words & photos by Graham Haren
Sandy Tate River
Sometimes, the constant rain can get us down. I mean, don’t
get me wrong, the green that we see as we meander across
the Tablelands speaks for itself, yet this year it always seems
to be raining whenever it gets to Friday afternoon and stops
on Sunday night, in time for a week of commitments when
we can’t go anywhere. As you read this article you may have
forgotten all about the rainy season. Actually, it seems that
just a couple days of beautiful sunshine on the Tablelands
is enough to magically erase months of rain from our
memories.
Rain or shine, camping is always on the cards for us - the
weather merely dictates the place. The beauty of the
Tablelands is that we don't have to drive far to find the
sun. Just before the school holidays, whilst getting my car
serviced, I spoke to Clinton from 4x4 FNQ. He shared an idea
of a getaway spot, O’Briens Creek, a place he and his family
were keen to check out themselves.
If you’ve lived on the Tablelands for long enough, you'll find
that no one is giving up the details of their best camp spot!
You must know that person well or be going with them on
the trip to know exactly which dirt road to take or which
marker tells you where to turn. However, this campground
welcomes everyone, has loads of camping spots, and is
easily accessed by all types of cars, if you don’t mind your car
4 What’s On & Where To Go August 2019
getting dirty and are willing to drive to the road conditions.
Current road conditions can be checked on their Facebook
page.
Heading out past Ravenshoe, stop for a dip at Innot Hot
Springs, and continue on to Mt Garnet. Hot tip is to fuel up
your car and grab a snack here as Mt Garnet is known for the
best fuel prices on the Tablelands. Head to Mt Surprise and
turn right just after the main store, when you see the O'Briens
Creek sign. Follow the dirt road for a beautiful 35km of native
bushland before getting to the campgrounds. The drive
is fantastic and offers a ton of highlights from cows, giant
anthills, kangaroos and if you’re lucky, emus. At the check in
desk, Simon, who is the caretaker of the campground, let us
know of a good spot to camp, where people had just left -
and wasn’t it a sweet spot! Right on the river, we had ample
space for our tent, marquee and a couple of camp-chairs
overlooking our own fireplace. The grassy campsite led on to
a beautiful sandy bank of the shallow creek. It is easy to keep
an eye on kids here - you likely won't hear a word out of them
as they explore the sand dunes and rocks around the creek.
This 25 acre campsite offers plenty of space between
campers. Elizabeth Creek runs alongside the property
and offers excellent access to kayaking, fishing, stand-up
paddleboarding, swimming, and yabbies... or simply a place