First overnight hike with kids

[Aurora]

Hi,

My hubby and I used to do lots of overnight trails many years ago, but wanting to get back into it with our kids, 6 and 8 years. We have invested in some gear, and just did a base camp to test it all out! We want to make 3 to 4 night hikes our holidays over the next few years, anywhere in oz.

but first, we are wanting to do a few easy trail, I night hikes, just to ease the kids into it, and also to get practice in overnight hiking with kids! They are good walkers but new to pack hiking. Preferably from Brissie, as we have family to base from in Brissie, so that's where we normally holiday (we live in NT). My hubby and I did carnarvon gorge as our first ever hike, but we didn't want to drive 8 hours with the kids, wanting somewhere not too many hours drive from Brissie.

Any suggestions please!

Cheers!

[fitdingo]

G'day Aurora,
If you head up to Lamington National Park to O'Reilly's there are heaps of 1 day circuits you can do, very scenic. The drive from Canungra up to O'Reilly's does take 1 hour though.
You can drive up to Binna Burra (from Narang) and do more Queensland Alpine Circuits there too.
If you head north to Kondililla Falls you can do a day hike south to Boreen Dam and back (full day hike - good training for the kids).
Further north, we have done the hike at Rainbow beach (Carlo Sandblow to Lake Poona). A nice tannin lake to swim in. That is an easy shaded 20k round trip: check out the link from the last time we went there:
http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=2674099

We have an easy 4 day hike coming up in June if you are keen, my 8 year old girl is coming too:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/events/649508698430363/

On how hikes we carry all the young kids' stuff (I just got a nw 80L pack to do the job). With a pack on they just can't keep up and do the 20ish Kilometres that we want to do. So they walk with a water bottle, have a great time and sleep like a log at the end of it.

Good Luck
Chris K

[metastable]

Myself and my 7 yr old did the Toolona Creek Circuit, http://www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/parks/lamin ... ek_circuit camping overnight at Bithongabel campsite bush campsite http://www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/parks/lamin ... ithongabel about 3 weeks ago. It's got quite a few river crossings, (not deep), and a heap of waterfalls on the walk. The walk is good because you go about 13km on the first day, in and out of the gorge, so a little taxing, but the next day is an easy border track walk back to O'reilly's which is only 6km. We were back at the car by 9:30am on the second day, so it could be a good walk so you can take it easy on the second day. No water at Bithongabel (there use to be a soak years ago, but I couldn't find it this time), but you can pick up water easily on the last river crossing.

Last year we also did the first part of the walk referenced by fitdingo above. Walked from Booloomba Creek to the Wongai walkers camp and back again the next day. I did a bit of a write up on that here http://www.bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic ... 49#p189417

Happy to give further details if you need.