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PRIVATE v PUBLIC campgrounds National Park ‘Ripper’
LOCAL
NYMBOIDAN RESIDENTS SAVE CAMPGROUND
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Issue 1 - June 2016
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WELCOME TO LIVE2CAMP First edition completed! CRACKnBACK CAMPGROUND
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Bush Change results in Bush Oasis KOREELAH CREEK
National Park Ripper pg10 CAMPING NEWS Upcoming camping events and news pg12 NYMBOIDA CAMPING & CANOEING Local residents rally to save campground pg14 PRIVATE v PUBLIC Pros and Cons of private and public campgrounds
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CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE: www.cracknback.wix.com
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ituated on the beautiful Macleay River in the Mid North Coast of NSW, on approximately 30 acres of private riverfront property, CRACKNBACK Campgrounds is the perfect getaway spot for everyone to enjoy the majestic mountains and pristine wilderness. Perfect location for bass fishing, swimming and canoeing or just chilling out under the stars.
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G’day guys, and welcome to the first edition of the Live2Camp online magazine! I’m Matt Bloomfield and with the help of my wife Lize, I have started Live2Camp.com.au. We are both passionate about camping and experiencing this great county of ours and have found that almost all of our family holidays have been camping trips. Before going on these holidays, I would spend weeks in the planning stage, trying to find the best campsites, in the right area and with the facilities we needed for that trip. It took weeks because there is just so little information available for bush and beach campsites in Australia and I found this very frustrating! Yeah, I know what you’re thinking; there are a lot of camping directories out there, but I always found they never told you the full story. And so, Live2Camp was born! A directory that not only tells you where the campsite is and what facilities it has, but shows you in a full High Definition video. Now you
can see the campsite before you even start packing the gear in the car!! With the launch of our monthly magazine you can enjoy not only reading about some great campsites, you can also find out what’s going on in the world of camping. This magazine is free for you to enjoy and share amongst your friends. So guy’s, the next time you’re planning a camping trip, don’t get all stressed! Pull up your camping chair, get out your smart device and start planning that trip with Live2Camp. It’s as easy as that! And remember, don’t live to work -Live2camp! Design Lize Bloomfield Jack McCappin
Editorial Matt Bloomfield Lize Bloomfield Photography Lize Bloomfield
Authors Matt Bloomfield Josh Ford Editorial Enquiries info@live2camp.com.au Advertising Enquiries info@live2camp.com.au
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Oasis in the Mountains
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s we weaved our way down the mountain on a single lane dirt road, I had two things on my mind; One, I hope nothing comes the other way and two, CracknBack campground. As we drove through the front gates after a long day of driving, I can only describe it as an oasis in the mountains. That could be purely because of the kind of day we had just had or because that’s exactly what it was. The scene that greeted us was a farm of rolling green fields nestled between a creek and mountains that seemed to go on forever! My thoughts were quickly interrupted when our host Nicole appeared from nowhere and although we had never met Nicole before, it felt like we had returned home to a long lost friend after many years. Nicole was fantastic!
Crack’n’Back Campground
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icole was more than excited to show us around what she and her husband Steve had created; the CracknBack campground. Steve and Nicole bought the land which before this had been a cattle farm, and starting with a blank slate they got to work. Months of hard labour, sweat and tears has now created a beautiful campground consisting of two large camping areas. Both areas have big open grass spots punctuated by beautiful trees. There are only 16 sites and in an area so big the sites feel more like you are camping on your own farm than in a campground. Some sites are nestled in amongst trees along the river and others are on the upper level which have stunning views of the surrounding mountains.
Click here to watch the video of this campground. As we settled into our site next to the creek for the night, my wife, the ‘campfire whisperer’, got the fire started and I headed off to the free hot showers to wash away a days’ worth of dust. The amenities block was well and truly a sight for sore eyes, well done Steve!. After dinner under a million stars, I had one of the best night’s sleep I had had for a long time, with not a sound to be heard. Unfortunately, the next day we had to move on and one night did not seem enough here. It really is a place you could easily settle into for a week or two.
Matt Bloomfield
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LOCATION Crack’n’Back Campground
Address: 8476 Kempsey-Armidale Road Lower Creek. GPS: 30°43'27"S 152°15'45"E Steve & Nicole: 0468 411 967 or 0459 719 043 Camping: This beautiful private campground sits on the Upper Macleay River between Kempsey and Armidale. There are hot showers and flushing toilets and 16 very large and grassy sites. There is a lovely water hole for paddling in and the fish are known to be abundant in the river. Access: The road in both directions is dirt road which is windy and narrow so caution needs to be taken, especially when towing large campers or caravans.
A little National Park ‘Ripper’!
They say a million stars are better than five stars and anyone that has camped around the Scenic Rim knows that is certainly the case. A little over two hours from both Brisbane and the Gold Coast, or more if you take the road less travelled, is Koreelah Creek Campground. This fantastic campground is located in Koreelah National Park just over the New South Wales border. The drive from Brisbane and the Gold Coast is magic as you pass through Boonah, the magnificent Mount Lindsay, along the banks of Maroon dam and finally through the gates and over Koreelah Creek into a shady and well maintained campsite about 100 metres walk to Koreelah Falls.
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Although it was the weekend when we arrived, there were only a handful of other campers around which gave us plenty of space and a feeling of isolation from the usual campgrounds that surround the cities. The campsite is close to the banks of Koreelah Creek and there are basic amenities including toilets and taps. There are also fire pits and a couple of the campsites have grills as well. After a relaxing night under the stars, we were greeted in the morning by the harmonic melodies of the local birdlife before setting off for another day of driving. Koreelah Creek Campground is a fantastic stop over if you are planning a trip up through Cambanoora (Condamine) Gorge. This is one of the most scenic drives in South Eastern Queensland as you cross the Condamine River 14 times on the way to Killarney and Queen Mary Falls. A trip to Koreelah Creek Campground is certainly a great way to spend a weekend or more if a trip away is just what the doctor ordered.
Click here to watch the video of Koreelah Creek Campground
Words and photos by Josh Ford.
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8—13th June 2016 The Queensland Caravan, Camping & Touring Supershow. The 48th annual Queensland Caravan, Camping & Touring Supershow. Venue: Brisbane Showgrounds.
18—19 JUNE 2016 COFFS COAST 4WD, CARAVAN & CAMPING SHOW With over 100 sites, good food, great entertainment, the Coffs Coast 4WD, Caravan & Camping Show is great value and a great day out. Venue: Coffs Harbour Racing Club
24—26 JUNE 2016 MILDURA GREAT OUTDOOR EXPO The Great Outdoor Expo is the place to find inspiration for all things outdoors. Venue: Mildura Racecourse, Cowra Ave, Mildura
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25—26 June 2016 DARWIN 4WD, CARAVAN & OUTBACK CAMPING EXPO The Northern Territory's premier leisure lifestyle exhibition! Venue: Darwin Showgrounds, Stuart Highway, Winnellie, NT
4—6 JULY 2016 BIRDSVILLE BIG RED BASH The 2016 BIG RED BASH will feature JIMMY BARNES on the 6th. PAUL KELLY on the 5th. Glenn Shorrock and Brian Cadd be performing on the 4th July. There will be ANOTHER 8 fantastic artists and bands before tickets go on sale on 9th November, but hopefully this will get you excited for now. Venue: Big Red - Birdsville QLD
SNEAK PREVIEW FOR AUGUST:
19 - 21st August 2016 The Clarence Valley Camp Oven Festival will be held and it will be a ‘Feast for the Senses’! Venue: Nymboida Camping and Canoe-
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Local Residents ra
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att and I recently had the pleasure of meeting Laena Stephenson, a lovely lady who together with a bunch of other dedicated local residents have worked hard to saved an ecosystem and campground close to collapse.
We had visited the Nymboida Canoe Centre many years earlier while travelling through he area. I remembered this place especially because our four children, who at that time were still quite young, begged us to let them go white water rafting down the Goolang Creek. Unfortunately though, we were only travelling through and couldn’t stay. I was a little surprised when Laena told me that the creek was now only a small trickle compared to what it once had been and that the white water rafting and canoeing on this creek was no longer. She went on to tell me that in 2013 the Nymboida Hydroelectric Power Station closed, cutting off the water into the river. With all the water gone, the ecosystem in the area suffered. Local Nymboidians were outraged and a deal was made with the power station to release enough water a day into the creek to sustain the ecosystem. This creek is now a lovely flow to paddle and swim in and Laena said that the fish were even starting to come back.
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ally to save centre Unfortunately though, without the white water, the rafting competitions were not longer held, the Olympian training went elsewhere and generally people stopped coming to enjoy the creek. The local Nymboidian community came together and in 2014 took up positions on the board of directors of the business and they began to run the centre, on a voluntary basis. Over time, the hard work of these dedicated people paid off and the centre has now been renamed Nymboida Camping and Canoeing. It is a not-for-profit organization which aims to provide a family-friendly eco-tourism facility with low cost camping and accommodation. The centre still offers canoe and kayak hire and provides qualified guides for white water activities and platypus spotting on the nearby Nymboida River. Laena was very passionate about Nymboida Camping and Canoeing and excited when she told me that after all the hard work, the business has now begun to make enough money to pay for some of the wages of the voluntary staff.
This is an inspiring story of a close-knit community, proud of its history, people and environment. I would urge you all to take the time to support this community by visiting this campground, taking in the lovely scenery and paddling in the gorgeous creek. Lize Bloomfield
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Private v Public
y wife and I talk a lot about camping. Mostly because we love camping but also sometimes just to fill in the long drives between campsites. On a recent drive, the topic of what is better, private or public campgrounds came up and I have to say, lasted for quite a while! Over the last few years we have really noticed an increase in farmers or private landowners opening their properties up to campers. Some of them do it purely to subsidise their farming income and some do it to share their beautiful properties. So what is the difference between the two? Private campgrounds quite often charge more to stay at but
with this price come facilities such as hot showers and flushing toilets. Some private campgrounds are located in areas that you would normal never get access to unless the landowner gave you permission to go on their land. They can often be more spacious too, with larger sites and they allow you to take your fury friend along with you. Public campgrounds are generally cheaper but as a result generally only come with drop toilets and no showers (or cold ones when they do). However, they are quite often located in National Parks, which can offer you access to some of the most amazing spots in this country. Some of them, especially in NSW even provide firewood. But you can’t take the dish licker in! So I guess it’s fair to say that both have their pros and cons and it really comes down to the needs of the individual camper. At the end of our long discussion we came to the conclusion that all that really matters is that it gives us more places to go camping. And that can never be a bad thing! Matt Bloomfield
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If you would like to promote your company or product in our magazine, we have advertising packages available. Just contact us on info@live2camp.com.au.
If you would like to tell us about your favourite camping site, why not write your own article for the magazine. Just put it into 300 words and send us some pictures: info@live2camp.com.au. If we publish the article we will send you a Live2Camp pack.!
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