There’s lots to love about camping.  The freedom, fresh air, the faint smell of last night’s campfire, warm marshmallows, the outdoors, wildlife, stars and the chance to sit down and actually talk with your friends and family … the list is endless.

Do you know what’s not to love about camping?  Setting up the tent. I can almost see you nodding in agreement. Arriving at your campsite to a tent that’s already set up sounds like bliss, right?

Well, it is! 

Ivory’s Rock Caravan and Camping ground do just that for you and it’s amazing.  They call it ‘’Rent-A-Tent”, but I like to think of it as convenient camping!

‘’Mum, is that our tent?’’ the kids squealed. ‘’It’s big!’’

I nearly squealed too.  Not only had Ivory’s Rock provided us with a large tent, but they had also set up a gazebo, table and chairs and beds.  They had even run a power cable for us!

I literally had nothing to do but put our bags inside the tent.

The kids pushed their beds together and flopped on the mattresses.  It wasn’t long before they realised that although the telephone signal was a little dodgy, the free WiFi signal was strong.  Liking the idea of a tent within a tent, they draped the extra blankets over the side of the camp beds and crawled under to watch a movie on their tablet. I made my apologies when they invited me under, knowing there was no way I was going to fit.

I sat on my own bed, breathed out slowly and just relaxed.  It’s easy to relax here.  Comprising 635 hectares of natural bush and parklands, Ivory’s Rock makes it easy to escape the crowds. There are even private bathrooms available in the toilet block, making social distancing a breeze!

As the sun made its way towards the horizon and the sky took on a red hue, I suggested we go for a walk to spot wallabies.   We spotted three within five minutes and watched them forage on the ground as the sky put on a spectacular sundown show.

Ivory’s Rock is actually a conventions and events facility.  Before Covid-19 changed the world as we know it, Ivory’s Rock hosted and facilitated large outdoor events.  While large celebrations have obviously been put on hold for the time being, caravanners and campers can still stay in the spacious campgrounds set on the entrance to stunning area of South East Queensland.

This is the perfect weekend camping getaway and you won’t waste the whole weekend getting here.  It’s only 20 minutes south of Ipswich CBD, 50 minutes south-west of Brisbane or 1 hour and 20 minutes north-west of the Gold Coast. Bring your tent, caravan, camper, swag or book an onsite Rent-A-Tent and let Ivory’s Rock do all the hard work for you.

Amenities include powered sites, modern shower-toilet blocks with a number of private bathrooms, water taps, WiFi access, laundry facilities, gas BBQs, and communal fire pits.

Did someone say camels?

Don’t worry.  There aren’t free-roaming camels on the campsite.  However, Summer Land Camel Farm, Australia’s largest camel dairy and wild camel training centre, is less than 20 minutes away from your campsite and trust me, you don’t want to miss it!

I’ve got to be honest, I wasn’t a camel fan before I visited Summer Land Camels. But by the time we left, I had done a complete about-turn and now absolutely love these giant gentle creatures. 

Did you know that people who are lactose intolerant can tolerate camel’s milk? Or that skin products can be made from it? Or that fetta cheese made from camel’s milk is actually really tasty? I didn’t either, but I do now!

Actually, I fell in love with Summer Land Camels before I had even parked the car.  The property is picturesque and as we drove up the long driveway towards the decorative gates, we were treated to gorgeous views of mist-covered mountains off in the distance.

We had booked into a tour of the camel farm and arrived 20 minutes early to feed and pet the camels. 

Grabbing a couple of paper bags filled with feed from a two-dollar honesty box system, I handed the kids their loot and they raced over to the camels, making a beeline towards the two young ones.

Separated by a fence, the camels reach their heads over the top and gently take the feed from your hand.  Except for the young camels, who aren’t yet tall enough so make do by sticking their gorgeous heads with long eyelashes through the large space in the fence railing.

On the Camel Farm Experience Tour, we learned of Summer Land Camel’s ‘’smart tech farming’’ operations, tried their anti-aging skin care products and learned why camel milk is the ultimate ingredient for skincare. We fell in love with a newborn camel, made friends with some older camels and even tried some camel milk and fetta cheese.

Before you leave, make sure to let the kids enjoy a camel ride and you absolutely must visit the onsite cafe and retail store. Try out the camel milk cheeses, gelatos, chocolates, cakes and their famous ‘’camelccino’’.

What else can I do?

It’s not all about camels and camping though.  The Flinders-Goolman Conservation Estate is adjacent to Ivory’s Rock and features a range of trails showcasing spectacular views over the valleys and peaks from the Scenic Rim to the bay islands.

Here you can enjoy hiking, mountain bike riding, horse riding, bird watching or just enjoy the beauty of nature. Covering 2,200 hectares, the area supports extensive forests and rugged volcanic peaks including Flinders Peak, Mt Blaine, Mt Catherine and Mt Goolman.

The Flinders-Goolman Conservation Estate is a great nature escape and home to some of Ipswich’s most threatened animal species including the peregrine falcon, wedge-tailed eagle and brush-tailed rock wallaby.

A weekend camping trip at Ivory’s Rock is the ultimate in escaping the city and escaping the crowds.  Now more than ever, families are seeking nature getaways in wide-open spaces and Ivory’s Rock ticks all these boxes for a relaxing weekend getaway without the crowds!