About Eurimbula, Joseph Banks

• Getting there and getting around
• Park features
• Camping and accommodation
• Things to do
• Things to know before you go
• Staying safe
• Looking after the park
• Park management
• Tourism information links
• Further information

Getting there and getting around

Eurimbula National Park

From the Bruce Highway at Miriam Vale, follow the signs to Agnes Water–Seventeen Seventy Road. (Bruce Highway>Tableland Road>Roundhill Road>Agnes Water-Seventeen Seventy Road.) Turn left at the Eurimbula National Park sign 10 km before the town of Agnes Water, then travel 4 km to the park entrance. Watch for cattle on the road. An 11 km bush track leads to Bustard Beach camping area and the mouth of Eurimbula Creek. The sand is soft and accessible via 4WD only. Access is unsuitable for caravans or camper trailers. Check QPWS park alerts for road conditions. 

Joseph Banks Conservation Park

The conservation park is at Seventeen Seventy, just north of Agnes Water. Turn off the Bruce Highway at Miriam Vale and follow the signs to Agnes Water and on to Seventeen Seventy. The park office is at the edge of the park, 5 km north of Agnes Water and 1.5 km south of the rock monument.

Wheelchair accessibility

There are no wheelchair-accessible facilities or tracks at Eurimbula National Park or Joseph Banks Conservation Park.

Park features

Eurimbula National Park features a transition of vegetation and landform that is unique in Central Queensland. Look for the marked changes in plant communities from mangrove-fringed estuaries, freshwater paperbark swamps, coastal lowland eucalypt forests with weeping cabbage palms to tall rainforest with elegant hoop pines.

Joseph Banks Conservation Park's rocky headland is bounded by ocean on the east and estuary to the west and provides magnificent views north across Eurimbula National Park to Bustard Head and Rodds Peninsula.

• Read more about the nature, culture and history of Eurimbula National Park and Joseph Banks Conservation Park.

Camping and accommodation

Camping

Eurimbula National Park

Vehicle-based camping, boat camping and bush camping are permitted at Eurimbula National Park.

Bustard Beach camping area is accessible 4WD only (check park alerts for road conditions) and provides composting toilets, a shelter shed and picnic tables. Middle Creek camping area is accessible by 4WD or boat and provides composting toilets only. Rodds Peninsula and Bustard Head can only be reached by boat and have no facilities. For all camping areas, bring a fuel or gas stove for cooking and take all rubbish with you when you leave (no bins are provided).

You must book in advance to camp in Eurimbula National Park as sites are limited. You cannot self-register at the camping areas. Plan well ahead to camp during peak periods such as school holidays—bookings are accepted up to three months in advance.

Camping permits are required and fees apply.

• Find out more about camping in Eurimbula National Park.
• Book your camp site online. 
• If you cannot book online, see camping bookings for other options.

Read things to know before you go for information about essentials to bring with you when camping in Eurimbula National Park. 

Joseph Banks Conservation Park

Camping is not permitted in Joseph Banks Conservation Park.

Other accommodation

Hotel, bed and breakfast and caravan park accommodation is available at Agnes Water, Seventeen Seventy, Miriam Vale and Bundaberg. For more information see the tourism information links below.

Things to do

Walking

There are limited walking tracks within the parks. If you intend to bushwalk away from the formed tracks, obtain a topographic map and ask for advice before setting off. Ensure you carry adequate drinking water.

Allow 15–20 minutes to walk one kilometre. This time is calculated for people of average fitness and bushwalking experience and who are wearing correct footwear. Allow more time to include rests and to return to your starting point if you are walking with small children or are inexperienced bushwalkers.

Key to track standards

The classification system is based on Australian Standards. Please note that while each track is classified according to its most difficult section, other sections may be of an easier level.

Class 3 track (Australian Standards)

• Well-defined, distinct tracks, variable in width. Muddy sections, steep grades and steps may be encountered. Some exposed roots and rocks.
• All junctions signposted and may include interpretive signs.
• May be partially overgrown; hazards such as fallen trees and rockfalls may be present.
• Cliff edges and lookouts generally not fenced; appropriate caution required.
• Reasonable level of fitness required and ankle-supporting footwear recommended.

Tracks in Eurimbula National Park

Ganoonga Noonga lookout—360 m one way (Allow about 20 minutes) Class 3

The lookout car park is 3 km from the park entrance along the Bustard Beach track. A 360 m walking track rises steeply to the lookout. From this vantage point you can view the low grounds (Ganoonga Noonga)—swamps and heaths covering the parallel dunes that have built up over the last 6000 years. This walking track also provides panoramic views of the park. To the west is the Munro Range, to the north are Bray Hills and to the east lies Bustard Head and Bustard Bay.

Tracks in Joseph Banks Conservation Park

Enjoy the natural beauty of this picturesque coastal park with spectacular views of the coast and hinterland from two lookouts located on the headland. To make your walk longer, begin at Captain Cook Drive and stop briefly at the rock cairn monument, then continue 1 km to the car park and walking tracks at Round Hill Head.

Lookout walk—250 m one way (Allow about 15 minutes) Class 3

This track begins at the northern end of the car park. The lookout walk passes through tussock grasslands, vine thicket and coastal woodland to a lookout at the tip of the headland. Detour 50 m to another lookout over a small sandy cove on your return.

Please stay on the tracks. Uneven and crumbling cliff edges can be dangerous. Supervise children at all times. The sealed tracks are suitable for strollers but too steep for wheelchairs.

Picnic and day-use areas

Picnic facilities and toilets are provided just outside Joseph Banks Conservation Park on the foreshore at Seventeen Seventy.

Boating

The coastal waters adjacent to Eurimbula National Park and Joseph Banks Conservation Park are within the Great Barrier Reef Coast Marine Park. Please ensure you are aware of the marine park zones and their restrictions before you go boating. Explore Eurimbula Creek by boat or canoe at high tide. Care must be taken as the creek has a flat sandy bottom with a broadly meandering channel not navigable at low tide. Boat ramps are located at the Seventeen Seventy marina on Round Hill Creek.

Fishing

Coastal areas bordering the park are part of the Great Barrier Reef Coast and Great Barrier Reef marine parks—make sure you know the zones. For detailed zoning maps and information visit the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority website.

Crabbing is not permitted in Eurimbula Creek. For details visit the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation website.

In camping areas, treat all refuse from fish cleaning as rubbish, and remove it from the park.

On the beach, all refuse from fish cleaning, including offal, scales and unused bait, should be buried at least 30 cm deep, below the high tide line.

Viewing wildlife

At Eurimbula, photograph the wildflowers in spring. Bring your binoculars and a field bird guide to help you identify Eurimbula's diverse bird life. See cormorants and white-bellied sea-eagles along the shore and look for red-tailed black-cockatoos and brolgas in the woodlands.

Enjoy the view over swamps, heathlands and the parallel sand dunes from Ganoonga Noonga lookout.

Explore the wind-swept tussock grasslands, small patches of dry vine forest and low woodlands with she-oaks, pandanus, acacias, banksias and eucalypts growing in Joseph Banks Conservation Park.

Watch for turtles and dolphins in the clear aquamarine waters below the lookout. See the occasional migrating humpback whale offshore.

• See the description of the park's natural environment for more details about the region's diverse wildlife.

Other things to do

If you swim at Bustard Beach, remember this beach is unpatrolled and there may be rips and sharks. Tragedies have occurred in the unpatrolled waters. Beware of marine stingers between October and May.

Things to know before you go

Essentials to bring

• Bring a fuel or gas stove for cooking and test it before you leave home. Open campfires are not permitted in camping areas.
• Bring your own drinking water and containers. Where supplied, water is untreated. Treat water before drinking.
• Be aware that medical help may be hours away in the event of an accident. Carry a well-equipped first-aid kit.
• Reduce packaging before you leave home. Bring heavy-duty bags or containers to store your rubbish in. No bins are provided in the parks—take your rubbish with you when you leave.
• Sandflies, mosquitoes and sun are all part of coastal camping so ensure you pack insect repellent, sunscreen and protective clothing (including hats and shoes) to avoid bites, stings and sunburn.
• Bring your camera and binoculars for viewing wildlife. A torch, preferably with a red filter to protect animals' eyes, is useful for spotlighting at night.
• Ensure your vehicle is mechanically sound and check the state of access roads to Eurimbula National Park with QPWS staff, particularly after wet weather. Road conditions can change. A four-wheel-drive vehicle is recommended for all roads.

Opening hours

Eurimbula National Park and Joseph Banks Conservation Park are open 24 hours a day. For your safety, walk in daylight hours only.

Permits and fees

Camping permits are required and fees apply. A camping tag with your booking number must be displayed at your camp site.

• Book your camp site online. 
• If you cannot book online, see camping bookings for other options.

Remember: Camping fees must be paid before camping overnight. If you wish to extend your stay, you must make another booking.

Pets

Domestic animals are not permitted in Eurimbula National Park or Joseph Banks Conservation Park.

Climate and weather

Eurimbula and Joseph Banks parks have a mild subtropical climate. The summers can be hot and humid even in the evenings, with a maximum of 33 °C during the day and a minimum of 15 °C overnight. Winters are pleasantly mild, reaching a maximum of 26 °C during the day and dropping to a cool 7 °C at night. Weather forecasts are available from the Bureau of Meteorology.

Fuel and supplies

The closest fuel and supplies are available from Agnes Water, Seventeen Seventy, Miriam Vale and Bundaberg. For more information see the tourism information links below.

Staying safe

To enjoy a safe visit to this area, please:

• Drive safely and watch out for the unexpected—slow down to allow time to react to changed road conditions and other park users.
• Make sure your boating and camping equipment is in good order.
• Abide by warning, advisory and park closure notices. Access to protected areas may not be permitted in wet weather. Check park alerts for Eurimbula National Park.  
• Coastal and estuarine waters in this area can be treacherous and people have drowned. Strong currents and sharks occur particularly around Eurimbula's creek systems and in Round Hill Creek at Seventeen Seventy. Stonefish are common in the creeks. The only patrolled swimming beach is the main beach at Agnes Water.
• Do not feed or leave food for animals—human food can harm wildlife and cause some animals to become aggressive. Keep your food packed away when your camp site is not attended.
• Always carry drinking water.
• If you intend to walk off-track, obtain a topographic map and ask for advice before setting off. Before you leave, tell friends or family where you are going and when you expect to return.

Thefts have occurred in this area. Help stop car crime.

• Lock your car.
• Remove your keys.
• Remove all valuables—this includes garage remotes.

In an emergency

In case of accident or other emergency please:

• call Triple zero (000) (try 112 if this fails)
• advise the location and nature of the emergency
• stay on the phone until you are told to hang up.

The nearest hospitals are in Bundaberg and Gladstone.

Some users may get mobile phone coverage in Joseph Banks Conservation Park. Coverage in Eurimbula National Park is patchy and unreliable.

For more information, please read the guidelines on safety in parks and forests.

Looking after the park

You can help protect the park and forest by observing these guidelines:

• Please leave all plants and animals undisturbed.
• Keep your vehicle on the tracks. Shortcutting and venturing off the track creates impacts such as erosion and soil hardening. Vehicles are not permitted on beaches.
• Use toilets if available. Otherwise, bury toilet waste at least 15 cm deep and 50 m from tracks, camps and waterways. Carry out disposable nappies and sanitary products.
• When bathing or washing cooking equipment or clothes, always wash at least 100 m from streams and lakes. Waterways should be kept free of all pollutants including soap, detergents, shampoo, sunscreens and food scraps.
• Remember: generators are prohibited in camping areas.

See the guidelines on caring for parks for more information about protecting our environment and heritage in parks.

Park management

The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) manages Eurimbula National Park and Joseph Banks Conservation Park under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 to preserve and present their important natural and cultural values in perpetuity.

Eurimbula National Park and Joseph Banks (Round Hill Head) Conservation Park will be managed in accordance with the Protected areas in the Agnes Water/1770 area Management Plan (PDF, 43M)*.

Tourism information links

Bundaberg North Burnett Tourism
West Visitor Information Centre
www.bundabergregion.org 
271 Bourbong Street, Bundaberg, QLD 4670
ph (07) 4153 8888
fax (07) 4153 8880
email info@bundabergregion.org 

Agnes Water Visitor Information Centre
3 Captain Cook Drive, Agnes Water, QLD 4677
ph (07) 4902 1533
fax (07) 4902 1588

Gladstone Visitor Information Centre
www.gladstoneregion.org.au 
Marina Ferry Terminal, Bryan Jordan Drive
ph (07) 4972 9000
fax (07) 4972 5006
email gapdl@gladstoneregion.org.au 

For tourism information for all regions in Queensland see www.queenslandholidays.com.au.

Further information

Contact us

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Last updated 14 February 2012

Eurimbula National Park and Joseph Banks Conservation Park

• About Eurimbula, Joseph Banks
• Camping information
• Nature, culture and history
• Tour operators