Levuka Rainforest Recreation Park
Ludicrous Levuka
Levuka rainforest recreation park is located approximately 6km from Urbenville in northern NSW. We arrived there after a 3 hour long drive from Brisbane after a very early start to the morning!
After a quick stop for breakfast at the Beaudesert McDonalds, we headed off down the Mt Lindsey highway. Cautious driving is recommended along this drive as some parts have sharp corners through the mountains that are more suited to sportscars or motorbikes.
Once arriving at Levuka we met the owners of the property and signed the usual waivers. We were handed a map of the tracks on the property and were advised to avoid some of the tracks due to a very heavy rainfall from previous weeks.
Four Wheel Driving
This place is a mecca for 4wders with a huge range of difficult and intermediate tracks. Basically, the more lift you have on your vehicle, the more tracks you'll be able to conquer. This is not to say that the entire park is only suitable for hardcore 4wders. There's plenty of tracks for the lesser modified 4wd.
You are best to bring at least one mate with a 4wd along, this will enable you to tackle some of the more challenging tracks and have someone who can help you when you get stuck. Levuka has a map of the park available with all the tracks marked out and graded for your convenience.
If there has been rain around put the difficulty ratings of the tracks up a couple of notches as it definitely makes a difference. We proceeded up a rocky creek bed to find it getting narrower to the point where we had to scramble over rocks in order to help each other out without damaging our trucks. Once we'd left the creek bed, we found ourselves at a rather steep hill which was practically a mud-slide. Winching was required for all vehicles in our crew.
At Levuka they are out to preserve the environment as well as let you have some fun, so if a track is too badly damaged due to rain or will be too badly damaged they may close the track, but don’t be worried as there is still plenty of other tracks you will be able to enjoy if they do close one or two.
Levuka even have a 4wd playground, where you can spend the day playing in your 4wd testing your abilities and your 4wds capabilities. There are a bunch of steep tracks build into a gully which allow you to practise your hill descent skills and climb back up uneven ground with your 4wd.
The owners of the Levuka property have gone all out to provide a great place to keep you entertained as well as providing great camping facilities. Levuka has flushing toilets and hot showers for you to enjoy keeping your stay more comfortable and enjoyable.
You can get access to the campground in a 2wd, however to get the most out of the park you would be best to take at least one 4wd. There is also bushwalking and mountain biking through the rainforest with creeks, waterfalls and lots of other spectacular scenery to see.
You can also canoe on the lake at Levuka but you’ll have to take your own canoe and life jackets as they don’t have them available on site. They have firewood available for $10 a wheelbarrow load and it will cost you around $30 a night/day with a $5 fee for any extra adults.
Full pricing can be found on their website; Levuka is a private property and you will need to book before you go.
