Gudday all,
This is my first time here. The Australian Fishing Chat looks great, very impressive. I heard that a new campground has been opened at Lake Awonga (near Gladstone / Benaraby) located on the western side of the lake. Can someone please confirm this new caravan park and where exactly is it? How do I get there? Is it hilly in the park or is it flat? Thank you for you replies and help.
The Eagle
Welcome to the site Eagle, I'm from Gladdy, but I haven't heard of a new camp site at the dam. Mind you, that doesn't mean that there isn't one. Probably pay to give them a call and see what the go is.
Corry
Hi
Mark Griggs did a good write-up on this in the June edition of Bush 'N Beach.
Construction is currently underway for a bush camping ground on the western side of the lake with road access via the Mount Calliope Road. The site will include a toilet block but I am not sure what other facilities. It is due for completion by December 2005.
Cheers
Derek
The area in question is on the western side where Futter creek joins the lake. The road used to be the Taragoola road until the lake all but filled, now it is a boat ramp. My understanding is when the lake fills to maximum alll of this ground will go under so I cannot imagine the water board sinking too much money into the area. Over the June LWE and Easter the area was packed with campers. Ski group has moved in there as well. Heard a story that some of the campers left their garbage there and the Water board was considering closing access again. Mus go have another look and see what is happening
I'm heading up to Kroombit Tops camping for the weekend on Saturday, if I have time on the way up or down, I will drop in for a look.
Corry
Corry if you go there get us some pics and GPS marks. I think it will be a bit out of your way as it is further along the Many Peaks road unless you decide to come back via the old goldfields.
Ratsak the water board would love to close it in fact they did when the dam was raised but they promised the locals access to the top of the lake and they didn't deliver so the locals took the law into their own hand and armed with bolt cutters opened the gate and the water board couldn't do anything about it so they decided to build some facilities.
My concern with it is that they will ban camping like they did to Callide dam due to the influx of long term squatters.
I intend going out there when the weather warms up and camping for a few days.
Yeah Bros, not sure what the itinery is but the father in law has a farm on Monto Rd, so we venture down that way a fair bit. I've been keen as mustard to get the tinny up to that end of the dam and launch it up there. It's surprising how much the dam can chop up when the wind is up. I'm just about to check Google Earth and see what it is showing.
If going in, I'll get both the photo's and the GPS marks and pass them on. I have some already of the old Santa Glenn, thought of maybe throwing the boat in up there and following it back down one day.
Corry
Just had a look, Google Earth shows the old Santa Glenn and that area of the dam very well. If someone knows where the new campground is, have a look and post up the waypoints for it.
Corry
Looking at Google Earth, it looks like the waypoint for the Taragoola Crossing is 2007'04.66" 15112'54.21".
Corry
Do you want my glasses? check the latitude it should be 24.
The campsite should be pretty close to that.
How is the mayor of Armstrong's beach going?
I thought I had my glasses on too, oh that's right, I don't wear them, maybe I should. Yeah it is 24.
Hmmm, the Mayor, he'll love that one, he near bloody well is too.
Corry
Guys, There seems to be a few misconceptions about where it is...The bush camping area is about 32 kms from Calliope down the Monto road it was opened on the 1st of July ... There are toilets and fireplaces You can put your tinnie in but you need a Fwd The water level is so low there that l would be very careful lots of stumps logs ect ect....Ratsack the area that you are talking about is Futter creek the Waterboard has no intention of letting us use this area long term... in fact they want us out ....asap l have talked to our local member and she has suggested that if we wish to use it we need to put pressure on the Water board through a petition Its a fantastic area to launch you tinnie ... Sheltered from the wind and not bad fishing as well ! If you use the main boat ramp at Awoonga and only have a small tinnie you will be pushing into the wind either coming or going and it does get a bit hairy at times
Kids need models, more than they need critics."
"In youth we learn; in age we understand."
"I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand
Went down there today after spending a night camping up at Kroombit Tops. The 'new' camp ground is no where near new. For those that know it, it is the old Santa Glenn crossing.
All they have done, is used the road that went in to where all the machinery was stored while the road was being constructed. The camp ground is up on the hill behind the crossing where a homestead used to be.
We also went down Taragoola Road from the Monto Rd side, and the homestead that was a couple of kays in from the road has been torn down, and the road goes up to the railway crossing, only a couple of kay more, and has been fenced off. There are three fences in a matter of 20m.
Launching a boat from the old Santa Glenn crossing is possible, but as Awoonga said, you would need a 4WD to do it. There was a tinny that had been launched straight down from the camp ground into an inlet which could be done with a normal car, but you would want to use caution. I don't think that I would reccomend this.
There are a couple of other places that would be spot on for launching tinny's that we seen, but you have to go down there and have a look around to find them.
We found another 'camping ground' while we were there which is 200% better then the 'Bush Camp' site, and wouldn't get so popular on weekends, and the water is a bit more accessible.
I've got to download Irfanview again, then I'll put some pics up.
Corry
The Camping Ground
24 13.02s 151 14.66e
The Camp Ground Dunny
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