorway and headed south, with Red Rock in mind as a place to stop.

O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat - Lamington National Park

 16 - 19 September 2025

We have been to O'Reilly's a few times before and are always keen to return so it seemed like a good idea to book a stay while we were on our way south. The drive from Canungra is only 35km but the road is narrow and windy, so takes around an hour. Even though there is a campground, I would never want to tow the camper trailer up that road. Besides, it's so nice staying at the retreat.

We arrived in time for morning tea in the cafe, before getting ready for a walk. We knew we would not be able to check in until later so had plenty of time to fill in. We were stopped by a fellow birder who was on her own and keen for a chat, and also some company so she tagged along with us on the Border Track. We eventually parted ways and found a nice spot for our picnic lunch.

By the time we had packed everything up it was almost check-in time so, while Mick walked some more in one of his favourite birding spots, I went to check in. All the rooms have great views and this one was no exception. The bonus with this one was that parking was right outside our door. On our last couple of visits we have had to park quite a way from our room and cart all our gear up a flight of stairs.

Every room has a view

Our package this time included the usual generous buffet breakfast, early morning bird walks, afternoon tea and manager's welcome (complete with a glass of sparkling wine) as well as a  morning 4WD Tour. Last time the nocturnal tour had been included but it was not available this time.

We did some more walking and lots of photographing of birds and decided to have our evening meal in the bar. They do a fairly good pizza which we shared by the fire, with a couple of drinks. Dinner is also available in the restaurant, but the new buffet prices were beyond our budget. The bar is cosy and relaxed, so suits us.

Breakfast is the best buffet you will find anywhere (in our opinion anyway) and the service is friendly and efficient. We always take our time over a big breakfast, usually after Mick has been out on the early morning bird walk. 

On our first morning we had to be ready for the 4WD tour at 9:00am. This tour takes you to many spots that are not otherwise accessible and includes lots of information about the history of the O'Reilly family and how the Retreat came to be. It was an interesting tour despite the lack of birding opportunities.

We spent the rest of our time walking along the many easy tracks, Mick photographing birds, me just enjoying being in the bush in this beautiful section of the ancient Gondwana rainforest. It truly is a special place. We sometimes wish we lived closer so we could visit more often.

There's always something interesting 
to see in the rainforest

After our usual big breakfast, we packed up and went for one last walk along the Border Track, past the Mountain Gardens and Tree Top Walk, before setting off back down the mountain. Once we had collected the trailer, we started making our way back towards the coast and on into New South Wales.

Canungra

 15 - 16 September 2025

We packed up and left Hardings Paddock after an early morning tea and set off for Canungra. We were booked in for three nights at O'Reillys Rainforest Retreat and we needed to leave the camper trailer somewhere convenient. The Canungra Showgrounds offer camping and also storage which suited us very nicely.

We arrived mid-morning and set up in a spot on "the oval" - no shade and with the power access a very long way away so we needed to borrow an extension cord. There were sites closer to the power but we didn't realise until we had set up. Lesson learned - always check first. On a walk around the campground we found some much nicer spots down by the creek which would definitely be our choice if ever we returned to stay for more than one night.

Canungra Creek

We had lunch and set about packing our things for three nights up on the mountain without the camper. This included doing some shopping so that we could have some "picnic" dinners. Meals are available at O'Reillys, but are very expensive and a bit limited in variety. Once we were organised we relaxed and enjoyed the afternoon wandering through the village. We thought it was surprisingly busy for a Monday out of school holidays.

In the morning we packed up and moved the trailer onto the unpowered storage spot. We needed to keep the fridge going, and while it probably would have been ok for three nights, we set up the solar panel to keep the batteries topped up anyway. Once everything was secure, we set off for the short, but challenging drive up to Lamington National Park.

Hardings Paddock

 14 - 15 September 2025

We still had  a night to fill in before we were booked in to the campground at Canungra so we settled on a return to Hardings Paddock, near Ipswich. It was not far out of the way, would help us avoid city traffic and is a nice peaceful spot. We left Barambah and took a detour to Kingaroy so we could buy a new GPS. I definitely didn't want to be relying solely on the phone. I actually like to use both at the same time - it works for me anyway.

Once we had the new GPS we fuelled up and headed off towards Nanango where we stopped for a cuppa. From there we continued on to Esk for lunch. Coming through close to Ipswich was easier than we thought it might be as it was a Sunday. We hadn't consciously planned it that way but it worked out well. The downside was that Hardings Paddock is a popular location for horse riders and the public area was very busy when we arrived. 

Late afternoon at the paddock

The campground must be booked in advance through the Ipswich City Council and a gate code is provided. Entry to the campground is restricted to those who have booked which makes it feel very secure. There was only a couple of other campers so we enjoyed a quiet and peaceful afternoon. Mick went out looking for birds of course. It was a very cold night and a communal fire ring is available but we hadn't thought to bring firewood with us.

Once again we had set up for a quick overnighter so packing up didn't take too long. We were soon back on the road and on our way to Canungra.

Barambah

 12 - 14 September 2025

We left Inskip Point and drove back towards Gympie before rejoining the Bruce Highway, heading north for a short way. We then turned off towards Goomeri. Once again we weren't sure where we would stay but had a couple of possibilities near Kilkivan or Goomeri in mind. We'd never stayed in this area before so everything was new to us.

We stopped at a rest area near Kilkivan but decided to keep on going. The campground nearby was closed for a private function. We pushed on through Goomeri and ended up at Barambah. The caravan park was on our list because of the reviews and location in a bush-like setting. We were given the choice of a few spots and happily chose one with a view over the property, in the "caravan park" section.  Unpowered camping is available in a less structured way adjacent to a number of dams.

The locals were curious

The owner/operators were welcoming and friendly, and the facilities well looked after. In the late afternoon there is bird feeding near the office. This was very popular and a great way of getting to chat with the owners and fellow campers.

We drove in to Murgon to do some shopping and to have a look around, and later in the day we set off to drive to a local attraction - Boat Mountain Conservation Park. Mick was hoping to do some birding and I was hoping for a nice bush walk. Our GPS had died that morning and we were relying on Google Maps. Without a cradle to put the phone in, I had to make do with the audio directions - and ended up getting hopelessly lost. We had to back-track significantly but eventually found our way to the mountain. 

Once at the top we had a bit of a look around and set off on the walk. We didn't get too far - only to the first lookout. The track was very steep with very many stairs. After a stop at the lookout, and no birds to photograph, we decided to head home. 

Barambah was a good spot for a couple of days - close enough to town, and with lots to do in the area. It's on the list of places we would be happy to visit again.

Inskip Peninsula Recreation Area - MV Sarawak Campground

 10 - 12 September 2025

We had a fairly short drive of only about 2 hours to get to our next destination - Inskip Point. We had booked to stay at MV Sarawak Campground but you can't book an actual site. There are a number of campgrounds but we chose the one we had stayed at before. We wanted to get there early so that we would have a better choice of sites than if we arrived later. 

We arrived just before noon and were able to get a nice spot. It was a bit back from the beach, which was quite windy, and had some shade. We were able to position the trailer to minimise the effect of the wind. We set up, had lunch and went for a walk along a bush track and then on to the beach. As expected, the campground filled up as the afternoon progressed.

K'Gari is just across  Great Sandy Strait

Mick made several visits to a couple of birding "hot spots" and was rewarded with some sightings he had been hoping for. I went out with him a couple of times and enjoyed the walks in the bush. In the afternoon we drove into Rainbow Beach for a look around - and an ice cream.

We had toyed with the idea of extending our stay by another night but didn't really want to be in this location on a weekend. We had read lots of reviews suggesting that it becomes over crowded and is not as nice as mid-week. 

We came up with a plan for our next destination and set off in the morning, through Gympie and then heading west to avoid Brisbane.

Lake Redbrook (Childers)

 9 - 10 September 2025

We moved on to Lake Redbrook, arriving in the early afternoon. We intended to stay just one night and checked in to a nice site with a view through to the lake. There's some good birding around the lake, and after three nights in a very crowded campground it was so nice to be somewhere quieter and more laid back.

We drove in to Childers later in the day to do some shopping, and spend some time having a look around. It was a very hot afternoon and it was good to escape the worst of it by visiting air conditioned shops! We returned to camp and Mick spent some time down by the lake with the camera.

There is good birding by the lake

We had booked to stay at Inskip Point for the next couple of nights so headed off early, hoping to be able to get a good spot.

Tannum Sands

 6 - 9 September 2025

We left Bowen to continue our journey south, with the aim to get to somewhere around Rockhampton. We drove through Mackay and made our first stop at Sarina where we planned to grab a coffee at the Visitor Information Centre only to discover that they aren't open on the weekend. Bad luck, so we jumped back in the car and continued on.

Next we stopped for lunch at the beach side picnic area in Clairview. This has become a regular stop for us, and is quite a popular spot judging by the number of cars and caravans coming and going. We pushed on and reached Rockhampton where we pulled over to consider our options. We had thought to stay just a little way south so Mick could re-visit a birding spot at Port Alma, but in the end we decided against it.

We'd had a long drive and decided that we could keep going through to Tannum Sands, which would take almost another two hours, and have us arriving around 5:00pm. I had a look online but couldn't see any availability at the caravan park, so called instead. Yes, they did have a site for a couple of nights, but the office would be closed when we arrived. We booked the site and continued on.

We hadn't ever been to Tannum Sands before and were looking forward to a couple of days relaxing at the beach after a few fairly hectic, long days in the car. We made our way to the caravan park and located our site - but, my goodness, what a disappointment. The place was packed and we were allocated the last site - tucked up into the corner, jammed in between huge caravans and as far away from the amenities as you could get. We had no other option but to set up and hope we could get a site change in the morning. Being a Saturday night we figured there might be some vacant spots on Sunday.

In the morning we went for a walk on the beach and called in to the office on our way back. We were very pleased to be given a choice of a few sites and selected one in a much  better location. We also extended our stay by another night. We packed up and moved to our new spot - it didn't feel as crowded, had nice green grass underfoot, was  beside a tree for shade and was a short walk to the amenities. All in all it was a much better site.

A walk on the beach
is always a good way to start the day

We did the usual things we do when in a new place - we went looking for birds. Mick had a couple of spots to check out but we had some difficulty locating access points so it wasn't a very productive outing. We did get to see some of this location which was nice. We enjoyed walks on the beach but neither of us felt it was quite what we were expecting. It was a good place to stay, but not a great spot.

Next, we would continue south to Lake Redbrook, near Childers. We stayed there once in a cabin and were keen to return. 

Bowen

 5 - 6 September 2025

After a quick over-nighter at Cowley Beach we returned to the Bruce Highway and our journey south. We stopped for fuel in Cardwell and then drove to Jourama Falls Day Use Area in the Paluma Range National Park, for morning tea and a spot of birding. There were lots of cars there but we managed to find a place to park the camper trailer, not far from one of a number of picnic shelters.

Once we left Jourama Falls, we knew that we would need to find a lunch stop before we reached Townsville. We found a new rest area just north of Bluewater and had our picnic there. It was nothing flash, but did the job. We drove through Townsville on the Ring Road for the very first time. We have entered or exited Townsville that way many times, but this was the first time using it as a by-pass. It is an excellent way to get through the city without having to tangle with traffic.

Once through Townsville we were confident that we could make it to Sarina for the night - until we reached Bowen and saw the illluminated sign on the south side of town indicating that the highway was closed between Bowen and Sarina. I checked the Queensland Traffic app and saw that there had been a serious crash and the road would be closed for some time. As it was already after 3:00pm we decided it would be unwise to wait and started calling caravan parks to see if we could get a spot. In peak tourist season most parks were full but we did get a site at one near the harbour. We'd stayed there before so were happy that it was in a good location.

As it was Friday, and as our plans had been rail-roaded, we treated ourselves to dinner at the pub. The Grand View Hotel is a short walk from the caravan park and serves very nice meals. There was rain about but it didn't eventuate in our location so we were able to enjoy a leisurely stroll to the pub and back.

We made the most of our unexpected stopover

We set off early the next morning, hoping to get to somewhere around Rockhampton.

Cowley Beach

 4 - 5 September 2025

After a week back on the Atherton Tablelands, we headed off again. Mick had been able to book a spot on a pelagic (off shore birding trip) out of Port Macquarie so we left Yungaburra and travelled via the Palmerston Highway, heading south. Because of our late in the day departure, we knew we wouldn't get too far. We made it to Cowley Beach and decided that would do nicely. We'd never been there before and, while we have our favourite places we like to go back to, we also like to try out new spots.

We found the caravan park, right on the beach and were given a good big site for the night. We went for a walk on the beach and enjoyed the quiet surrounds. There's not much at Cowley Beach, but it's still a very nice spot for an overnighter.

We enjoyed a late afternoon stroll on the beach

We decided in the morning to get as far as we could as we had managed to book a few nights at O'Reillys in the Gold Coast hinterland so needed to keep our journey on track - while still allowing a few stays in nice places. We knew we had plenty of time, but felt a push south would be the best thing, then we could take our time a bit once we were closer to our destinations. With that in mind we headed off quite early with a plan to have a break in Cardwell, before continuing on. 

Yungaburra

 29 August - 4 September 2025

Once we left Artemis, our Cape York trip was over and it was time to return to the Tablelands - however it would only be a brief stay. We made the usual stops at Lakeland and Rifle Creek before arriving at Lakeside near Yungaburra. We had some credit from when we'd had to cancel last year, so checked in for 5 nights, and then extended it to 7. We were given a good site with views to the lake in two directions, and settled in.

We spent our time doing all the usual Tablelands things - visiting Petersen Creek, Hasties Swamp, Lake Eacham and Lake Barrine. I's always nice to be able to have easy access to a number of spots with good birding and great walks. We also had lots of housekeeping to do - including trying to get rid of the red dirt and dust that accumulates when you travel on unsealed roads. 

We woke up one morning to fog so thick
you couldn't see the lake

We drove over to Ravenshoe to visit our friends Rob and Cheryl and to pick up a couple of things we had left there before the Cape trip, and drop off a couple of things we wouldn't need again for a while. Of course, on the way home we stopped at Mount Hypipamee. We had been hearing about a resident cassowary but, despite visiting regularly, had never seen it - until this visit. We were returning from the walk to the crater when we spotted it near the bridge over the creek. It wandered around for a while, and we were able to get a very good look at it, and quite a few photos. 

While we were in Weipa we found out about the opportunity for Mick to get on a Pelagic birding trip out of Port Macquarie. He was able to secure a spot so we set about planning a southern trip. Port Macquarie is quite a favourite spot so we were happy to go there, and we managed to talk friends Anne and Stephen into joining us for a couple of nights. They live at Fingal Bay so it would be a short trip for them. We figured while we were heading south we should go up to O'Reillys too, so we included that in the plan.

On our final day we had arranged for some work to be done on the camper trailer while we were still onsite in the caravan park. Consequently, we didn't leave until after lunch. Again, we weren't sure where we would end up, but knew it would probably be a beach somewhere.