Downfall Creek Camping Area, Danbulla National Park and State Forest, Atherton Tablelands, North QLD.

Downfall Creek Camping Area

Downfall Creek Camping Area seems to be the most popular campground in Danbulla National Park and State Forest. It is only seven kilometers into the park from the west and has plenty of open space on the banks of Lake Tinaroo.

Danbulla Road.

                        Large rig at Downfall Creek Camping Area on the banks of Lake Tinaroo.

Downfall Creek and Fong-On Bay campgrounds are the only campgrounds that allow the use of generators. 

Fong-On Bay Camping Area can be seen across Lake Tinaroo from Downfall Creek Camping Area.

There were plenty of Ulysses Butterflies in the campground. They are intricately brown on the outside and stunningly iridescent blue on the inside.

                                                                    Ulysses Butterfly

Regeneration Walk: 4.6 km return, Grade 3 walking track.

The Regeneration Walk links Downfall Creek and Kauri Creek campgrounds. We first encountered the wonderfully clear creek waters typical of the area on this walk.

We saw a great variety of birds along the walk.

 

Pale Yellow Robin

Details for Downfall Creek Camping Area, Dandulla National Park and State Forest, QLD:

Where: 26 km north-east of Atherton, QLD. 7 km from the western entrance of the park.

Access: Suitable for conventional vehicles and has boat access. Danbulla Road is unsealed. Further east along Danbulla Road it becomes narrower and winding. The road is signposted as unsuitable for caravans. Care needs to be taken as the road is used by logging trucks.

Camping: National Parks QLD take bookings for all rig types, including caravans, at Downfall Creek Camping Area. Open grassy areas and some individual sites.

Bookings: Book online or phone 13 74 68. Mobile phone reception at campground. Gets busy on weekends.
Fees: $6.75 per adult per night, $27 family rates (up to 2 adults and 6 children, under 18).
Facilities: Flush toilets. Shower room, bring own shower. Non-potable water taps. Fire rings. Walk. Scenic Drive. Phone reception. No tables. No BBQs. Quiet generators allowed between 8 am and 7 pm. Boating, fishing and swimming allowed.

Prohibitions: No pets. No smoking.

Caution: Danbulla Road is unsealed, narrow in parts and is used by logging trucks. It is advised to keep vehicle bonnets up as native Giant White-tailed Rats have been known to make nests in engine bays and chew cables. 

Henrietta Creek Camping Area, Palmerston Section (Doongan), Woonooroonan National Park, QLD.

We camped at Henrietta Creek Camping Area on Site 2 when several of the sites were closed due to Covid 19 distancing regulations and camping numbers were restricted to a maximum of 20 people, so it was unusually quiet. We enjoyed our time at Henrietta Creek but the campground isn't a typical national park back to nature experience due to its proximity to the highway and the number of people who drop in to use the picnic facilities and park on sites 1- 4 while they go for walks. On the bright side, it is cheap, has access to great walks, backs on to rainforest and is a good base to explore the area.

                                            Site 6

Nandroya Falls Circuit Track: 6 km for the full circuit or 1.7 km one way to Nandroya Falls. Grade: moderate.

The trailhead for this walk is a short distance west of the campground. Despite walking in the rain and getting a few leeches we really enjoyed this scenic waterfall track. We walked the circuit clockwise.

                                        Silver Falls

On the approach to Nandroya Falls there is a lower cascade section and a little bit further on Nandroya Falls drops 50 meters from the plateau above.

                                           Nandroya Falls

We saw a bandicoot and a juvenile feral pig along the walk. Before returning to the campground we encountered another pretty waterfall that we don't know the name of.

There is a traihead at the back of the campground that leads to an 800 meter one way walk to Gooligans Picnic Area. A short distance into this walk it is necessary to wade across Henrietta Creek. Walking tracks leave from Gooligans Picnic Area to Wallicher Falls and Tchupala Falls. We didn't do these walks this trip.

                                Henrietta Creek on the track to Gooligans Picnic Area

Details for Henrietta Creek Camping Area, Wooroonooran National Park, QLD:

Where: 37 km west of Innisfail, on the Palmerston Highway.

Access: Just off the sealed highway. 

Camping: Sites 1, 2, 3 and 4 are listed as suitable for RVs, they are small and adjoin each other. Site 1 is very small due to its odd shape. Site 5 was partially blocked by vegetation. Sites 6 and 7 are my pick if you don't have an RV. Sites 8 and 9 are tent sites and back onto the highway. Site 10 is listed as a camper trailer site but backs onto the highway and is up an embankment which could make it difficult to access. Site 11 is out in the open and the only one big enough for a large rig. 

Bookings: Book online or phone 13 74 68 before arrival as there is no mobile phone reception at the campground. 
Fees: $6.75 per adult per night, $27 family rates (up to 2 adults and 6 children, under 18).
Facilities: Composting toilets a short distance away from the campground. Two sheltered picnic tables. Two sheltered free gas BBQs. Non-potable water tap near picnic shelter. Some sites have tables. Walks. No phone reception.  Quiet generators allowed from 9 am to 6 pm.
Prohibitions: No pets. No fires. No smoking.