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Thunderbird Park - South East Queensland |
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| What a funny name for a caravan park - of course it refers to what's in the ground not the park! Got you intrigued yet? Well a Thunderegg is what it's all about - lovely fossiled rocks that resemble eggs, but more on that later. So where are we? About an hours drive south of Brisbane almost at Tamborine Mountain a tiny hamlet of around 4,000 people and 560 metres above sea level. This means a bit of a climb for those with just four cylinders, but well worth it. As usual we missed the turnoff and had to practice backing! So that others following in our footsteps don't make the same error - turn right IMMEDIATELY you enter the turnoff to Thunderbird Park. You can still get tricked though as there are two businesses here! Don't take the first turn to the right or left, but keep going until you reach a boom gate and park there. Not much room! Reception is on the right just inside the gate. Exceptionally warm and friendly reception with the young lass immediately telling us we had just missed a fellow A'vanner. We hadn't as we waved as they went down the mountain. Lovely people and told us we could check out as late as we liked on Sunday with no extra charge. How many parks give you a cuppa kit on arrival? Not too many - a nice touch. This comes in a white paper bag sealed with a home made printed sticker. The boom gate uses a number system - you key it in so there are no key deposits. A really great idea. |
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The entrance is very easy to miss! |
The leafy reception is warm and friendly |
| This is a very leafy park with all sorts of sites except sandy. As we were here to fix up the discussion pages for the website (A-Forum) with Siggy and Heather we had to opt for power as sadly it was raining! The non-powered sites are fairly flat and quite grassy with lots of shade if you wish. You used to be able to get right next to a cascading Cedar Creek right in the rain forest, but at present this area is for day picnics only. The powered site area is on a large well treed terraced hillside and is quite attractive with lots of very old well established trees and shrubs. Some of the powered sites have annex pads, but the nicest ones are in small groves of established trees and are very private- absolutely perfect for our caravanning lifestyle . All sites are very large and set at all sorts of angles - something to please everyone. Best early morning sunshine is site 9 or 10 (nice grass) and some afternoon shade. Most Privacy is 26 with a pad as well and lots of shade. Back in only. Best Closest to Amenities is 30 - back in or push. This site also has a table in complete shade about 15 feet long! Next door is 33 which is drive thru with trees either side. |
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Private sites are everywhere in this camp |
The map shows how big the complex really is |
| Mornings are glorious. The bird song that you are hearing now is ever present as the camp is surrounded by totally unspoilt National Parks. We came across quite a few yellow tailed black cockatoos. These guys are quite huge and very noisy. The recording was made just after first light. |
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Leafy terraced camp sites |
The A'vans are on sites 23 and 24 |
| The oldest amenities could do with a lick of paint, but are nice and clean. We particularly liked the plastic chairs in the shower cubicles and the paper towels for wiping down the sinks or your hands. They even provided a couple of cakes of soap. If you don't mind a short walk there is a second really modern amenities block near the shop complex - only open in busy times. This one is as good as it gets and even has louvre doors on the loos! Wow! Soap dispensers and hand dryers as well. One odd thing though - there is no way of drying your feet! Use this block in busy times as it doesn't run out of hot water. The older block is solar and the booster is toooooo weak so it is best to shower from midday to dusk. Campers even get supplied with a washing up bowl, a very thoughtful touch. Hot water for washing up is freely available from the laundry. |
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The oldest and closest amenities block |
The new block open in peak times only |
| Telstra CDMA and GSM as well as Vodaphone work great up near the boom gate, but ZERO signal in the actual non-powered camping area. You can get a smidgen signal further up the hill in the powered section. Sites 21 and 22 give two bars if the phone is important to you. Water is quite nice with a tap for each van site. This is creek water with a smidgeon of chlorine added. We have got tummy bugs here sometimes so recommend you boil the water or bring your own. There is NO town water in Tamborine at all. No sites have provision for sullage. TV reception is acceptable with rabbit ears and brilliant with an aerial such as the high gain Explorer series. |
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Working by a campfire - Ouch!! |
The fascination of watching a fire! |
| Nighttimes are blissfully peaceful. You get the distant sound of the creek on all sites and the main road is far enough away not to be a problem. You can get bread, ice creams and basic groceries, but oddly no papers from the camp office. Ice creams are VERY expensive if you buy them in the more upmarket Brasserie - how about $1.50 for a plain old water ice block! Campers appear to be discriminated against in this shop. For instance they wont sell you a Sunday paper unless you are a "guest" of the lodge! Sad stuff. However, dress up in your best finery, like when you're trying to get upgraded to business class and guess what - you get a paper no questions asked! |
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This is a magic dining area in the rain forest! |
The occasional Sunday Markets |
| Walking in the area is quite good. A good starting walk is to head down to the creek near the middle of the picnic area and follow the creek side trail. There are lots of photo opportunities here. When it starts to climb the going gets very tough! There is a much longer track that starts to the left of the cabin complex and also runs parallel to the creek, but further inland. It eventually reaches Wallaby Lookout. There are some signs and little bridges make life a bit easier on older bones! For those wanting a more strenuous walk with steep hills might like to try walking out of the camp, down past the creek lodges and follow the labyrinth of horse trails. A good starting walk is to follow the creek back on the opposite side getting back to the camp just past the rock cutting shop. None of these walks are sign posted so keep your wits about you. Lots of delightful safe swimming holes, but in April these were just toooo cold for us not so spring chickens! A much longer half or full day walk is up out of Thunderbird and turn right. Take plenty of water. Head down along the bitumen road until you reach Cedar Creek Falls. Tip: If you walk down to the bottom DON'T come back up the other side as it is terrible! This same walk is not a bad bike ride, but the return is a long slow hill. Venturing outside the park by car gives dozens of walking possibilities. The closest is Joalah National Park. We liked the walk to Curtis Falls as it is nice and rainforesty yet not too long. The tracks are badly marked, BUT no matter where you go you seem to end up not lost! Another favourite is Witches Falls. This was the first National Park gazetted in Queensland. Don't try this one if you need a hip replacement, as the first couple of kilometres are down the side of a hill. The falls aren't that brilliant, but it is a very scenic and pleasant walk. Most of the time you are looking down a massive valley - beautiful country. There is a spectacular lookout at the start of the walk with excellent picnic facilities. Now if you perchance like to walk and spend heaps of money, a stroll down Gallery Walk should do the trick. A very good map on the link too! This is a very crafty area and you can while away hours just browsing. We judge the business section of Spring on the Mountain each year so we really know what's up here. The office have excellent leaflets on walking prepared by the Tamborine Natural History Association. They have their own bush walking group which walks on the second and fourth Saturday of every month, with about 15 Walker's participating in every walk. The first walk of the month is local and the second walk of the month is away from the mountain. Visitors are more than welcome. Enquiries to the Visitors Centre in Doherty Park or phone them on (07) 5545-3200. |
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The babbling creek in action! |
The huge day picnic area |
| Shopping for supplies in the immediate area is very good. Turn left out of the park and go 6kms up the mountain to Tamborine Mountain Village. Turn right at Doherty Park (dual carriageway) and you will find lots of modern shops. On the left is a very old bakery with an original brick oven. Don't let its hippy appearance put you off. The bread is great, but the cakes look very commercial. They do have a very nice fruit loaf they call a Heath Loaf ($4.40). Yes we tested this extensively - anything with "health" on the label must be good for your long life! You can get two for the price of one sometimes early on Monday mornings. Just around the corner is a very good supermarket. This has a terrific fruit and vegetable section, a good Deli and good meat case. Open 7 days too. Groceries are 5 to 10% dearer than Coles or Woollies which is quite good for a village supermarket. There is also an excellent very large local council library (10AM till 5PM) in the same centre as well as the local Post Office. Back at Doherty Park with its psychedelic toilets, there hides a very good information centre. Please oh please don't venture out without the map supplied by the park. We STILL get lost if we have no map! The Information Centre has tons of pamphlets and all free. The "mountain" has its own free weekly paper the Tamborine Times. Barbara Proudman does an absolutely fantastic job on this A4 bound magazine of 28 pages. It even has spot colour. A great read! Going back to Gallery Walk there is a top bakery just past the roundabout on the right on Eagle Heights Road. There is a teeny weensy Shopping Centre sign on the pole. Bit hard to find, but well worth it. You are on the right road if you are going down hill. The bakery is on the right on a sharp bend to the right in a Swiss style two story cottage. If you are into pottery try not to miss the Curtis Falls Cafe. Here they make 1000's of fantastic teapots on site! Apparently the mother was trained in England as a teenager. When she came to Australia eight years ago she took it up again with her young family running a cafe. The displays are wonderful and it's impossible to get out the door without a teapot under your arm! They got us - dead easy it was too! You can sip coffee on the stunning patio overlooking a babbling brook. Fairytale stuff! A bit further up the road hides the Bears on the Mountain. It is in a delightful old cottage and yet again you will have trouble escaping! You do get severe bouts of wanting to retire to this beautiful area! |
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The gorge at Cedar Creek |
The conference centre with dining facilities |
| Thunderbird is IDEAL for caravan club get togethers, as it has an excellent kitchen and a large modern air-conditioned hall. This is located within a nicely landscaped section of the park. There is another much cheaper to hire hall in the small cabin section worth looking into. Don't forget pets are made most welcome at this park 365 days a year. We had a neighbour with birds and a cat. Dogs are allowed at ALL times and just have to be under control, not necessarily on a lead. Great stuff and zero problems. There are a couple of beautiful very large Rhodesian Ridgebacks roaming around, but these guys have a lovely nature. This park disproves the theory that allowing dogs eliminates the wildlife - they have a thriving wildlife section. You hear this more than see it - a couple of dingoes do a bit of howling now and again, but fortunately never at night! |
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Walter and Evelyn - the best in hats! |
The occasional Sunday markets |
| If you don't feel like cooking there is always the so aptly named Rainforest
Brasserie. This is in an idyllic setting down by the creek. The open air
verandah is something else. The seating and tables are all made from old
rainforest timbers and the complete setting is gorgeous. Check the prices first
though, as it is definitely not budget, but they do have cheap lunchtime specials.
Fires on the ground are allowed, and the attention to detail is such that management clean out the ashes for you most mornings! Great stuff! Collecting wood is allowed as long as you don't cut down anything. Wood is very scarce, BUT we suggest those on a tight budget wander a bit up the hill beside the three concrete water tanks and you will find enough to last a few days. One wag aptly named this "Pensioners Hill". Firewood is for sale by the bag for $4.00 from the office - good mix and quality - best to use your car to pick it up though. You can also buy firewood near Witches Falls. Wheelie bins here and there take care of the garbage. The Maytag laundry has two washers and dryers - 2 X $1.00 coin. Two excellent large tubs with hot water completes the laundry. TIP: If you need hot water in the machines and the park is busy try filling with hot water from the tubs using a bucket. The solar one runs out. Watch out for the clothes lines at night as they are at neck height and poorly lit. |
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Thundereggs after cutting |
Nice display outside the cutting shed |
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Park lighting is minimal which is great for A'vans and Chalets with top vents! Watch out for gutters if walking at night around sites 24/23 - best to always use a torch. Using the powered sites for a week definitely makes you fitter as you have to walk up a little hill each time you visit the loo! There is a bird feeding at 3pm everyday near the shop. The Rock Shop is open daily and you can either buy a Mining Permit and trot off to fossick or take the easy way out and buy a ready cut rock. This is the easiest most cost effective option! Around $15 to $20 gets you a specimen similar to the photo. So what exactly is a Thunderegg? It's a chunk of fossilised wood with a volcanic rock exterior. There is a nice volley ball court and two tennis courts. Horse riding is extremely popular during weekends. |
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The main walking track beside the creek |
Horse riding is on the property |
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Tent campers are in real trouble if it rains as there is absolutely no undercover cooking area or gas/electric BBQs. They can of course eat all meals in the Brasserie - lunch from $3. Was it perhaps planned this way? Thunderbird makes an excellent base for touring the area. Don't attempt to tow your camper up from Oxenford as there is a huge 1 in 10 and another 1 in 12 hill. We have done it in the Forester - low 2nd and 4000RPM, but really no drama. This route is extremely pretty, particularly around Coomera with its excellent restorations. Going down with the A'van is a piece of cake as it is less windy. There are signs at the top warning caravanners. This is a bit confusing as the other roads down say the same! Do all vans get dropped on the mountain by helicopter? |
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Cedar Creek Falls 2 kms away |
WOW!!! |
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The Gold Coast is only 40kms away. Beautiful Canungra is just down the hill. What a hill it is too - caravans are banned. Under no circumstances attempt this route whilst towing. Just travel west across the mountain and you will find it, complete with a few one-way sections. When in Canungra, if time permits, pop up to O'Reilys Guest House and National Park. Try a walk on the treetops aerial walkway. They don't allow vans up this road either! The road weaves in and out of the trees and there is a continuous canopy. The bushwalking up here is easily the best in the world with 900kms of marked tracks - not a misprint! Another good day trip is up to Binna Burra National Park. Once again the bushwalking is absolutely spectacular and world class. Lunch at the Tea Rooms comes in under $10 - the views are priceless. We regularly tow the A'van up here during the deliciously cold winters! Avoid weekends if day tripping, as parking is at a premium unless actually camping. |
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Shots of Cedar Creek National Park |
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We couldn't find Tamborine Mountain Caravan and Camping listed in the Queensland AA Guide which is rather odd as it has been here for yonks. The Cedar Creek Lodge part of the complex is on the net, but camping enquiries should not be addressed to them. The camping and caravanning address is Martin & Pat Coles, Thunderbird Park, Tamborine Mountain Road, Tamborine Mountain 4272. (07) 5545 0034 and Email: tmcc0755450034@bigpond.com. The camping section is not on the internet just yet. You can mail them at PO Box 202 North Tamborine, Qld. 4272. Costs in July 2001 were: Powered site $18, Unpowered $16. An extra person though comes in at an horrific $9.00. This seems to be an emerging trend with parks and does concern us. What do you think? Bookings are only taken for the 34 powered sites. We like this park so much we are in danger of making it our home base - that would seriously curtail travel stories! It is only 31 minutes from home yet feels a zillion miles away. You used to be able to camp at a similar one - Brisbane Forest Park but some, misguided bureaucrat closed it to camping and moved the base out in the mulga near Cunningham's Gap a very inconvenient 2 hours plus away! We absolutely, positively recommend this wonderful park! Sure it's not total perfection, but the management more than make up for the minor shortcomings. |
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If coming from the north coast or west of Beaudesert, it is best to go via Tamborine Village. From the south coast travel via Nerang. If towing AVOID Oxenford and Canungra routes. |
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Last updated: 01/06/02
