Winter Camping in Charlie Moreland Camping Area, Imbil State Forest, Kenilworth, QLD.

Charlie Moreland Camping Area

We've lost count of how many times we have camped at Charlie Moreland Camping Area. We keep going back because it is a relaxing campground with plenty of wildlife. We avoid it at holiday times though as it gets very crowded.

Charlie Moreland Day Use Area

I was surprised to see a couple of guys swimming in Little Yabba Creek at this time of year. I called out to them and asked if they were from New Zealand. They replied that they weren't but they had dared each other to go for a skinny dip and they assured me that they were both freezing. I took mercy on them and moved on so that they could get out and no, I didn't take any photos of them.

Little Yabba Creek gets quite cold at this time of year.

While wandering around the 4WD tracks near the campground we saw what looked like a family group of Button-quails hurrying across the road in the distance. We only managed to get a couple of poor quality photos of one of these birds but these photos proved to be very important later when I submitted them to the Facebook page Australian Bird Identification. We have been looking for Black-breasted Button-quail for quite some time and these photos were identified as being a male Black-breasted Button-quail which proved that we had finally seen these coveted birds. 

Black-breasted Button-quail, male.

We usually see Pacific Riflebirds near the campground, however, this trip we only heard one. We did see a Green Catbird though and usually they are easier to hear than see. 

Green Catbird

As usual, there were plenty of Red-necked Pademelons about the campground and around the horse yard area. Bell Miners seem to have moved into the horse yard area too.

Bell Miner

Juvenile and adult Red-necked Pademelons.

We usually walk the Little Yabba Creek Circuit a few times every time we camp at Charlie Moreland because there is always something different to see.

Southern crossing on the Little Yabba Creek Circuit

The northern crossing on the Little Yabba Creek Circuit is still washed out in the middle.

The section of the walk on the bank opposite the campground is shady and moist which is good for sighting fungi and Diamond-shielded Sunskinks. Pale Yellow Robins seem to like the shady forest area as well.

Diamond-shielded Sunskink Lampropholis adonis 

Pale Yellow Robin

The banks of Little Yellow Creek have more sunlight and it is easier to photo a few birds there.

Golden Whistler, male.

Birds seen on this trip: Australian Brush Turkey, Grey Butcherbird, Green Catbird, Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Pied Currawong, Crow, Brown Cuckoo-Dove, Superb Fairy-wren, Grey Fantail, Red-browed Finch, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Lewin's Honeyeater, Laughing Kookaburra, Logrunner, Rainbow Lorikeet, Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Australian Magpie, Bell Miner, Noisy Miner, Spectacled Monarch, Olive-backed Oriole, Australian King Parrot, Wonga Pigeon, Eastern Yellow Robin, Pale Yellow Robin, Yellow-throated Scrubwren, Large-billed Scrubwren, Grey Shrike-thrush, Silvereye, Black-breasted Button-quail, Eastern Whipbird, Golden Whistler, Willie Wagtail.

Details for Charlie Moreland Campground, Imbil State Forest:
Where: About 130 km northwest of Brisbane. Southwest of Kenilworth on Sunday Creek Road. 
Access: About 5 km of 2WD gravel road to the campground. Past the campground Sunday Creek Road becomes 4WD and is a popular drive through to Jimna.
Camping: Suitable for tents and all rig types. Open grassy sites, some shade.
Bookings: https://qpws.usedirect.com/QPWS/Facilities/SearchView.aspx or phone 13 74 68. No mobile phone reception at campground. There is a booking phone at the rangers station on the drive in on Sunday Creek Road.
Fees: $6.35 per adult per night, family rates.
Facilities: Flush toilets, non-potable water taps, fire rings, BYO wood. Swimming in Little Yabba Creek. Walks. 
Prohibitions: No pets. No generators. No fishing.
Cautions: Gets extremely busy at peak times. Bookings are taken for up to 380 people.

Lake Cania and Shamrock Mine, Cania Gorge National Park, near Monto, QLD.

Lake Cania

Cania Road continues north, past the main picnic area in Cania Gorge National Park, to Lake Cania. The lake is stocked with Australian bass, golden perch, silver perch and saratoga. There are no restrictions on boats. There is a pleasant recreation area on the banks of the lake with a boat ramp, toilets, picnic tables and electric barbecues.

Lake Cania Recreation area. Boat ramp on the right.

We were watched closely by the local birds when we stopped for morning tea. A Restless Flycatcher dropped by to inspect herself in our car mirror.

Blue-faced Honeyeater

Rufous Whistler

Pied Butcherbird

Female Restless Flycatcher.

Cania Dam Lookout
There is a lookout at the end of Perseverance Road that has excellent views over the dam and Castle Mountain in Cania Gorge National Park.

Shamrock Mine Site: Grade 3, 1.4 km return.
The entry to the Shamrock Mine Site, in Cania Gorge National Park, is about one kilometre south of the lake. At the car park, there are information boards and sheltered picnic tables. The walk explores old mine relics and there are nice views over the open eucalypt woodland.

Juvenile Blue-faced Honeyeaters drinking form water laying on top of some old mine equipment.

Cania Gorge National Park, Monto QLD.

When on a roadtrip north of the Sunshine Coast, we often drive one way along the A1 Bruce Highway and the other way via the A3 Burnett Highway. The A3 is a little longer but it is good country driving and we like to visit Mount Scoria National Park and Cania Gorge National Park along the way.

If you are a day visitor, the first car park as you enter Cania Gorge National Park is a good place to start the Big Foot walk and the Fern Tree Pool and Giants Chair Circuit. However, if you are staying at the Cania Gorge Tourist Retreat it is convenient to walk directly from the entry near the office.

Big Foot Walk from Cania Gorge Tourist Retreat, Grade 3, about 100 m return. 

Big Foot

Cania Gorge Picnic Area
The second car park after entering the national park is the main car park and picnic area. Here you will find good information signs about the walks and local wildlife and plants. The picnic area is alongside Three Moon Creek and has toilets, sheltered tables and barbecues. There is a sign-posted section for caravan parking.

Sunskink Lampropholis

Evening Brown Butterfly

Dripping Rock and The Overhand, Grade 3, 3.2 km return.
This was the driest that we have ever seen Cania gorge. Dripping Rock was still dripping but the water level was so low under Hanging Rock that we were able to easily walk further under it. 

Dripping Rock 

Aboriginal freehand art.

Beautiful pigments in the rock.

Sandstone cliffs in Cania Gorge.

The Overhang.

Low water level at The Overhang.

Dragon Cave and Bloodwood Cave, Grade 3, 2.6 km return.

Dragon Cave

View from the Dragon Cave.

Silver Elkhorns

Bloodstone Cave.

Wildlife seen by us on this trip: Eastern Grey Kangaroo, Whiptail Wallaby, Sugar Glider, Cattle, Sunskink: Lampropholis. Butterflies: Large Grass Yellow, Monarch, Common Brown. Birds: Grey-crowned Babbler, Australian Brush Turkey, Grey Butcherbird, Pied Butcherbird, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Galah, Little Black Cormorant, Little Pied Cormorant, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Pied Currawong, Torresian Crow, Grey Fantail, Red-browed Finch, Leaden Flycatcher, White-faced Heron, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Lewin's Honeyeater, White-throated Honeyeater, White-naped Honeyeater, Laughing Kookaburra, Rainbow Lorikeet, Australian Magpie, Noisy Miner, Striated Pardalote, Pheasant Coucal, Eastern Yellow Robin, Pale-headed Rosella, Rainbow Bee-eater, White-browed Scrubwren, Large-billed Scrubwren, Little Shrike-thrush, Silvereye, White-headed Varied Sittella, Welcome Swallow, Dusky Moorhen, White-throated Treecreeper, Eastern Whipbird, Golden Whistler, Rufous Whistler, Willie Wagtail. Heard: Tawny Frogmouth.

Cania Gorge Tourist Retreat, Cania Gorge, Monto, QLD.

Cania Gorge Tourist Retreat adjoins Cania Gorge National Park and is an excellent base to explore the many walks on offer. We have stayed here three times and have always found the service to be friendly and helpful. We very rarely stay in caravan parks but we enjoy staying here because there is a large unpowered grassy area with fire pits and tables, so we feel right at home.

Our view of the powered section.

The cabins are beautifully painted with murals of native wildlife. 

Camp Kitchen

Facilities in the park include two swimming pools, a well equipped camp kitchen and a laundry. The amenities block is a little dated but clean. The showers are hot and have good pressure. The office doubles as a shop for all those little essentials that you may need and firewood is available for purchase.

We set up in the grassy campground area. From our campsite we saw many small woodland birds. We even saw a White-headed Varied Sittella, although the photo wasn't great it was an interesting sighting.

Our campsite.

White-headed Varied Sittella

White-throated Honeyeater

The resort has bird feeding every afternoon which attracts a large number of Rainbow Lorikeets as well as a variety of other birds.

All the walks can be accessed from the retreat. The Big Foot Walk and the Fern Tree Pool and Giant's Chair Circuit are right next to the retreat. However, some of the walks are an additional 900 m away, so to avoid the extra 1.8 km return you may still wish to drive to the picnic area where the other trail-heads start. We like walking the 900 m trail in its own right as we have often seen great wildlife there; both during the day and at night.

Big Foot

The track between the campground and Cania Gorge Picnic Area

Details for Cania Gorge Tourist Retreat, QLD.

Where: 1253 Cania Road, Monto. 490 km ( 5 hours 45 minutes) north-west of Brisbane, via Gympie and Mundubbera.

Access: Sealed roads.

Fees: Weekly Rate: pay 6 stay 7 (not during school holidays). Unpowered grass site $28 to $38 for 2 people. Powered sites: $34 - $44 for 2 people. Check in and check out for powered and unpowered sites is 10 am. Cabins: 3 types, cheapest rate is $90 for 2 people in an ensuite cabin.

Bookings: Phone 07 4167 8110. Outside peak times it is usually possible to just turn up.

Pet Friendly: Pets on leash. No pets in buildings, cabins or pool area. Refundable pet bond. No pets in the National Park.

Facilities: Drinkable bore water, tank water. Two swimming pools. Amenities: flush toilets, hot showers, timer lights. Laundry: washing machines, dryer, clothes line. Camp Kitchen: open sided building with tables, TV, electric oven, gas BBQ's, refrigerators, cooking equipment, sinks, bins. Shop: information, essential groceries, ice creams, drinks. Communal and individual fire rings. Firewood for purchase. Giant chess. Daily bird feeding.

Prohibitions: No generators, no pets in national park.