Commencing Base Camps ARATULA

At last the opportunity to get Base Camps started has arisen. I have moved to Aratula, a small town between Brisbane and Warwick in S.E.Queensland.

Just over an hour to Brisbane and also to the Gold Coast, it is on the Cunningham Highway on the edge of the Scenic Rim Regional Area, which is administered from Beaudesert 50km. Nearest town is Boonah 12km and the closest major city is Ipswich 50km to the east.

The highway runs east west through the town with truck stops at either end. A small caravan park runs along the south side of the town. On the north side of the highway are a few shops. A Bakery, Fruit and Vegetable Shop, some Cafes, an Ice Cream Shop and Antique Shops. About 400 metres to the west of the Caravan park is a small Tavern and Motel. The total population of the town is around 200 people. The surrounding area is mainly large scale vegetable growing, horse studs and cattle farms. About 10 kms to the west, the BNT Bicentennial National Walking Trail crosses the Cunningham Hwy. Situated on the eastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range 15km. Topography is flat to undulating with nearby hills and spectacular peaks. Nearby is Lake Moogerah, a large body of water (usually) that is popular for water sports.

Living at Aratula Caravan Park will enable me to work full time to administer this blog and communicate with prospective Co-creators interested to make the Base Camps model a reality. There are various accommodation possibilities with 35 Powered sites, Caravans and five Motel rooms and Tent Camping. The nearby Tavern has five or six motel rooms. The tarifs are all budget to moderate. We could accommodate about 75 people with out too much difficulty and at minimal expense.

This is an ideal opportunity to get established without having to invest any money, as the owners of the park are very enthusiastic to welcome us as permanent residents, rather than relying on passing traffic. There is adjoining land which could possibly be leased as additional recreation and camping, as well as vegetable growing and a tree and plant nursery etc.

Casual and seasonal work is available on the vegetable farms, who usually rely on Back Packers during the harvest period Aug to November.