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Booloumba Creek Camping…Have you been? You totally should!

Numerous friends had mentioned Boolomba Creek Camping but I’d never been. That was until my sister gave me a list of options for a post-Christmas camping spot and I took it as a sign! We booked via Queensland Department of National Parks. We booked into Booloumba Creek 4 Camping Area as it is the only area you can have a camper trailer/caravan.

Getting There

It takes about 1hr 20min to drive from Maroochydore. I’d suggest if you are towing go via Kenilworth as there are long straight stretches of road, if you go via Maleny it is windy and can take longer. Once you turn off Kenilworth-Maleny Road there are two creek crossings and a gravel road – national parks suggest high clearance four-wheel-drive vehicles only. Saying that my sister has a Rav4 that got through no problems. There are 3 different camping areas you can stay in…

Campgrounds / Areas

There are 3 camping areas you can stay in… (area 2 – not listed below is a day use area)

  • Booloumba Creek Camping Area 1 – 24 numbered tent sites, vehicle parking spaces next to each site, you may need to carry your tents/gear a short walk. Nice and shady and short walk to creek.
  • Booloumba Creek Camping Area 3 – 20 numbered tent sites, 10 sites along the creek, 10 sites in the rainforest. Sites 1-4 along the creek would get really busy with day visitors as this is the deepest section of the creek and everyone comes for a swim there.  The rainforest sites are secluded and you are camping right in amongst the trees
  • Booloumba Creek Camping Area 4 – Takes a maximum of 120 people. This is an open shady space for camper trailers and caravans, the bulk of the area is on a slant about 6 or so flat spots so try to get in early.

What we loved:

  • Open fires allowed in rings supplied – check national parks website for park alerts
  • Walking tracks – see further info below
  • Creek is so beautiful to swim in, the kids loved exploring, skimming rocks and building dams
  • Flushing toilets 🙂
  • Wildlife is always a hit with the kids, we spotted Goanna’s, Wallabies, Kookaburras, Lots of birds on the walks and Eels & Catfish in the creek

Room for improvement

  • This is a national park and the amenities are basic, no showers but they do have flushing toilets.
  • Summer weekends, school holidays and long weekends can get very busy so be prepared for more noise during these periods.

Walking Tracks

There is a range of walks available at Boolumba Creek and the surrounding Conondale National Park:

  • Boolumba Falls Walk – A must do! To get there you drive the 9.8km track to the Boolumba Falls parking area (you will need a high clearance 4WD to get there). Then its a 1.5km walk down to the falls. There is a small rockpool and falls that you can stop at for a refreshing swim after you check out the view from the lookout.
  • Gold Mine Walk – An easy walk through the rainforest that leaves from the day use area. The entrance of the mine can still be viewed but the mine is closed for public safety.
  • Strangler Cairn – Definitely not something you see on your usual bushwalk… This walking track also leaves from the day area and leads to an impressive 3.7m high Strangler Cairn © sculpture by artist Andy Goldsworthy.
  • Artists Cascades – Walk through dense rainforest along the Booloumba Creek Gorge to Artists Cascades a stunning group of waterfalls.
  • Boolumba Creek to Mount Allan – a decent walk from Booloumba Creek day-use area to Mount Allan. At the end of the walk, you can climb the stairs of the 9.6m tall fire tower for 360-degree views of the Mary Valley and surrounding Conondale Ranges.
  • Conondale Range Great Walk – Most renowned of all the walks at Conondale, this challenging four day, 56km, full circuit walk offers bushwalking enthusiasts an adventure to remember.

Check out the full map here

We only managed to cover a small portion of the walks on this trip but overall, we loved Boolumba Creek Camping and will be back to explore more of the park again soon.

Have you stayed at Booloomba Creek before? If so, let us know what you thought.

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