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Camping on Bribie
from Bribie Magazine 2022
by Tarn Radford
CAMPING
ON BRIBIE
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Ocean Beach
Bribie Island Recreation Area has a great variety of coastal camping experiences for the avid fisherman or family groups. Some areas within the park are accessible only by boat and others only by four-wheeldrive.
Wherever you go on the island, away from town areas, you need to carry fresh water and be self-sufficient. Vehicle access permits and camping permits apply. Please see the information on the following page for details about these permits. The best all round tyre pressure for sand driving is 16 psi. By letting your tyres down to 16psi you significantly increase the size of the tyres footprint on the sand so you have the same weight of vehicle spread over about twice as much rubber and therefore half the weight per square inch.
CAMPING AREAS ACCESSIBLE BY FOUR WHEEL DRIVE
Gallagher’s Point
Gallagher’s Point has a limited number of bush camping sites. This campground is on the western side of the island, with views over the Pumicestone Passage towards the Glasshouse Mountains and Toorbul. There are no toilets and fresh water is not provided so bring your own supply.
Poverty Creek
Poverty Creek is located on the western side of the island and has open grassy sites and shady trees. The adjoining picnic area overlooks the Pumicestone Passage and has views to the Glasshouse Mountains and Donnybrook. It has sites for camper trailers and groups. Toilets, picnic tables and fireplaces are provided in half of the area. Fires and heat beads are prohibited in the camper trailer and group camping area, bring a fuel stove. Fires for cooking, only in fireplaces provided. Bring your own clean firewood, it is illegal to collect firewood on the island and remember to bring your own supply of fresh water.
Ocean Beach
Ocean Beach camping area is on the eastern beach of Bribie Island. It has designated areas starting 16km north of the beach access on North St, Woorim. Campsites are behind the dunes and are accessible from defined track entrances. Toilet facilities are provided at the camping area accessed by track P. Please use these facilities or bring your own portable enclosed toilet system. Preferably bring a fuel stove. Fires and heat beads are not permitted on the beach or in the camping area. Fresh water is not provided remember to bring your own supply of fresh water.
Boats can be launched on the island at Bongaree, Bellara and Banksia Beach (sand ramp only) and on the mainland at Sandstone Point, Toorbul and Donnybrook boat ramps.
Mission Point
Mission Point has relatively protected anchorages for boats in front of each campsite. On the western side of Bribie Island the campsites overlook the Pumicestone Passage with views to the Glasshouse Mountains.
The campgrounds have recently been upgraded with water now connected to the toilets and new picnic tables and fireplaces installed on all sites.
Fires for cooking are allowed only in the fireplaces provided. Bring your own clean firewood, it is illegal to collect firewood on the island. Bring your own supply of fresh water.
Lime Pocket
Lime Pocket has two bush camping sites and is on the western side of the island overlooking the Pumicestone Passage and Glasshouse Mountains.
Fires for cooking, only in fireplaces provided. Bring your own clean firewood and supplies of fresh water. No toilet facilities so please bring your own portable enclosed toilet system.
There are a lot of national park camping destinations for you to choose from when you are camping on Bribie Island 4WD ACCESS
Vehicles travelling through the recreation area must be road-registered 4WDs. A vehicle access permit must be purchased and displayed on your vehicle windscreen before driving in the recreation area. You can enter from the end of White Patch Esplanade at Banksia Beach or the Eighth Ave carpark, North St, Woorim. Beach driving conditions can be unpredictable. During heavy periods of rain, the lagoons overflow, creating creeks across the beach - at times the drop off into these creeks can be deep. Remember to pick up your permits
Before taking your vehicle onto the beach, make sure you are familiar with sand-driving techniques and have appropriate equipment. To protect Bribie Island’s fragile, narrow spit, vehicle traffic is not permitted beyond the World War II northern searchlight emplacement.
On-the-spot fines apply for driving vehicles past this point. The only place to purchase your 4wd and camping permits is www.qld.gov.au/camping and select 'Bribie Island Recreation Area' or phone 13 74 68.
TIPS FOR A SAFE VISIT
• Take care when driving in sand • Watch for wild life
• Watch the tides! On Ocean Beach, travel as close as possible to low tide, as this is when beach driving conditions are safest • Avoid driving during the two hours either side of high tide • Bring enough fresh water as water is not available at any camping or picnic areas • Always watch for 4WDs when you are on the beach • Take care when swimming, the beaches are not patrolled • Use fireplaces provided; put fires out with water (not sand)
LOOKING AFTER OUR PARK
• Take your rubbish with you when you leave • Don’t use shampoos and soaps in or near waterways • In areas where toilets are not provided, bring a portable enclosed toilet
• When driving, stay on tracks and off the dunes
FISH AND TIPS
Pumicestone Passage’s extensive tidal wetlands are essential breeding areas for many fish, crabs and prawns. During winter the passage between Bells Creek and Caloundra Bar is one of south-east Queensland’s principal spawning areas for yellowfin bream. Flathead, bream, whiting, tailor and mangrove jack are often caught around Bribie Island.
Many people catch sand and mud crabs during the summer months. The passage is part of the Moreton Bay Marine Park. Recreational fishing activities are permitted in the marine park, except in the Tripcony Bight – Long Island and Westaways Creek marine national park zones. Fisheries Queensland is asking Bribie Island visitors and residents to polish up on fish identification before they cast a line. They find that misidentification of fish was common for species such as flathead, whiting, javelin, snapper and bream. “All these fish have rules about how many you can catch and keep,” say Fisheries Queensland, “if you catch a fish and aren’t sure what species it is, you might unknowingly be doing the wrong thing. There are a few simple tips to help you remember the difference between these fish”. • A large dark spot on the tail distinguishes the dusky flathead from other types of flathead. • Dark blotches on the back and sides set aside adult trumpeter whiting from sand, goldline and northern whiting. • Silver javelin and barred javelin can often be mistaken for pikey bream. Look out for silver javelin which has numerous scattered dark brown to black blotches on the body and dark blotches on the dorsal fins. • Barred javelin unlike silver javelin has vertical bars along their flanks.
These bars are comprised of spots and blotches. Javelin also ‘grunt’ when caught, hence the common name ‘grunter bream’. • Bream are completely silver in colour and have no blotches or spots.
Bream have a forked tail unlike javelin. Yellowfin bream have yellowwhite anal and pelvic fins. • Juvenile snapper, known as ’squire’, can be mistaken for bream. The upper bodies of snapper vary from pale pink to reddish mostly with bluish spots. Check the latest rules online at www.deedi.qld.gov.au and go to Fisheries.
WHERE TO GET PERMITS
Payments can be made 24 hours a day 7 days a week using credit card payment
YOU MUST DISPLAY A CAMP TAG WITH YOUR BOOKING NUMBER, ON-THE-SPOT FINES APPLY FOR CAMPING WITHOUT A PERMIT.
Campers may access their sites after 2pm on day of arrival and campsites must be vacated by 11am on your day of departure.
