A Wrong Turn to the Right Place: Mann River Camping on Old Grafton Road

Sometimes the best camps aren’t the ones you plan.

We left Girraween National Park intending to head deep into the bush along Liberation Trail. But a “road closed” sign had other plans. What could’ve been a camping fail turned into one of the most memorable moments of our winter trip.

After backtracking down the winding and beautiful Old Grafton Road, we returned to Mann River Campground — and what a surprise! It’s where cascades meet, the colours of sunset paint the sky, and NSW National Parks have even thrown in firewood and a bush BBQ setup.

We fired up the grill, loaded up burgers with jalapenos (a bit too many maybe…), and settled in for the night, rugged up as the chill set in.

This video captures the accidental adventure — the detour, the discovery, the dinner. Watch the full story unfold on YouTube and subscribe to follow the rest of our 2025 winter teardrop road trip.