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Pinnarendi Station Stay and Café is a gem on the Kennedy Highway. It’s located adjacent to the Forty Mile Scrub National Park, somewhere between Mount Garnet and the Undara Lava Tubes – but closer to Undara. For those in the know, good camping spots and good meals are hard to come by in this area, which is what makes this gem all the more special. If you’re coming from Cairns, it’s positioned in the transition zone from the Atherton Tablelands townships and the Gulf Savannah Way. It’s a family owned and operated business – named Pinnarendi Station Stay and Café – located on a multi-generational property, and their passion shines through in hospitality, welcome and amenities. The café and food (especially the pizza) are amazing! The camp sites are spacious, grassy and shaded and the amenities are well maintained. Stop for a snack or a stay, you’ll be glad you did – we were.
Pinnarendi Station Stay and Café is open seasonally, which is line with a lot of places on the Savannah Way. They generally open in April with a September close - but call ahead to double check. 0401 627 315.
Pinnarendi Station Stay and Café opened in 2016 and while their online footprint is small, their offline support base is growing all the time, and we are one of them. Why? In short, we love the Gulf Savanah and heading west into Outback Queensland, it’s the big blue sky days and clear night air that sparkles with millions of stars that draws us back every year (that and Cobbold Gorge!). We love the open spaces and the feeling of connection you get with the landscape that surrounds you, often wild and untamed – home to pioneering people, cattle and some amazing natural gems. We also love finding little places that shine with great food, facilities and customer service – and Pinnarendi Station Stay and Café is one such place. You can camp here with caravans, camper tailers and big rigs too and every site is a drive through site. Choose between powered and unpowered, all of which are quite spacious and usually grassy (pending when you visit), with landscaping to provide privacy. The amenity block is quite quirky and is well maintained – and if you have your own accommodation, then you can bring your pet with you.
A highlight of any visit is The Brick Oven Café, which is open for breakfast, lunch, brunch and sometimes dinner. The family make their own sourdough bread which features prominently in a menu that focusses on flavour. For breakfast it’s everything from traditional bacon and eggs to waffles, toasted banana bread and eggs benedict. Lunch is toasties, salads and a soup of the day. Gluten free options available. They also make a banging sourdough-based pizza which is served fresh on Wednesday and Saturday nights, with ‘Last Nights Pizza’ available for dine-in and takeaway at lunchtime, and as the name suggests it’s cooked to perfection in the hand-crafted brick oven!
“Shout out to Pinnarendi Station for the food and hospitality! We’ve stopped and eaten here a few times on our Gulf Savannah adventures – it’s the best place to stay near Undara Lava Tube Tours – and every time has been a good time. The owners are lovely and welcoming, the campgrounds are really well laid out with generously proportioned sites, landscaped for privacy and with established trees for shade. We love that you can take your dog with you and the walking tracks around the property that you can explore. We also love the pizza! A Lot! We recommend this place to all our mates headed out on the Gulf Savannah, and we’ve never heard a bad word said about it.” – Julie Johnston
Absolutely! Whether you’re heading to Undara, Cobbold Gorge, the Dinosaur Trail, Karumba or the Savannah Way, Pinnarendi Station Stay and Café is a fantastic place to stop. It offers great camping, excellent food and a welcoming atmosphere. Even if you’re just passing through, it’s well worth stopping for coffee, lunch or brunch – you won’t find anywhere better in the local area! Camping is affordable – Powered sites starting from $30 and Unpowered from $20 (rates current as 2025 – check their website for latest rates – www.thebrickoven.com.au ) – and the meals are reasonably priced and great quality.
No, Pinnarendi Station Stay and Café operates seasonally, usually opening around Easter and closing toward the end of September. The café itself serves breakfast from 8am – 11am and lunch from 12pm – 2.30pm. Coffee, cold drinks, light snacks and cakes are available from 8am to 2.30pm. Evening meals start at 6.30pm – and advance bookings are essential. On Mondays they do lasagne, Wednesday and Saturday are pizza nights and Thursday night is freshly delivered Karumba Barramundi. This information is current at the time of writing – February 2025 – we always recommend calling ahead to double check times and details – 0401 627 315.
Yes! The “Last Night’s Pizza” from the fridge is perfect for dinner wherever you end up. We often stop for lunch on the way through, and on the one occasion we stayed overnight, we were lucky to book for all-you-can-eat sourdough pizza night (on Wednesdays and Saturdays). You won’t leave hungry!
Yes, the coffee is great. As mentioned in our review, decent cafes are in short supply in this neck of the woods, so we make Pinnarendi Station our go to place for coffees and meals.
Pinnarendi Station is on the Kennedy Highway, between Mount Garnet and the Undara Lava Tubes, adjacent to Forty Mile Scrub National Park. It’s clearly signposted for your convenience and is a great stop along the Savannah Way.
Pinnarendi Station is 216 km from Cairns, and it would take around 3 hours to drive.
Pinnarendi Station is 41 km from Undara and would take around 34 min to drive, if you are looking at visiting Undara make sure you book your Undara tour in advance, you can do this with Undara Lava Tube Tours, if you are considering visiting Undara and Cobbold Gorge you can now purchase a combination tour called the Savannah Way Adventure Pass.
Pinnarendi Station is 248 km from Cobbold Gorge and would take around 3 hrs to drive, part of the drive is on unsealed roads, so remember to always drive to the conditions.
Booking ahead is recommended, especially during peak season from April to September. You can call 0401 627 315 to check availability.
Pinnarendi Station offers powered and unpowered sites for caravans, camper trailers and big rigs. There are also cabins available for those who prefer extra comfort.
The station has spacious, well-maintained sites with landscaping for privacy. The amenities block is clean and well-kept. The Brick Oven Café serves breakfast, lunch and wood-fired pizzas – which are delicious!
Campfires may be permitted depending on the season and local fire restrictions. Check with the owners upon arrival.
Yes, pets are welcome – but they must be kept under control at all times. Always check with the owners for specific pet policies.
Yes, Telstra reception is excellent at Pinnarendi Station. A large radio tower near the property ensures reliable coverage.
Visitors can enjoy the peaceful outback setting, explore Forty Mile Scrub National Park, visit the Undara Lava Tubes, and indulge in delicious meals at the café.
Yes, you can explore the natural landscapes around the station, take a short drive to Undara for a lava tube tour, or venture west into the Gulf Savannah for more outback experiences.
Yes, but don’t miss out on the amazing brick oven pizza and café meals.
The best time to visit is during the dry season from April to September when the weather is cooler and more comfortable for camping.
No, regular vehicles, caravans and big rigs can easily access Pinnarendi Station and all sites are drive through sites.
Pinnarendi Station Stay and Café are not open all year round. Like many businesses in the Gulf Savannah, they are seasonal. This year, they are open 23 April – 28 September 2025. This station stay and café is on a privately owned and family operated cattle station, which has around 100 head of breeders. The family are your hosts and their hospitality is warm and welcoming. All sites are drive through sites and are generously proportioned to fit most needs, from swags and tents to big rigs. They are pet friendly and the café is open for breakfast and lunch daily and some evening meals. It is located on the Kennedy Highway, between Mount Garnet and Undara and is clearly signposted.
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