Driving from Sydney to Ballina we decided to travel via the inland route. We wanted to break our journey part way and given we’d visited Coffs Harbour (check out the great cabin we stayed in at Urunga on that trip) earlier in the year we fancied somewhere different. The Tamworth area was our pick so we stayed with Reflections Holiday Parks Lake Keepit.
Lake Keepit is about 40 minutes drive from Tamworth and 20 minutes from Gunnedah. Lake Keepit is situated on the banks of Keepit Dam which at maximum capacity holds around 425,510 megalitres of water (about two thirds the size of Sydney Harbour). The State Park is popular for boating, fishing, sailing and waterskiing. The area seems to be the pick for a weekend getaway for families in the local region. Lake Keepit is famous for its fishing, particularly the local varieties of Silver and Golden Perch (Yellow Belly), Murray Cod and even Catfish.
We stayed for two nights at Lake Keepit and it was a good way for us to start to unwind from the frenetic pace we’d had in the city prior to our departure.
Reflections Holidays Park Lake Keepit has an easy access cabin which is step-free. It’s best suited to someone who is not reliant on a wheelchair full-time as there is limited circulation space in the rooms.. We know we have readers with a wide variety of abilities and if, like BJ, you can do a standing transfer from your wheelchair or simply need step-free access, you may find this cabin suitable.
Ramp access is provided from the car parking space beside the cabin to the entrance.
The compact two-bedroom cabin has an open-plan kitchen, dining and living room.
The cabin is air-conditioned, has a full-size fridge and mounted TV.
The kitchen has the microwave at a lowered level and a lever tap. Much of the crockery is high up so if you need this to be at a lowered level I suggest asking at the time of booking.
MAIN BEDROOM
The queen-size bed dominates this room and is bolted to the floor so it is unable to be moved to make more room. This room is suited to someone with mobility as there is insufficient room to transfer from a wheelchair.
The beds in the cabin at Lake Keepit were the most comfortable of our travels. Between the fresh country air and good mattress I had a wonderful sleep.
BATHROOM
The bathroom is step-free with grab rails throughout. You will need to travel with your own shower chair if needed as there’s no bench seat or shower chair available. A hand-held shower is fitted in the bathroom.
The bathroom sink is accessible with a lever tap.
SECOND BEDROOM
Two sets of bunk beds are located in the second bedroom.
CAMPING FACILITIES
We can certainly see why Lake Keepit is popular with campers. The views of the Lake are beautiful and there’s plenty of space to spread out with powered and unpowered sites available.
The camp kitchen is spacious with several barbecues, a microwave and fire-pit for toasting marshmallows or an impromptu singalong on a cool evening.
CAMPOTEL
What’s a campotel you ask? I didn’t know, so don’t feel bad. It’s a permanent on-site tent, so no need to BYO canvas.
Being the sticky-beak I am, when I noticed a campotel open with no-one inside, I popped my head (and camera) in for a look around.
The tents sleep up to six people with two sets of bunk beds, a microwave, bar fridge, toaster, kettle and table. The floor is solid and the tent has a screen door. The campotels have prime position in the park with lovely views of Lake Keepit.
BATHROOM AMENITIES
Two stand-alone accessible bathroom facilities are located in the holiday park. The one pictured above has a regular-size entrance, shower bench, hand-held shower head and some grab rails.
The second accessible bathroom has a wide doorway, grab rails, lever tap at the sink and a fixed head shower.
The laundry facilities have good circulation space for a wheelchair user.
Kids flocked to the water park on the warm days when we were visiting Lake Keepit. We were too busy to test-drive it ourselves but know with BJ’s beach wheelchair it would have been an ideal way for him to cool down had we had longer.
We arrived at Lake Keepit close to dinner time so the kids were hungry. We appreciated having a kiosk onsite to get a take-away dinner to eat by the Lake. The kiosk also stocks basic groceries including long-life milk, frozen bread, home-cooked frozen meals and more. The closest shop is around 20 minutes from the holiday park so I suggest stocking up before arriving.
Spotting Santa and Mrs Claus riding around in the back of a Ute with an esky on board was the highlight of BJ’s stay at Lake Keepit. I don’t think we could have found a more Aussie scene. They were visiting the local fishing club’s Christmas party but spread their holiday cheer around to all the families in the park.
We particularly liked sunset at the park. The kangaroos were grazing, the cows were on the move and the colours around the lake were stunning.
We stayed as guests of Reflections Lake Keepit but as always our opinions are our own. If you’d like to learn more about Reflections Holiday Parks Lake Keepit check their website.
And don’t forget to visit Bob’s Shed if you get the chance. We loved the trip down memory-lane it provided.
