Melaleuca Circuit Walk, Burrum Coast National Park, Woodgate,QLD.

Melaleuca Circuit

We accessed the Class 2, 8.8 km Melaleuca Circuit walk from Burrum Point Camping Area. If you are not staying in the campground and don't have a 4WD, it is easier to access the walk from the Walkers Point Day Use Area at the eastern end of The Esplanade in Walkers Point, however, the full circuit is 12.3 km from there.

We entered the track behind the self-registration stand at Burrum Point Camping Area and did the walk counter-clockwise. We noticed straight away that not many people had used the track. Our camping neighbours had been in the campground for three weeks but had not done the walk as they were enjoying themselves fishing every day. The walk started in a dry paperbark forest before changing to coastal woodland.

Rufous Whistler with catch.

Banksia

Rainbow Lorikeets

We encountered a great variety of butterflies on the walk and we disturbed a large number of Large Grass Yellow butterflies as we walked along the track.

Swamp Tiger, Purple Crow, Varied Eggfly, large Grass Yellow. These are my photos but I had to use a free collage service due to damaging my computer and loosing my collage program.

Brown Ringlet, closed (L), open (R)

Evening Brown: colour variants. 

We emerged onto a salt pan and took the turn to the bird hide. We tried to approach the hide with stealth but nevertheless we startled some ducks as we peered out of the hide and I am unsure of what type they were. We did see a Black-necked Stork fly away from the mangroves.

It is only a short extension to the bird hide.

Bird Hide

We decided not to walk into Walkers Point and continued on the return side of the circuit. We passed some wetland areas and then the track ran parallel to the beach before entering the Burrum Point campground right next to our campsite. We managed a quick photo of a local guy who gets around in a hovercraft.

Masked Lapwing

We enjoyed this walk; especially because of all the butterflies we saw. If this is a longer walk than you usually do then keep in mind it is an easy Class 2 walk which makes it quite achievable.

Burrum Point Camping Area, Burrum Coast National Park, QLD.

Beach in front of Burrum Point Camping Area

Burrum Point Camping Area is only a short drive from Woodgate. The road in is sandy and has some narrow sections. 

The sandy drive in to Burrum Point Camping Area

The campground has a remote and peaceful atmosphere but has surprisingly good facilities. There are flush toilets and water available. 

Our campsite at Burrum Point Camping Area

Campers are asked not to erect there own individual showers on their sites so as to protect the environment. Indoor and outdoor showers have been installed so that the disposal of soapy water can be controlled.

Indoor showers at Burrum  Point Camping Area

Before the entry to the campground there is a 4WD access point to the beach. Other campers used this access to drive down to the beach to fish. The campers next to us got quite a surprise to catch a large mud crab on their fishing line.

4WD access to the beach in front of Burrum Point Camping Area

Resident goannas and brush turkeys patrol the campground so particular care needs to be taken with the storage of rubbish.

Sand Monitor 

Australian Brush Turkey

We spotted some Grandmothers Cloak moths in the amenities block.

Grandmother's Cloak Moths (flash photography).

We really enjoyed watching a couple of families of White-bellied Sea-Eagles cruise up and down the beach. Every time these huge birds flew past a section of the beach a smaller bird bravely came out and tried to chase them away. We couldn't tell with the naked eye what kind of bird it was but when we examined our photos we realised that it was a peregrine falcon.

White-bellied Sea-Eagle

White-bellied Sea-Eagle

Peregrine Falcon

Details for Burrum Point Camping Area:
Where: Burrum Coast National Park. 356 km north of Brisbane via Gympie, Maryborough and Woodgate. Follow signs from Woodgate. From Walkers Point Road turn left onto Campground Road. 
Access: Campground Road is sandy. Hema lists it as medium 4WD and National Parks QLD signposts the road as "high clearance 4WD, not suitable for caravans". The campground is listed as " high clearance 4WD's and trailers only. Caravans and buses are not recommended." Wet weather can restrict access due to flooding.
Booking & Fees: Book online. $6.35 per adult per night. Specific site number allocated when booking.
Sites: There are 13 individually numbered sites. Sandy surface. The sites are mostly small. There are bollards defining the sites but you can park on the site next to your tent or camper trailer.
Facilities: Drinking water taps, cold showers (inside and outside), flush toilets. The indoor showers are plumbed but there is also provision for BYO canvas shower bags in the shower cubicles. We had Telstra phone reception. There is excellent WiFi reception at the seat at the end of the beach access.
Prohibitions: You must use the showers provided; don't erect your own eternal shower or use soap on your site. Domestic animals are not permitted anywhere in Burrum Coast National Park. Domestic animals are not even allowed in vehicles in the national park. No generators. No open fires.

Wildlife we saw in Burrum Coast National Park: Eastern Grey Kangaroo, Burton's Snake Lizard, Copper tailed Skink, Lively Skink, Bats, Feral pig tracks. Butterflies: Large Grass Yellow, Varied Eggfly, Swamp Tiger, Purple Crow, Brown Ringlet, Evening Brown, Skippers. Moths: Grandmothers Cloak, Magpie Moth. Birds: White-bellied Sea-Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, Red Goshawk, Black Kite, Brahminy Kite, Whistling Kite, Australian Brush Turkey, Grey Butcherbird, Pied Cormorant, Great Cormorant, Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Shinning Bronze Cuckoo, Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike, Radjah Shelduck, Bar-shouldered Dove, Spangled Drongo, Little Egret, Grey Fantail, Little Friarbird, Noisy Friarbird, White-faced Heron, Blue-faced Honeyeater, Lewin's Honeyeater, Scarlet Honeyeater, Laughing Kookaburra, Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Rainbow Lorikeet, Masked Lapwing, Noisy Miner, Mistletoebird, Rainbow Bee-eater, Silver Gull, Grey Shrike-thrush, Silvereye, Black-necked Stork, Golden Whistler, Rufous Whistler, Willie Wagtail, White-breasted Woodswallow.

Banksia Walking Track, Burrum Coast National Park, Woodgate, QLD.

Banksia Walking Track, Burrum Coast National Park

The small seaside town of Woodgate is on the way to Burrum Point Campground in Burrum Coast National Park. The Banksia Walking Track is behind the caravan park in Woodgate.

Banksia Walking Track: 5.4 km circuit, Grade 2.
The car park for the trail head of the walk is off Acacia Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenue. As the walk is in a section of Burrum Coast National Park, pets are not allowed. 

At the beginning of the walk, there is a 400 m boardwalk through a paperbark forest.

Boardwalk, Banksia Walking Track

At the end of the boardwalk we continued along the Banksia Circuit and really enjoyed this easy walk through wallum heath and coastal woodland.  

There were a number of lizards beside the sandy track. 

Lively Skink

Copper-tailed Skink

We were pleased to see a Burton's Snake Lizard. Burton's Snake Lizards are a type of legless lizard and are non-venomous. This one was only about thirty centimetres long and I walked very close to it before noticing it.

Burton's Snake Lizard

Burton's Snake Lizard

The wallum plants, banksia trees and eucalypts make this a great birding area.  

Brahminy Kite

Scarlet Honeyeater

Rainbow Lorikeet on a Banksia.

Laughing Kookaburra