Bluff Creek – Australia Day 2021

Seventeen of us pitched our tents, parked our vans, and unfolded our camper trailers in the green open fields of the campground. Bluff Creek was a sell-out for the Australia Day weekend, but it was certainly not crowded. Dogs were welcome which was lovely. We had Ruby the Dachshund as our mascot for the trip.

The facilities were great hosting both shower, toilet and washing up areas. The grounds were well maintained with fire pits scattered around the park for convenience. We brought our own and used it as an area to gather and talk for ‘happy hour’, to toast marshmallows and make s’mores – a real hit with the kids! There was even the successful cooking of pumpkin damper on the open fire.

• 

• 

As the name suggests a creek runs through the grounds. Due to the recent rain, there was a gentle flow of water visible from the spot we chose. The grounds also has a river which provided a playground for people and dogs all using inflatable devices. The river had a bit of a current so very close adult supervision of children was the order of the day.

We popped over to Railway Hotel Pub at Imbil for a meal one night. It was lovely. Great service in a country pub. It was great to support the local economy.

• 

• 

On one of the days we went off-road and explored the Conondale National Park. We stopped to check out the Charlie Moreland camping area and the historic Jimna Fire Tower.  It’s the tallest fire tower in Queensland standing at 47 metres. The next stop was the Peach Trees campsite where we had lunch with kangaroos, goannas, kookaburras, cockatoos and we even think we spotted a Platypus. Peach Trees is now on the list of future camping spots.

No trip to Kenilworth would be complete without visiting the Cheese Factory, and the most recent addition of the Kenilworth Bakery famous for its doughnuts.

As a group we had great fun and shared lots of laughs. The kids had a great time meeting new friends, making up new games, playing some card games, learning to use UHF radios, and exploring the environment.

Louise Watson and Bec Vane