NEWS & EVENTS with JAWA Off Road Campers
Most people driving from Bundaberg to Rockhampton tend to put their foot down and don’t stop until they reach Agnes Water. It’s a beautiful spot, but if that’s the only detour on your trip, you’re missing some of the best off-road camping this stretch of coast has to offer. Here’s what’s genuinely worth the extra kilometres.
Baffle Creek Caravan and Camping Park, Baffle Creek
Roughly halfway between Bundaberg and Gladstone sits Baffle Creek, one of Queensland’s few remaining undisturbed coastal rivers. Savvy grey nomads know about this spot, but it’s still relatively unknown. Baffle Creek Caravan and Camping Park has large, powered sites and its own boat ramp onto an estuary that’s earned quite a reputation among the fishing crowd. In fact, some say it’s got the best mangrove jack water on the east coast!
Another huge bonus for keen off-roaders is that it’s only a few minutes from Rules Beach, which is open to 4WDs with no permit required. So you can unhook the camper and take your tow vehicle straight out onto the sand.
EXPERT TIP: Check road and tide conditions before heading out to Rules Beach.
Grass Trees Campground, Agnes Waters
If you’ve never camped in a forest of grass trees and cycads that are hundreds of years old, this one’s worth the detour. Grass Trees Campground sits high on one of the tallest points around Agnes Water, with sweeping views down to the 1770 Estuary, the sandbar and Bustard Bay.
The access road up to the campground is steep, so it pays to check with the campground on what size rig they can accommodate before you commit. If your JAWA is a good fit, you’re in for one of the more unique campsites on the route. It feels like proper bush camping, right down to needing the 4WD to get up there, but you’ve still got a toilet, shower block and a swimming pool waiting for you at the top.
Agnes Water itself is around 50km off the Bruce Highway, so it’s worth spending a couple of days here if you have the time, rather than treating it as a quick pit stop.
EXPERT TIP: Don’t miss sunrise and sunset here.
B-24D Liberator Bomber wreckage at Kroombit Tops. Photo by Emmybeer1902, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Griffith Creek Camping Area, Kroombit Tops National Park
This one takes more effort to get to and is roughly 1 to 1.5 hours inland from Miriam Vale via the Boyne Valley and the little town of Ubobo. The road in is narrow and unsealed, cutting through dry paddocks and dusty creek beds, and you’ll want dry weather for the whole trip.
The payoff is Griffith Creek camping area. Here you’ll find tall gums offering shade, huge fire pits and around 50 acres of grass kept trimmed by wild horses that wander through. But what really makes this trip worthwhile is tucked away further into the park. Deep in Kroombit Tops lies the wreck of Beautiful Betsy, the WWII Liberator bomber that crashed there in 1945 and wasn’t discovered for almost 50 years. You’ll only reach it in a 4WD, so leave the caravan at base camp and make this one a day trip.
EXPERT TIP: Check road conditions before you head inland to Kroombit Tops.
Bonus Stop: Upper Stony Creek and Red Rock, Byfield National Park
So, this one’s not technically on the Bundaberg to Rockhampton run, but if your trip keeps going past Rockhampton towards Yeppoon, it’s worth the extra 40km drive. Byfield National Park is the kind of place experienced 4WD enthusiasts get excited about. Think big hills, water crossings and narrow tracks with next to no visibility. It’s definitely not a park for learning the ropes!
The good news for caravan owners is that Byfield isn’t only for the hardcore stuff. Upper Stony Creek takes caravans up to four metres, is accessed by a rough but manageable 2WD road, and features a picturesque freshwater creek, picnic tables and toilets. Red Rock is even easier and is just a kilometre off the Byfield Road.
EXPERT TIP: Byfield National Park has freshwater swimming holes, but this is croc country, so check local guidelines and signposted warnings before you take a dip! Avoid swimming in Corio Bay and Water Park Creek.
Plan Ahead For a Unique Adventure
These camping spots aren’t “decide to visit on a whim” destinations, so you will need to plan ahead. Do your homework, pick the detour that suits your setup, and you’ll have a Bundaberg to Rockhampton trip unlike anyone else’s.
And when you think about it, that’s the whole point of having a JAWA off-road camper. It’s about having a rig capable of exploring the places most people drive straight past – and those are the ones you’ll remember long after the trip is over.
Keen For More Camping Inspo?
JAWA Off Road Campers is a 100% owned and operated Australian company based on the beautiful Sunshine Coast in Queensland. With the significant growth in our brand over the last few years, we have recently branched out and opened a new showroom and service centre in Sydney NSW, so even more Aussie
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