Where can you have a campfire near Sydney?

Where can you have a campfire near Sydney?

I am often asked this question, often by occasional campers who suddenly decide they want a winter weekend away, knowing that many national parks have pretty serious restrictions on campfires. The good news is that there are plenty of places where you can sit and watch the dreamy "bush television" and they are only a hop, skip and jump from Australia's biggest metropolis. 

Here are just a few of my favourites, so get the marshmallows, the port, the guitars and the campfire stories ready.

It's hard to beat a decent campfire

Mill Creek Campground

One of my all-time favourite camping spots near Sydney, Mill Creek has a muddle of wombats who live near the campsite, and a gentle evening walk with a torch is bound to reveal a common wombat or two. You can drive the car right to the spot, and some firewood is usually supplied, although it's always worth bringing a few decent hardwood logs. The campsite is in Dharug National Park not far from Wiseman's Ferry.

The rich forest around the Mill Creek camping area.

Watagans

Located in the hinterland of the Central Coast and Lake Macquarie, this small mountain range is thick with forest. Some of it is national park, but some of the best camping is in Olney State Forest (try Casuarina or The Pines) or the other nearby State Forests. There are walking trails, mountain bike tracks, and there's plenty of timber around for a cracking campfire.

Newnes

I am hoping to become a lot more acquainted with this camping site over the next few months, as it provides such great access to the Wollemi National Park – its dark canyons, walking tracks and historic places such as the Glow Worm Tunnel. It can be crowded in school holidays. Newnes has fire rings, a great location with views of  the Blue Mountains, and you are recommended to bring your own firewood.

Wollondilly River Station

With brilliant, secluded camping sites stretched out along the gorgeous Wollondilly River, and space to bring your pets, do some fishing or just sit and recover from the pace of life, Wollondilly River Station is an absolute gem for a weekend away in the bush. You can purchase firewood, or as always bring your own. The drive in is windy and on dirt (adding to the feeling of being "away from it all"), but still only a couple of hours to the south of Sydney.

Wollondilly River Station: camping along the river

  

General rules

It is always better to bring your own firewood if possible, as continual raiding around campsites denudes the habitat for a host of creatures, including lizards. I usually find that just before council cleanups, a whole lot of suitable timber is available on the nature strips. Use existing fire rings or fire scars wherever possible. Remember that total fire bans mean no naked flames at all and that national parks in particular can change rules about fires at any stage, so it is best to check with the park before you go.

Have you got another great campfire camping spot? Let me know!

@kensbigbackyard

www.kensbigbackyard.com.au