Australia's Lamington National Park is a World Heritage-listed park in the state of Queensland, located about two hours from Brisbane. If you are an avid camper and nature lover, this park is a prime destination due to its exquisite scenery and abundant wildlife. You will find two campgrounds in the area: the Green Mountains Campground and the Binna Burra Campsite. Bush camping for more experienced campers and hikers is also available at selected locations in the park.
Green Mountains Campground
The Green Mountains campground is located about 200 meters from the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Services information center at the end of Lamington National Park Road. The campground has a kiosk, drinking water, showers, toilets and hiking trails within walking distance. There are no powered sites, and buses and camper-trailers cannot be accommodated. Access to the sites is by car or camper-van only. Open fires are prohibited in the campground, but gas camping stoves are allowed, and electric, coin-operated barbecues are available.
Binna Burra Campsite
The Binna Burra campground is part of the Binna Burra Mountain Lodge and Campsite complex and located about 10 kilometers from Beechmont. Facilities include regular and powered camp sites, 4- to 6-bed safari tents, a cafe, coin- operated washing machines and dryers, coin-operated barbecues and hot plates, showers and toilets. The camps sites are accessible by car or camper-van. In addition, each camp site has a fire-pit for cooking, and you can purchase wood at the Lodge. If you have booked a tent, remember to bring linen if you prefer not to rent it from the Lodge.
Bush Camping
Both on-track and off-track camp sites are available to more experienced hikers who may want to explore deeper into the park and camp right in the bush. Groups of four to eight people are allowed to camp at the sites, but camping is only allowed for one night per site, and you must be apply for a permit ahead of time.
There are three on-track camp sites located at Bithongabel, Illinbah and Echo Point. The off-track camping sites are at Point Lookout, Rat-a-Tat, Stinson, Lost World Creek, Saddle, Running Creek and Darlington. Precise locations and directions will be supplied by the QPWS (Queensland Parks and Wildlife Services) when you apply for the permit.
These sites have no facilities, so you must bring your own drinking water or gather it from creeks in the area. In addition, human waste must be buried at least 100 meters from any water source, and all trash must be carried out of the park. Open fires are strictly prohibited, but fuel stoves are allowed for cooking. No bush camping is permitted during the months of December and January.
Booking and Fees
Booking a camp site at least several weeks ahead of time is strongly recommended. You can do this on line, by telephone or through a camping permit booking office (See Resources). As of 2010, the price per night for both bush camping and a camp site at the Green Mountains campground is $5.15 per person. The Binna Burra campground charges $24.00 for two adults, $10.00 for each additional person and $5.00 for children.
Binna Burra also offers 2, 4 and 6-bed tents to campers at the fees of $55.00, $75.00 and $95.00, respectively. Bush campers must apply for permits for both on-track and off-track camping in advance by contacting the Green Mountains Office of the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Services. All fees are in Australian dollars.
Warnings
Remember to obtain a camping permit ahead of time as it is an offence under the Australian Nature Conservation Regulation of 1994 to camp without a permit in the park. Doing so will lead to a maximum penalty of 20 penalty units, which is equivalent to $2,200. In addition, when using water from park creeks, remember to boil, filter or treat the water before use.
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