When we decided to try camping at Ellenborough Reserve free camping, we didn’t really have high expectations. The place is quite far from the city and we thought it would be quiet, peaceful, and relaxing like most free camping places. But when we arrived, it turned out to be very crowded and full of campervans and tents everywhere, the atmosphere was actually more exciting. Luckily we were still able to find a flat spot that was suitable for pitching the tent, and once everything was ready, it immediately felt like this place was different from the others. The river is really cool, the air is clean, and most surprisingly, the drop toilets are very clean, the cleanest we’ve ever found while camping. Ellenborough Reserve Free Camping has a very comfortable atmosphere, lots of things to do without having to go anywhere, and I think this is a free camping spot that is definitely worthy of being on the favorite list of anyone who loves nature and a relaxed atmosphere.
Day One: Relaxing on the River and Meeting New Friends
Ellenborough Reserve Free Camping would have to be my number 1 camp spot so far, David said it’s his 3rd favourite. We arrived there and did not expect it to be busy at all but it was pretty chockers. We found a nice flat area and set up camp. The drop toilets were the cleanest we had seen by far so I liked that and the Ellenborough River was amazing. It ran around the bend with quite a good flow and the Hastings river joined up into it as well. Our first day there we just hung around the campground, meeting new people and checking out the river. We did go for a dip, pretty cold but once we got used to it, we were right.A Fun Short Visit to Port Macquarie
On Saturday we headed to Port Macquarie and had lunch then sat in their garden under the trees and just made a few phone calls. While doing this we noticed we could hear music quite clear. We went for a walk and found that there was a bbq blues festival on, unfortunately it was all sold out but it was still good to listen to the music in the park for free. Along the foreshore there was a pier, and a few kids were jumping off it and being such a hot nice day we decided to do it too. So that was a lot of fun. That night we sat around a campfire with a group of people we met and just listened to their stories and it was a really nice night.River Adventure and Pizza Surprise
We got told about a big tree that had fallen over in the river at the junction point where the Hastings River meets the Ellenborough River so we went for a swim and found this massive tree under the water and you could hang off it or stand on it whatever you wanted to do and then we swam over into the Hastings river and it was so much warmer then the Ellenborough, I guess cause it was still. At this campsite there are endless things to do and that’s why I loved it so much. On our last night there our neighbours cooked us pizza, it was so good, we will definitely be investing in a Weber and hopefully we will see them again.
A Trip to the Amazing Ellenborough Falls
The Ellenborough Falls was a 60km drive but it took us over an hour because the road out there is so windy. We didn’t really know what to expect of the falls but when we got there it was just incredible. The sign says that it is the second tallest single drop waterfall in the southern hemisphere. The water drops over the cliff and falls 200 metres. We viewed the waterfall from the top and then had lunch. I had packed a bag for the days food but left it back at camp. There was a shop there, Maggie had a chicken pie and I had a sausage roll, they were both homemade and delicious.After lunch we went for a walk down to the bottom of the falls. You drop down 160m in under 500m walking. It was very steep and a bit slippery but well worth it when we got to the bottom. The walk up was even harder and maggie and I picked up a few hitch hikers, Maggie got 1 leech and I ended up with 5. It started raining on our way back up but we went to the viewing platform across the gully from the falls which was worth getting soaked for and then went back to the car to burn the leeches off.
Conclussion
Of all the places we've been to for camping, Ellenborough Reserve Free Camping is one of the most memorable. Not only because it's free, but because of the cool atmosphere, the river that's really fun for playing in the water, and the people we met while there. It feels like every day there is always something new to do, from sitting relaxing by the river to having fun chatting around the campfire. The trip to Ellenborough Falls was also an additional experience that was no less cool, even though we were tired and came home with leech, we were still very satisfied.Sometimes what makes a vacation memorable is not just the place, but also the small moments that are not planned, like eating pizza with neighbors or jumping into a cold river. Anyway, Ellenborough Reserve will always be one of our favorite places, and we will definitely go back there someday.