Extend your shade and experience the adventure sooner 
Easter, it’s the perfect time for camping – in fact, most people go camping at Easter time.
And this year, like every year, we went camping. We took a five-hour drive west of Cairns into the gold fields to a place called Western Creek Station where we stayed for a couple of days completely off the grid.
It was quiet and peaceful, and because Far North Queensland has had a record wet season, and it was either still raining or just very wet, there weren’t a lot of people at the campsite.
About the Western Creek campground
Western Creek Camping Ground sits between Georgetown and Forsayth in North Queensland. It’s 15km to the turn off from Georgetown and then 13km from there to the campgrounds.
Western Creek Camping Ground is a quiet, peaceful and relaxing bush setting with plenty of space and unpowered sites suitable for all types of setups – tents , caravans, motor homes. There was even a bus there when we were there.
You can camp down by the creek or up near the toilets and showers. As it had been a bit wet, we camped on an open hill closer to the creek than the toilets.
No need to book, just she up and chose your spot. Shirlee, the owner, does a round of the grounds each evening to book in new campers.
It’s worth having a chat with her, the station has been in her family for years and she grew up there.
Quick campsite info:
- Generators and campfires are allowed
- Pets are welcome
- Amenities block with flushing toilets and hot showers
- Camp kitchen and entertainment area
- Playground for the kids
- No need to book in, just drop in anytime
- Open all year round subject to the wet season
What you can do there
Gold detecting and panning is permitted and what most people were there to do – we didn’t fossick on this occasion, we have done at O’Briens Creek years ago where we found some topaz, but this weekend was about rest and relaxation (and wine and cheese!).
Apparently, there are also chiastolites to be found. The Crystal Council says on its website that “Chiastolite, also known as Cross Stone, is a very rare variety of Andalusite, an aluminium nesosilicate mineral with crossed shaped inclusions of black Graphite and Carbon. The cross can only be seen when this mineral is sliced, though it does run throughout the entire stone.”
You can swim in the creek and kayak on the dam – and there are freshwater crocs to be spotted.
We went bushwalking on the property, from the campsite to the dam and had a look around at the old gold mining sites.
Plus there is plenty of wildlife to see, huge goannas, snakes, wallabies and kangaroos, and cattle graze at the campsite too.
There’s no reception, which is blissful and allowed up to be completely off the grid.
Using the garbage bag while bushwalking
Now, we know that sounds a bit weird … How do you use a garbage bag while bushwalking? You can if you have the Destination4WD Garbage Bag.
We had planned to do some walking during our stay, take some photos and get some steps in – and the weather was perfect for it, considering it had been during when we left Cairns (and was still raining when we returned!).
It was hot and sunny and we like to take snacks and water on our walks, but had forgotten to take a backpack.
This gave the opportunity to use the saddle bags that attach to the top of our Garbage Bag, which can become a backpack for times like this.
They simply click off and the straps clip into place at the bottom of the bag to create a strap for the bag to become a shoulder bag or a cross-body bag. The strap can be adjusted to accommodate – and it works a treat!
More about the Destination4WD Garbage Bag
Be part of the solution, not the pollution! One of our core values at Destination4WD is to look after the environment and leave any place we visit better than we found it.
That’s why we created our all-Aussie made, heavy-duty canvas Destination4WD modular Garbage Bag, with saddle bags.
Our 42L garbage bag is no ordinary rubbish bag, it has two extra compartments in the unique saddle bags that sit on top of the bag and have a 12.5L capacity each.
Use these for dirty clothes, wet clothes, recovery gear, recycling, fire wood, and anything else you want to put in them – or using them as a backpack while bushwalking!
The Destination4WD garbage bag has:
- 42L capacity (plus an extra 24L in the saddle bags).
- Designed with a strong, heavy-duty zip at the front to make it easy to take your rubbish bag out to dispose of.
- Zip has a cover to protect it from dust, mud and the elements (making sure it’s easy to use).
- PVC inside to hold its shape and add extra strength and durability.
- PVC inside also makes it easy to clean.
- Spilled liquids easily drain away with two eyelets on each side underneath the bag.
- Inside, there is an extra mesh compartment for tools, recovery straps and more.
- The compartment divider inside can also be taken out to use as a full garbage bin.
Check out the Destination4WD Garbage Bag and put your order in here.
