Leichhardt Lagoon; a bird lovers paradise near Normanton
Some places develop fantastic reputations despite being in the middle of no where, and Leichardt Lagoon is one of them.
We drove past it on the way to Karumba, and decided on our return journey to call in and check it out. It’s not often you see places like this with huge star ratings on Wikicamps, and we’re always keen for a nice lagoon with great wildlife.
We left Karumba after a fairly significant amount of rain overnight, and it was still drizzling on our way out, and I wondered how we’d go for getting in.
We saw two vehicles get stuck in the Karumba caravan park with the black soil turning to slippery clay, and saw a whole heap more vehicles stuck at the RV free camp in Normanton on our way through.
Leichardt Lagoon had its gates shut, but with no signs up we proceeded through on a driveway that was wet, and slippery, but still OK. The caretakers were surprised to see us as they weren’t expecting any visitors, but we still spent a great night here on our way back to Townsville.
Where is Leichhardt Lagoon?
This private property is only about 20 minutes out of Normanton, towards Georgetown, and its right near the main highway. The driveway is short, 2WD accessible (when its not wet!), and easy enough to get to.
What’s the attraction?
The primary attraction here is the lagoon itself, which is a mecca for bird watching, and is supposed to be home to fresh and salt water crocodiles.
You also have the weir and river, which we were unable to check out due to the sloppy roads, but fishing is popular in them and some bigger barramundi are supposed to be landed frequently.
Other than this, its just a nice, well spaced out camp ground with plenty of freedom, and lots of people who are set up for weeks at a time.
What amenities do they have?
You’ll find flushing toilets, hot showers, rubbish bins, a washing machine and a dump point here. There’s also average Telstra reception depending on where you park, and I managed to get a fair bit of online work whilst we were here.
What does it cost?
Camping is $20 per vehicle per night, with kids under 9 free. It’s pretty reasonable value for what you get, and certainly not priced in a way that we’d complain.
Is it any good?
We picked a pretty average time to visit, with a heap of rain being dumped in the days prior. We barely saw the sun, but it was still a beautiful property, and the lagoon is absolutely stunning.
This would be truly magic with good weather, and I can see the appeal of setting up here for a number of days, just to soak it all in.
See more on our vlog
Yep, we run a YouTube channel too, where you can watch us here:
Would we visit again?
Yep, without any hesitation. The reputation Leichardt Lagoon has is completely deserved, and it’s a beautiful place to check out. If you are looking for somewhere to stay near Normanton, it’s a great option. If you want somewhere closer to Georgetown, check out the Georgetown Cumberland Chimney Camp.