Eurimbula National Park Gladstone

Eurimbula National Park includes the beautiful coastline where Captain James Cook made his first landing in Queensland. Photo credit: Maxime Coquard © Tourism and Events Queensland

Visiting Eurimbula safely

    High clearance four-wheel-drive vehicles with low range capacity are most suitable for travelling on the soft sand roads.

    High clearance four-wheel-drive vehicles with low range capacity are most suitable for travelling on the soft sand roads.

    Photo credit: Queensland Government

    Getting there and getting around

    From the Bruce Highway at Miriam Vale, follow the road signs towards Agnes Water and Seventeen Seventy. Look out for the Eurimbula National Park sign, which is 10km before the town of Agnes Water. Turn left onto the unsealed road and travel 4km to the park entrance.

    Roads within the park are sand tracks. Is your vehicle suitable?

    • High clearance four-wheel-drive vehicles with low range capacity are recommended.
    • Off-road camper trailers and small boat trailers are permitted. Towing trailers significantly increases the chances of getting bogged. Recovery of bogged vehicles can be costly and is your responsibility.

    Roads are not suitable for caravans, low clearance four-wheel-drive and all-wheel drive vehicles.

    Be aware! Watch for other vehicles, wildlife and cattle on the road.

    Accessing camping areas

    Camping areas accessible by vehicle: From the park entrance, the sand road leads a few kilometres to a junction. The road to the right leads to Eurimbula Creek camping area (9km) and the road on the left leads to Middle Creek camping area (13.5km).

    As the road approaches Eurimbula Creek camping area it becomes a narrow sand track through low littoral rainforest.

    Camping areas accessible by boat: the nearest boat ramps to Rodds Peninsular and Bustard Head camping areas are at Seventeen Seventy and Turkey Beach.

    Check park alerts before you visit and also check the road conditions.

    Wheelchair accessibility

    There are no wheelchair-accessible facilities or tracks at Eurimbula National Park.

    Staying safe

    • Always check park alerts for Eurimbula National Park before visiting.

    Driving and boating

    • Make sure your vehicle is suitable for the driving conditions. Access into Eurimbula National Park is by high clearance four-wheel-drives.
    • Drive safely and watch out for the unexpected—slow down to allow time to react to changed conditions and other park users. Look out for wildlife and cattle when driving and marine life below when boating.
    • Make sure your vehicle, boating and camping equipment is in good order.
    • Abide by warning, advisory and park closure notices. Access may not be permitted in wet weather.

    Around water

    • Always supervise children.
    • Coastal and estuarine waters in this area can be treacherous—strong currents and sharks occur particularly around Eurimbula's creek systems and in Round Hill Creek at Seventeen Seventy.
    • Swimming is not recommended from beaches around the park. Tragedies have occurred in the unpatrolled waters. Medical help or rescue can be hours away. The nearest patrolled swimming beach is the main beach at Agnes Water.
    • Beware of marine stingers between October and May.
    • Stonefish are common in the creeks.

    Around campfires

    • Never leave a campfire unattended.
    • Stay with children and don't let them sit too close to the campfire.
    • Don't let a campfire turn into a wildfire! Keep campfires small.
    • Whenever you leave, douse campfires with water not sand*.
      * Embers can stay extremely hot for up to 15hr when covered only with sand. Serious burn injuries have occurred on the soles of children's feet, who have walked bare-footed over old campfires that have only been covered with sand.

    Picnics, camping and walking

    • Do not feed or leave food for animals, as your food can harm wildlife, cause them to rely on hand-outs and make them aggressive as they try to bully you or other visitors for more food.
    • Keep your food packed away when your camp site is not attended.
    • Always carry drinking water.
    • If you intend to walk off-track, obtain a topographic map and ask for advice before setting off. Before you leave, tell friends or family where you are going and when you expect to return.
    • Hot sand hurts! When you first arrive, check your camp site for any leftover embers or hot spots of sand from previous campfire sites.
    • Keep shoes on your feet in all the camp sites.
    • If you intend on having a campfire, set it up in the fire rings provided.

    In an emergency

    In case of accident or other emergency please:

    • Call Triple Zero (000).
    • Advise the location and nature of the emergency.
    • Stay on the phone until you are told to hang up.
    • The nearest hospitals are in Bundaberg and Gladstone.

    Be aware! Mobile phone coverage is unreliable.

    For more information, please read the guidelines on safety in parks and forests.

    Before you visit

    Driving

    • You need a high clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle for travelling in the park.
    • Ensure your vehicle is mechanically sound.
    • The roads into Eurimbula are very narrow with no turn-around areas.
    • Do not take caravans into Eurimbula as they will get stuck and damaged by the roadside vegetation.
    • Check park alerts for the latest information about conditions in Eurimbula National Park, particularly after wet weather, as road conditions can change quickly.
    • Read driving on sand and print off the Driving on sand safety guide (PDF, 2.3MB) to take with you when you visit.

    Essentials to bring

    • Carry a well-equipped first-aid kit and know how to use it. Medical assistance may be hours away.
    • Bring heavy-duty bags or containers to store your rubbish in. Bins are not provided; please take your rubbish with you when you leave.
    • Bring a fuel or gas stove for cooking and test it before you leave home.
    • Bring your own clean-cut firewood if intending to have a campfire. Collection of firewood and the use of chainsaws are prohibited.
    • Bring your own drinking water; some untreated rainwater is available.
    • Ensure you pack insect repellent, sunscreen and protective clothing to avoid bites, stings and sunburn.
    • A torch, preferably with a red filter to protect animals' eyes, is useful for spotlighting at night.
    • Binoculars are great for viewing wildlife from a distance and a camera is handy to capture moments of your holiday.

    Opening hours

    Eurimbula National Park is open 24 hours a day. For your safety, walk in daylight hours only.

    Permits and fees

    Camping permits are required and fees apply. Camping fees must be paid before camping overnight.

    Other permits

    A special permit is not required for recreational activities in Eurimbula National Park unless they are organised events or large scale competitive events. If an activity or visit to a protected area includes commercial photography or filming—that is, to sell photographs or film footage taken on a protected area or use photographs or footage in a product which will later be sold, such as a book or postcard—a permit must be obtained and a fee paid.

    Mobile phone reception

    Mobile phone reception is generally unreliable. Best chance of good mobile phone reception is on the beach out from the Eurimbula Creek camping area and the headland up from Middle Creek camping area.

    Pets

    Domestic animals are not permitted in Eurimbula National Park.

    Climate and weather

    Eurimbula has a mild subtropical climate.

    • Summer can be hot and humid even in the evenings; temperature range 15° to 33°C.
    • Winters are pleasantly mild; temperature range 7°to 26°C.
    • Weather forecasts are available from the Bureau of Meteorology.

    Fuel and supplies

    The closest fuel and supplies are available from Agnes Water, Seventeen Seventy, Miriam Vale and Bundaberg.

    For more information see the tourism information links.