Photo credit: Ricky French
For more than 40 years Brisbane campers in the know have been heading to the secluded Goomburra Valley, two hours south-west of the city, to kick back in what could just about be the most idyllic bush-camping spot in the country.
This is Gordon Country, named after the Gordon family who have lived on the 1620-hectare property for nearly 160 years. It’s still a working cattle farm, and you might occasionally get the odd surprise of a cow sticking its head inquisitively through your tent door. It also swarms with birds and kangaroos, donkeys, dogs and horses, and all the familiar sights and smells of a countryside defined by steep valley hills and meandering streams. Light a camp fire and whack some damper in the camp oven, charge a glass and recharge the batteries. That sort of thing.
Ian and Sue Gordon first opened their farm to campers in the 1968 during a cattle price slump. It was a way to make ends meet but they were astounded by how popular their impromptu campground became.
“In one sense I wasn’t surprised, though, because I knew how beautiful the land was,” Sue says. “I’m from the city and I remember the first time I saw Gordon Country. I’d never seen anything so lovely. You just fall in love with this place.”
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