The Broadwater Camping Area, Sundown National Park, QLD.

Sundown National Park

Sundown National Park is an outstanding birdwatching area offering good opportunities to see Turquoise Parrots. A 4WD is not necessary to enter the south-western section of Sundown National Park, however, parts of the road to The Broadwater Camping Area are narrow and not suitable for long or wide vehicles. 

Entry to the south-western section of Sundown National Park.

Road to The Broadwater Camping Area.

Take a container and collect some water at the Park Headquarters which is 1 km before the campground.

Water station on the way to The Broadwater Camping Area.

As an added bonus, we saw some nice birds as we filled up our water container. 

Diamond Firetail

Yellow-rumped Thornbill

The main area of the campground has a row of sites quite close together. Each site is defined with wooden barriers that could make it hard to manoeuvre a long vehicle. 

The Broadwater Campground

You can no longer self-register at The Broadwater Camping Area and it is necessary to choose a site number when booking; always a challenge if you haven't seen the sites. 

Site 10 showing the wooden barriers enclosing the campsites.

Sites 13 to 16 are grassy open areas listed as group camping sites. 

Jacky Winter at Site 15.

Amenities at the campground include non-flush toilets and a donkey shower . Wood is not provided.

Donkey Shower and Shower Cubicles.

Eastern Grey Kangaroos graze around the campground in the late afternoon. 

Eastern Grey Kangaroos watching me watching them.

In the early evening we could see Nightjars chasing micro-bats. As the campground is reasonably remote, the stars were particularly bright at night.


Details for The Broadwater Camping Area:
Where: In the south-western section of Sundown National Park. 300 km south-west of Brisbane. Turn off Glenlyon Dam Road into Permanents Road and follow the road for 4 km until arriving at the campground. 
Access: 2WD access. 4 km narrow unsealed road. National Parks QLD state that "caravans longer than 4 meters are not recommended due to narrow sections along the campground access track." also "Access not suitable for vehicles over 5 tonne." 
Fees & Booking: All sites must be booked online or by phone. You used to be able to self-register sites 8 - 15 but this is no longer the case despite outdated information on the internet and on signs near the park headquarters. Maximum length of stay 29 days.

Sites: 15 numbered sites. Sites listed as suitable for tent camping beside vehicle, caravans less than 4 meters, small motorhomes, camper trailers and large groups. Sites 1 - 12 are individual sites defined by barriers. Note that the entrance width to these sites varies from 4 to 7 meters and may be difficult to access in long/wide rigs. Sites 13 - 15 are open grassy areas for large groups and are a long way from the amenities.

Facilities: Non-flush toilets, fire pits, donkey shower with shower cubicle, BYO wood. We had 1 bar Telstra phone reception. There is drinking and non-drinking water available at the park headquarters 1 km before the campground. BYO water container.

Prohibitions: No generators. No pets. Do not collect wood from the bush. Do not dump ashes in the park.
Caution: Ticks.

Wildlife List: Eastern Grey Kangaroo, Red-necked Wallaby, Feral Goat, Lace Monitor, Copper-tailed Skink, Eastern Water Dragon, Micro Bats (type unknown). Joseph Coat Moth. Butterflies: Common Brown, Common Crow, Common Grass-blue, Common Plane, Monarch, Orchard Swallowtail. 
Birds: Apostlebird, Grey-crowned Babbler, White-browed Babbler, Whistling Kite, Pacific Bazza, Grey Butcherbird, White-winged Chough, Little Corella, Pallid Cuckoo, White-bellied Cuckoo-shrike, Torresian Crow, Pied Currawong, Pacific Black Duck, Bar-shouldered Dove, Spangled Drongo, Superb Fairy-wren, Grey Fantail, Diamond Firetail, Restless Flycatcher, Little Friarbird, White-faced Heron, Striped Honeyeater, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, White-plumed Honeyeater, Jacky Winter, Common Koel, Laughing Kookaburra, Australian Magpie, Magpie-lark, Noisy Miner, Mistletoebird, Nightjar (unsure of type), Olive-backed Oriole, Australian King Parrot, Red-rumped Parrot, Pheasant Coucal, Red-capped Robin, Eastern Yellow Robin, Eastern Rosella, Pale-headed Rosella, Hybrid: Eastern Rosella x Pale-headed Rosella, White-browed Scrubwren, Silvereye, Welcome Swallow, Yellow-rumped Thornbill, Brown Treecreeper, White-throated Treecreeper, Golden Whistler, Rufous Whistler, Willie Wagtail.