Swinging Bridge Park, Cooyar QLD.

Barn Owl

We have visited Swinging Bridge Park a couple of times while driving past but this time we decided to stay the night as the park has resident Barn Owls and sometimes platypus can be spotted as well. We were really happy with our decision because we did see a Barn Owl at night as well as several Brush Tailed Possums.

Brush Tailed Possum

We saw platypus in the afternoon and in the morning. They were shy compared to the ones at Maleny but we managed a quick photo of one peeking out of Cooyar Creek.

Platypus

The camping area is pleasant especially if you are self-contained but there is a toilet block not too far away in Memorial Park.

Swinging Bridge Park Campground

Memorial Park, Cooyar.

The swinging bridge is a pedestrian bridge and makes for a great spot to do a bit of platypus watching.

The Swinging Bridge, Cooyar

There are a surprising number of birds to be seen in a short walk around Cooyar.

Red-backed Fairy-wren

The Cooyar Hotel, established in 1903, is close to the Swinging Bridge Park and serves meals. Every second Saturday of the month there is live music and Pig on the Spit. You can also get a hot shower at the Hotel for $3.

Cooyar Hotel

Details for Swinging Bridge Park Campground:

Where: Swinging Bridge Park, off Fergus Road, Cooyar. Between Crows Nest and Yarraman on the New England Highway. Or about 195 km north-west (2 and a half hours) from Brisbane. 

Access: Suitable for tents and all rig types.

Fees: Free or $5 for power (pay at the Cooyar Hotel), no bookings. $3 showers are available at the Hotel.

Facilities: Picnic shelter with BBQ and Water Tank. No toilets but there are toilets nearby in Memorial Park. Bins. No phone reception.

Pets allowed.

Wildlife: 

Brush-tailed Possum. Platypus. Micro Bats.

Butterflies: Lesser Wanderer, Glasswing, Common Crow.

Bird List:

Barn Owl, Apostlebird, Pied Butcherbird, Cicadabird, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Galah, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Pied Currawong, Torresian Crow, Pacific Black Duck, Australian Wood Duck, Bar-shouldered Dove, Variegated Fairy-wren, Red-backed Fairy-wren, Grey Fantail, Restless Flycatcher, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Lewin’s Honeyeater, Yellow-faced Honeyeater, White Ibis, Azure Kingfisher, Laughing Kookaburra, Rainbow Lorikeet, Australian Magpie, Magpie-lark, Masked Lapwing, House Sparrow, Double-barred Finch, Red-rumped Parrot, Crested Pigeon, Rose Robin,Grey Shrike-thrush, Welcome Swallow, Eastern Whipbird, Rufous Whistler, Willie Wagtail.

The Palms National Park and Swinging Bridge Park, Cooyar, QLD.

The Palms National Park.

The Palms National Park is about 94 km north of Toowoomba and about 8 km north-east of Cooyar. It is a very small national park that protects a patch of piccabeen palms Archontophoenix cunninghamiana and sub-tropical rainforest. There are a couple of picnic tables and a 650 m circuit track with boardwalks through the forest. There is no camping or pets allowed. The piccabeens are a haven for grey-headed flying foxes in the summer. Locals told us that it is a haven for sulphur-crested cockatoos in spring so we will have to go back and see.

Swinging Bridge Park, Cooyar.

Swinging Bridge Park is behind the Cooyar Hotel, on the banks of Cooyar Creek. It is a free camping spot for up to 48 hours. There are picnic tables and wood BBQ’s. The old toilet block has been closed down so it’s a bit of a walk to the amenities block. 

Suspension Swinging Bridge, Cooyar

Camping Area at Swinging Bridge Park, Cooyar

Cooyar Creek

We have a friend who had been to a number of places that are good for viewing platypus but had never been successful in seeing one until she stayed the night in the Cooyar Hotel and saw one here in Cooyar Creek.  We saw Australian King Parrots on the banks of Cooyar Creek. Barn Owls are known to roost in the trees around the park.

Australian King Parrot, male

Australian King Parrot, female