Little-known family camping escape on the Burrum Coast
Issued: 24 Aug 2018

Dreaming of escaping from the family routine? No school lunch boxes to pack, no mad scramble to ballet lessons and football training? No arguments over who feeds the dog or washes up? Leave it all behind when you make like the Swiss Family Robinson and escape to one of our better-kept secrets—Burrum Coast National Park.

Here you’ll find endless opportunities for boating, camping and fishing…and you don’t have to travel very far to get there. Close to Bundaberg and just over 4 hours drive from Brisbane, you’ll be there before the kids decide on their choice of video in the back seat.

And, even better, there’s not a Wi-Fi connection, fast food outlet or theme park in sight! Just loads of healthy active outdoor family fun to be had, just like that famous Disney family!

_{Walkers Point | © Chris Whitelaw}

Bunk down under the stars

It’s a fact—research shows that camping helps reduce stress and anxiety. Check it out for yourself. Set up the family tent or trailer at Burrum Point camping area, nestled behind sand dunes, a hop, skip and jump from the beach, then simply…relax.

The kids will keep themselves occupied fishing, walking, paddling and playing. They are bound to fall asleep easily (early? Yes! Air punch!), lulled by the waves splashing on the shore. And, rest assured, we’ve provided a few facilities to make camp life easy, such as water on tap (needs treating), toilets and showers (of the brisk kind!).

To get here, you’ll need a high-clearance 4WD vehicle and trailer, experience driving on sand, and the urge to escape for just a while!

_{Burrum Point camping area | © Bluedog photography}

Back-to-nature camping

One of the best things about camping is the space, right? So much space, that kids can make all the noise they want, and you don’t need to worry about the neighbours. At Kinkuna camping zone (accessible in dry weather only), you’ll find it in spades! Get the kids to help choose a family camp site among the fringing casuarinas.

You won’t find facilities here—so you’ll need to be fully self-sufficient, including BYO portable toilet—but you will feel like the Swiss Family Robinson (minus the treehouse) as you sit around the camp fire under starry night skies. Make sure you bring clean-milled firewood for the fire!

You’ll need a high-clearance 4WD to get here—and you can explore the park’s wallum lowlands along 4WD tracks for a different experience!

_{Kinkuna camping zone | © Chris Whitelaw}

Get close to nature

Camping is the best way to immerse your kids in nature, and its way more fun to spot ‘roos from a boardwalk than look at them through a fence in a zoo! So, lace up the kids’ runners and head off on the Banksia track (convenient if you’re camped at Burrum Point).

As well as kangaroos, the kids can look for pretty wildflowers in the wallum heath—the best displays are in winter and spring. Are all the colours of the rainbow covered? Slow down, take your time, and see what else you can find along the walk—look for ‘banksia men’ (cones of banksias), wedding bush (so, where’s the bride?) and paperbark trees (yes, bark that sheds like sheets of paper).

Stand still to watch the many birds and butterflies attracted to the flowers—a simple bird guide will come in handy here! On your ramblings around the park, you’ll also glimpse grey kangaroos, swamp wallabies, bandicoots, echidnas and lizards. Spending time in the fresh air, enjoying nature, is just simply good for the soul.

_{Banksia track | © Ross Naumann}

Fishing kids

The Swiss Family Robinson had to be self-sufficient, right? So how self-sufficient can you be? Grab the fishing rods and lines and walk the few paces from your tent to the beach to cast a line. Even better, take the kids to Hoppy Lark’s day-use area where they can fish from the platform (its best on the high tide)—you never know, they just might return with a mangrove jack or two!

Another fishing hot spot is Theodolite Creek day-use area, where the kids can play in the shade and check their lines from the creek bank. Or kayak up Theodolite Creek to fish or just explore (remember the insect repellent!) And, if you have a tinnie, launch near Walkers Point to try your luck in the Gregory and Burrum Rivers. You’ll never know until you try!

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.

_{Theodolite Creek day-use area | © Bluedog Photography}

And nearby…

Top off your camping holiday with a truly special wildlife experience—the Bundaberg region is renowned for them! If you’re here in winter, make sure to book in for a humpback whale watching trip in Hervey Bay. The sight of one of these majestic creatures surfacing near the boat or blowing in the distance will be long remembered by the family.

_{Humpback whale |  © Jodie Bray}

Why not add our best-kept secret, Burrum Coast, into the mix for the next family holiday? Visit Burrum Coast National Park for more information or take a closer look at your camping options. Always check Park alerts before you go.