4wd / Camping spots around Townsville

[Damienandwendy Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Damienandwendy]

Hi peoples,

If this is in the wrong spot, my apologies but figured it was close. If another forum like myswag etc is better for this please suggest one.
I am looking for places to go, within a few hours drive of Townsville, that I couldn't get to in the previous car ( Crummydore ) with a camper trailer.
Not looking for anything too adventurous as this is our first 4wd, just something that would keep the wife happy.

There are plenty of National Parks and similar camping areas, but trying to work out which ones have any sort of 4wd / offroad component is proving challenging.
As for talking to the local 4wd group/s, I feel this is largely pointless as my experiences so far with people in these clubs has been negative ie "its not a nissan so its not a 4wd", "you can't 4wd drive in that ... you'll crack the chassis" - plenty of mates have Pojo's, "if you don't have $5000 worth of recovery gear you can't go", etc.

cheers

[toddy Member Find all posts View Profile Close toddy]

Re: 4wd / Camping spots around Townsville

Hi Damien,

I struggle with this area also for tracks that require a bit of 4WDriving. My brother showed me a place called big bend north of Charters Towers about 30km from memory. Didn't need to put into 4WD but had the wife panicking a little and the kids screaming for more

You camp on the side of a creek called the Ana Branch of the Burdekin river. It's someones property not sure who, but apparently all the locals go there.

I also heard Blencoe falls is a nice place but not sure on the condition of the road in.

Cheers,

[Damienandwendy Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Damienandwendy]

Re: 4wd / Camping spots around Townsville

Hi Toddy,

Not sure if its the same spot, but there is Fletchers Creek camping area somewhere to the north of Charters on the Gregory Development Rd - if its not the same place as Big Bend, I think its fairly close.
Blencoe Falls looks interesting, bit of a hike since you have to go all the way up to Mt Garnet and come back down to it. Might have to set aside a long weekend for that one unless someone knows of a quicker way since the Kirrama Range road has been closed since Cyclone Larry and is probably only worse since Yasi.
I am also looking at Porcupine Gorge as well, which I have heard good things about, but once again not too much on the 4wd front.

Cheers

[toddy Member Find all posts View Profile Close toddy]

Re: 4wd / Camping spots around Townsville

Hey Damien, Yeah I've also heard about porcupine gorge, not sure what is at the gorge? is there any water, etc...

With Blencoe Falls, apparently the road from the coast is still open, there is a stretch of a couple of km's that is no longer gazetted as the main roads doesn't look after it, hence why they closed it. If anything happens on that road you would not be insured as I understand it. But it is the main road for the land owners down that way so it is regularly travelled, just a stretch of dirt road from what others have told me. Once your past this bit, you are back on national park roads so it's fine.

Cheers,

[REV Find all posts View Profile Close REV]

Re: 4wd / Camping spots around Townsville

Hi peoples,

If this is in the wrong spot, my apologies but figured it was close. If another forum like myswag etc is better for this please suggest one.
I am looking for places to go, within a few hours drive of Townsville, that I couldn't get to in the previous car ( Crummydore ) with a camper trailer.
Not looking for anything too adventurous as this is our first 4wd, just something that would keep the wife happy.

There are plenty of National Parks and similar camping areas, but trying to work out which ones have any sort of 4wd / offroad component is proving challenging.
As for talking to the local 4wd group/s, I feel this is largely pointless as my experiences so far with people in these clubs has been negative ie "its not a nissan so its not a 4wd", "you can't 4wd drive in that ... you'll crack the chassis" - plenty of mates have Pojo's, "if you don't have $5000 worth of recovery gear you can't go", etc.

cheers

Hi Damienandwendy,

Give the Tsv District 4WD Club a call, I guarantee that you won't get a response like you have before. I know because I am a member and a few other members have been quite surprised by ability of the Prado, once the clearance issue has been addressed. The club is family oriented & it is very hard not to have a great time.
If you want a contact number, please pm me.
The club tries to do 2 trips a month, but so far this year it has been a bit hard too achieve.

Cheers
REV

[Beast2h Member Find all posts View Profile Close Beast2h]

Re: 4wd / Camping spots around Townsville

Cungulla on the beach is ok, Ollera is also alright but only for a day trip really!
Dalbeg is a good place to go at the right time bit of a drive from Townsville but can be done in a day trip or camp there
http://www.4x4playfnq.com it alright for info as well.