Hi all thinking of heading to mungo nat park

Submitted: Tuesday, Jan 18, 2005 at 07:09

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Eric from Cape York Connections

june school holidays. Does it get crowded and how many days would you sujest to stay. What is the story about fire wood and fires. From what I read is in one place yes and the other no and they say you cant collect wood in the park but you can bring it in.
Many thanks
Eric

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Reply By: David Au - Tuesday, Jan 18, 2005 at 08:22

Tuesday, Jan 18, 2005 at 08:22

Eric I don't know if it gets crowded in the June school holidays, but doubt it would everybody heads to Queensland. We went last September and it was not busy. There are two campgrounds at Mungo, one at the entrance and one half way around from memory called Remote Camp. We stayed at the Remote Camp half way round, and were on our own. It only has a toilet and water tank and was lovely. We would do that again, as when we left the next morning and went and looked at the other places there was nobody there as they had not got around the first 36km. The high sand dunes after Remote Camp at the well are also better climbed in the cooler morning.
At the Mungo Station National Parks office there are hot showers the general public can use included in your entrance fee.

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Follow Up By: Eric from Cape York Connections - Sunday, Jan 30, 2005 at 16:14

Sunday, Jan 30, 2005 at 16:14

Thanks David

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Reply By: Member - Mungo Explorer (NSW) - Tuesday, Jan 18, 2005 at 09:55

Tuesday, Jan 18, 2005 at 09:55

Hi Eric, been there nearly a dozen times now and it has never been very crowded. Most visitors are day trips to the Walls of China but don't stay overnight. Never seen the camp sites full. Don't camp myself but stay at Mungo Lodge, great place for those who prefer a little comfort and that can on occasion be full but only because of things like birthday parties (only unable to get accommodation there once). Not sure about fires/firewoood collecting but would be surprised if both were allowed.
As to how long to stay, it's great for a day trip but even better for an extended stay - the longest I've stayed is five days and I certainly wasn't bored. Apart from the beautiful park itself, a good base for trips to places like Menindee, the Perry Sandhills, Ivanhoe, the Darling river etc.

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Follow Up By: Eric from Cape York Connections - Tuesday, Jan 18, 2005 at 10:31

Tuesday, Jan 18, 2005 at 10:31

Thanks thats why you are mungo explorer.
So a couple of days would be fine.
It sound and looks by the book I bought a great place.

all the best
Eric

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Follow Up By: Member - Rohan - Tuesday, Jan 18, 2005 at 16:43

Tuesday, Jan 18, 2005 at 16:43

Eric, it depends on what your focus is going to be. The park itself requires 2 full days to do it justice. One day to do two of the several guided walks that are available and the other day to enjoy the self-drive tour around the park followed by the twighlight guided tour of the lunette (this is a must do). With all the things to see and marvel at and take pictures of on the self-drive, it is a minimum 4 to 6 hour day.

We camped at the main ground as we believed it would be more convenient than Remote Camp. If staying at Remote Camp you have to keep driving around the loop road (which is one way) to get anywhere (about 25 kms out to the visitors centre and then 35 kms back in to camp. (Fuel was a concern for us). There are about 30 sites at Main Camp, some suitable for campertrailers and caravans (sort of), the rest for tents. There were only about 6 or 7 others there at Easter 2004.

When we were there, wood had been provided but it would be sensible to contact the Park Ranger or visitors' centre to check before arriving.

As Mungo Explorer said, if you are looking to see more of that area, Mungo isn't a bad place to stay, although if I were there for more than 4 nights, I'd be thinking of camping on the Darling instead and doing one or 2 day trip into Mungo.

Mungo is only 100 km from Mildura so can be accessed from there for day-trips too.

Enjoy. It is an amazing place.

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Follow Up By: Member - Mungo Explorer (NSW) - Tuesday, Jan 18, 2005 at 23:27

Tuesday, Jan 18, 2005 at 23:27

You're right about the name, Eric - I love the place!
Don't forget the camera btw, it's an excellent place for photography: the lunette in twilight, the sand dunes (rear of the lunette), mallee country, the wildlife...

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Reply By: Member - Dexter - Tuesday, Jan 18, 2005 at 15:21

Tuesday, Jan 18, 2005 at 15:21

Eric,
There was wood for sale (honesty system) at the National Parks Visitors Centre mid last year. That's around 200 metres from the main campground. The set-up looked pretty permanent, so I guess they make it available so campers don't clean out the area around the campground. The campsites also have fireplaces. Best place to camp there? Upwind of the dust! The process that created the lunettes in the first place still operates.
Cheers

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Follow Up By: Eric from Cape York Connections - Sunday, Jan 30, 2005 at 16:17

Sunday, Jan 30, 2005 at 16:17

Thanks Dexter

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Reply By: RichieK - Tuesday, Jan 18, 2005 at 15:33

Tuesday, Jan 18, 2005 at 15:33

Willandra National Park is also worth a look. It's about 200k (from memory) east of Mungo. Good camping, or you can book shearers quarters. I've been there a coupleof times, once when there was plenty of water in the creek, the other it was bone dry, but there is a weir there which attracts heaps of birdlife. If you know the song "Flash Jack from Gundagai" it refers to "Big Willandra" which is the sheep station the NP is on. The old shed is there (huge!) and the old homestead which is set up really well to have a wander through.

Enjoy!

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Follow Up By: Eric from Cape York Connections - Sunday, Jan 30, 2005 at 16:18

Sunday, Jan 30, 2005 at 16:18

Thanks Richiek

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Reply By: rolande- Tuesday, Jan 18, 2005 at 16:25

Tuesday, Jan 18, 2005 at 16:25

Eric,
Just check weather conditions, can get very cold that time of year and if wet most of the roads become difficult
Rolande

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Follow Up By: Eric from Cape York Connections - Sunday, Jan 30, 2005 at 16:19

Sunday, Jan 30, 2005 at 16:19

Thanks Roland we arnt going now in June but insted in april.

All the best
Eric

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Follow Up By: rolande- Sunday, Jan 30, 2005 at 19:24

Sunday, Jan 30, 2005 at 19:24

Eric,
Much better, probably the best time of year to visit
Rolande

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Reply By: Bonz (Vic) - Tuesday, Jan 18, 2005 at 16:47

Tuesday, Jan 18, 2005 at 16:47

Mungo itself for us was only a day trip and for my money that was long enough. The walls of China were really interesting and we tagged along with a tour and got the local interpretation and that was excellent, theres stuff we would have trodden on that has special significance to the aboriginal forebears of the area.

Its a place of significance that it worth seeing, but as I said a day trip. We stayed at Menindee and theres a fair bit more to see up that end of the road.

An overnighter there would be good to my mind (Mungo that is)

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Follow Up By: Eric from Cape York Connections - Sunday, Jan 30, 2005 at 16:20

Sunday, Jan 30, 2005 at 16:20

Thanks Bonz we have been to Menidee a few times.

All the best
Eric

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Reply By: Roger From Tassie - Thursday, Jan 20, 2005 at 09:01

Thursday, Jan 20, 2005 at 09:01

Hi Eric

As a follow on to Rolande's comments re the weather. We arived at Mungo in mid-October 2001,it was raining and they had closed the road thru the park (a boom gate if memory serves me correct). They had also closed the Walls of China to walking, other than out to the end of the boardwalk. There was no signs saying why but I am presuming it was because of the rain. We moved on and it remains on our to do list. So I guess beware the weather.

I suppose you'd have to be unlucky though. And I'd heard it is well worth a look.

Roger

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Follow Up By: Member - Mungo Explorer (NSW) - Thursday, Jan 20, 2005 at 09:21

Thursday, Jan 20, 2005 at 09:21

More recently, they've also taken to closing the road across the lake, ie from the Visitors Centre when wet, I assume to stop people walking on the lunette.

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