Up for an eco-adventure? Head to Eurimbula National Park
Issued: 13 Sep 2018

Got a burning urge to leave the ‘9 to 5’ far, far behind, even if it’s only for the weekend? Grab your mates, pile into your 4WD and make your way to Eurimbula National Park (just 112km north-west of Bundaberg) for a weekend jam-packed with eco-adventures. Pitch a tent, throw in a line, go for a bushwalk or jump on an eco-tour, there are heaps of ways you can explore the landscapes of this park.

Pitch your tent

_{Bustard Beach near Eurimbula camping area | © Chris Whitelaw}

You’ll have no trouble finding the perfect spot to pitch your tent among the many shady sites nestled in the forest behind the dunes. Spend hours wandering the beach under the watchful eyes of white-bellied sea-eagles and then take up front row seats to watch the amazing technicolour display as the sun sets.

Make sure someone brings the firewood as there is nothing better than sitting around a camp fire under the stars, listening to the waves lap against the shore. At the Eurimbula Creek camping area, the camping area is ‘rustic’ but it does come with a huge picnic shelter, a large water tank (rainwater is limited so always bring your own supply) and a toilet—what more could you want? So make sure you bring a gas or fuel stove and someone packs the esky! You can even bring your generator along (check the restrictions) for some creature comforts.

Wet a line

_{Eurimbula Creek | © Chris Whitelaw}

Eurimbula Creek is just a short walk from your 'home away from home' and well-known as a local fishing spot. If you are keen on fishing, throw a line in from the creek bank or launch a tinnie to fish the creek’s mangrove-lined upper reaches (but only at high tide). Bream, cod, mangrove jack and grunter live in the creek, while little lagoons hold small barramundi. Eurimbula Creek is a mud crab sanctuary so if you want to go crabbing, you’ll have to take a short drive or boat trip up to Middle Creek and try your luck there. True fishing enthusiasts or adventurers may like to try a fishing charter to the outer Great Barrier Reef and ‘get amongst the big ones’!

And remember, the fresher the bait the more appealing it is to fish! Don’t use imported, raw prawns from the supermarket as bait, as they may carry diseases which can get into our waterways and harm our prawn populations.

Finish the day with a cook-up of the fresh fish haul on the campfire, or maybe just a snag on the barbie, while swapping stories about ‘the one that got away’!

Get wet and wild

_{LARC (amphibious craft) | Maxime Coquard © Tourism Events Queensland}

Just a short drive from Eurimbula National Park you’ll find the towns of Seventeen Seventy and Agnes Waters, the starting point for some great eco-tours. You can jump aboard the unforgettable pink LARC where you’ll drive across deserted sandy beaches and boat through pristine estuaries enroute to the Bustard Head lighthouse.

If spending the day finding Nemo or looking for Dory is more your thing then you’ll want to explore a bit further afield and take a day trip to Lady Musgrave Island on the Great Barrier Reef. The locals come in all shapes and sizes here, so grab a mask, throw on a pair of fins and jump right in—the snorkelling is amazing!

Get your blood pumping

_{Ganoonga Noonga Lookout | © Chris Whitelaw}

Grab the crew and head to the Ganoonga Noonga lookout for a cardio workout and amazing views of the coastal and natural landscapes of the area. While the track is only short (720m return) it is steep so it will get your blood pumping! At the top you’ll enjoy a birds’ eye view of the Munro Range sprawling to the west and the Bustard Bay to the north, making for an awesome snapshot backdrop. Those of you with keen eyes should be able to spot the Bustard Head lighthouse on the rocky headlands to the north.

So, are you ready for an eco-adventure? Grab your mates and head to Eurimbula National Park. Plan your camping trip online now. Remember to check park alerts before you go.