Gloucester Tops Camping-cool off with wild swimming at a very cool campsite.

On this weekend we will spend Friday night at Stroud Showground where there are hot showers and pub meals and cold beers. On Saturday night we will camp at a rarely visited campsite high up amongst the rainforest of Gloucester Tops.

The plan is to arrive at Stroud Showground from 5PM on Friday 9 January. Please book your campsite at Stroud Showground via the link here Stroud Showground Camping Details | Bookable MidCoast Council. The sites are large with plenty of room for 2-3 people per site and cost only $23 per night for an unpowered campsite. The showground is well appointed with hot showers and flushing toilets. Alternatively there is good value accommodation to be booked at The Central Hotel in Stroud where a queen room with shared bathroom can be booked for a bargain $116 per night. Currently there is plenty of availability for both campsites and hotel rooms in Stroud so I would suggest waiting a bit longer until booking in case of very inclement weather or other unfortunate circumstances.

On Friday night we can have dinner at The Central Hotel or have a camp dinner, whatever everyone prefers.

On Saturday breakfast can be had at The Billy T Cafe in Stroud. Then at about 9AM we will leave on the 88km drive to Gloucester Tops. The campground is fairly unknown but it only about 200 metres along the Gloucester Falls Track from the picnic area. The campsite is fairly flat and is sheltered amongst the rainforest. It is also 1200 metres above sea level so much cooler than the surrounding lowlands. Water can be obtained from the nearby creek or Gloucester River. There is a composting toilet at the Gloucester Falls picnic area about 200 metres away. We will need to carry all our camping gear for 200 metres from the picnic area to the campsite so it will be helpful to have fairly lightweight gear that can be packed into a large backpack. I will take a lightweight camping tarpaulin and it may be possible to have a campfire, pending the weather. It will be necessary to take your own lightweight chair as well as food form Saturday lunchtime to Sunday breakfast.

After setting up camp we can explore the attractions of Gloucester Tops, possibilities are the 8km Gloucester Tops Circuit which takes in the spectacular Andrew Laurie Lookout (where there is mobile phone signal) and River Walking Track. There is also the shorter Antarctic Beech Forest Walk and walk to Darby Munro Hut. We will also be very close to the Gloucester River where there are plenty of amazing swimming holes to be enjoyed (please swim safely especially if you are not a strong swimmer.)

We will have a camping dinner on Saturday night and then leave at about 10AM on Sunday for the drive home where we may have lunch at somewhere like Stroud or Raymond Terrace.

For this meetup you will need lightweight camping gear that you can carry 200 metres to the campsite. Also you will need food from Saturday morning to Sunday morning.

There will be a $20 gratuity to be paid at the commencement of the event or by PayID to 0439543695.

Safety Info: I will carry a PLB, Garmin Oregon 550 Satellite GPS and first aid kit.
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