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.