General tips
Get maps or a Travel atlas
eg HEMA with all of Australia. Shows National parks etc.
Worth getting the large
version (more expensive) as it is easier to see details.
The Hema maps show official free camps: eg 24 hour or 48
hr stay. These have toilets and a cold
shower outside.
They are widely used by
“grey nomads” and backpackers. Better
than rest areas on the highway: quieter and usely near a river or some feature.
Not always easy to
find.
There is also an App you can
download on your phone which has free camps.
You can also camp in National Parks – $5 approx per
person per night.
You will need to go online –
eg google “parksQ” for queensland
– and create AN Account with your vehicle rego etc.
After this, go online,
select the national park, then the campsite, etc
And pay by credit card. Download the pdf receipt and take note of the
reservation number. Write this down on a
piece of paper and put it in your windscreen.
Camping in Nat parks is good – often next to a lake or River. Wake up with birds,
see Goannas etc. And go on the walks on
offer. Light a fire in some –
especially NSW. Carry firelighters and
some small wood.
Do not camp in busy places
like near Noosa beach where you may be fined by the council. Head for national parks nearby or isolated roads.
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Mask and snorkel – buy one
and use Whitsundays, magnetic island etc.
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North of cairns, QLD
Can swim in sea.
No stingers may-oct
Don’t swim near creek
entrances. Crocs breed there and hang around creeks. They don’t go into surf areas, generally
unless travelling between creeks.
beaches will often have croc signs. Look to see if there is a creek with mangroves . if it is less than 500m away or so, dont swim.
Easy scenic drive from Cairns 1.5 hrs approx:
Port douglas 5 star resorts – Sheraton mirage etc. can have a
drink in the bars of most. Eg ramada resort .or QT resort.
Very romantic sunsets from the park near the church, end of Macrosan st.
520 pm onwards.
Mosman gorge – small fee to enter . Good swimming in river.
Good 3km loop walk (easy) with huge tropical trees – worthwhile
Free camp:
from Mossman head North 15 min towards
Wonga beach. After road meets sea, there
is a parking with a jetty. I camp here
often. No toilet2
North of this,
Can Get water taxi to Snapper island .
(nat park camping). Small island.
Walk to north side, swim out
approx 80m and there is a large coral
bommy. Good coral on calm days.
Cape tribulation
strong hippy vibe... 40 minutes north of Mossman, catch ferry with vehicle across river. Daintree Jungle in Mossman gorge and cape trib is the oldest in the world... older than the amazon.
worth doing the hikes up to 1000m ... steep, bring a lot of water..
Between Cairns
and Townsville
– lots of national parks. Get map to
see them.
Highly recommend small
nat park 1hr north of Townsville-
Jourama falls
Get dropped off at sign “jourama falls” then walk 5km or so on dirt road. To campsite in forest.
No phone reception . good campsites, river to swim in.
Waterfalls and beautiful
rock pools, lizards, butterflies.
Very quiet.
After this, at ingham if you have desire , you can go to
Wallaman falls- Niagara-like waterfalls .
a bit of a drive west – but can hitch with campers.
Not to be missed: Mission beach
Very nice beach, jungle
walks
Get ferry to Dunk
island, camp nat
park, snorkel.
If keen, get ferry to
Hinchinbrook island, walk south for 5 +
days (campsites need booking) and get picked up south of island.
Josephine falls nice.
Tully gorge v. nice. Campsite nat park right on
river. Swim, jungle walks.
Work in bananas all year
round.
Magnetic Island
Very laid back, much better than Townsville. 30$ return on
ferry (without car). Eg leave car at ferry terminal for 7$ per day. Worth camping at horshoe bay to see sunset and soak in the atmosphere. Good camp next to yha. Also wood bungalows at yha. Parrots come into grounds afternoon and you can feed them.
Worth reserving yha horseshoe bay . 2 min walk to beach.
Recommend 2-3 days.
Then Can take bus 20 min to horseshoe bay –
great sunsets . Or can walk to acadia bay , then take inland
hike track up hill to ww2 bunkers (good views, history) then down to Florence bay. Get walk map at info also
snorkeling guide free. Have mask and
snorkel for bays – good coral on left or right of all bays.
Can wild camp Florence
bay (best bay) and snorkel on left.
Toilets
Then walk to balding bay
etc. can camp on these bays. Also can do “block” climbing on granite
rocks.
Then walk around to
horseshoe bay, have beer at pub.
Go to yha afternoon for
parrot feeding . can camp on beach – go
north .
Walk back same way or get
bus back to picnic bay. Some snorkeling
near xbase backpackers also. The Bay
south of xbase can access by foot – from road, small track. Very nice bay can
camp.
South molle and magnetic are
gems.
Just south
of Townsville, alligator creek nat park camp.
Very nice rock pools to
swim. Walk up stream by rock hoping or
use track to right. If you are keen, walk to big waterfall is 16km . can camp there .
South of Townsville
Airlie Beach.
Tres joli archipel d’iles.
Les Bahamas en Australie
Après… après mackay, a Proserpine, take turnoff to airlie beach.
Good free camping at cedar falls (turnoff on right before airlie) but remote and hard to get to on foot.
Near airlie, can camp in national park (on road to shute harbour with tent.) very good beach campsites. Also great walk (long 27km but I did it in 1 day) from airlie thru rainforest and down to road. Can hitch back to airlie.
Get all info for walks, islands etc at national park info center, just at exit of Airlie on way to shute harbour.
They have a pamphlet with map of Whitsundays and all walks and campsites on islands.
Very good views of islands from shute harbour. Can talk to yachties in marina there or airlie for crew member etc. they take backpackers for races also.
Can camp on top parking – pay parking fee of 7$ and stay discrete.
From shute harbour, walk back a bit to nat park and camp (mosquitoes).
Best island and cheap to get to and stay:
South Molle island
Use nat park brochure to do walks.
Has epic sunsets, a real Robinson Crusoe feel . There are 2 national park camps. Sandy bay has best views.
click HERE for my blog entry on this.
Some of the best walks in Queensland. Short (2hrs return ) .
Lots of big butterflies.
Sandy bay:
Coral just off the camp, on both sides. Also near jetty next to resort.
You can walk to the backpackers resort – they have parties you can join in, drink beer etc.
Walk along beach then up into forest to get to resort, This is also the start of the walks. Some walks start behind the resort.
Use Scamper water taxi. Drop off and pick up for 65$. Leaves from shute harbour
They can hire you jerrican 20l. and more camping gear.
Tent with mossie net useful for sandflies. Bring jumper , raincoat.
Snorkel gear.
If there is significant rain, Try to arrive a few days after rain , as rain makes water visibility not so good.
Go to campsite on spit between 2 islands. Toilet, picnic table, a few other campers.
From there, coral on both sides (swim out a bit). Coral around jetty at resort.
Excellent coral in gap between 2 islands.. need to walk north of camp at low tide. Go around on left, past rocks. Come to coral beach, snorkel. Use current and drift .
Can fill water at resort: buy a drink at the bar ( after 5) and ask them to fill your bottles. Can walk to resort along track (17min).
Do all walks to summits especially the one to spion kopje near the resort. Butterflies etc.
Stay at least 2 nights. soak up sunsets, and get good weather.
At low tide, can walk north to mid molle island, then cross it via forest or rocks (no track…) . really good coral in passage between mid-molle island and North molle island . (ferries go thru here). Can use tidal current – get in on one side and let it drag you to other side, while being underwater.
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Rainbow beach
Very pretty beach
Carlo’s sandblow - short walk from parking next to rainbow
beach.
Huge sand dune.
Walk down to edge and look
North to see good view of Rainbow beach.
Camping at Inskip peninsula
– nat park
Need 4wd to get thru sand on
many sites. Also lots of sandflies.
Noosa
Not to be missed. Excellent surf. Great walk along edge of national park past tea tree bay etc. Dolphins sometimes.
Glass house mountains
Between noosa and brisbane. Amazing volcanic mountains . Good short hikes. Eg around tibrogargan. Some rock climbing with bolts there as well.
Can free camp tibrogargan at parking . Can do steep hike up to summit. Not in wet weather.
Easy hike: to top of ngungun . Near glasshouse town ( get map of mountains there) . Great sunset as in picture above.
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South of Brisbane
Myall lakes
Very nice camping on peaceful huge lakes.
Nice campsite - on huge lake
Near Sydney. World heritage at 1000m altitude.
Kattomba is 1.5 hrs from sydney cbd.. great walks . Avatar - like scenery and waterfalls.
Go to wentworth falls, do the balcony walk which is midway down cliff ( one at base is not as scenic) . Via ladders etc. Come back up in valley of waters - multiple falls.
Also amazing fall - bridal veil fall at govett' s leap: go to blackheath. Then down to national parks office and lookout.
Can walk to base of fall.
Nearby ( turnoff between blackheathand kattomba ) go to evans lookout. Can free camp here. Excellent hike " grand canyon" go down steeply thru gulleys and tree ferns.
Turn right at bottom. Keep going until the canyon gets real narrow.
Grampians NP, Victoria
3.5 hours NW of Melbourne.
Halls gap is a little gem, with high peaks, great walks in small canyon, lots of great granite for rockclimbing or scrambling. Lots of rock pools on the track from halls gap up the valley to sundial carpark. Then go up "grand canyon" walk .
1 hour North:
Mt Arapiles World famous small monolith for rock climbing (trad mainly).
