Between the two beautiful townships of Stanthorpe and Ballandean lies this much unexplored landscape, called Sundown National Park. You may have driven pass the 4WD access only signage on the side of the New England Highway while travelling down south from Queensland to New Sale Whales. With the Severn River running through its middle, this place is well worth an exploration!
There are several entrances where you can access this national park and its campsites. 2 of these entrances can be accessed with conventional vehicles with extreme care, I would recommend to access them with a 4 Wheel Drive though, especially the last stretch to the Nundunbermere Fall Camp Ground. Please read information available on the Queensland National Park website for access information, facilities available and booking options.
We went through a few farms to reach the National Park gate, from the Nundunbermere Falls Road. Phone reception is bad in the area, it would be a good idea to download maps for offline use or go with someone who had been to the areas before for safety reason.
The Nundunbermere Fall Camping Area is a tougher in terms of vehicle access, and there are no defined hiking trails. However, it is located just above the Severn River and is secluded if you are looking for a more off track experience. Once you pass the dog gate in the end and reach the National Park sign, the camp site is just up on the hill. You can walk down from the campsite directly onto the riverbed of Severn River, during dry season, the riverbed is a great track to follow and explore while surrounded by interesting shaped rocky cliffs.
The campsite is surrounded by trees, while it is great in helping to block the wind (when it's strong), it is less great when it comes to star gazing. The night sky is quite amazing with no ground light to block its glory, and the Milky Way is so close you can almost touch it. The other optioon is that you could walk down to the riverbed, and have all the stars to yourself.
While we were at the Nundunbermere Fall Campsite, we went down and explored the riverbed heading left from the campsite, the constant flow of the river had created some amazing looking landscapes and rock formations. We also came upon what looked like an abandoned shed on the edge of a farmland adjacent to the national park. We didn't explore far, but you can also do through hikes here that leads you deep into the national park. As long as you stick to the riverbed, you shouldn't get lost.
We went towards the end of the winter season but it was still really cold during night time, I think it reached 0 degrees in temperature one night. Make sure you bring warm clothes and camping gear. You can bring your own firewood for this campsite, however, monitor the national park website for any fire bans in the area.
Overall, it was a great experience to have the opportunity to explore that part of the Granite Belt region and have a few days away from the city life and busyness. I hope I can explore more in the future.
