05th February, 2020

 

Looking for a reason to take the ski boat out of storage? Then read on to learn about one of Queensland best secret recreational dams!

 
 

Finding itself nestled within the South Burnett Shire region, Boondooma Dam (or Lake Boondooma) is a hidden gem for Water-skiers and Fishermen alike. The dam was constructed in the early 1980’s, with its primary purpose of facilitating a water supply of the nearby Tarong Power Station. It has since become a go-to destination for fishing and water-sports enthusiasts for its scenic beauty, expansive size and camping amenity.

 
 

Where Is It?

 

A long drive, but worth the drive

Boondooma can be found just outside the Darling Downs townships of Okeden and Proston, or about 122km North-West of Kingaroy (which is the nearest major town). From Brisbane, allow 4.5 hours travel time, and what route you take will depend on where you are starting from.

 
 

Camping

Boondooma camping

Lakeside Camping at its Best

 

Lake Boondooma is very camping friendly, with a choice of ‘camp anywhere’ unpowered sites, as well as a small number of powered sites available. If unpowered camping is all ok (which it certainly was for us), then you are free to pitch up really anywhere along the water line. This allows you to beach/anchor your boat literally within metres to your campsite (which is glorious). The lake bed is sand-based so you won’t be contending with undesirable shore mud.

 

Don’t fancy pitching up a tent? Never fear – they also have Cabins and Bunkhouses available for rent. The camping amenities more than adequate, with most essentials available from the Kiosk (ice, gas refills, food & drink, fishing bait & tackle etc), meaning you don’t have to venture out to the local townships.

 

The boat is never more than a few metres from the campsite at Boondooma

 

Campsite/Caravan Park Amenties

  • Powered Campsites/Caravan Sites

  • Shower & Toilet Facilities

  • Basic Groceries

  • Ice

  • Fishing Bait & Tackle

  • Petrol

  • Gas Refills

  • 2 x Boat Ramps

  • Camp Kitchen

  • BBQ Facilities

  • Pizza Oven

  • Playground Equipment

 

What Does It Cost?

Unpowered Camping: $10-15 per person, per night

Powered Campsites: $35 per couple, $15 for each additional adult or $10 for each child under 12

 

You can find a full detailed camping price list here.

 
 

On the Water

 

ski disking

Is there anything better than an afternoon on the moon boards?

 

The dam itself is quite unique in that it features river-like characteristics in its layout. This means instead of being ‘wide and circular’, like most conventional dams, Boondooma is quite long and narrow, as it was constructed across the Boyne River below its confluence with the Stuart River. Despite this, it still boasts an impressive capacity of 204,000 mega-litres, spanning across 10km2 of surface area, with an average depth of 11 metres. All these aspects combine together to create rather attractive waterskiing conditions, with lots of pockets and tributaries to explore away from the main dam area. Whilst low dam levels are never normally preferable, in the case of Boondooma a low level will mean better protection from the wind, meaning generally flatter water throughout the day. It’s certainly worth asking either the Kiosk Staff or Dam regulars about any hazards to keep an eye out for. During our stay, we stuck mainly to the Boyne River fork, which is in the Dam’s south-west section, because it offered safe and quiet river-like conditions away from the traffic of the central area near the boat ramps and camping ground. We were told the Stuart River fork is prone to scatterings of submerged rocks, so we kept well away from that particular area of the dam. As with most water-sports orientated dams, the direction of travel is anti-clockwise, being sure to always keep right of boats travelling in the opposite direction.

lake boondooma recreation

No one had a ruff time at Lake Boondooma

 
 

Drop a Line In

 

 

Boondooma is arguably better known as a fishing destination, as oppose to a water-sports lake. The dam has been massively stocked of Australian Bass, Golden Perch and Yellowbelly, with nearly 1.5m fish being released into the dam through the Stocked Impoundment Permit Scheme.