Clancy's Camping Area
for more information:
www.campsiteqld.com/
/ campsiteqld
October, 2011
Clancy's Camping area is nestled deep in the Benarkin state forest, located approximately 2 hours northwest of Brisbane, Queensland. After turning off the D'Aguliar highway, the gravel road twists and turns through 14km of dense woodland bush and plantation forest before arriving at the campsite. The road itself is well maintained for logging trucks, making the camping area accessible via standard 2WD vehicles (although some care will be required on the rougher stretches of road).
Clancy's camping area itself is a small, open style camp with well maintained firepits dotted between the trees. It is a lush setting with green grass that gently slopes down to Emu Creek below. Majestic ghost gums line the camp boundary and glint cheerily in the early morning sun overlooking the small gorge face along the creek with a plethora of birds chorusing the day in. This is a bird lover's paradise and during our short stay we spotted Rosellas, Magpies, Kookaburras, Cockatoos, Minors and many more. Other notable wildlife included numerous wallabies, possums and a nervous green tree snake that fled the booming thunderstorm on our second morning, and sought shelter in the amenities block for a short while.
The draws of this camping area are its peaceful setting, beautiful aesthetics and tranquil vibe. It has a remote feel, allowing you to truly escape the hubbub of suburban chaos and truly connect with nature. The amenities were well maintained and very clean -- and a ladies toilet "spider-count" revealed a shocking zero spiders (and one fat gecko). Additionally, for dog-lovers this site accommodates pets on a leash (only) allowing families to bring along their much loved companions. The shallow, flowing creek close to the campsite makes a fun swimming area for the tiny tots and its sandy banks, a comfortable reclining spot for watchful parents to relax.
The drawbacks of the camping area are its small size -- with camp areas quite close to one another. Its open plan, while allowing you to admire the lovely setting and embark on any number of ball-related activities, affords you little privacy from other campers nearby. Additionally, the creek running below the camp evidently experienced significant damage during the 2011 floods and has not yet made a full recovery and causing the access road to its sister camp (Emu Creek Camping area) to remain closed. Other minor drawbacks included a vast amount of bugs (easily discouraged with decent bug-repellent) and only a single tap of running water servicing the entire area.
Overall Clancy's Camping area is well worth the visit for those seeking a peaceful and relaxing getaway, and is likely to make the "favourites" list for any family who enjoys escaping to the bush.