Lotus Creek Camping
We’re always on the lookout for camping that stands head and shoulders above the rest, and in our travels we were recommended a place called Lotus Creek.
We’d just done 4 amazing nights at Notch Point, and 2 pretty good nights at Carmila Beach, and were heading down towards Rockhampton to replenish our very low food supply, but this was just a small detour, and seemed worth the effort.
Where is Lotus Creek?
You’ll find this place roughly half way between Sarina and Marylborough, on the road that does not follow the coastline. You won’t miss the place, with a massive gravel car park out the front, great signage and a level of upkeep that will have you double taking for certain.
How do you get there?
There’s a couple of ways you can get to Lotus Creek. The first is straight down from Sarina, and the second is straight up from Marylborough or Rockhampton.
If you’re adventurous (or perhaps daft!), you’ll come in from the coast just near Lawrence, over the range on a gravel road that will test your cooling system to the absolute maximum.
There’s a sign at the start that says ‘Road not suitable for cars with caravans’, and I could see the range in the distance, expecting some steeper sections in gravel.
I was partly wrong on the first count, with the hills being the steepest road we’ve ever driven up, and on the second count because the steep sections are entirely bitumen, and not gravel at all.
This presents a bit of a problem for us, as we can’t use low range on bitumen, without manual locking hubs (which we don’t have), so we’re stuck in bitumen.
This is the first hill that I’ve had our Dmax go down to first gear, and labour its way all the way to the top. I knew it was going to hurt, and turned the heater on flat out at the bottom, and we made it to the top with engine temperatures hitting 105, and the automatic transmission hitting 117 degrees.
I have no doubt these temperatures would have been much hotter if we didn’t turn the heater on, but it was starting to concern me, and we’d have had to stop and wait for the vehicle to cool down in the middle of the slope if it kept going.
Overall, probably skip this way if you’re towing anything heavy!
Now, I will make a point of stating that the road heading south of Lotus Creek is a bit average, but we’re learning that’s quite common in Queensland!
What’s at Lotus Creek?
Lotus Creek is an incredible oasis, in the middle of seemingly nowhere. They’ve got fuel, a beautiful café, a restaurant that is open on Friday and Saturday nights, a small general store, creek side camping and amazing sunsets.
What does it cost to stay?
Camping here is $30 for an unpowered site on the creek, or $20 for a site in the row just back one, which is an absolute steal for what you get. You can get powered sites up the top, which will sting you $40 a night
Check out our vlog
Want to see more of what we’re doing? We’re also vlogging our experience on the Lap of Australia, with this episode covering the beautiful Lotus Creek, and our Dmax breaking in a major way:
What did we think of it?
Lotus Creek is absolutely beautiful, and those that have made it happen should be beyond proud of themselves. Everything is pristine, and the workmanship around the place is absolutely phenomenal.
From the outdoor kitchen to the homestead and caretakers house, amenities and timber work around the place its built to a level of quality that is not seem too often these days.
The amenities are brand new, pristine and so gratefully received by the guests staying. There’s a fire that gets started at 5PM each night, hugely friendly staff and an atmosphere that you just wont find in the city.
The creek itself is beautiful, and perfect for a swim or paddle, and the sunsets are breath-taking.
I was very glad we made the detour, and if you’re chasing a different way to get between Sarina and Rockhampton, this is a perfect place to pull in and check out.
