I
spent a few days of the holidays in the beautiful Brisbane Valley and took the
opportunity to revisit Wivenhoe Dam.
They call it Lake Wivenhoe these days.
I’m not sure what the difference is between a lake and a dam but it has
always been Wivenhoe Dam since I was a girl.
Please forgive me if I continue to refer to it as such.
Wivenhoe
Dam is located approximately 45 minute’s drive north-west of Brisbane. Not only
does it have great recreational facilities, water activities and fabulous
camping; it’s a critical part of the South East Queensland’s bulk drinking water
supply. It is definitely worth a day
trip at a minimum. If you get a chance, pop into the information centre and
find out all about the dam and its construction. I highly recommend you make some time to
visit the viewing platform and see the spillway from that angle and then take a
quick drive to the other side where you’ll find the Spillway Common. This will
give you a totally different perspective on it.
There
are several fabulous day use areas. They are situated at Hamon Cove, Logan Inlet, O’Sheas Crossing and the Spillway
Common. All day use areas have toilets,
picnic tables, shelters and free BBQ’s. Logan Inlet and Cormorant Bay have
playgrounds. All areas are open 7 days a
week from 6am – 6pm. Truly perfect for a Sunday picnic and cooling swim.
Also a great spot for a bit of fishing or put in some red claw pots. Have a sail, kayak, canoe, paddle board or
swim. You will need a boat permit if you
want to launch a registered/trailered boat and a fishing permit if you want to
drop a line into Wivenhoe Dam. There are two boat ramps. One at Hamon Cove and one at Logan Inlet, as
well as a couple of kayak launch points at O’Sheas Crossing and Atkinson’s Crossing. Unfortunately, water skiing, jet skiing, wake-boarding and tubing are not permitted but you can enjoy these activities nearby
at Lake Atkinson and Lake Somerset which also have fantastic day use areas i.e.
toilets, picnic tables, shelters, free BBQ’s.
Boats
on Wivenhoe….
- All vessels are not to exceed 6 knots.
- All fuel powered vessels must only use low emission outboards/engines, (4 strokes or fuel injected 2 strokes)
If
you wish to camp for a couple of days, there are two campgrounds to choose from. They are both privately operated so you need
to contact them for bookings, not SEQ Water. Captain Logan Camp and Lumley Hill
Campground are both suitable for caravan, camper trailer or tent but when
booking ask manager for recommendation on site to suit your setup. Some sites are steep and vary in usable camping
area; depending on the fall of the land.
Lumley Hill is the only one that has a couple of powered and slabbed
sites. If you are tent camping you will
be delighted by the ease of access to tap water. Pretty much a tap between every two
campsites. You can have a campfire but
they must be lit in the wood BBQ areas that are provided. Fines do apply if you light a randomly placed
campfire. Both campgrounds have showers but they are now coin operated. $1 per 3 minutes. Cost
$25 (peak) & $20 (low) p/night for 1-2 persons for unpowered tent site. It
is an extra $8 p/additional person.
Under 5’s are free. These are
busy campgrounds, especially in peak season.
I would strongly recommend booking, not just turning up.
The
most special thing about camping at Wivenhoe Dam is the beautiful views of the
dam from each and every campsite. There
is heaps of bird life and kangaroos to watch. Sunset and sunrise are peak hour
for wildlife as they all head down for a drink.
You can swim and kayak safely without worrying about ski boats and jet
skis. I think this is what makes these
campgrounds super family friendly spots. Oh… and trees… lots and lots of trees.
Sad
but necessary, domestic pets and other animals are not permitted into any of
the catchment areas, lake or recreation areas at Wivenhoe Dam.
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