Free Camping Recommendations
We are putting up free camping recommendations on the site, and are are calling fellow TAWKers (families Travelling Australia With Kids) to share the great spots that you have found. NOT forgetting that by 'free' we usually mean without amenities, they may incur a small charge. Not usually as expensive as a caravan park though.
Help and be helped by submitting your free favourite camp spot below.
Together we can make this the most interactive and friendly community of families Travelling Australia With Kids and here we can 'TAWK' about it!
(The TAWK site is new, so bookmark it and come back often and of course join in and make it better!)
If you are a new TAWKer I'll just clarify again what Free Camping is - as I remember it being a shock to me; The term 'Free Camping' does not always mean the camping is monetary FREE. More often than not, there will be a fee to be paid to enter a National Park and you may also find a nominal fee per person. As explained on our Free Camping page, (which you should have a little look at if you have not already), I always correlate the words 'free camping' to; without electricity, water and general amenities.
Your Free Camping Recommendations could help others
All the Free Campiong recommendations here are from YOU our amazing TAWKers or places that we have been to personally. We encourage all of you TAWKers to join in and help other families by going to the bottom of the page and telling us about one that YOU love. (You can even upload a couple of photos. So help us to help fellow TAWKers to make this the most interactive web site for families travelling our wonderful country.
Future TAWKers will thank you all!
Free Camping Recommendations
Western Australia free camping recommendations by TAWKers
- 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.
- Baden Powell - Lane Poole Reserve
- 40 Mile Beach Gnoorea - near Karrartha
- Edagee Rest Area Camp - Just 81 kms south of Carnavon WA
- De Grey River - Just north of Port Headland
- 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
- Cape Range National Park
- Membinup Beach - 100 klms east of Esperance. Fantastic and worth the drive.
- Shannon National Park WA
- Parrys Beach and Two Peoples Bay
- Robe River - On the way down to Exmouth
- Spring creek - Near turn off to Bungle Bungles.
- Fraser Range Station
- Niagara Dam
- Coronation Beach (low cost)
Photos of Western Australia free camping recommendations from TAWKers
Click on any photo to enlarge
Cliff Hear Nr Arrowsmith - Pic: Rebecca HalesSouth Australia - free camping recommendations
- Bowman Park, just out of Crystal Brook SA, is great. Good shade and a resident peacock too.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- Yunta (good over nighter)
Photos of South Australia's free camping recommendations from TAWKers
Click on any photo to enlarge
Victoria free camping recommendations by TAWKers
- Big Hill Track - Just out of Lorne.
- Boobook Camp at Licola - the southern end of the High Country.
- Cohuna, Victoria. A fantastic free camp.
- Henty Park Portland. Totally free, max 3 nights, toilets being rebuilt (Feb 2017), pool next door, walk to beach, playground, shops!
- Johanna Beach. This large campground is behind the dunes at Johanna Beach, north-west of Cape Otway.
- Keddles Camp - On the Rubicon river in Vic! Loved it.
- Lake Ratzcastle Victoria. Flushing loos, solar shower.
- Boobook Camp at Licola - The southern end of the High Country
- 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.
- Panmure Free Camp near Warnambool - 24hr max but it doesn't get much better for the kids!
- Yarrawonga and Cobram - on the Murray River.
Photos of Victoria Free Camping Recommendations by TAWKers
Click on any photo to enlarge
New South Wales - Free Camping Recommendations by TAWKers
- 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!!
- Burning Mountain - Near Tamworth
- Coopernook State Forest
- 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.
- McCulloghs Range - between Wlicannia and Broken Hill.
- Ponto Falls - 40 minutes from Dubbo
- Wallabadah First Fleet Park, (near Tamworth)
Photos of New South Wales - Free Camping Recommendations by TAWKers
Click on any photo to enlarge..
Pronto Falls
Bendeela camping and picnic area - Pic Lauren Pullock
Queensland - Free Camping Recommendations by TAWKers
- Blue water free camp, just north of Townsville - Free to stay, has toilets & outdoor shower.
- Boynedale Bush Camp near Caliope - Free, drop toilets, on lake Awoonga, flat grassy and treed, some fire pits and tables.
- Calliope River - Near Gladstone
- Camooweal Billabong - No facilities but good campsites all along there
- Cohen - North of the town on the river
- Corella Dam - East of Mt. Isa
- Cumberland Chimney - On the Savannah Way
- Dawson River rest area - West of Biloela
- Gregory Downs - On the river
- Home Hill Qld - Toilets, hot showers & camp kitchen all in the center of town
- Julia Creek
- Tambo
- Rifle Creek - Just outside of Mareeba
- Balgal Beach - North of Townsville
- Mary Kathleen township out near Mt Isa - Historic mining town. There is plenty of room. Has concrete slabs.
- Mt Molloy - north qld north of Atherton
- McLeod Creek - between Cairns & Cooktown
- Proston Overnight Camp - Close to Wondai and Murgon
- Sam Creek (Cape York)
- Wyandra Camp Ground - between Charleville & Cunnamulla
Photos of Queensland Free Camping Recommendations by TAWKers
Click on any photo to enlarge..
Tasmania - Free Camping Recommendations by TAWKers
- 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.
- Binalong Bay The gardens beach side free camping
Photos of Tasmania Free Camping Recommendations by TAWKers
Click on any photo to enlarge
Northern Territory Free Camping Recommendations by TAWKers
- Longreach Waterhole - Just out of Elliot, NT.
So, over to you. What free camping recommendations do you have? Please complete the form below or Post on our Facebook page - include a photo if you can as it helps.
Where have you been that you and the children loved? Tell us everything about it and of course we would love to see some photos too. If you have a blog, then you can put a link there too. Just no commercial sites please.
What Great Free Camp Spot Can You Recommend?
Have you found a Free Camping Area that you and your children loved? Then please share your 'find' with the Travel Australia With Kids (TAWK) community. Tell us exactly where it is and more about it.
What Other Visitors Have Said
Click below to see other Free Camp Spots suggested by other TAWKers to this page...
Kurrajong Camp, Cape Range National Park, Exmouth, WA. 
What a fantastic family camping holiday!!
In the beautiful Cape Range National Park in Exmouth there are several DEC campgrounds to chose from. …
Chaffey Dam NSW / Bowling Alley Point
Chaffey Dam or as wiki camps call it Bowling Alley Point, is about 40 mins out of Tamworth NSW.
There are acres of camping space so you're not all …
Sandy Point, Hay NSW Not rated yet
Large free, no cost campground. Up to three nights stay. Close to town but not too noisy (not on main road). Toilets and BBQS.
Right beside grassy …
Macquire Woods, Nsw Not rated yet
Macquire Woods in NSW is located 26km's from Bathurst and 25km's other direction to Orange.
Plenty of grass for the kids to run around.
We found …
Flanagan's , SEQ Not rated yet
We go through Rathdowney to get to flanagans, when coming from Beaudesert, in south east Queensland
There are amenities, the showers you pay a small …
Mackenzie River Rainforest Walk - Victoria Not rated yet
This free camp spot is - On the Princes Hwy after Cann river on way to Orbost.
I think it is great for children because it has a great river walk...plenty …
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