Travelling Australia With Kids
Free Camping Australia
Family-approved places to camp, explore & escape the crowds
Looking for somewhere to camp without the price tag of a caravan park?
Discover free and low-cost camping spots recommended by TAWK families travelling around Australia — from beachfront camps and shady riverside spots to bush camps and great overnight stops.
💡 First up: what do we mean by “free camping”?
Free camping doesn’t always mean completely free.
In the TAWK world, we’re generally talking about places where you aren’t staying in a traditional caravan park. This means you may not have powered sites, showers, camp kitchens or other amenities.
Some spots are genuinely free. Others may have a small camping fee, National Park entry fee or donation box.
Always check current conditions, fees, booking requirements and camping restrictions before you travel.
🏕️ Community camping recommendations
Every spot below was shared by a TAWK family. Tap a state to open its list — and remember to check current conditions, fees and stay limits before you go.
Cliff Head North — nr Arrowsmith
Right on the beach, quiet, plenty of space for all set ups, drop Loo’s. No water though. Free camp, max 72 hours. A neighbour even came and gave us fresh fish!! Dolphins come in and good fishing apparently.
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Baden Powell — Lane Poole Reserve
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40 Mile Beach Gnoorea — near Karrartha
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Edagee Rest Area Camp — Just 81 kms south of Carnavon WA
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De Grey River — Just north of Port Headland
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Doonela Gorge — near Marble Bar
The kids had a ball looking for pieces of Jasper rock along the river 🙂 No toilets though so you have to be fully self contained.
Hamelin Pool Marine Nature Reserve
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Cape Range National Park
Membinup Beach — 100 klms east of Esperance
Fantastic and worth the drive.
Shannon National Park — WA
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Parrys Beach and Two Peoples Bay
Robe River — On the way down to Exmouth
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Spring Creek — Near turn off to Bungle Bungles
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Fraser Range Station
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Niagara Dam
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Coronation Beach — low cost
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Bowman Park — just out of Crystal Brook SA
Is great. Good shade and a resident peacock too.
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Lake Hart — North of Port Augusta
Salt lake, no amenities, has shade shelters. Kids love exploring the salt lake & dunes. There’s a rail line & trains go by as well.
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Martins Bend — Berri
Large area on the Murray River. Generators allowed. Water available, but not drinkable, flushing toilets. Camp fires allowed. FREE!!! Nice peaceful spot. 2kms to town, nice bike ride or walk.
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Purlubie Beach — Eyre Peninsula
Walkers Rocks campground — 14 kilometers west side of Elliston
Honesty Box $10. Nice private areas to camp. Toilets and solar showers. Rocky beach on one side and sandy long beach on the other.
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Yunta
Good over nighter.
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Big Hill Track — Just out of Lorne
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Boobook Camp — Licola — the southern end of the High Country
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Cohuna — Victoria
A fantastic free camp.
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Henty Park — Portland
Totally free, max 3 nights, toilets being rebuilt (Feb 2017), pool next door, walk to beach, playground, shops!
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Johanna Beach
This large campground is behind the dunes at Johanna Beach, north-west of Cape Otway.
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Keddles Camp — On the Rubicon river
Loved it.
Lake Ratzcastle — Victoria
Flushing loos, solar shower.
Nariel Creek
This is a large and lovely camping area on a bank of Nariel Creek. There’s swimming in the creek, and shade from numerous trees on-site.
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Panmure Free Camp — near Warnambool
24hr max but it doesn’t get much better for the kids!
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Yarrawonga and Cobram — on the Murray River
Bendeela camping and picnic area — Kangaroo Valley
Large free camp with toilets but lots to do especially in summer. Plus you get the chance to see wombats in the wild. It is amazing!!
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Burning Mountain — Near Tamworth
Coopernook State Forest
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Lake Wallis — Outside of Lithgow
Big lake and great play ground. Heaps of room and FREE TOILET AND SHOWERS.
Megalong Valley — in the Blue Mountains
Is beautiful. Drop toilets and fires allowed.
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McCulloghs Range — between Wilcannia and Broken Hill
Ponto Falls — 40 minutes from Dubbo
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Wallabadah First Fleet Park — near Tamworth
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Bluewater free camp — just north of Townsville
Free to stay, has toilets & outdoor shower.
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Boynedale Bush Camp — near Calliope
Free, drop toilets, on Lake Awoonga, flat grassy and treed, some fire pits and tables.
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Calliope River — Near Gladstone
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Camooweal Billabong
No facilities but good campsites all along there.
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Cohen — North of the town on the river
Corella Dam — East of Mt Isa
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Cumberland Chimney — On the Savannah Way
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Dawson River rest area — West of Biloela
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Gregory Downs — On the river
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Home Hill — Qld
Toilets, hot showers & camp kitchen all in the centre of town.
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Julia Creek
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Tambo
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Rifle Creek — Just outside of Mareeba
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Balgal Beach — North of Townsville
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Mary Kathleen township — out near Mt Isa
Historic mining town. There is plenty of room. Has concrete slabs.
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Mt Molloy — north Qld, north of Atherton
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McLeod Creek — between Cairns & Cooktown
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Proston Overnight Camp — Close to Wondai and Murgon
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Sam Creek — Cape York
Wyandra Camp Ground — between Charleville & Cunnamulla
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Bay of Fires
This Conservation Area offers beach-side camping and the elevated sites amongst the acacia trees have amazing views of the ocean and coastline.
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Binalong Bay — The Gardens
Beach side free camping.
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Longreach Waterhole — Just out of Elliot, NT
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Spotted something out of date, or know a spot that should be on this list? Let us know.
📸 Have you found an awesome camp?
Tell the TAWK community about it!
Know a hidden gem?
A brilliant overnight stop?
A beautiful beach where the kids can run wild?
Share it with us, and your recommendation could help another travelling family discover their next favourite stop.
⚠️ Leave no trace. Check before you go.
Camping rules, fees, road conditions, fire restrictions and access can change. Before setting up camp:
- Check whether camping is currently permitted
- Check maximum stay limits
- Check current fees or permits
- Check fire restrictions
- Carry enough water
- Take your rubbish with you
- Leave your campsite better than you found it
- Be considerate of other campers and locals
Conditions can change, so always confirm current information with the relevant land manager before travelling.
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