It seems to be an unwritten fact that free camping on the East Coast of Australia can be tricky. The New South Wales coast in particular is shocking for providing free or even just low coast camps along the coast. You’ll be lucky to find a single one with a beach view, but if you are prepared to head inland a few K’s then you’ll find a few low cost and sometimes even free camps.
When we hit the road in January, we knew we would be on the lookout for all the free camps we could find thanks to our tight weekly budget. After all, we’d much rather spend our hard-earned cash on experiences (and iced coffees) than a patch of grass in a Caravan Park.
So, here I’ve listed here 25 of our favourite sites we found on our way from the Victorian High Country to the very tip of Cape York! All of these camps can be found on Wikicamps by using the key word search.
Also as a side note, keep in mind we always need it to be dog friendly, so there may be other options in the area I’ve listed.
VICTORIA
Victoria offers a lot in the way of free and low cost camping. We only visited the High Country so only have one to share with you, for now!
1. Smoko Campground (Free)
Undoubtedly one of the best spots to save some money in the Victorian Alpine region. Right on the Ovens River, dog friendly, toilets, peaceful and close to Bright. Good for Vans and tents. We love staying in this area, so much hiking, fishing and mountain bike riding to do. As well as Ski season in the winter!
NEW SOUTH WALES
NSW is difficult, we found a few, but the state on a whole is pretty pants!
2. Joe O’Connor Park, Yass (Free)
A beautiful free camp on the river in the quintessential country town of Yass. A good spot for a stopover on your way to Melbourne, Sydney or Canberra. No toilets here so best to be self-contained. It was hot when we were there so the kids had a swim in the river, then we watched Kangaroos eating on the opposite bank and did some fishing. It was a lovely stay.
3. Mount York Campground, Blue Mountains (Free)
So glad we found this little gem in the Blue Mountains! This place is used by climbers so can be quite busy with tents. There is a basic toilet, but no water. Its surrounded by bush and if you’re lucky you’ll spot Lyrebirds (we saw 5!) We also found an amazing sunset look out after traipsing through the bush to the cliff edge. We managed to find a spot for our van and spent 3 wonderful, peaceful nights exploring the Blue Mountains, all the while not paying a cent to lay our heads at night! That’s living!
4. Tuncurry Sports Club, Forster – Tuncurry (Low Cost)
Perfect little spot to spend a couple of days exploring Forster. It’s in a quiet area, only 5-minute walk to the beach (where we watched dolphins fishing). $5 per person, per night. Kids free. Max 2 night stay, need to be fully self-contained (toilet & shower on board). The sports club itself offers really cheap food and drink.
5. Delicate Campground, Crescent Head (Low Cost – sort of)
Okay so this one is definitely on the expensive side for us – we view low cost as anything under $30 p/n. Delicate is charged per person, and they charge for kids too which we just hate! $12 per adult and $6 per child. Doesn’t get you much either, a couple of dirty toilets and a cold beach shower. BUT location, location, location. Right on the beach, falling asleep to the sounds of waves crashing is pretty priceless. We enjoyed many swims at this place, which is right on a point between two beaches. It’s also very close to Crescent Head – which always seems to be heaving with people. So, this is a cheaper, nicer, quieter alternative. Plus dogs allowed!
6. Roses Park, Thora, Dorrigo National Park - Coffs Harbour Hinterland (Donation)
Man we loved this spot! A beautiful grassy area, a basic toilet, space for lots of campers – vans, tents, backpackers – we saw it all here! It also backs on to a beautiful river, good for swimming and fishing. We stayed here to explore Dorrigo National Park and all the gorgeous little towns in this area. Donation camp – please do make a donation, so we can keep these places going!
7. Maclean Showgrounds, Maclean (Low Cost)
Our first experience with showgrounds camping, and we are hooked! $10 per night for a grassy site, toilet block and drinking water. A beautiful spot on the river in Maclean, and a bird watchers paradise! We explored the region from here, including Yamba, Angourie and Brooms Head. As well as the cute little Scottish town of Maclean.
8. Mullumbimby Showgrounds, Byron region (Low Cost)
If you don’t want to pay minimum $30 per person per night in Byron Bay, then come and stay in the adorable, quirky town of Mullumbimby. Only 20 minutes from Byron, nestled in the beautiful, lush hinterland. The showground offers a lot of space and nice clean toilets and showers. $30 p/n unpowered for 2 adults and 2 kids. Power and water is available for an extra $5! Bargain!
QUEENSLAND
QLD nailed it, so many free and low cost camps available, particularly the further up the coast you got.
9. Lawnton Showgrounds, Brisbane (Low Cost)
Just a 40-minute train ride into the centre of Brisbane, we found Lawnton the perfect spot to base ourselves for a day trip into Brisbane. $30 p/n power and water for 2 adults and 2 kids. Friendly managers, lots of space and delicious HOT showers !
10. Inskip Point - MV Sarawak, Rainbow Beach (Low Cost)
Our absolute favourite camp spot after 10 months on the road. Sarawak is the pick of the spots at Inksip, with the most perfect, calm-watered beach right on your doorstep. Clean drop toilets, lots of bush, lots of space, killer sunsets and very close to Fraser Island. Also, only 10-minute drive from Rainbow beach for some good surf and good food. $6 Per Person, Per night. Sweet as.
11. Hervey Bay Info Centre (Free Camp)
Not the best looking place we’ve stayed at, but it served its purpose. Hervey Bay Caravan parks are notoriously busy and notoriously expensive, so we were very happy to get 48 hours of explore time absolutely free! Toilets available during info centre opening times.
12. Hinkler Lions Park, Bundaberg (Free Camp)
If you need a free place to stay to explore Bundaberg, then the Lions Park is the place for you! It may not look like much, but we enjoyed a couple of peaceful nights here while we checked out the region. It has a toilet block, dump point and a kids play park, yewww!
13. Workmans Beach Campground, Agnes Water (Low Cost)
Absolutely stunning spot in Agnes Water, so good we extended our stay from a planned 2 nights, to 6 nights! $9 per person, per night. Perfect location, a short down-hill walk to a stunning beach, with rock pools and sunset lookouts. A short drive from town and Deepwater National Park (lots of fun!) Facilities consist of a couple of drop toilets and an outdoor cold shower, just the way we like them! You can’t book this spot, and it is very popular, so arrive before 2pm and preferably not on a weekend day if you want to nab a spot!
14. Calliope River, Gladstone region (Free Camp)
2 camps on offer here, one on the North side of the river and one on the South side. The South side offers river edge spots and the North side is close to the historical village, either way they’re both free! Lots of bird life, the locals swim in the water, but we didn’t risk it (too scared of crocs!) There is a toilet block, but it was closed while we stayed.
Queensland offers so many spots like this, and for that we love this State!
15. Notch Point Campground, Ilbilbie (Free Camp)
The BEST. This place honestly is absolute gold. Right on the water, heaps and heaps of space, quiet, peaceful, wildlife, campfires, dogs allowed, insane sunsets and won’t cost you a cent! This place is REMOTE. 4WD probably needed for the drive in, its wayyyy way off the highway, down a 4WD track with a couple of water crossings (higher at high tide or after rain). We saw plenty of non-4WD caravans though so don’t worry about that side. Make sure you bring in plenty of food and water as there is no way to replenish supplies. We managed 6 days before the food started running low and the toilet started filling up!
16. Whitsunday Private acres, Airlie Beach (Low Cost)
A beautiful, quiet and cheap option for the Whitsunday area. $20 per night to camp on Sue’s land. You can even help feed the horse, which our kids loved! The nights were so peaceful and Sue was happy for us to leave Pip at camp while we went on a long day cruise around the islands.
17. TYTO Wetlands Info Centre, Ingham, Hinchinbrook region (Low Cost)
$10 per night, 2 night Max. There are toilets available in the info centre during opening hours. We loved our stay here, it’s a bird watchers paradise. Lovely walks around the wetlands. We stayed here to visit Wallaman Falls, which was about 45-minutes away.
18. Toomulla Beach Rest Area, Near Townsville (Free Camp)
There are a few free camps along this stretch of coast, each as good as the next. We stayed at Toomulla which had a toilet block and a great kid’s playground. Beach access was hard though as it is set on a little river inlet, which you wouldn’t want to cross thanks to the resident croc (which we didn’t see!). The others are, Balgal beach and Saunders Beach.
19. Garradunga Hotel, near Babinda Boulders (Free Camp)
Ahh what a gem this place was! If you want to immerse yourself in Aussie small-town communities then make sure you stay at a couple of pubs! We loved this place, friendly owners and locals, great pub food, chickens to keep the kids occupied. All the while over-looking Cane Fields and the Tablelands in the background. You can pay $10 per night for power, or its free, provided you grab a beer at the bar!
20. Ringers Rest, Mareeba (Low Cost)
This is a must. Group camp fires and singalongs, hot air balloons flying over each morning, horses roaming and stopping by your van all day, starry, quiet nights and all for only $10 ! Its such an experience staying here. All unpowered, there is a tap for refilling, and clean drop toilets.
CAPE YORK
Including, Cape Tribulation and Cooktown. A free campers paradise!
21. Coen River, North Bend, en-route to Cape York (Free Camp)
Situated right on the Coen River (safe to swim!) this is a very basic free camp. There is one drop toilet (which is rather disgusting). Some space for caravans, lots of space for tents. You can cross the river for more camp spots, 4WD needed for that though! You could happily spend a couple of nights here relaxing and enjoying the cool water.
22. Canal Creek Campground, Old Telegraph Track (Free Camp)
Situated on a creek, near Elliot Falls, Twin Falls and Fruitbat Falls. Lovely bushy sites, lots of space for tents, camper trailers and a few caravans if you’ve been game enough to drag it up the Peninsular Developmental Road! Free, no amenities, but a lovely fresh water creek for washing and collecting cooking water. A firm favourite!
23. Mutee Head, Jardine River Mouth, Cape York (Free Camp)
Oh yes, free camping right on the beach here! Step out of your tent or van straight onto sand, it’s that close! No water and no toilets, so be self-contained or bring a shovel! If you like remote camps, then this is the spot for you!
24. Isabella Falls, Cooktown region (Free Camp)
A very limited amount of spaces here, could squeeze in a van or two but the ground is quite sloped. However, location is fantastic! Next to a beautiful waterfall, which is safe for swimming. And only a half hour drive to Elim Beach and Cooktown. Peaceful nights. No amenities.
25. Woobadda Creek, Bloomfield Track, Cape Trib (Free Camp)
There are a few pull offs on the Bloomfield track, it’s a case of luck whether you’ll snag a spot. This one is near the Northern end of the track and is a lovely stopover. Next to a picturesque bridge and a safe to swim river. Watch out for Dingos! No amenities here.
We have stayed at a few more, but these have been our standouts, most of which we stayed at more than once. We travel slow and tend to base ourselves in one spot and explore a region, which is why we haven’t stayed in too many places!
As you can see from all my favourited camps on Wikicamps...there are plenty of free and low cost camps in NSW & QLD.
Plus a lot of these are dog friendly so there would be even more that weren't an option for us.
Saying that, I feel like we have managed to find some really unique places thanks to travelling with a dog, and also travelling on a budget. Most people would miss all these wonderful spots because they are happy to pay top dollar for caravan parks in the middle of popular towns.
Free and low-cost camping opens you up to so many unforgettable experiences.
Experiences like, watching Whales teach their calves to breach and tail slap at Notch Point, or seeing Dugongs for the first time at Inskip.
Cooking on campfires in Cape York, hearing Barking Owls at TYTO or watching bats frolic in Mullumbimby.
Listening to Lyrebirds mimic chainsaws in the Blue Mountains, watching incredible sunsets at Mutee Head or waking up at sunrise every morning to watch the hot air balloons at Ringers Rest.
Or one of our favourites, drinking with the local Cane train drivers at the Garradunga Pub.
None of this (and more) would have ever happened if we were hopping from one Big4 to the next. Sure, the big parks are fun, but playing in water parks and on jumping pillows are not the kind of experiences that will shape yours or your children’s lives.
So we urge you to get out there, off the beaten path, into the bush, into the unknown and be prepared for amazing things to happen!
