Contact Person: Diane Mattes
Contact Email: neilmattes@bigpond.com
Contact Phone: 02 9489 5507
Contact Mobile:
Website:
Type: Camp Site

Getting There: Sugee Bag Creek is about 75 minutes drive from Pearces Corner (Wahroonga), via the M1: take the Peats Ridge turn-off from the M1 (ie before you descend to Mooney Bridge), then take the Central Mangrove turn-off just past the service station at Peats Ridge. A couple of kilometres along this road is a cross-road: take the left turn, which goes to Wiseman’s Ferry via Spencer (follow the sign to Kooree Guide Cabin), and continue for about 20 kilometres until you cross a substantial concrete bridge over Mangrove Creek. Turn right immediately over the bridge into Oyster Shell Road, and about 6 km further on, just before you cross a timber-decked bridge, there is an entrance to “Windra Park” on the right, and a gate labelled “Private Property” on the left. This gate leads to our site.
For the first 500m from the gate the track to the campsite is across private property (owned by Windra Park)…we have right of access, but you must keep to the track. The track base is quite firm, even if it looks evil in wet weather, but once you stray from it you may bog very easily!
The road gate can be locked by a chain if you want to keep strangers from disturbing your camp – our combination lock is in series with Windra Park’s lock, so that they can get access if they need it. When you depart, leave the chain as you found it when you arrived (ie if the gate wasn’t locked when you arrived, leave it unlocked when you depart. You will be given the combination for our lock when you finalise your booking.
Vehicles: The site access is usually suitable for 2WD cars, with care. However, in wet weather it can get boggy, particularly if vehicles stray from the track.
All vehicles must, as far as possible, keep to existing tracks to avoid cutting up the ground. Keep all vehicle movements to an absolute minimum, for ESSENTIAL purposes only, and at low speed. Once you have arrived at your camping site, your vehicle shouldn’t need to move until it’s time to go home; fetching wood and water should be a manual exercise, not a job for vehicles. Trail bikes or minibikes are prohibited, but push-bikes are welcome.

About: The property is located on Sugee Bag Creek, a tributary of Mangrove Creek (which flows into the Hawkesbury River at Spencer). It is located at map reference 260055 on the 1:25000 CMA Gunderman and Mangrove sheets, and juts into the eastern side of Dharug National Park.
Usage:
The Association’s 120 ha property is available for use by members of all Regions. It is ideal for “traditional” bush camping for Scout Patrols and Troops, Venturer Units and Rover Crews, but it is not really suitable for large camping activities such as Zone camps, Roventures and Moots, mainly because of the large volumes of vehicle traffic associated with such events.
Activities:
About 15% of the property is grassy river flats or small clearings bordering on the two arms of Sugee Bag Creek. Other areas of lightly timbered bushland nearby provide a multitude of camping and activity sites of varying sizes, while about half the property contains cliffs and mountains rising to 200m, well covered with tall timber.
Camping: Normally, campers can use any of the area west of the “cattle yards”. If you have a preferred site, this can be reserved at the time of booking. Be considerate of other users…. there is so much space at Sugee Bag that there is no reason for you to camp right alongside anyone else.
Facilities:
Toilets: There are pit toilets on the hill slope at the eastern end of the western camping flat, and across the ruined Causeway. Kybos may be located on the slopes well clear of the creeks and waterways. The usual cover-in and location marks should follow at the end of the camp.
Water: While the main section of Sugee Bag Creek downstream of the Causeway is tidal and brackish, both tributary creeks upstream from the Causeway are fresh water if they are flowing freely.
However, particularly as Windra Park stock may have been grazing further upstream, the water would need to be boiled or purified to meet Australian Drinking Water Guidelines for potable water.
At the western end of the site there is a small spring which feeds into a 100 litre tank, and except during extended dry periods this will usually provide modest quantities of fresh water. Again, because it is untested and untreated, this water cannot meet the requirements of the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines for potable water. If you use this tank, make sure you turn the tap OFF, and don’t interfere with the hose or the creek upstream.
Many users find the easiest option is to bring a supply of drinking water with them.
General:
Mobile Phones – there is no reliable mobile phone coverage at Sugee Bag Creek site
Fires: Obviously normal fire rules apply, particularly as regards fire restriction periods etc. Try to locate cooking and camp fires at spots where other fires have been previously, to minimise disruptions of the ground cover. Firewood is plentiful, particularly along the creek banks, and there is no need to cut standing dead timber–apart from other considerations, it is a very dangerous activity.
Cattle: We have an arrangement with Windra Park whereby they graze cattle on our land; in return, they keep an eye on the place, slash the grass, repair tracks and generally help us in many ways. The cattle should not be chased or hassled… they are quite docile and will leave you alone.
Warden’s Hut (ruin): The former Warden’s Hut, on the hillside just inside the campsite gate, was effectively demolished by land slip and white ants many years ago, and is now a ruin and not safe to access.
Trees, Foliage: Trees and saplings must NOT be cut or marked, and green undergrowth must not be destroyed. BRACKEN MAY BE CUT/USED PLENTIFULLY.
Rubbish: DON’T DIG RUBBISH OR GREASE PITS. All rubbish must be either burned to complete destruction, or taken from the site. The wombats will dig up anything buried, leaving a mess for the next users. Be particularly careful about foil (which doesn’t rot away, and seems to be in much of the packaging which people try to burn), and plastic bags and rope/string, which can seriously affect (and sometimes kill) grazing stock.
To minimise water pollution:
• Don’t swim or wash in or near the two arms of the main creek upstream of their confluence near the causeway
• Don’t wash, or wash up, in the creeks anywhere, even in the tidal section downstream of the confluence… if you need to wash, take a bucket or billy and rinse off well clear of the creek. But remember, don’t do even THIS upstream of the junction!
Departure: Please ensure that areas are left scrupulously clean before leaving… all rubbish carried off (except clean ashes)… firewood replenished and stacked neatly.

Usage: Available for Scouts, Available for the Public

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