Hot spots in QLD

[SWB 89]

Is there no hot spots in QLD? Daybro is the only place I've been so far. What are other places worth while visiting?

[Paj People 2009]

Hi,

How long have you got?

Heaps of top spots up here!..........

Fraser Island, Moreton Island, North Straddie for starters - good beach driving.

Mt Mee NP. - tracks near Neurum Creek Bush Retreat. Some challenging bush tracks.

Killarney area. Near Queen Mary Falls CP. Condamine River, with 14 or so creek crossings. Form mild to wild depending if you go after rain!

Landcruiser Mountain Park - good fun - don't go in holiday season though!

Tracks near Esk/Somerset Dam are very nice.

Border Ranges tracks, near O'Reilly's (Duck Creek Rd), Binna Burra , Woodenbong - some good tracks here - we lost a sidestep here once! There's also a VERY steep disused quarry - good fun in an auto going down here!

Heaps of other National Parks, etc....

Others will have more ideas too.

Cheers,
Sally

[hyperscooter]

Go and get the Dirty Weekends of the South East Queensland book or visit the web site

http://www.dirtyweekends.com.au/

We used this when we first started and now give them as gives to friends just starting out.
As Sally has put, how long do you have?
I have just come back from a week at Morton Island (Blue Lagoon Camping Area), then four days at Girraween National Park Near Stanthorpe. While down that way we visited the Boonoo Boonoo National park and Basket Swamp National Park.
Did Sundown National park last year and Murphy Creek Camp park.
So many places to visit, so little time.
Cheers

[AJC]

Hi,

How long have you got?

Heaps of top spots up here!..........

Fraser Island, Moreton Island, North Straddie for starters - good beach driving.

Mt Mee NP. - tracks near Neurum Creek Bush Retreat. Some challenging bush tracks.

Killarney area. Near Queen Mary Falls CP. Condamine River, with 14 or so creek crossings. Form mild to wild depending if you go after rain!

Landcruiser Mountain Park - good fun - don't go in holiday season though!

Tracks near Esk/Somerset Dam are very nice.

Border Ranges tracks, near O'Reilly's (Duck Creek Rd), Binna Burra , Woodenbong - some good tracks here - we lost a sidestep here once! There's also a VERY steep disused quarry - good fun in an auto going down here!

Heaps of other National Parks, etc....

Others will have more ideas too.

Cheers,
Sally

Sal, I thought Fortitude Valley was the only hot spot in QLD

[SWB 89]

The valley Tracks through the mall hey? That'd be fun.

[AdReNaLiN]

Bellthorpe National Park is one place not to be missed. Here's some good information about the place:

http://www.toughtoys.com.au/4wd-tracks/bellthorpe-national-park/

[coley_83]

Anyone got a link to a map of the tracks up through Queen Mary Falls ??

[Paj People 2009]

Sal, I thought Fortitude Valley was the only hot spot in QLD

LOL Al....that one is usually too hot to touch!

There are a few others, but will leave that for another time!

Cheers,
Sally

[MTN-KAT]

Hi,
How long have you got?
Heaps of top spots up here!..........
Fraser Island, Moreton Island, North Straddie for starters - good beach driving.
Mt Mee NP. - tracks near Neurum Creek Bush Retreat. Some challenging bush tracks.
Killarney area. Near Queen Mary Falls CP. Condamine River, with 14 or so creek crossings. Form mild to wild depending if you go after rain!
Landcruiser Mountain Park - good fun - don't go in holiday season though!
Tracks near Esk/Somerset Dam are very nice.
Border Ranges tracks, near O'Reilly's (Duck Creek Rd), Binna Burra , Woodenbong - some good tracks here - we lost a sidestep here once! There's also a VERY steep disused quarry - good fun in an auto going down here!
Heaps of other National Parks, etc....
Others will have more ideas too.
Cheers,
Sally

Good on you Sally. Another great track goes from north of Monto thru farms, creeks and up a steep long climb to Kroombit Tops National Park and down the other side to Calliope. On top of the mountain you will see the wreakage of a B-24D Liberator bomber from the 380 Bomber Group that crashed in Feb 1945. Take a tent and camp on top to see a spectacular sunrise over the ocean. Worth the effort. Cheers.

[Paj People 2009]

Hi MTN-KAT,

Thanks for the info...sounds wonderful!

Do you have any other details of that trip? What is the track over the mountain like? Is the creek crossing reasonable? (We've got a snorkel).

Monto's near Cania Gorge, isn't it? Can you camp anywhere on the mountain? I suppose QLD National Parks would be the people to contact re info?

Do you have to arrange anything with the farm owners beforehand to cross their property?

How'd you find the trip? Need anything "special" on your Paj? (We don't have a winch).

Thanks in advance for the info!

Cheers,
Sally

[LDV60]

I just got through a trip from Bellthorpe village to Kenilworth.
The Bellthorpe Range road was closed so there was a bit of a detour.
The first section through the State Forest was really nice and basically just a gravel road. Really well sign posted. With grading details for the tracks. Really pretty good.
But either we were heading into a no through section or we missed a turn because what was graded as "easy" (is called the Jimna Bellthorpe road on Google Maps) we made our way onto what can eventually be called Grigor's Road. (also called Postman's track). It comes out on the Maleny - Kenilworth Road.
15km of 2+ foot deep ruts going down 10 - 20% grades with washed out bridges.
My wife had to get out 4 or 5 times to guide us through the ruts effectively. At one point I had to push her out of the car because she couldn't open her door - the car was already at a crazy angle of at least 20 degrees.

Sorry there aren't any more pics, and especially of the tough stuff, but we were too busy not getting hung up to think about taking photos.

This trip was to be testing out the new sunny and mud tyre combo and I'm hugely glad we had them as it was a huge challenge.

Also extremely happy with how we and the car handle it as it was seriously washed out but a great bit of fun.

[MTN-KAT]

Hi MTN-KAT,
Thanks for the info...sounds wonderful!
Do you have any other details of that trip? What is the track over the mountain like? Is the creek crossing reasonable? (We've got a snorkel).
Monto's near Cania Gorge, isn't it? Can you camp anywhere on the mountain? I suppose QLD National Parks would be the people to contact re info?
Do you have to arrange anything with the farm owners beforehand to cross their property?
How'd you find the trip? Need anything "special" on your Paj? (We don't have a winch).
Thanks in advance for the info!
Cheers,
Sally

Hi Sally, it was a long time ago. We were camping about and stayed in a cabin at Cania Gorge Tourist Park as it was raining. Lots of very colorful birds there. They gave us a mud map and said don't go in the wet. Stayed another night when the rain stopped and followed the map. Creeks are more slippery mud. The climb would be too slippery in the wet. Farmers are good. Just shut the gates. Usual drill. Your Paj will do it easily. Need permit. We camped on grass area near info board near top with easterly aspect and saw best sunrise. With binoculars can see over Gladstone to ocean. Big healthy pig ran across track into forest while there. They are everywhere there is water. They rip up plants for the bulbs. Have just googled Kroombit Tops and saw comments on Pradopoint.com from others. Cheers.

[amr75wcr]

Eurimbula National Park

Eurimbula National Park is another nice spot, Bustard bech camp gound is on the inlet side of 1770, and if you can get to the spot at the top of the hill at middle creek it overlooks the bay as well and the sunrises are awesome, not shae at this one so winter is a better time to camp ontop of the hill.
Wayne

[adrian]

If you want to travel further afield in Qld then Expedition Range just north of Taroom is a good spot. Plenty of walking tracks and things to see and photograph. Very basic ameneties, a toilet and water tank. Take all you need with you. We were camping there and didnt see anyone else at all.

Adrian

[powerslave]

The valley Tracks through the mall hey? That'd be fun.

Jacki Chan did it in a Pajero in McWhirters in the Valley years ago... it's in one of his movies

On a more serious note , Just got back last week from Cooloola->Leisha track->Rainbow beach then back through the western firetrail. Sand was firm & easy from the rain , but the firetrail got an inexperienced victim bogged to his guts in mud. I ended up pulling him out only to find he had highway pressures in his tyres. He was stuck for 2 hrs with no phone reception.

2 Weeks before that I tried Caballo rd up to Tamborine mtn. Got to within 400m of the end but it was raining & the track was really chewed up (red clay). It's a 60m-400m altitude climb in about 6k's of track with some tricky sections and some awesome hill climbs(luckily I dropped my runners the week before , or I would have bent them for sure). Don't try this track alone, its pretty remote,and best of all , it's a gazetted public road !