SEAFORTH CAMPING RESERVE Seaforth is a small town on the coast, north-east of Mackay. It’s a nice spot if you like bushwalking, fishing, catching a crab or two, or reading that book you have been neglecting, while listing to the sounds of the sea.
GPS coordinates: 20 53 58 S, 148 57 57 E. Facilities: Toilets, showers, drinking water and pay phone. The reserve is 2WD-accessible, and tents, big rigs, motorhomes, caravans and camper trailers are welcome. Dogs are not allowed. Price: $25 per night, or $150 per week, up to six people per site.
ALLIGATOR CREEK CAMPGROUND Alligator Creek is south of Townsville and located in Bowling Green Bay National Park. The national park has some great bush walks and a beautiful swimming hole. It’s also close enough to Townsville for day trips. The campsites are small spots among the trees.
GPS coordinates: 19 26 2 S, 146 56 46 E (25km south-east of Townsville, turn west off Bruce Highway). Facilities: Toilets, showers, and non-potable water. The site is 2WD-accessible, and tents, small caravans, camper trailers and motorhomes are welcome. Dogs are not allowed. Price: $6.15 per person per night or $24.60 per family – visit www.npsr.qld.gov.au to book.
BLUEWATER PARK Bluewater park is a rest area 29km north of Townsville beside Bluewater Creek, close to Townsville. If you have children, in Townsville I recommend you go to the Reef HQ Aquarium.
GPS coordinates: 19 10 35 S, 146 33 5 E. Facilities: Outside cold shower, toilets, and drinking water. The park is 2WD-accessible, and caravans, big rigs, motorhomes, camper trailers, tents and dogs are welcome. Price: Free
The Waterholes at Camooweal
Intro: Marg and Bruce Gow, the Baby Boomers on the Road, gave us their favourite outback Queensland campsite…
When the Georgina River stops flowing under the bridge at Camooweal, at least two waterholes remain, so deep they never dry up. So it becomes a great meeting place for not only the local fauna but for travellers seeking serenity. There are many camping spots along a few kilometres beside the waterholes, handy enough to town but far enough away to be blissfully tranquil. Set up the rig, light a little fire and be entertained by the huge array of waterbirds, the resident pair of brolgas, the nesting kites and the animals wandering down for a drink in the evening. Don't miss the Drovers’ Camp, though. It is a wonderful tribute to the old drovers and we learned heaps from the retired drover guide during our visit. A pub and roadhouse cater for your other needs, but the jewel in the Camooweal crown is the camping spot by the waterhole. Put it on your list.