Visiting Mouth of Baffle Creek safely

Getting there and getting around

• Mouth of Baffle Creek Conservation Park map (PDF, 105.8KB)

Mouth of Baffle Creek Conservation Park is only accessible at low tide. Sand driving experience is necessary when navigating beach access points. The park is about one hour north of Bundaberg near Rules Beach. The park is made up of two sections: Mouth of Baffle Creek Conservation Park 1, which is located on the creek mouth’s southern shore, and Mouth of Baffle Creek Conservation Park 2 which has a camping area and is the main access to the beach.

The beach and camping area are accessible by boat or high clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle at low tide.

Visitors can access the park’s camping area by:

• Driving to the end of Rules Beach Road and travelling 1km south along the beach to the camping area.
• Travelling by boat to the camping area. A boat ramp is located nearby at Flat Rock.

Vehicle access to Rules Beach township and Flat Rock boat ramp:

• From Bundaberg, take the Bundaberg-Lowmead Road (heading towards Agnes Water) about 58km to Berajondo. Turn right into Tableland Road, 500m before Berajondo. Proceed along Tableland Road for 3.1km and continue on to Hills Road, then turn right on to Coast Road. To access the boat ramp, take the Flat Rock Road turnoff and travel another 500m to the boat ramp located in the Flat Rock picnic area. Alternatively continue driving along Coast Road via Wartburg to the end of Rules Beach Road.
• From the north, turn off at Miriam Vale and take the Tablelands Road towards Bundaberg. Turn left on to Williams Way then right at Taunton Road. After 10km, turn left on to Hills Road and continue as above to Flat Rock boat ramp or Rules Beach.

Read more about access in before you visit.

Wheelchair accessibility

There are no wheelchair accessible tracks or facilities in the park.

Staying safe

Sand driving experience is necessary as getting off the beach can be difficult. Vehicle access is by four-wheel-drive at low tide only.

To enjoy a safe visit to this area, please:

• Always check park alerts before visiting.

• Take a tide chart—access to the camping area is only possible at low tide.

• Drive safely and watch out for the unexpected—slow down to allow time to react to changed conditions and other park users. Read about driving on sand and print off the Driving on sand safety guide (PDF, 2.3MB) to take with you when you visit.
• Abide by warning, advisory and park closure notices. Access to the park may not be permitted in wet or stormy weather.
• Coastal and estuarine waters in this area can be treacherous with strong currents.
• Watch out for wildlife—stonefish are common in the creek and sharks are present in the ocean. Beware of marine stingers between October and May. See Beachsafe for the latest safety advice.
• Always carry drinking water.
• Do not feed or leave food for animals—human food can harm wildlife and cause some animals to become aggressive. Keep your food packed away when your camp site is not attended.

In an emergency

In an emergency:

• Call Triple Zero (000).
• Call 106 for a text-only message for deaf or speech or hearing impaired callers
• Advise the location and nature of the emergency.
• Stay on the phone until you are told to hang up.

The nearest hospital is in Bundaberg. Mobile phone coverage is not reliable in the park.

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

Before you visit

Essentials to know

Driving

• You need a high clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle to travel to the park.
• Ensure your vehicle is mechanically sound.
• The roads into Mouth of Baffle Creek are very narrow with no turn-around areas.
• Do not take caravans into the park as they will get stuck and damaged by the roadside vegetation.
• Check park alerts for the latest information about conditions in the 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

There are no facilities in the camping area—you must be self-sufficient. Ensure you 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. Generators are not permitted.
• Bring your own drinking water.
• 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

The park is open 24 hours a day.

Permits and fees

Camping permits are required and fees apply. A camping tag with your booking number must be displayed at your camp site. Camping is only provided on Mouth of Baffle Creek Conservation Park 2 section.

• Book your camp site online.
• If you cannot book online, see camping bookings for other options.

Other permits

A special permit is not required for recreational activities in Mouth of Baffle Creek Conservation 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.

Pets

Domestic animals are not permitted in the park.

Climate and weather

The Mouth of Baffle Creek Conservation Park has a mild subtropical climate, with hot and humid summers. Average temperatures in January range from 21.5°C to 31°C and in July, from 10°C to 22°C. Average annual rainfall is approximately 1000mm. January is normally the wettest month. Weather forecasts are available from the Bureau of Meteorology.

Fuel and supplies

The closest fuel and supplies are available from Miriam Vale, Agnes Water, Baffle Creek and Bundaberg.

For more information see the tourism information links.