St Lawerence QLD

Monday 24th of July

Since it's now Queensland school holidays we decided to try and sit some of it out free camping, as most caravan parks on the coast upped their nightly rates to high season with many parks. So we consulted our Camps 7 book (also known as they travellers bible) and the smartphone app WikiCamps and settled on a great free camp at St Lawrence recreational reserve (Camps 7 QLD 87) which is between Mackay and Rockhampton. On our way we see some great signs, thankfully my children don't read yet. We missed the first sign which said "Are we there yet"

So 300km later from Airlie beach we arrive. It's a great free site 5kms of the Bruce hwy with clean 3 minute hot showers for a $1, drinking water a lovely undercover area and bbqs and plenty of room for the children to ride bikes. They have 2 sections one for generators which is to the left of the toilets and a non generator section to the right and you can camp here for 7nights. We set up camp in the generator section. 

Our campsite

The non generator section (we were at the left hand edge of this photo)

Looking back up to the amenities and the undercover concrete area and the no generator area

Now there really is nothing to do here, the town which is about 1km from the rec reserve consists of a Post Office, a Hotel, a police station and a General Store which also sells fuel so it's wise to make sure you do a full grocery shop before arriving. There is a small playground in town as well but not really suitable for young kids. 

The rec reserve backs onto wetlands and there is a walking track that takes you out to a shelter where you can sit and watch the bird life. 

The wetlands at sunrise

Another travelling family joined us to sit school holidays out so J made a new friend with Ned who was also 4. 

The Thursday we headed back up the Bruce highway to Carmila to have a look at the other free camps we past. Carmila Beach (Camps 7 QLD 83 ) is right on the beach but sites a tight narrow and very sandy and I suspect it would be a midgie (sandfly) haven. Flaggy Rock community centre (Camps 7 QLD 84) looked really good with lovely green grass a playground and a small swimming pool but you need to be self contained ( have your own amenities, water and be able to take away your black and grey water waste) and it has a 72hr limit. We stopped for morning tea at the Flaggy Rock Exotic fruit gardens and homemade ice cream before heading to Clairveiw for a play on the beach and rock pools then fossicking for shells 

We ended up spending 5 nights here at St Lawerence. We witnessed some amazing sunsets

It was good just to sit and do nothing and the boys had to make their own fun. The nights without power did get a tad cold (5,6,7 degrees) but we were toasty in our thermals but the days were magic usually around 23-24 degrees. The only downside was midges (sandflies) loved me.

Defiantly a spot to call in and spend a night or five if your travelling up this way, it is very popular with travellers anywhere up to 50-80 vans a night but plenty of room

Next stop......Yeppoon