Diamond Head Loop Walking Track, Crowdy Bay National Park, NSW.

Forest Walking Track: 1.5 km one way, Grade 3. 
Diamond Head Loop Walk: 4.3 km loop, Grade 3. 
Metcalfes Walking Track: 700 meters one way, Grade 3.

We combined the Forest Walking Track, Diamond Heed Loop, and Metcalfes Walking Track into a loop of about 6.5 kilometers starting from Diamond Head Campground and walking via Indian Head Campground, Kylies Hut and Kylies Campground.

Forest Walking Track

We started on the Diamond Head Loop Walk from Diamond Head Campground, turned into the Forest Walking Track and walked to Indian Head Campground.

Young Eastern Grey Kangaroo having a scratch at Indian Head Campground.

We continued on via the walk-in trail to Kylies Hut. 

Kylies Hut

From Kylies Hut we took Metcalfes Walking Track to Kylies Beach Campground.

Brackish creek on Metcalfes Walking Track.

We saw both and Red and Little Wattlebirds in this section of the track.

Red Wattlebird.

Little Wattlebird.

Amenities at Kylies Beach Campground.

From Kylies Beach Campground we walked out the 4WD beach access into the Kylies Beach section of Crowdy Beach. There were several Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos eating banksia cones in the Banksia trees along the track.

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo eating a banksia cone.

Photographing birds on Kylies Beach.

Sooty Oystercatchers on the rocks at Kylies Beach.

At the northern end of Kylies Beach we found a rough, unofficial, track that climbed up the hill and joined up with the Diamond Head Loop.

We climbed up from Kylies Beach to rejoin the track.

From here we rejoined the Diamond Head Loop track and started the return north to Diamond Head along the coastal cliffs. We arrived at Kylies Lookout shortly after rejoining the track.

View looking south from Kylies Lookout.

This section of the track is very scenic with great outlooks over the ocean and a variety of rock formations. It is also a great vantage point in the winter for whale watching.

The Natural Arch

Diamond Head Loop Walking Track.

Looking south on the Diamond Loop Walking Track.

More coastal rock formations.

A Mapping Authority marker on Diamond Head.

Walking through heath; looking south on the Headland Walk.

Looking north from the Headland Loop Walk.

After a very pleasant mornings walk we arrived back at Diamond Head Campground.

Wildflowers, Mermaid Lookout Track, Crowdy Bay National Park, NSW.

At the end of August last year we camped at Diamond Head Campground, in Crowdy Bay National Park, NSW. The short Mermaid Lookout Walking Track leaves from the campground and is a great place to see wildflowers.

Mermaid Lookout Track: 700 meters one way, Grade 3:

Mermaid Lookout Walking Track.

Boronia.

Kunzia.

Sowerbaea

Drumstick.

Flannel Flowers.

Daisy

Several different types of Banksia can be found along the track.

Banksia

View north to Katang Nature Reserve.

Hardings Paddock, Flinders - Goolman Conservation Estate, QLD.

Communal Fire Pit at Harding's Paddock Campground.

Harding's Paddock Campground is a well laid out campground run by the Ipswich Council. There are only eight sites but they are easy to book online. Booking in advance is necessary because the campground is gated and you will receive a gate code when you make your booking.

Tents tend to be set up in the middle area behind bollards.

Site 1: Typical campsite layout.

Each site has a large driveway suitable for parking caravans and motorhomes. The sites are divided on each side with trees and bushes. Each site has a table at the end. These tables are great but my tip is to take something to sit on because the metal gets really cold in winter and really hot in summer. There is a grassed area behind bollards where you can pitch tents near your table. Fires on the ground are not allowed at the campsites but there is a nearby communal fire pit that people were happily using while we were there. Pets are not allowed.

Facilities: Camp Kitchen, Toilets, Shower Cubicles.

Behind the campground there is a large grassy area with a  sheltered kitchen furnished with tables, gas barbecue, sink (BYO plug) and tank water. Shown on the right in the photo above, there are four shower cubicles (BYO shower). The toilets are shown in the middle of the photo. The toilets are the vandal proof type that are stainless steel and have no plastic seat. When we were there in May 2019 the toilets stank so bad that we didn't use them. The toilet situation is a shame because everything else about the campground is outstanding.

Juvenile Blue-faced Honeyeater.

Juvenile Pied Butcherbird.

The most common camp birds were Blue-faced Honeyeaters and Pied Butcherbirds. They were on constant stand-by waiting to raid the tables for food.

Horse Yards at Harding's Paddock.

Harding's Paddock is set in the Flinders-Goolman Conservation Estate. There is a good selection of walks from easy to hard. Some of the trails allow mountain bikes and some are horse trails. We didn't see any bikes but there were some horses around on the weekend. Horses are well catered for with horse yards, water and hitching posts.

Harding's Paddock Picnic Area.

There is a popular picnic area at Harding's Paddock with sheltered picnic tables, toilets and walks. The little lagoons that are a feature of the picnic area where dried up and devoid of water birds this trip.

Yarning Circle.

There is a very well signposted Bush Tucker Garden next to the campground. The Yarning Circle could come in handy for family gatherings.

We walked to Goolman Lookout and returned via Rocky Knoll and the very dry wetlands walk. All up about 7.5 km. It is a bit of a slog walking up and up to Goolman Lookout but from then on it is either level or downhill. I was glad that we walked in May as I think it would be very hot to walk in the summer due to the open nature of the track. 

Walking Track.

View of Mount Goolman

Distant views of Brisbane.

I was amazed at the sheer number of birds we saw in the conservation park. There seemed to be Silvereyes and other small bushland birds everywhere we looked. I had no idea that the area was such a birding mecca. Recently, there was even a confirmed sighting of a Regent Honeyeater near the picnic area. 

Silvereye.

Rose Robin.

Jacky Winter.

Australian King Parrot.

There were also quite a few butterflies about.

Lesser Wanderer.

Glasswing.

Details for Harding's Paddock Campground, May 2019:
Where: About 55 km south-west of Brisbane or 40 km north of Boonah. The picnic and camping areas are at the end of Carmichaels Road; ignore Google Maps and keep going to the end.
Access: Carmichaels Road is a 2WD unsealed road, in good condition this trip but with pot holes last time we were here.
Sites: 8 individual numbered sites. Suitable for tents, caravans and motorhomes. 
Bookings and Fees: https://www.discoveripswich.com.au/accommodation/hardings-paddock-campground/ or phone 07 3281 0555   $12 per site per night. Up to 6 people per site. 
Facilities: Gated campground with key codes. Tables in each campsite. Communal Camp Kitchen (with tank water, sink, tables and gas BBQ's), one communal fire ring (BYO wood), toilets, shower cubicles (BYO Bag). Horse Yard with water. Walks. Information signs.
Prohibited: Pets. Fires at campsites. Collecting wood.
Caution: The Ipswich area can become very hot in the summer and there isn't much shade in the campground.

Wildlife List, May 2019: Eastern Grey Kangaroo, Red-necked Wallaby. Butterflies: Monarch, Lesser Wanderer, Evening Brown, Glasswing. Birds: Pied Butcherbird, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Pied Currawong, Australian Wood Duck, Bar-shouldered Dove, Straw-necked Ibis, Superb Fairy-wren, Red-backed Fairy-wren, Grey Fantail, Australasian Figbird, Red-browed Finch, White-throated Gerygone, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Fuscous Honeyeater, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Jacky Winter, Laughing Kookaburra, Australian Magpie, Magpie-lark, Masked Lapwing, Noisy Miner, Spotted Pardalote, Australian King Parrot, Rose Robin, Pale-headed Rosella, Grey Shrike-thrush, Silvereye, Eastern Spinebill, Golden Whistler, Rufous Whistler, Willie Wagtail. I did get a surprise to see a Blue and Gold Macaw flying past our tent, however, this was a pet bird.

Iron Pot Creek Campground and Toonumbar Forest Drive, Toonumbar National Park, NSW.

Iron Pot Creek Campground, central area.

We drove to Iron Pot Creek Campground from Peacock Creek Campground via Toonumbar Dam. Our Hema map lists these roads as simply unsealed however, after turning north into Iron Pot Road from Peacock Road it wasn't long before the road became more of a medium 4WD track. There appeared to be substantial water damage that had dug deep channels in places and displaced large rocks. There is only the one difficult section and the road gradually improved after that. It was not a problem with our trusty BT-50 but sections of the road are not suitable for cars at the moment (May 2019).

We had morning tea at Toonumbar Dam and a quick chat to a couple of guys touring on their motorbikes. The boat ramp looks like it requires good reversing skills as it is long and narrow. There is a campground on the dam at Bells Bay which is usually open only on the weekend but the website states that it hasn't been open for some time so we didn't go and have a look.

Toonumbar Dam

Toonumbar Dam Boat Ramp.

Iron Pot Creek Campground is very shady and has an isolated feel. There is a central camping area and individual sites around the outer edge. We set up in the outer edge in a site with lots of native ginger. One other camper turned up and set up in the site next to us. Why oh why? I guess there are many reasons and in this case we got talking to the guy and he was in his late seventies so perhaps he just felt safer. The next night that guy left but a couple turned up. Guess what, they set up in the site next to us. This time we are pretty sure it was because they had a camper trailer. The campground is listed as suitable for tents and camper trailers but the reality is that there are so many bollards in the campground that there is really only a couple of places they can squeeze into the car parks. 

Our campsite at Iron Pot Creek.

This is a very out of the way campground and it is winter so we thought we might have a quiet time but a funny thing happened. We thought we had heard it all over the years: doof doof, race calls, country and western music etc, but no, in a first for us the campers next to us were playing the recorder. Yes, that's right, the bug bear of many a school child, the recorder. By the light of the campfire, strains of "Greensleeves" being played by an adult permeated the night, over and over LOL.

Individual campsite behind bollards at Iron Pot Creek

There is a short walk from the campground to the picnic area but it is no longer a circuit walk. The ranger described the walk to us as "unmaintained". We loved exploring the walk anyway as it gives access to the creek where Azure Kingfishers hang out.

Azure Kingfisher, Iron Pot Creek.

The picnic area has direct access to the creek and good facilities so is just perfect for a day trip.

Iron Pot Creek Picnic Area

Iron Pot Creek at the Picnic Area.

Murray Scrub Walk, 5.5 km return, Moderate Grade:
The trail-head for the Murray Scrub Walk and Red Cedar Loop is accessed from a car park two kilometers from the campground. We have walked in a lot of forests over the years but this World Heritage listed forest is very special. Walking amongst the giant Red Cedars is definitely a highlight and a worthwhile destination for anyone who loves trees. 

Red Cedar and Bangalow Palms.

Red Cedars reaching to the sky.

After packing up, we drove north to the Summerland Way via Murray Scrub Road, Toonumbar Forest Drive and Cox's Road. We asked the ranger about the road and he said the biggest problem with it is that it sometimes has trees down. However, he was going out that way and he kindly said that if he couldn't get through he would return and let us know. As he didn't return we decided to give Toonumbar Forest Drive a go. We woke to a very windy and cold westerly and although we didn't encounter any large trees down we did have to stop constantly to remove smaller debris.

Toonumbar Forest Drive.

We stopped at Murray Scrub Lookout briefly as the biting cold wind made sitting in the ute more appealing.

Murray Scrub Lookout.

Before turning into Cox's Road we drove the extra 1.8 km to Sherwood Lookout and Picnic Area. This road was narrower and it didn't look like many people had driven in lately. The view is quite stunning out over the New South Wales - Queensland border and the distinctive wedding cake tiers of Mount Lindesay.

Sherwood Lookout.

Cox's Road emerges from the national park into attractive rural countryside with great views of Mt Lindesay before joining up with the Summerland Way.

Cox's Road.

We crossed into Queensland and Mt Lindesay Road and drove towards Mount Barney National Park.

Mount Barney.

Details for Iron Pot Creek Campground:
Where: Toonumbar National Park, NSW. 40 km west of Kyogle via Afterlee Road and Murray Scrub Road. For details from Peacock Creek Campground and Toonumbar Dam please read the blog above.
Access: 2WD unsealed roads, dry weather only. Not suitable for big rigs.
Booking & Fees: No bookings. $6 per adult, $3.50 per child. Place correct money in envelope and pay at information board.
Sites:15 unmarked sites. All sites are behind bollards but a couple have parking spaces just large enough for a camper trailer. Listed as suitable for tents and camper trailers but the design of the campgrounds means there is limited space for camper trailers. Fine for roof top tents. Not suitable for caravans or big rigs.
Facilities: Most sites have a table. There is a camp shelter with a table and wood barbecue. BYO wood. Non-flush toilets.
Prohibitions: No pets. No gathering firewood. No smoking. No insect repellent or sunscreen to be worn in the creek.
Contact: Kyogle Office 02 6632 0000 for general information Mon - Fri 8.30 to 4.30

Wildlife List: Red-necked Pademelon, Swamp Wallaby. Birds: Satin Bowerbird, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Pied Currawong, Brown Cuckoo-Dove, Grey Fantail, Brown Gerygone, Lewin's Honeyeater, Azure Kingfisher, Logrunner, Bell Miner, Australian King-Parrot, Eastern Yellow Robin, Crimson Rosella, White-browed Scrubwren, Welcome Swallow, Brown Thornbill, White-throated Treecreeper, Eastern Whipbird, Golden Whistler. Heard: Green Catbird, Common Koel, Laughing Kookaburra. Saw quite a few quail platelets.