Lawn Hill NP Booking advice

Hi Mel_Will,


If you can't get a spot at Lawn Hill you can go to Adels Grove only a short distance from Lawn hill and can book anytime.....It's a better camp spot as well....

Cheers Andy

Oh the joys of the Queensland booking system. Absolutely a hopeless system for grey nomads and some others. Others will directly answer your question as I have not used it for at least for 4 years.
When you do book it is totally hit and miss if the site you book is actually available when you turn up. Very difficult to move anybody from the site you book.
If you do book I suggest you get there before midday, greater chance of it not being occupied, and more time to make alternative arrangements.
I had to many experiences of turning up and having a barney with the people who where on my booked and paid for sight, only to go to another site which was free and end up in another barney when the people who had booked that site turned up.
As for getting a refund for paying for something which other have taken over, forget it, they don't do refunds. They say they do but the cost of complying with their system costs you more than the refund so people don't even try.

Definitely recommend Adel's Grove. Phone them well ahead and see how bookings are going. A few days ahead should be fine to make the booking.

G'day Will, if you cant get in to the NP camp ground there is always Adel's Grove, only about 10k from the gorge. A spot not to be missed! (the gorge that is)

Mark.

As above - seeing your itinerary is fuzzy (as it is for all of us casual tourers :-)....just stay at Adele's Grove and you will not be disappointed in any way. As I recall the run down to the Gorge precinct is 10k max - a very smooth gravel road (last time I was there, Adele's were hiring out canoes down at the NP site). Also, consider a drive to the world heritage Riversleigh fossil site....interpretive signage on site......not to be missed (it is about 40k south of Adele's - a good road).

Thanks All, that is good to know about Adel's Grove as a back up and alternate option. The QLD booking system must be an excellent revenue raiser!!

Appreciate the comments.
Regards Will

Agree with everyone else re Adels Grove, much nicer place to camp. Nice swimming hole, beautiful trees and birdlife. Lawn Hill is an easy drive down the road to explore. Sorry, not answering Original question!
Amanda.

Hi

We stayed at Lawn Hill NP and visited Adele's Grove twice in July last year. It was very hot around 35-40 during the day.

Contrary to other posters, I consider the NP a much better camping site for the following reasons. AG camping is either near the river with no generators, shady but no breeze so stifling hot or away from the river on gravel with generators. Also, no generators, lots of shade shade so the backdrop was 50 4WD idling to charge batteries! Lots of traffic driving to Lawn Hill so quite dusty as well. And also more $$ than LH. Yes, the bar and meals are nice but is that what you want? Its really a caravan park not a National Park

At LH camping, yes limited shade but site is more open so breeze is pleasant at night. No problem with solar panels and lovely quiet peaceful campsite. Basically everyone walked everywhere. Swimming in the main gorge is 10 times better (IMHO) than the creek at Adeles Grove but everyone has their preferences. Remember to take a foam noodle as the gorge is very deep and you can never stand up.

Now re getting a site. We booked 3 -4 mts out and got a good spot. Put in roughly when we would be there and worked to that plan. Its one of the very few places that you have to book ahead. All the time we were there, the park was "booked out" ie all sites paid for. However, at least 30% of sites were vacant??? What happens is that because are not sure when they will arrive and it only costs about $10/night, people book a few days ahead and after they expect to be there to cover themselves. The rangers are on site (rare in Qld) so you will get the site you book. We talked to rangers about the "Fing Qld booking system" and they were very understanding and were just as unhappy with the arrangements as everyone else. They told us that if people turn up and can't get a site, they will allow them to use the Group camp site if not being used.
So I would try LHNP with AG as the fall back.

Either way, its one of the best places to visit in Australia and we will be back.

Thanks Epicurean, it is always good to get a different view and perspective. You mentioned $10 pn at LHNP what was the comparison to AG in cost?

My experience at Lawn Hill (fwiw):

Q-NP's website advised to book ahead to 'guarantee' a spot. We knew we'd be coming in after a long drove (came up from around Dajarra / Duchess) and lobbed in very tired around 3-4pm at least feeling secure in knowledge that we'd booked well in advance from Longreach. At that stage we weren't in the position to go somewhere else.

turn up at the anointed time and find the campsite full with opportunists and no bloody ranger present..

driving around the camp-site 6 times and banging on the door of the ranger station 3 times ... we gave up and wound up driving on to the tent area and set up.

A number of other campers came up and protested vigorously that we couldn't park there ... "fine" we said "then show us your camping pass to prove you're not in our spot ..... we've got one..." - funny thing - they all skulked off and left us alone after that.

Seems like it was being run on a 1st in basis - total effing shambles.... we booked a week in advance over the phone and paid over the phone for 2 nights.