Bigriggen Park Rathdowney

Paid camping doesn’t get much better than this.

Situated about 40 minutes outside Boonah Queensland is Bigriggen Park a huge property with lots to offer.

Bigriggen is massive and that’s a great thing when your camping. We were there on a normal weekend  at the end of the Easter school holidays.

At a guess I’d say there was around 200 other camps and it didn’t feel cramped at all. I’m sure things are a little different over a long weekend and in the middle of school holidays but we had lots of space and didn’t feel like we were sharing anything with our fellow campers.

Comparing this to some of the smaller camp grounds you don’t feel on top of each other and having a bit of space is also nice when you are camping with dogs. It’s nice not to have to confine them to a small camp.

Bigriggen is pet friendly and lots of campers were enjoying getting back to basics with their four legged family members. Our boys are pretty old and just lay around but still they had plenty of room to avoid getting into trouble.

Bigriggen has an amenities block with both toilets and paid showers. $1 will buy you 5 minutes of hot water. The trick to the showers is to get yourself all setup and pop your $1 in just as your are ready as the hot water comes straight on and you adjust the cold to get the right temperature.  Be sure to use the right coin slot also as its easy to get all setup and use the wrong one.  Outside the toilet block is a portable toilet dump if you need it as well as a water tank to top up your jerry cans. The amenities block is a little old and tired and possibly not big enough for a long weekend with lots of campers.  We take our own shower tent to avoid waiting.  The amenities block is right in the middle of the grounds and if you are camping at the furtherest ends can be a bit of a hike.

There is lots for the kids or kids a heart to do at Bigriggen.  There is a nice water hole for swimming, a fishing area and a bike track that seems pretty popular with the kids.  The office has supplies for anything you have forgotten and the usual kiosk treats.  Outside the office is a map of the grounds where you can record your camp if anyone is meeting you there.  In the afternoons there are some additional activities like bird feeding.

One of the best things about Bigriggen is your can still have a camp fire.  There are existing fire pits dotted around the grounds with steel rings setup to contain your camp fire. Wood is also sold at the kiosk for $15 a bag.

One of the things we loved the most about Bigriggen is the setting. The area is very grassy so your not camping in dirt something your really appreciate if it rains. There are lots of trees around if you like to setup with some shade and its generally dry. Some other camps we’ve stayed at feel damp even when it hasn’t been raining which tends to attracted mozzies.

This place is easy to get to and for a quick weekend trip from Brisbane the traffic is good. You won’t be stuck in bumper to bumper delays like you would be if you headed north into the Sunshine Coast hinterlands.

A night at Bigriggen will set you back $12.50 per person per and considering the facilities on offer is worth it.