What are the best North QLD parks (free & paid)

[gwadir]

Hi Expandaman,

As I said in an earlier thread, make sure you drop in at Home Rule Rainforest Lodge just near Helenvale, beautiful place for an overnighter and check out the Lion's Den Hotel a bit further up the road. It was '98 when we were there last but I don't think it would have changed much. Have a good run. By the way, last time we did the Bloomfield you could have taken an Expanda up there no prob's.

Dave

 

[Expandaman]

Well we are home safe. SAD FACE We had the best holiday. We did 8 parks in 2weeks and 2 days (4200km). We stayed Big4 pretty well the whole way as it suited our boys. Happy kids, happy parents. A great park is South Mission Beach. Very clean beach and you can swim there. Great fishing too if you have tinnie. A bloke caught some good coral cod and mackerel while we were there. We had camp fires on the beach which the kids loved. The park however is very tight to get onto sites. Big vans beware, make sure the site is well big enough to cater. There is some grassed camping style sites at the rear of the park to cater for large motor homes (stupid things) and bigger vans. We got our 18-57.6 onto a slab site with a bit of a jostle. Another must for anybody with a 4WD is the Bloomfield track north of Cape Tribulation (Don't try to take your van as you will come off looking the fool). Fantastic rocky creek crossings with crystal clear water, steep uphill climbs with as steep downhill descents. Also great waterfall at WAJU WAJU with only a small hike into it. The track is rated quite basic, but beware in the wet as I think you could quite quickly throw your 4WD into a ditch or over an edge or get stuck in a creek crossing. Cook Town big4 was quite a nice clean park with super friendly staff. Seemed to be the stop over for a lot of campers heading too and from the cape. Cairns coconut Big4 is a really good park for the kids with heaps of activities, 2 pools, a water park, buggies, mini golf, tennis, jumping pillows, bike track, cafe, store, tour desk and fuel on site. Cape Tribulation we felt was a little over rated. A small beach south called Cape Katherine we believe was a lot nicer. This is just a snippet of what we got up too. The tropical north is a true credit to everyone who lives up there. We are already planning our next trip up there. We are planning to set our van up better to free camp on the next trip. I've already got a 2kva inverter generator on order. Looking to modify the front tow to accommodate a generator box as well as the rear bumper to house some of my pipes and wet gear so it isn't in my boot. Where does it end????? I hope it never does....LOL

 

[Expandaman]

this is a couple of years back but camp spots around Mackay found were difficult due to the large permanents work force so we skipped that and went straight to airlie beach. Paronella park near Innisfail need to book a couple days in advance but entry ticket allowed you to camp across the road from the park. Lake Tinarro near Cairns its a top tourist quite good,
Free camp balgal beach but not a lot of room but does have a laundramt and fish and chip shop and people fish at the river watch out for crocs. We did port douglas as a day trip too trendy for us!!!! Home Hill rest stop(free camp) has good showers and toilets and very clean. In cairns we have stayed at both coconut grove and crystal cascades both were very good . dont forgot on the way to cairns to stop at the frosty mango between townsville and ingham the kids will love to empty your wallet there the icecreams are really good.

Getting back to your post. Thanks for the suggestions. We've since completed our haul up north and back. We stayed at Clairview on the way back down just south of Mackay. Really salty tap water there. Paronella park is on the list for next year. Lake Tinarro was another good place we will get too next year as we are going to do the inland routes next year. We visited Balgal beach. You were not kidding with it being cramped. Really glad we didn't plan on taking our van there. 48 hour max stay in that free park and the Ranger is there every day checking. Good fish & chips there, fishing on the pontoon with the chance of a croc or two. We did the Frosty Mango. The staff were quite "frosty" and ignorant. The miserable buggers don't even have bins out because they don't want people putting rubbish from their cars in them. 50c to use the toilet if you are not a paying customer. No napkins out, you had to ask for them. The ice cream was instantly melting because the freezers were running too warm. On the up side, ice cream was yummy, just sloppy. We actually found the Big Mango info centre at Bowan was a far better stop for some mango puree and ice cream.
Everybody's suggestions were very helpful.

 

[Flossymk1]

Just reading all your posts re your trip last year - sounds like you had a great time! If you are travelling back up this way you should definitely check out the Big4 at Rollingstone! It's 45mins north of Townsville and right on the beach - we have been going camping there every year for years - kids just love it

We are off there again next weekend, but this time in a caravan for the very first time! Can't wait!!

 

[Expandaman]

Just reading all your posts re your trip last year - sounds like you had a great time! If you are travelling back up this way you should definitely check out the Big4 at Rollingstone! It's 45mins north of Townsville and right on the beach - we have been going camping there every year for years - kids just love it

We are off there again next weekend, but this time in a caravan for the very first time! Can't wait!!

Hi
Thanks for checking out our thread. We did stop at Rollingstone on our way back down. It didn't really do it for us. The kiosk didn't stock any bread or milk ( you have to drive to get your basics ). There wasn't a lot there to do for our three boys apart from a cold pool. No playground, no jumping pillow, no cafe. Big4 by name only. The beach was very rocky and quite dirty. It seems to me that it could be something quite special given an injection of funds. But as I always say, "Each to their own". What doesn't suit us might suit someone else. It is North of Townsville and as we found, everything North of Townsville is worth having a look at.

 

[Flossymk1]

Yeah good point re the bread and milk - they only have stock every now and then, which is a bit strange. I think it's probably more of a 'locals weekend getaway' spot, in which case you generally don't tend to run out of milk etc.

They have been talking about putting in a big playground etc for years, but then I think Yasi put a stop to that at the time. Don't know when it's supposed to be happening now - actually I might ask when I am up there next weekend.

Glad you enjoyed Coconuts though! How amazing is that place! Have been there many times and I am always racing the kids to be the first one on the slide at the waterpark lol

 

[Ben Stanford]

Hey Expandaman when are you at cairns coconut?

We will be there till next wednesday if you are there by then give us a shout.....

Expanda, are you still at Coconut resort? We pulled in this morning and are here for 2 weeks. On site 144! Cheers Ben