In 1987 I moved from Sydney to The Bungawalbin.
It was nothing but bush back then but that was the attraction for me.
I had been a clerk in the Dept Social Security in Sydney but my dream was to build a homestead and run some cattle.
I had no idea what I was in for. I had no building skills and was in no way a handyman. There was no power, except for a couple of car batteries and 3 x 42 watt solar panels. I bought a chainsaw, a generator and a camp oven and 35 years later I am still here.
I have come to love the Bungawalbin and have formed a very real bond with the whole area and have learnt so much in the journey.
Like most parts of the East Coast the land has been badly managed since European invasion in the way of logging, grazing, farming and burning practices that have degraded the diversity of what was once possibly the most diverse part of Australia. The bush is resilient but there is a limit to what it can withstand and I fear this precious wetlands is disappearing fast.
2 years ago the bushfires devastated the whole forest leaving very little undamaged and it is still struggling to recover.
I waant going to right anything but its been sent again
We werent happy at all didnt stay drove in had a look and drove out
to us it looked like camping in someones back yard
Didnt look anything like photos
A pleasant enough spot but like a lot of Hip Camp sites overpriced for what you get - in this case an open area to set up (grass a bit long and a bit of 'rubbish' about) but no other facilities. Did receive some eggs from the family renting the cottage which was a nice touch.
Charging $15 a head per night including our grandson who fitted into the category '12 or below', totalling $158.71 for three nights is excessive for this site. We like to try out new places but by comparison, this site does not compare with Black Rocks Campground in Bundjalung National Park (on the coast from) here where we would have been charged $92.25.
It was quite wet and boggy at the time so we weren't able to look at the river campsites. We were close to the dam and it was nice to have some ducks (including a couple of whistling ducks) and kangaroos around but we weren't really able to appreciate the fact that it was a 'wildlife reserve'.
We were a bit disappointed for the price we were charged. Probably would have been happier paying $10 per person per night.
We really enjoyed our stay, the campsite by the river was beautiful. Close to other good spots along the creek great canoeing and being close to nature. Adrain was very welcoming, thank you
Location
Bungawalbin, New South Wales, AustraliaTraditional, ancestral territory of Bundjalung First Nations according to