Bushwalk Australia

I moved from the UK last year and i have been craving to go for a wild camp. Wild camping in the UK is pretty common and is pretty much allowed. But after some research i found that in Queensland wild camping is not legal except for a few national parks, does anyone have any idea of any areas where wild camping is allowed or even at least accepted.
Thanks Thorbjorn

Most Qld NPs have a choice of either drive-in, remote walk-in or dispersed camping within their boundaries.

Drive-in & remote camps are on their website, dispersed are down to your own topo map research.

Main Range, Girraween, Sundown, Mt Barney & Lamington spring to mind...also Glen Rock State Forest. All have their own charm.

Pitch a tent in the middle of Moreton island and you'll be alone. Isn't that wild camping?

Honestly one of the best spots to go up close to Bris. without driving any vehicles except to catch the ferry at Pinkenba.

There are so many places you can camp in the wild... as long as you leave no trace, no one will ever know you were there. I have few favourites...

Any of the granite based national parks are fantastic for wild camping - Girraween National Park and Gibraltar Range National Park for example. You can check my YouTube channel for some suggestions. I hope that helps.

Glen Rock is a great place to go. Not far from Brisbane, there are tracks but also the bush is quite open so you can walk about on ridge tops or up creeks. Tuck your camp away and you will be happy as a UK wild camper can be.

sandym wrote:Glen Rock is a great place to go. Not far from Brisbane, there are tracks but also the bush is quite open so you can walk about on ridge tops or up creeks. Tuck your camp away and you will be happy as a UK wild camper can be.

When you wild camp at a place like this, do you register and pay for camping each night via THE QNPS? or do you just park in the carpark and go in and hope rangers don't notice? I'm always worried about my car when wild camping. If you say you are camping but they don't see you in the designated camping area wouldn't they also get suspicious?

Wild camping here is more commonly called bush camping - with some differences. Qld Parks & Forests say "Bush camping (with few or no facilities) is allowed in some parks" but finding those parks is a job-and-a-half. Lamington is one and is probably good for a first try as it is not too far from Brisbane and has a relatively good web site for bush camping.
https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/lamington/camping/bush-camping-summary
I would suggest you try one of the two Lost World alternatives described. Note that as with most bush camping you need good experience when you go off-track. Initially membership of a bushwalking club and participation in led off-track walks is recommended.

gbagua wrote:Pitch a tent in the middle of Moreton island and you'll be alone. Isn't that wild camping?

Honestly one of the best spots to go up close to Bris. without driving any vehicles except to catch the ferry at Pinkenba.

Pinkenba is for the Resort? Looks like if you just want to camp out on your own you take the Micat from Port Of Brisbane.

Folkvang wrote:When you wild camp at a place like this, do you register and pay for camping each night via THE QNPS? or do you just park in the carpark and go in and hope rangers don't notice? I'm always worried about my car when wild camping. If you say you are camping but they don't see you in the designated camping area wouldn't they also get suspicious?

They're certainly not going to wait around for your return. They're not going to impound the vehicle. There is nothing they can do really.
Who is to say you haven't left the vehicle there as part of a car shuttle?
Who is to say you're not going through to somewhere else well away from the park?
Who is to say you're not doing an extended daywalk and walking some time into the night?

I have done all these things from places including GlenRock. I have left vehicles unattended there for multiple days.
I have started from there to complete the entire Scenic Rim. That's usually between 8 and 12 days depending on how i do it.

I've been searching Glen Rock/Point Pure remote camp site. Some reports it is overgrown with lantana but not sure if on the route I'd take up the ridge line. If I don't make it to camp I guess I tried and set up camp as far as I can go? I need to go after no rain as only have a small car to get across the creeks. It does look like a nice area.

The only National Parks in SEQ that allow "wild camping" are Girraween (refer to the management plan for details e.g. where is okay) and Sundown. Sundown is the only park where you can wild camp basically wherever you want. Sundown has a unique remote bushcamp permit for this. Girraween only has permit bookings for the official remote camps. With Girraween I usually book the remote permit for the site closest to where I intend to go, to a) have a fall back and b) contribute to the park.

Wild camping in the rest is not permitted in their management plans and they have designated "remote bush camps" which require bookings on the QPWS website.

Also keep in mind some parks, like Lamington, have seasonal camping closures to allow for regeneration. Some parks, (e.g. Springbrook) prohibit camping entirely.

Yes, remote camping $7 per night. Always wondered why Lamington is closed. Xmas would be a busy season there.

grunter wrote:Xmas would be a busy season there.

This is exactly why.

Thinking of going to Moreton Island, is there a chance rangers will question me while hiking around with a big pack? Since I will look like a wild camper.

I'm probably just being paranoid, or should I just book a campsite?

Folkvang wrote:Thinking of going to Moreton Island, is there a chance rangers will question me while hiking around with a big pack? Since I will look like a wild camper.

I'm probably just being paranoid, or should I just book a campsite?

Campsites on Moreton are usually well defined and suitable for large groups with cars. I personally would not pitch my little shelter in the middle of a large campsite, but instead I would find a spot hidden from the beach traffic. There are millions of such spots on the island and virtually impossible for the rangers to find out where you are. I would doubt also, they'll be interested in questioning a hiker.

CBee wrote:

Folkvang wrote:Thinking of going to Moreton Island, is there a chance rangers will question me while hiking around with a big pack? Since I will look like a wild camper.

I'm probably just being paranoid, or should I just book a campsite?

Campsites on Moreton are usually well defined and suitable for large groups with cars. I personally would not pitch my little shelter in the middle of a large campsite, but instead I would find a spot hidden from the beach traffic. There are millions of such spots on the island and virtually impossible for the rangers to find out where you are. I would doubt also, they'll be interested in questioning a hiker.

This is the answer I wanted to hear, thanks.

I've had a look at the topographic maps and it looks like the Western side of the Island will be the best. Lots of coastal bushland and more protection from Easterly ocean winds. Though I think the Eastern side has plenty of dunes to hide behind as well.

The SW section between Kooringal town and little sandhills is not suitable because is a mangrove area. From the sandhills up to tangalooma is generally a quite area, especially around shark spit, but mostly you have steep vegetated dunes from the beach, so not many places to camp. From tangalooma to the north, forget it. Too much traffic and big camping spots for campers. Remember the western beach in summer is sand flies paradise. From comboyuro to cape moreton there's no traffic on the beach and this is ideal. There are also fantastic spots if you want to walk down near the lighthouse. The eastern surf is a fantastic spot to camp from cape moreton all the way to maripool lagoon, and potentially you could hide somewhere on the blue lagoon with fresh water available.

Sorry for the late reply i completely forgot i wrote this. Thanks for everyones replies, i will check out some of these spots and i was already planning on going to girraween.
Does anyone know of any spots in northern nsw or qld where fires are allowed. I am looking for a kind of scottys gone walkabouts type of trip ie: rocking up to a camping spot in the middle of no-where making a small fire , leaving no trace and be gone by the morning.
Thanks Thorbjorn

Off track campfires & National Parks don't usually mix...

https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/sund ... own-remote

There's also some huge tracts of remote state forests to get lost in too. Let your eyes do the walking for interesting topography...