Camping bribie

[Brooker boy]

Was up Bribie the other weekend and the place was packed. I remember goin up years ago and you wouldn't see anyone. Is there anywhere left in Australia that is'nt over crowded.

Cheers:'(

[manchild]

Its all started about 3 years ago when they showed Bribie as an alternative to straddie and noosa with the label "forgotten paradise" or some other bs like that on one of those getaway programs.You know where people sit on a beach in freshly ironed shirts sipping some carrotjuice with $%$@## knows whats in them and a little straw freakin umbrella .
George

Strangely about the same time people stopped waving too ,this days if you wave they look at you like you re an idiot.

[PADDLES]

welcome to the 21st century brooker. bribie and caboolture are fairly well populated now and bribie ocean beach has been discovered by brisbane. the days you talk about are gone, winter days are still somewhat uncrowded, but come summer it's busy. at least there's designated camp sites and bookings only now so your neighbours aren't putting their tarp ropes through yours.

[-spiro-]

are you allowed fires there yet?

[Dory4.1]

BB
Have you looked at Mission Point? It is a great spot. The fact that you can only get there by boat thins out the crowds a bit. I actually like the fact that you book online, and in advance, so that at least you know you have a designated spot waiting for you when you get there.
Rgs
Michael

[PADDLES]

no fires at all now spiro, not even in a brazier.

[dazza]

council needs to stop spraying the mozzies and sandflies, that will thin the crowds out a bit.

[Mrs Ronnie H]

Hi all
No fires at all- does that include Mission.

Have the fees gone up yet???

Ronnie

[PADDLES]

g'day ronnie, i'm pretty sure it's for the whole NP.

[Mrs Ronnie H]

Thanks paddles
Checked out the website and fees are now about $110 bucks a year. Still cheaper than Fraser.

Ronnie

[Big Shaun]

I went there yesterday. Surf side was chockers. At poverty creek there was only 1 camper. Don't you love it when day visitors setup right were the traffic flows on the surf beach.

[Mrs Ronnie H]

Hey Shaun
yep the day trippers you just love but Not as bad as doing a 4x4 class to teach drivers how to get bogged and then get out at high tide just as you get onto the beach at bribie. no idea how many people were cursing that day.

Ronnie

[PADDLES]

the secret is simply letting down your tyres. you will not believe the amount of people that don't do it. there's only one track off and on the beach and by sunday arvie it's getting pretty ordinary. nothing frustrates me more than someone with tyres like rocks blocking the track. the day trippers tend to hang south of the lagoons, once you get north of them it's a little less crowded.

[Mrs Ronnie H]

We don't let our tyres down all that much-- Baja's.
We go up to camp 46-- usually nice and quiet-people can't camp right next to you and close to amenities as they are.
We take our holidays during the year when it is quiet-- no school holidays, easter etc so most times we go up we don't have anyone around.

Ronnie

[Big Shaun]

I take my soft roader (Mazda Tribute) up the surf beach and across the island without any major problems. Struggles in the soft stuff a BIT but gets off the beach okay. Except of course for the flat tyre I had before driving on to the sand on Sunday.

[Thetinman]

My wife and I were the people camped at Poverty Creek last night, we were supposed to be there for 2 nights but the sand flies? were awful and really didnt seem at all deterred by our use of large amounts of insect repellent...We are new to Australia having just come over from South Texas and will be here for four years. We have been beach fishing and four wheel driving down the beach for about twenty years on th Padre Island National Seashore back at home. We are being a bit cautious about beach driving here for a couple reasons, the foremost being the fact that we are driving a Nissan Pathfinder with road tires. I was one of those guys a few weeks ago who got stuck at the transition from road to beach at Bribie, I am not used to driving a standard 4 wd and made the most basic mistake there is, too high a gear and lost revs, stopped, downshifted and tried to get moving, found I was already sitting on the frame. We were lucky enough that a nice guy came by while we were digging and jerked us out, I paid Karma back down the beach a ways by pulling a guy out who was trying to get up to a campsite.... I hope you guys dont mind answering questions as we have to relearn just about everything about fishing over here....Back home it was pretty straight forward reds trout whiting and sharks, blacktips are the best eating......Well just wanted to introduce myself and hope to get advice from you guys on surf fishing over here from time to time...

[chisel]

Thetinman - nothing at all wrong with road tyres on the beach - in fact they can better than more aggressive tread patterns. Still need to drop them to 18psi for best results on the sand.
Sounds like you have a manual pathfinder? New-ish one? I had a 2001 (they were only autos from about 96 to 2004) and it was really excellent on the sand. Maybe the new ones are heavier - and I'd definitely say the auto is a better option on sand (no getting stuck in too high a gear!!). Anyway, if you've got a manual you'll have to keep the revs up a bit and the tyre pressures down ... and always be looking a little ahead for the next patch of soft sand.

On the sandflys - they really aren't an issue if you stick to the eastern surf beaches on the coast - straddie, moreton, teewah, fraser. I've never had a big problem on the surf side although it always pays to keep some bushman repellent close at hand (forget the aerogard).

[Thetinman]

Chisel,

Thanks for the reply, Yeah I have a newer Pathfinder, still has the original tires on it. I will likely go with BF Goodrich ATs when it comes time to get new ones as they have served me well in the past. The deflating thing is not something that I have done in the past, its pretty well unheard of where I come from. I dont know why it seems such a good idea when you think about it. Your beaches here (the ones I have been on) are a bit softer than I am acustomed to, although we have shell banks and lots of seaweed that creates pockets as it rots under the sand...Looks like we may have done a good thing coming home last night as the radar looked like Bribie may have gotten hammered pretty good by thunderstorms....looking forward to the next camping trip, this is a damn beautiful place you guys have and we want to see as much of it as possible before we ship home.

[Dirtysanchez]

G'Day Thetinman and welcome to Ausfish and QLD ;D
I have an 02 model pathy (only came in Auto in Aus) and it conquers that beach with ease when I drop my pressure down to about 20 as stated)

Maybe we will catch you on the sand one day, mine is white with large roof racks..
Mind you I am heading to Rainbow beach at Christmas time so won't be around Bribie then..

[Dirtysanchez]

G'Day Thetinman and welcome to Ausfish and QLD ;D
I have an 02 model pathy (only came in Auto in Aus) and it conquers that beach with ease when I drop my pressure down to about 20 as stated)

Maybe we will catch you on the sand one day, mine is white with large roof racks..
Mind you I am heading to Rainbow beach at Christmas time so won't be around Bribie then..

[Thetinman]

Dirtysanchez, Yep hope to catch you down the beach sometime, my Pathfinder is white also but doesnt have the roof racks yet, black bull guard with pole holders and a cell antenna mounted on it. We have been wanting to get down Rainbo Beach also, but its probably going to be after the first of the year as things are pretty busy and my wife traels back to the States on the 30th of Nov.. I follow on 20 Dec. Can anyone tell me what is a good brand of surf rod to buy over here? Something in the 11 to 12 foot range and a fairly short butt? We use Breakaway and Tsunami at home and are thinking about bringing a couple back when we return, but there has to be a good alternative here for $250 or less?