We’re exploring Australia in a campervan, so we spend our nights at campsites instead of hotels or hostels. It’s our first time travelling like this, and I have to say I was quite surprised how well equipped and clean (most) campsites in Australia are. In this blogpost we discuss our experiences with campsites in New South Wales. Features or services we deem important are clean amenities and a WiFi connection (preferably unlimited, free, and fast). Shade on your site is always a plus, especially in hot areas, and a pool is nice as well. We’ve categorized the campsites in New South Wales we stayed at according to our degree of satisfaction. The order in each category is random.
As we’d be spending three months on campsites in Australia, we decided to become member of two different campsite networks. Joining the BIG4 Loyalty Club cost us $50 for 2 years, granting a 10% discount (up to $40) on all bookings. For $40 you can buy a Family Parks Membership Card valid for 2 years, granting a 10% discount (up to $20 on sites and $40 on cabins) on all bookings. Both of these memberships are valid on a number of campsites in New Zealand as well, our next stop. A Top Parks Membership Card (used to be Top Tourist Parks) is included in the rental of our Spaceships campervan, good for a 10% discount (up to $40) on all bookings as well. If you were to buy this membership yourself, it would be $40 for 2 years, similar to the others.
Note that prices are in Australian Dollar and can vary depending on the time of the year you visit. We were in New South Wales in January and April 2016.
Our favourite campsites in New South Wales
We loved our stay at these campsites. The location is very nice, the WiFi free and pretty fast, and the amenities clean. These are campsites we highly recommend when looking for a campsite in the area.
BIG4 Bungalow Park on Burrill Lake
- Price: powered site with lake view, 2 nights, $63 ($31.50 per night, including 10% discount as a BIG4 Loyalty Club member)
- WiFi: unlimited, free, and quite fast
- Amenities: clean
- Friendliness of staff: friendly
- Entertainment: pool, jumping pillow, entertainment room, and plenty of other activities
- Location: at Burrill Lake, so nice view, Aldi and Woolworths at 7 minute drive
- Laundry room: washing machines $4 per load, dryer $1 per load, irons available at reception, clothes line
- Camp kitchen: clean (cooking fires, barbecues (barbies) microwave, electric kettle, toaster, sinks, fridge)
The view from our campervan while staying at BIG4 Bungalow Park on Burrill Lake was great! It’s situated on the shores of Burrill Lake, which makes it popular for boaters and fishers. If you’re not into either, there are plenty of other activities to keep you occupied. There’s a tennis court (free for guests, rackets and balls included), a jumping pillow, a swimming pool (although the water wasn’t that clean and pretty cold) and they have a couple of talking sulphur-crested cockatoos. We heard them say “Hello”, “Happy Birthday”, and “Hello Cockie”! On the edge of the lake, we spotted some pelicans. We’d never seen one in the wild. They’re HUGE birds!
Every day at the same time they feed a big group of rainbow lorikeets and you can help if you dare. Those little birds are really beautiful, but they make a lot of noise and have sharp little nails. There are some paid activities as well. You can do some mini-golf ($9 per adult) or go kayaking or canoeing on the lake ($20 for the first hour, $10 per hour after that). If the weather is bad or forecasted to be bad, they won’t let you on the lake though. In that case there’s the entertainment room with a television, some arcade games, a soccer table, an Xbox and a PlayStation.
We got a friendly welcome when checking into the park. The lady at the reception handed us a map of the camping, a list of all the activities, and told us about nearby restaurants and things to do. The WiFi is free, unlimited and quite fast. If you’re lucky, you even have a good connection in your campervan. To enter and exit the grounds you need a code. The camp kitchens are outside, but clean and covered. There are picnic tables and one camp kitchen even had a big television. For the green travellers: there are recycling bins.
Go to BIG4 Bungalow Park on Burrill Lake
North Coast Holiday Parks Bonny Hills
- Price: powered site, 2 nights, $96 ($48 per night)
- WiFi: limited to 100MB or 3 hours per device per day for free, decent speed
- Amenities: clean, need code to enter
- Friendliness of staff: very friendly
- Entertainment: television in camp kitchen
- Location: right on the beach, Woolworths at a 15 minute drive
- Laundry room: washing machines and dryers, both $4 per load ($1 and $2 coins), clothes line
- Camp kitchen: nice and clean (cooking fire, barbecues (barbies), microwave, electric kettle, toaster, sink, fridge and small freezer)
North Coast Holiday Parks Bonny Hills is right on the beach. Two beaches actually. Spooney’s Bay is a nice and quiet small beach. Spread your towel on the sand or rocks for some pretty private tanning. Or take the wooden boardwalk to the slightly bigger, 5 km long Rainbow Beach. Bring a surfboard or go for a run, like we did, to blend in. The boardwalk runs along the campsite and has a couple of lookouts with benches where you can enjoy the ocean views.
The facilities at North Coast Holiday Parks Bonny Hills are pretty new. The camp kitchen has everything you need, including tables, chairs, and a television. For grocery shopping you can drive to the Woolworths in 15 minutes or just cross the street to the Bonny Hills Friendly Grocer. It’s a small shop selling groceries and pretty good fresh bread. Plus: the campsite has recycling bins.
Go to North Coast Holiday Parks Bonny Hills
Average campsites in New South Wales
These campsites were nice, but had some flaws. There wasn’t any camp kitchen, the amenities weren’t that clean, or the WiFi was very restricted to non-existent. We were satisfied with our stay, but they weren’t new or equipped enough to make it to our favourite campsites.
Lane Cove River Tourist Park
- Price: powered site, 4 nights, $156 ($39 per night)
- WiFi: no WiFi, internet room, but computers were down
- Amenities: clean
- Friendliness of staff: friendly
- Entertainment: pool, television room with sofas and computers
- Location: 30 minute drive to Sydney, 15 minute walk to train station
- Laundry rooms: washing machines and dryers, both $3 per load, clothes line
- Camp kitchens: clean (cooking fires, barbecues (barbies), microwaves, electric kettles, sinks, fridges)
Lane Cove River Tourist Park was our first and last campsite in Australia. At first we were quite impressed with the facilities of the campsite. We weren’t sure what to expect, but apparently we expected less. After three months of campsites throughout Australia, we know better. There are way prettier and better equipped campsites out there. Big bummer: there’s no WiFi. Solution: do your grocery shopping at Macquerie Centre, a large shopping mall with food court. They have an Aldi and Woolworths, 3 hours free parking and free WiFi. The campsite’s location is great though. It’s a 30 minute drive to Sydney Harbour and a 15 minute walk to the nearest train station that will get you into the city.
Upon arrival you’ll get a lot of useful information about the public transport for example, and a code to enter the grounds. On a map of the surroundings they’ve marked the closest shops. When you’re out of milk or other basic needs, you can go to the little shop at the reception. It’s a big campsite with several camp kitchens and barbecue areas, all covered and with picnic tables. Recycling bins are spread around the park. Watch out for those ugly bush turkeys walking by your campervan like they own the place.
Go to Lane Cove River Tourist Park
Katoomba Falls Caravan Park
- Price: powered ensuite site, 2 nights, $105 ($52.50 per night)
- WiFi: no free WiFi
- Amenities: private bathroom was clean
- Friendliness of staff: friendly
- Entertainment: television room with sofa
- Location: across the street from Blue Mountains National Park, Woolworths at 5 minute drive
- Laundry room: washing machines and dryers, both $4 per load (1 hour), clothes line
- Camp kitchen: clean (electric cookers available at reception, barbecues (barbies), microwave, electric kettle, toaster, sinks, fridge with small freezer)
Katoomba Falls Caravan Park is located perfectly to visit Blue Mountains National Park. That was our first national park ever, and our first real hike. Read all about it in our post Hiking the Blue Mountains in Sydney. Powered sites were sold out, so we booked a powered ensuite site. Slightly more expensive, but nice to have your private bathroom with shower, toilet, and sink.
At the reception you’ll find all kinds of useful information, including information on walking tracks in Blue Mountains National Park. The camp kitchen was inside a building, with picnic tables in the covered area around it. We liked that there was salt, pepper, and some other basics free for use in the camp kitchen. Here we had our first encounter with sulphur-crested cockatoos. Beautiful birds, but their screeches can be heard from miles away.
Go to Katoomba Falls Caravan Park
Alivio Tourist Park Canberra
- Price: powered site, 3 nights, $144 ($48 per night)
- WiFi: limited to 200MB per day for free, fast (possibility to buy more data)
- Amenities: pretty nice, clean, need key to enter
- Friendliness of staff: friendly
- Entertainment: pool, children’s playground, tennis court, basketball court, volleyball court, ping pong table (material on loan at reception)
- Location: 10 minute drive to centre of Canberra, 10 minute walk to bus stop ($9 per adult for daily pass)
- Laundry room: washing machines and dryers (not sure about price, need tokens from reception), clothes line
- Camp kitchen: none, but barbecue areas, a herb garden, and a restaurant on campsite
Alivio Tourist Park Canberra is technically not New South Wales, but we’ll cover it here anyway. We actually really liked this campsite, except for the annoying fact you need keys for the amenities and pool area. It didn’t make it to our favourites because there’s no camp kitchen. A crucial feature if you want to save some money while campervanning through Australia. We did love the food at the on site Ridge Cafe and Bar. Best (OK, first as well) Chicken Parma Schnitzel ($21.90) ever! There’s a great WiFi connection as well, but unfortunately usage is limited to 200MB per day. We bought an extra 8GB online for $18.
Go to Alivio Tourist Park Canberra
Glen Villa Resort
- Price: powered site, 3 nights, $135 ($45 per night)
- WiFi: limited to 100MB per device per day free, fast
- Amenities: clean
- Friendliness of staff: friendly
- Entertainment: television in laundry room, pool
- Location: in Byron Bay, a popular surfer’s town, 10 minute walk to the beach, 5 minute walk to Woolworths
- Laundry room: washing machines $5 per load, dryers not sure ($1 and $2 coins), ironing board and iron, clothes line
- Camp kitchen: clean (cooking fires, barbecues (barbies), microwave, electric kettle, toaster, sinks, fridge, no cooking and eating utensils)
In Byron Bay, the surfer’s town with a hippie vibe, we stayed at Glen Villa Resort. From there it’s a 10 minute walk to the beach, and a 5 minute walk to Woolworths. Even better: only a 10 minute walk for a delicious ice cream from In The Pink. Cooking fires and barbecues are outside in a covered area, together with tables and chairs. The television, fridge and other kitchen equipment like a microwave are to be found in the laundry room. We were lucky to have a site with shade throughout the day.
Go to Glen Villa Resort
Glen Rest Tourist Park
- Price: powered site, 2 nights, $64 ($32 per night)
- WiFi: 2-3 hours per day for free, fast (didn’t notice a limit)
- Amenities: clean, need code to enter (separate entrances for showers and toilets)
- Friendliness of staff: very friendly
- Entertainment: fossicking on campsite ($15)
- Location: in Glen Innes, an old Celtic town
- Laundry room: washing machines and dryers both $4 per load ($1 and $2 coins), clothes line
- Camp kitchen: clean (cooking fire, barbecues (barbies), microwave, electric kettle, toaster, sink (no hot water), fridge, no cooking and eating utensils)
Glen Rest Tourist Park is owned by a lovely old couple that loves to tell you about Glen Innes, fossicking, and their travels. We did our grocery shopping in the Woolworths at a 5 minute drive and went to Thai House for a great dinner. The main reason for our visit was fossicking: looking for sapphires in the dirt. It’s the only entertainment on offer on the campsite, costing you $15. Read all about it in our post What to do in New South Wales.
Go to Glen Rest Tourist Park
Campsites in New South Wales we wouldn’t return to
Apparently we made some good choices concerning campsites in New South Wales, as there wasn’t one we definitely wouldn’t return to. Doing some research before booking paid off! We’ll be covering this in a future blog post as well, but the WikiCamps app is a great starting point for finding campsites in New South Wales (and all around Australia).
Liked this post?
We hope you enjoyed our post about the campsites we stayed at in New South Wales. Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments. Did you find it helpful? Help us spread the word by sharing this post or pinning the following image.
