Destinations > Northern Exposure

Issue: July 2008

Words and photos by John McCann

Click here to read the article as it appeared in the magazine

Queensland's coastline isn't as unspoilt as it used to be but fortunately, the Byfield National Park remains a pristine natural wonderland.

The once pristine coastline of Queensland has unfortunately lost much of it's former, magical appeal over the past 20 years due to rampant grazing, agricultural and housing developments. Thankfully, there are still a few small pockets of protected land that the bulldozers haven't found, one of them being the magnificent Byfield National Park.
Situated approximately 70km north east of Rockhampton, Byfield lays at the bottom of the Shoalwater Bay Military Training Area, which is one of the largest wilderness areas on Australia's east coast. While the vast majority of this region is strictly out-of-bounds and is run by the Australian Defence Forces, the southern tip is jointly administered as the Byfield State Forest and National Park.

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The easiest way of reaching this idyllic coastal gem is to take the Yeppoon exit off the Bruce Highway 8km north of Rockhampton, then head towards Yeppoon 32km to the east. Apart from being a great spot to relax for a couple of days while you check out the beaches and tiny townships along the Capricorn Coast, Yeppoon is also a good place to stock up on your supplies for Byfield. Don't forget to purchase your $25 beach-driving permit from the Livingstone Shire Council at the local Tourist Office as you can be heavily fined if you are caught driving on the beach without one.
From Yeppoon, it's a leisurely 30-minute drive to the start of the 24,000ha Byfield State Forest. While conventional vehicles can easily access the three camping grounds in the state forest, it's definitely 4WD only if you want to continue into the adjoining 15,000ha national park section.
It's worth spending a couple of nights at one of the three state forest camping grounds at Byfield before venturing into the 4WD only section of the national park. Each camping area has it's own special features so it's worth checking them all out while you are there.
By far the most popular is Upper Stony Creek. This can be easily reached by turning left off the main Byfield road onto a well graded forestry road and following it for 11km until it ends at the Upper Stony visitor area. On hot summer days the creek here is often crowded with locals from nearby Rockhampton and Yeppoon trying to cool off. Freshwater stonefish called bullrouts live in Upper Stony creek so it's advisable to wear sandshoes if you are wading through the water as the stings from this little animal are said to be extremely painful. If you are unlucky enough to step on a bullrout make sure you receive medical treatment as soon as possible.

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