Bendethera Valley campground
Deua National Park
Overview
Take a camper trailer or tent to Deua National Park’s Bendethera Valley campground to enjoy walking, swimming, cycling and picnicking. Hike to Bendethera Cave for caving.
| Camping type | Tent, Camping beside my vehicle |
|---|---|
| Facilities | Picnic tables, barbecue facilities, toilets |
| What to bring | Drinking water, firewood |
| Price | There are no camping fees at this campground but a $6 booking fee applies. |
| Group bookings | Bookings for up to 9 sites and 40 people can be made online. School groups and commercial tour operators can submit a group booking enquiry form. |
| Please note |
|
The beautiful and remote campground of Bendethera Valley is the ideal place for a relaxing break, as well as a great base for cavers keen to explore Bendethera Cave. Deua River flows through this open valley, which in early spring is adorned with the yellow bloom of Bendethera wattle and in winter sometimes holds a magical morning mist.
Along the river are plenty of swimming spots and the kids will have loads of fun on lilos. Have a picnic on the bank and keep your binoculars handy for birdwatching as a multitude of species make their home in the area. There are walking opportunities around the campground, but, for a decent hike, head northwest on Bendethera Cave track.
At dusk, look out for kangaroos, wallabies and wombats grazing on the grassy flats. As the sun goes down, relax with friends and family around an open fire.
Map
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Local alerts
For the latest updates on fires, closures and other alerts in this area, see https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/camping-and-accommodation/campgrounds/bendethera-valley-campground/local-alerts
Bookings
- National Parks Contact Centre
- 7am to 7pm daily
- 1300 072 757 (13000 PARKS) for the cost of a local call within Australia excluding mobiles
- parks.info@environment.nsw.gov.au
Park info
- in Deua National Park in the South Coast, Country NSW and Snowy Mountains regions
Deua National Park is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger.
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about Bendethera Valley campground.
Getting there and parking
Bendethera Valley campground is in the southern precinct of Deua National Park.
To get there from the east (nearest town, Moruya):
- Take Western Boundary Road turnoff from Princes Highway (south of Moruya).
- Turn left onto Little Sugarloaf Road
- Follow Bendethera fire trail. This trail is 4WD only.
- It's a good idea to check the weather conditions before you leave. Rain can make river crossings to this campground impassable.
To get there from the west (nearest town, Braidwood):
- Take Middle Mountain Road (via Krawarree Road) and Minuma Range fire trail.
- Turn onto Dampier Mountain fire trail. This trail is steep and 4WD is recommended.
- It's a good idea to check the weather conditions before you leave. Rain can make river crossings to this campground impassable.
Road quality
Check the weather before you set out as the road to Bendethera Valley campground can become slippery when it rains.
- Unsealed roads
Vehicle access
- All roads require 4WD vehicle
Weather restrictions
- Dry weather only
Parking
Parking is available at Bendethera Valley campground
Best times to visit
There are lots of great things waiting for you in Deua National Park. Here are some of the highlights.
Spring
This season is the best time for wildflowers in the park and for birdwatching.
Summer
This is the season for swimming and floating on a lilo down the Shoalhaven and Deua rivers. See if you can spot an eastern water dragon sharing the river with you along the way.
Weather, temperature and rainfall
Summer temperature
Average
15.7°C and 23.5°C
Highest recorded
43.3°C
Winter temperature
Average
6.5°C and 16.7°C
Lowest recorded
-10°C
Rainfall
Wettest month
March
Driest month
August
The area’s highest recorded rainfall in one day
275.3mm
Facilities
- Drinking water is not available at this park.
- Rubbish bins are not available, so please take your rubbish with you when leaving.
Toilets
- Non-flush toilets
Picnic tables
Barbecue facilities
- Wood barbecues (bring your own firewood)
- Fire rings (bring your own firewood)
Maps and downloads
Prohibited
It’s a legal offence to drive an unregistered motor vehicle or motorcycle on any NSW road or in a NSW national park.
Pets
Pets and domestic animals (other than certified assistance animals) are not permitted. Find out which regional parks allow dog walking and see the pets in parks policy for more information.
Smoking
NSW national parks are no smoking areas.
Learn more
Bendethera Valley campground is in Deua National Park. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:
Diverse scenery and luscious landscapes
From grassy woodlands on the lower eastern slopes of Deua Valley, to the peatlands and swamps on the tablelands, there are landscapes aplenty at Deua National Park. Valleys dissected by wild rivers, rugged mountains, deep gorges, dry ridges, steep escarpments, limestone karst and high plateaus are also some of the diverse landforms you'll find at Deua National Park. The Big Hole is thought to have been an underground cave until the ceiling collapsed and now is a 96m deep and 50m wide pit. Marble Arch has a car-sized boulder over its entrance and inside this cave are animal remains believed to be thousands of years old. Bendethera Cave is over 250m long, 320m wide and contains massive limestone formations in caverns with up to 15m high ceilings. Rocky outcrops found throughout the park support unique and rare species of gum trees, like the woila and jilliga ash, whilst the limestone slopes in Bendethera Valley is the only known location of Bendethera wattle; a sight to behold as they blossom during spring. The drier and cooler conditions allow pinkwoods and soft tree ferns to thrive in the higher altitudes of the eastern escarpments, and grey myrtle, lilly pilli and mock olives can regularly be seen along the small creeks and gullies throughout.
- The Big Hole walking track It’s an adventurous walk from Berlang campground to the viewing platform at The Big Hole as long as you don’t mind getting your feet wet crossing Shoalhaven River along the way.
Powerful stuff
Deua is home to over 106 species of birds. There is a particularly high diversity of birds of prey in the park, such as the powerful owl and the peregrine falcon. The powerful owl is Australia's largest owl. The peregrine falcon, which is the fastest creature in the animal kingdom, can reach over 300km/hr in a high-speed dive when hunting. So if you see a dark vertical blur in the sky over Deua, you'll know now what it is and why it's moving so fast.
- The Big Hole walking track It’s an adventurous walk from Berlang campground to the viewing platform at The Big Hole as long as you don’t mind getting your feet wet crossing Shoalhaven River along the way.
The trails of time
Passed on through generations in story and in song, the history of Aboriginal people of this land and their connection with all that surrounds them is very much a part of what you'll see in Deua National Park. Having travelled up and down the escarpment along well-worn pathways between the coast and the Monaro Tablelands for thousands of years, there are many places of spiritual significance. Scarred trees, grinding grooves and middens can be seen along the 'dreaming trails' of Deua.