Wilderness camping?

Queensland specific bushwalking discussion.
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Queensland specific bushwalking discussion. Please avoid publishing details of access to sensitive areas with no tracks.

Re: Wilderness camping?

Postby Eremophila » Wed 29 Jul, 2020 10:14 am

Great advice CBee.

Jaclynn, welcome & good luck with your hiking & camping. Always good to see someone else catching the bug!
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Re: Wilderness camping?

Postby flingebunt » Wed 29 Jul, 2020 10:17 am

CBee wrote:South D'Aguilar NP and the system of fire trails/bush camps with fire rings is the perfect place for beginners. Choose your own itinerary. Add some off-track variations as you gain confidence in navigation and you can visit some spectacular gorges. Campsites have water tanks (handy) but water can be collected in various creeks. Terrain is generally easy and vegetation not too harsh. The area is not huge and close to main roads if in needs of an escape. Fires are another thing, we all have our own opinion. If there is a fire ban, it is very important to respect it.


While I have seen that people have lit fires in at a lot of the bush camps in South D'Aguilar, I didn't realise that this was permitted at some. May I ask, which hiking campsites have the fire rings?
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Re: Wilderness camping?

Postby CBee » Wed 29 Jul, 2020 1:18 pm

While I have seen that people have lit fires in at a lot of the bush camps in South D'Aguilar, I didn't realise that this was permitted at some. May I ask, which hiking campsites have the fire rings?

I personally don't use fires but from memory, several designated bushcamps in South D'Aguilar, have 4 logs/benches around a fire place. North Cobble camp, Middle Cobble Camp, South Cobble Camp, Northbrook Mt. Camp, England Creek, Scrub Rd, Dundas Rd., Lightline Rd. and maybe more. I once asked a passing ranger and he told me fires are generally only allowed in those places where the fire ring is evident around the sitting logs. Definitely not during a fire ban. Also, I have to add, I once found a stack of firewood next to one of those shelters. Can't say the rangers brought them in, but was a long way away from any carpark.
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Re: Wilderness camping?

Postby flingebunt » Wed 29 Jul, 2020 1:28 pm

CBee wrote:I personally don't use fires but from memory, several designated bushcamps in South D'Aguilar, have 4 logs/benches around a fire place. North Cobble camp, Middle Cobble Camp, South Cobble Camp, Northbrook Mt. Camp, England Creek, Scrub Rd, Dundas Rd., Lightline Rd. and maybe more. I once asked a passing ranger and he told me fires are generally only allowed in those places where the fire ring is evident around the sitting logs. Definitely not during a fire ban. Also, I have to add, I once found a stack of firewood next to one of those shelters. Can't say the rangers brought them in, but was a long way away from any carpark.


I have seen the 4 logs and the remains of a fireplace at several of those spots. I have also read on the National Parks website, that fires are banned in the places that I saw those campfire setups. I wouldn't be surprised if carried in the firewood and left it behind what they didn't need rather than carry it out. In fact, I wouldn't surprised in teenagers didn't walk in to some of the closer ones at night to enjoy a few beers around the campfire on a Friday evening.
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Re: Wilderness camping?

Postby CBee » Wed 29 Jul, 2020 3:39 pm

I can't find anything on Parks website suggesting fire is prohibited in those specific locations. After all, NP wouldn't go through the trouble of setting up 4 benches if fire was not allowed. On the contrary (if I read right), the website states (for D'Aguilar National Park): Where can I have a camp fire?
You can have camp fires in many of our camping areas, as long as you use the fireplaces, fire rings or existing fire locations.
Help us protect our national parks by bringing clean firewood and kindling from outside the park—all the wood within the park is protected and cannot be collected or used for fires.

If you go with the mouse on the fire symbol, a box will appear saying: "Campfires allowed". But then, I'm inclined to trust the words of the Ranger. Unless he was a fake ranger :D
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Re: Wilderness camping?

Postby flingebunt » Wed 29 Jul, 2020 3:48 pm

CBee wrote:I can't find anything on Parks website suggesting fire is prohibited in those specific locations. After all, NP wouldn't go through the trouble of setting up 4 benches if fire was not allowed. On the contrary (if I read right), the website states (for D'Aguilar National Park): Where can I have a camp fire?
You can have camp fires in many of our camping areas, as long as you use the fireplaces, fire rings or existing fire locations.
Help us protect our national parks by bringing clean firewood and kindling from outside the park—all the wood within the park is protected and cannot be collected or used for fires.

If you go with the mouse on the fire symbol, a box will appear saying: "Campfires allowed". But then, I'm inclined to trust the words of the Ranger. Unless he was a fake ranger :D


Campfires are allowed in designated places with fire rings. Those logs arranged in a circle that I have seen are not around a fire ring. They might have been put in by National Parks, but people moved them into a circle. Also, when I checked Scrub Road and Dundas sites, it says "No fires permitted".
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Re: Wilderness camping?

Postby CBee » Wed 29 Jul, 2020 4:05 pm

To me that looks like an existing and well used fire place (like many others in this particular NP), a typical set up for camping fires. Logs are cut like benches and I can't see how people moved them in a circle. If this was illegal, would have been dismantled by NP. But then, I want to assure you that I'm not trying to change your opinion. To me, the website is clear enough.
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Re: Wilderness camping?

Postby flingebunt » Wed 29 Jul, 2020 4:43 pm

CBee wrote:To me that looks like an existing and well used fire place (like many others in this particular NP), a typical set up for camping fires. Logs are cut like benches and I can't see how people moved them in a circle. If this was illegal, would have been dismantled by NP. But then, I want to assure you that I'm not trying to change your opinion. To me, the website is clear enough.


Yes, I have looked at the individual campsite information for this camp and it says "Campfires prohibited, portal stoves only". That is really really really clear, unambiguous and while other campsites in that National Park have fire rings, I am pretty sure the National Parks Service have given up trying to clear away fireplaces built by hikers in the area. People just move those benches back easily to that clearly haphazard location.
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Re: Wilderness camping?

Postby Eremophila » Thu 30 Jul, 2020 11:39 am

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Re: Wilderness camping?

Postby warloch » Thu 30 Jul, 2020 12:30 pm

If you go here: https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/parks/daguilar/camping you'll see which sites in Dag are allowed fires and which ones aren't.
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