Located in the northern Hunter Valley, Lake Glenbawn is a 3 1/2 hours drive north from Sydney and an easy 15 minute drive from Scone and Aberdeen. This State Park is enormous and hosts an abundance of native wildlife, lake edge camping and facilities to cater to the fussiest of campers.
Our trip was undertaken over the Australia Day weekend and despite the sizzling summer heat and large number of fellow campers, we found the atmosphere relaxed and not at all crowded.
What to do:
The camping around Glenbawn Dam is spectacular, the tree lined shore offers shaded areas where you can pitch your tent or camper trailer just a few metres from where you park your boat or swim. The lake is a popular place to water ski and wakeboard or tow the kids around on a tube. The lake is so large that you’ll barely notice the other boats on the water. Canoes and kayaks are popular and a great way to explore the lake edge. The water can get choppy when windy so life jackets and common sense are essential.
Fishing is another big drawcard for the lake as it is stocked with large numbers of Australian Bass, Golden Perch or “Yellowbelly” as us fisho’s refer to them, catfish and allegedly some massive Cod. During our trip the Yellowbelly and Bass were on the chew and hungry for live yabbies. Yes Dad you heard that right so you can give the kids a lot of fun catching yabbies for your bait bucket.
The native wildlife is easy to find with Eastern Grey Kangaroos the most common. Literally hundreds can be found in the park in the evening and taking the kids for an after dinner walk to see them will have them forgetting all about TV and their iPads. There is also bushwalks and the dam wall to explore to burn off the kids excess energy.
Camp Sites:
Inland Waters Holiday Parks run the camping grounds along the lakes edge. The facilities include toilets and showers, camp kitchens, a small number of powered sites, cabin accommodation and a kiosk that sells refreshments, ice and fuel. Unpowered sites for camping, RV’s and caravans are numerous. The campsites aren’t marked so you can pick a spot that looks good to you and move in. Some of the areas will have bindii so a groundsheet or RV mat will be appreciated.The campgrounds are also pet friendly so taking your beloved K9 is welcome, however you’ll need to keep them on a leash at all times.
How to get there:
Inland Waters Holiday Park is located just off Glenbawn Rd 13km from Aberdeen to the south and 15km from Scone to the north. Roads are sealed all the way and suitable for all camper trailers, caravans and RV’s.
Time to go:
The park is open all year round however the best time to go is Spring and Autumn as the temperatures are just right.
What to bring:
Apart from refreshments, fuel and ice there are no groceries or other items available at the campgrounds so bring all your food and drinking needs. Local water will need to be boiled so bottled water is a great idea. Scone has everything you could need with 2 major supermarkets, bottle shops, sport store with camping gear and specialty shops for those items you may have forgotten.
During the hotter months, be sure to bring a shade structure if you’re camping. Camp Kitchens are wood fired so bring your own firewood or gas cooker. There are fire pits in the camping area so don’t forget your wood for the bush television.
Don’t forget the kid bikes.
How much:
Unpowered site start from $21 per night for up to 6 people.
Powered sites are $34 per night for up to 6 people.
Cabins and villas range from $78 to $155 per night depending on size and number of people up to 6.
