Escape to Nature

All the best escapes to nature start with a gathering of supplies from the Inglewood central shopping district – with a butcher, bakery and two grocery stores. Head east from the Inglewood township to Green Up Meeting Place and set up your camp for the night on the banks of the Bracker Creek. Day Two Coolmunda Dam and Texas After a BBQ breakfast, grab the gang together for a day at Coolmunda Dam. Coolmunda Dam is the home of water sports with skiing, sailing, canoeing and fishing all on the day's agenda. After an exciting day on the water, head south on the Texas Road to your campsite for the night – Goat Rock. Here you get an opportunity to immerse yourself in the bush with bushwalking, birdwatching, star gazing and searching for native flora and fauna. Day Three Yelarbon - Goondiwindi Make your way towards Yelarbon from Texas and then towards Goondiwindi via the Yelarbon-Keetah Road, and then Kildonan Road. Bengalla Reserve is a large open-grassed area with river access. This is a great stop for a picnic morning tea with plenty of space for the kids to kick a ball while mum and dad try their hand at fishing or birdwatching. Lees Reserve gives access to a picture-perfect part of the Macintyre River that features a rock bar that forms an ideal fishing and swimming spot. Yellowbank and Rainbow Reserves are two other reserves on the Kildonan Road that are worth exploring. After a full day of exploring the reserves set up camp for the night at Rainbow Reserve or continue into Goondiwindi and grab a site at the Goondiwindi Showgrounds. Day Four Rise with the bird song and head into Goondiwindi to grab breakfast at one of the many cafes in town. Head on out to the Goondiwindi Botanic Gardens and explore the walking trails while learning about native flora and fauna. A picnic lunch at the Goondiwindi Natural Heritage and Water Park is always a good idea. After lunch, relax in the shade while the kids have a paddle in the swimming area.