National Parks NSW – Brou Lake

Our favourite places to set up camp are often to be found in National Parks, Forestry and Reserves. Each State approaches the provision of these camps in different ways. Some like Victoria see these places as belonging to the public, and therefore generally encourage their free use, while others have usually quite reasonable maintenance and camping charges applied. But in general they are great places to camp. The campsites are usually comfortably generous with a minimum of facilities… ie drop dunnys and you are required to have a measure of self-sufficiency.

We have spent the last week deep within the Eurobodalla National Park, or at Lake Brou freecamp, which is situated on the edge of the lake and with strolling distance of the surf rolling in from the Tasman Sea in the SE corner of NSW.

It is a beautiful spot, idyllic really and surprisingly for a school holiday period it seems to be used mainly by international travellers, campervans and vehicles on the move, or others relatively local. So it’s my guess that the word about this place simply has not spread. One local suggested that most travellers head for the northern point of Potato Point, or as the track in here to Lake Brou is not marked on most maps… so they assume that it is rough as guts. The track, Brou Lake Rd, is however maintained by the National Parks and we found it very good and more than suited to the van.

We spent near a whole week in camp here, and would have stayed longer only we have to make our way south and prefer to travel at a slow and steady pace. What I love about this place though, is not only the visiting wildlife such as our luncheon guest who raided the birds snacks or the cruising black swans that inhabit the lake but the wonderful scenery. We especially enjoyed spending the early morning or evening siting on the sandy headlands spotting the whales as they make their way south while the man tried his luck at catching dinner. Me?.. I made my way through a plethora of soft cheeses and crackers along with the odd glass of a nice red or cool stubbie of light ale and cheered him on, while keeping him fed and watered.

I loved the constant rustle of the high wind shifting through the bush and gave up on the litter of leaves sweeping through the campsite, deciding to enjoy instead the changing patterns of movement. The possums at night were entertaining and the odd goanna put in an appearance to welcome us as well.

We did have one unfortunate incident where a fellow traveller decided that they needed the loo paper we had left for public use when the local provision ran out, more than us or other visiting souls did but karma is usually a bitch so, I am comforted by this.

All up though it has been a delightful week and I am sorry to see our time here come to an end. I wanted to tell you about this special place to be found at the very end of the track. We’ll be back for sure but for now, the man tells me we still have a day or two and I plan on enjoying the last of our own personal paradise.

Travel well.

Jan is a writer and a traveller. You can discover more about her tales on the page
‘Oldies at Large’