Destinations > Northern Exposure

GETTING THERE

Byfield State Forest and National Park is located approximately 70km northeast of Rockhampton on the central Queensland coast. The nearest main town for supplies is Yeppon, 30-minutes to the south, or you can pick up fuel and takeaway food at the general store in the tiny village of Byfield, 2km north of the Waterpark Creek turn-off.

STAYING THERE

You have a choice of three camping grounds in Byfield State Forest - Upper Stony Creek, Waterpark Creek and Red Rock as well as Five Rocks and beach camping in the national park. Cost is $4.50 per person, per night. Camping permits for Waterpark Creek and Upper stony Creek must be booked in advance, either online or by phoning 131 304.

HEADING INTO THE NATIONAL PARK

The real Byfield adventure begins once you leave Waterpark Creek and head along the gravel track for 9.8km to the national park boundary. From here it's around 15km down to the main camping at Five Rocks on the coast. It's probably best to engage 4WD straight away, as the condition of the track from here on will only get worse.
About 2km after entering the park you come to the first steep crossing over Sandy Creek. Approach it slowly, as it would be very easy to bottom out if you were towing a trailer. Speaking of trailers, I myself wouldn't take one into the national park since the track further on can be extremely rough. After a few days of very heavy rain, which Byfield often gets during the rainy season, this crossing and others further on can be impassable.

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Over the first few kilometres, the track alternates between soft sand and a solid hard surface, but to be on the safe side, lower the tyre pressure to around 25psi. About 5km into the park you come to the start of the big sand dune and the real test of your driving skills. It's probably best to drop your tyre pressure down to 20psi at this point as the steep 1km hill climb up through the soft sand can be a real vehicle stopper. Fortunately the day I went there were no other vehicles ahead of me, but if you are unlucky enough to lose momentum by coming up behind someone who is stuck halfway up you might have to get the shovel out.
Once you reach the top of the big dune, the going is much easier although the sandy track can be soft and powdery especially if it hasn't rained for some time. The vegetation growing along these high areas of Byfield consists of a few thick shrubs and stunted eucalypts, but quickly increases in both size and variety as the track winds it's way down towards the coast. In fact, if you have been closely watching the vegetation as you drive through the park you will see that it is constantly changing, which is one of the reasons why this biologically diverse region was protected in the first place.

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