Free Camping suggestion for Bowen area needed

passin_thru · Member

Free Camping suggestion for Bowen area needed

jules47 · The Happy Helper

Welcome to the site Jill "passin thru" - there is a wealth of information on this site - are you a solo traveller? And what rig do you have?

Do you have your Camps Australia Wide book? It gives all sorts of info - No. 7 is due out in February (middle of the month I think) - Camps #6 says no dogs at Seaforth.
Not free though - from what I have heard Bowen is not RV friendly - no free camps, and not good facilities for parking in the town itself. Camp Kanga, 26k west of Proserpine is dog friendly, not free - but reasonable from memory - via Crystal Brook Road - also Boulder Creek, dog friendly, free - 18k SW of Calen via Camerons Pocket, 7k of dirt road. Lake Elphinstone 136k sw of Mackay - Trun off Peak Downs highway 86k SW of Mackay to Elphinstone 4km on Suttor Development Raod - free and dog friendly - toilets, water and a shower operated by donkey boiler. (Go towards Nebo, turn off at Junction servo to Suttor Road)

Hope this helps a bit.

neilnruth · Guru

Welcome from us too 'passin thru'. Sorry, I can't help with Bowen area but there are some good books out as Jules says - and another one just out is 'On The Road' magazines Freecamping Guide for 2013-14 at $19.95.

passin_thru · Member

Thanks for the welcome and the tips people. I shall invest in some camp books.

We have a Landcruiser and 21ft caravan Jules. We will be taking off mid March to go south to Byron Bay for the bluesfest.

Rushed trip down but we can take 8 weeks to make our way back up to FNQ. Can't wait biggrin . Then we will advertise for house sitters and take off again in June over to N.T. Don't have to be back home until October.

Once again thanks for help NeilnRuth and Jules

petengail · Guru

Seaforth is definately a non starter for people with dogs. One person beside us who turned up with a dog and did not declare it was told to leave immediately. Boulder creek is a lovely small camp. As Jules said it is SW of Calen on a dirt road. However I would not recommend towing a van, especially a 21 ft one down this road. There is another entry which is all tarmac except for the last few hundred metres. You turn in South of Calen. Sorry but I cant rremember the name of the road. When you get to the old church you turn right onto the dirt and Boulder Creek is about 100 metres further on the left hand side. Hope this is a help. Cheers pete

mongrel · Guru

And a big welcome from us as well. As said ,there is a wealth of info to be had on the forum .Use it as much as you can. ....Alan and Adele,.....Mongrel

Dunmowin · Guru

petengail wrote:
Seaforth is definately a non starter for people with dogs. One person beside us who turned up with a dog and did not declare it was told to leave immediately. Boulder creek is a lovely small camp. As Jules said it is SW of Calen on a dirt road. However I would not recommend towing a van, especially a 21 ft one down this road. There is another entry which is all tarmac except for the last few hundred metres. You turn in South of Calen. Sorry but I cant rremember the name of the road. When you get to the old church you turn right onto the dirt and Boulder Creek is about 100 metres further on the left hand side. Hope this is a help. Cheers pete

Agree Boulder Creek good free camp site for dogs, both approaches suitable for 21ft van - we did it from both north and south side. Entire Whitsundays is not 'free camp friendly" - unless you are a foreign backpacker when you can get away with anything.