Lake Borumba, QLD.

Borumba Dam

Surprisingly, we have never been to Lake Borumba so we decided to remedy that situation by  taking a short camping trip to Borumba Dam Camping Grounds. The caretakers gave us a friendly welcome on arrival and suggested we walk around and choose our own spot. They mentioned that the campground would get busy in a few days because a fishing competition was being held on the coming weekend. We chose a spot where we could hear Yabba Creek in the background and settled in for a couple of nights. The campground was very peaceful while we were there. The caretakers told us that Southern Boobook owls came into the campground at night but we slept so well that we didn't hear a thing.

Our tranquil spot.

There was an access point to Yabba Creek not far from our van. When we wandered down we discovered why we could hear the sound of water so clearly. The creek was rushing along at quite a fast pace over a small weir before continuing on its way. Here we saw a couple of Spectacled Monarchs.

Little Yabba Creek alongside the campground and a Spectacled Monarch.

Just north of the campground there is a causeway over Little Yabba Creek. This area is popular with both locals and campers for kayaking, swimming and fishing. We enjoyed a stroll to the causeway a few times during our stay.

The causeway north of the campground.

A pleasant spot for fishing and swimming next to the causeway.

A Pale-headed Rosella and a Common Bluetail Damselfly Ischnura heterosticta.

In the afternoon, we walked about 800 m to have a look at the lake and the dam wall. There is a new boat ramp and an adjacent parking area with picnic tables. At the end of the road there is a Day Use Area with a few more parking spots, covered picnic tables and a toilet block.

New boat ramp at Lake Borumba.

Day Use Area at Lake Borumba.

Sadly, there are no official walking trails in the area. However we had a look on good old Goggle Earth and decided that there did appear to be a forest trail along the eastern side of the lake which we decided to check out in the morning. We set out early the next day and were watched by a few Whiptail Wallabies as we walked along. It is not surprising that another common name for them is Pretty-faced Wallabies as they do have quite striking facial markings.

Whiptail Wallaby Macropus parryi

Initially, all the gates we passed had do not enter signs due to an old quarry. We were relieved to find that that the trail we wanted to take didn't have one of these forbidding signs. The trail rose gently as it hugged the contours of the headlands around the lake and after a while we spotted a track that descended to the lake. This seemed to be an unofficial area where people had been launching their boats but there was no one about while we were there. We made our way back to the campground before the heat of the day.

The track down to the lake.

Lakeside.

The main birds in the campground were Noisy Miners and as some fellow campers found out there were a number of Brush Turkeys that weren't shy about helping themselves to the odd loaf of bread!

This Noisy Miner had an unusually coloured head. I assume it had anointed itself with a heady dose of pollen.         Australian Brush Turkey.

From our van we could see Rose-crowned Fruit Doves and there were Wompoo Fruit-Doves in a nearby tree. King Parrots added to the local colour.

Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove.

Australian King Parrot, male.

There were plenty of butterflies about during our stay.

Orchard Swallowtail Papilio aegeus, Lesser Wanderer Danaus chrysippus, Caper White Belenois java, Australian Painted Lady Vanessa kershawi.

Orange Ringlet Hypocysta adiante, Blue, Meadow Argus Junonia villida, Large Grass-yellow.

Wildlife List: Bandicoot, Whiptail (Pretty-faced) wallabies. Lots of very large hares. Deer were seen while we were there but not by us.
Butterflies: Monarch, Lesser Wanderer, Orange Ringlet, Blue Tiger, Meadow Argus, Australian Painted Lady, Glasswing, Large Grass-yellow, Caper White, Orchard Swallowtail, small blues. Magpie Moth.
Birdlist: Wompoo Fruit-Dove, Rose-crowned Fruit-Dove, Rainbow Lorikeet, Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Pale-headed Rosella, King Parrot, Red-backed Fairy Wren, Spectacled Monarch, Blue-faced Heron, Pied Cormorant, Little Cormorant, Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo, Australian Brush Turkey, Welcome Swallow, Lewins Honeyeater, Little Friarbird, Noisy Friarbird, Pheasant Coucal, Australasian Figbird, Magpie, Pied Butcherbird, Laughing Kookaburra, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Noisy Miner, Little Shrike-thrush, Golden-headed Cisticola, White-browed Scrubwren. Other people also saw Southern Boobook.

Borumba Dam Camping Grounds from the south and from the north.

Details for Borumba Dam Camping Grounds:
Where: About 176 km, 2 hours 15 min drive, north west of Brisbane.
Access: Head north along the Bruce Highway, turn west at Federal. Drive along Yabba Creek Road until you reach the campground before the Day Use Area.
Camping: Suitable for all rigs and tents.
Facilities: Toilets, showers, non-drinking water taps, powered and unpowered sites, two picnic shelters with picnic tables, bins, playground, fire rings (note fire bans), intermittent Telstra phone reception, public phone. Office/kiosk sells ice and other supplies. Caretaker. On banks of Yabba Creek.
Prohibitions: No pets. No hunting. No chainsaws. No generators. There was a fire ban in place when we stayed in November.
Fees: $10 per Adult, $8 per student, $5 for younger children. Additional $6 per night per site for power.
Of Interest: There is a causeway just north-east of the campground where swimming, fishing and launching kayaks is popular. 
Phone: 07 5488 6662.

Borumba Deer Park: A nearby campground that allows pets. Ph 07 5484 5196.

Borumba Dam Day Use Area: Picnic shelters with picnic tables, electric BBQ's, toilets, boat ramp. No swimming, no playground, no pets.

Lake Borumba: Allowed: motorized and non-motorized boats, water skiing, wake boarding, jet skiing, tubing, kayaks, canoes. No launching or landing watercraft around the lake other than at the designated area. Boating permits not required. Fishing from boats and the shore is allowed but a fishing permit is required. Not allowed: pets, swimming, hunting, camping around the lake other than at the campground.
More Information: www.seqwater.com.au