Sheepstation Creek Campground, Border Ranges National Park, NSW.

Sheepstation Creek Campground. 

Border Ranges National Park, as the name suggests, is on the New South Wales side of the Queensland/New South Wales Border. There are two campgrounds: Sheepstation Creek Campground is suitable for tents and most rig types but big rigs would struggle as the sites are mostly fairly small and the road past the campground through the national park is signposted as not suitable for buses and caravans. Forest Tops Campground has only three tent sites. The campsites at Sheepstation Creek Campground have recently been redeveloped with some work still to be done. 

Map at Sheepstation Creek Campground.

The only drive on site that was grassy was Site 8 but we couldn't fit our ute and tent on it so we had to set up in the mud on Site 9. When booking online, there is a small photo of each site however, we couldn't find a map of the campground layout online. When booking in advance we prefer to know where north is so that we can select a site that isn't exposed to the west in the afternoon. As we were arriving at a quiet time during the week, we decided to drive to the campground, select a campsite and book while there. We had enough internet reception to book from the campground but we noticed that some people drove back up the hill to the campground turnoff to book. Be aware though, that is necessary to book in advance on weekends and holiday times to be sure of a spot.

Sites 1, 2 and 3

Sites 1, 2 and 3 looked particularly well suited for small caravans and motorhomes.

Campsite 9

Sites 4, 5 and 11-19 didn't exist while we were there as they are still being developed. Site 6 is a large private site under trees. Sites 7-10 are on the eastern side of the campground and are suitable for a variety of camping types. We thought the sites were a bit too close together and lacked privacy but we had a great time exploring Border Ranges National Park and would happily go back again provided it was at a quiet time.

Campsite 21

Campsites 20 - 22 are for tents with parking behind bollards.

Campsite 23

Sites 23 and 24 are further away from the facilities and are listed as suitable for camper trailers although Site 24 is quite small.

Lace Monitor in the campground.

There were lots of goannas, red-necked wallabies and red-necked pademelons in the campground.

The distinct ping sound of Bell Miners was present during the day and Flying Foxes came in at night. Satin Bowerbirds, Lewin's Honeyeaters and White-browed Scrubwrens were ever present.

Bell Miner.

Satin Bowerbird.

One afternoon a group of cyclists rolled into the campground just on dusk and quickly set up camp in the tent only area. They turned out to be an Outward Bound group of seventeen young people who had ridden in from Andrew Drynan Campground. The next day they loaded their bikes onto a trailer and hiked with full packs to Forest Tops Campground via the Booyong Walking Track. It was great to see such a well run group of young people learning bush resilience and enjoying themselves.

I took some photos at the turnoff into Sheepstation Creek Campground as I liked the bucolic view. As we were leaving, a large koala ran across the road in front of us at surprising speed for such a cumbersome looking animal.

Forest Road, Tweed Range Scenic Drive.

Sunset, Tweed Range Scenic Drive.

Details for Sheep Station Creek Campground:
Where: Border Ranges National Park, northern NSW. 141 km south of Brisbane via the Lions Road. 108 km north-west of Ballina via Kyogle.
Access: The Lions Road is not suitable for caravans. Caravans and buses are not allowed in the national park past the campground on the scenic drive. All weather, 2WD, unsealed roads for a few kilometers before and in the national park.
Campsites: Numbered sites. Sites 4 and 5 and 11-19 didn't exist at time of writing as the campground was being redeveloped. Sites 1,2,3,6,7,8,9,10,23 and 24 are listed as suitable for tents, camping beside your vehicle, caravans, campervans and camper trailers. However, site size varies, we tried to put our tent and ute on site 8 but it was too small. Sites 20, 21 and 23 are tent only sites behind bollards. It is necessary to book in advance for weekends and holidays but as we camped at a quiet time we chose a site on arrival. We had limited phone reception at the campground; some people drove back the short distance to the turn off into the campground to get better reception.
Bookings & Fees: Book online or call 1300 072 757. $24 a night for 1 - 2 people, $12 additional person, $6 child from 5 to 15 years old. Plus booking fee. Plus park entry fee of $8 or annual parks pass.
Facilities: The sites have tables and fireplaces. Tables, camp shelter with wood barbecue, non-flush toilets, free electric/gas barbecues. Walks. Limited non-potable tank water which was very brown. BYO drinking water and wood. No bins.
Prohibited: Pets. Smoking. Generators.

Wildlife we saw in Border Ranges National Park: Koala, Red-necked Wallaby, Red-necked Pademelon, Marsh Snake, Lace Monitor, Southern Angle-headed Dragon, Land Mullet, Beech Skink, Gully Skink, Rose's Shadeskink, Weasel Skink, Eastern Water Skink, Freshwater Red Spiny Crayfish, Grey-headed Flying Fox. Butterflies: Lesser Monarch, Evening Brown, White-banded Plane, Orchard Swallowtail, Macleay's Swallowtail. Birds: Brown Falcon, Satin Bowerbird, Australian Brush Turkey, Green Catbird, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Pied Currawong, Brown Cuckoo-Dove, Emerald Dove, Spangled Drongo, Superb Fairy-wren, Grey Fantail, Rufous Fantail, Red-browed Finch, Restless Flycatcher, Brown Gerygone, Lewin's Honeyeater, Scarlet Honeyeater, Laughing Kookaburra, Logrunner, Rainbow Lorikeet, Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Albert's Lyrebird, Bell Miner, Noisy Miner, Australian King Parrot, Pheasant Coucal, Crested Pigeon, Topknot Pigeon, Eastern Yellow Robin, Crimson Rosella, White-browed Scrubwren, Large-billed Scrubwren, Grey Shrike-thrush, Brown Thornbill, Russet-tailed Thrush, White-throated Treecreeper, Eastern Whipbird, Willie Wagtail.