19 Great School-Holiday Camping Destinations Across Australia

School holidays are when most Aussie families finally get the chance to load the car and head bush. Mid-winter is grey-nomad season heading north for warmth; Christmas and Easter see families heading everywhere. Popular spots fill months in advance — book early, plan ahead.

Here are 19 great camping destinations spread across every state and territory. Each is within a comfortable day's drive of a capital city, has a coast and a bush option per state, and works for both first-time campers and seasoned tourers.

Photo by Trevor McKinnon on Unsplash

Carnarvon National Park sits between Roma and Emerald on the Carnarvon Developmental Road. The Carnarvon Gorge section is the most popular — sheer sandstone walls, ancient cycads, Aboriginal rock art galleries, and walking trails ranging from easy boardwalks to multi-day treks.

Camping is in the national park (Takarakka Bush Resort is also nearby for serviced sites). Other sections of the park are remote and 4WD-only, but well worth it if you're set up for it.

A few hours north of Brisbane. Caravan parks aplenty, plus self-sufficient beach camping along the Burrum Coast for 4WDers. Big draws: turtle watching at Mon Repos (Nov–Mar — book ahead, very limited slots), year-round fishing, and the Bundaberg Rum distillery for a tour. The Alexandra Park free zoo is a winner with kids.

An hour south of Cairns on the Cassowary Coast: 14km of golden beach with rainforest on one side and the Great Barrier Reef on the other. Less developed than Cairns or Port Douglas, and quieter with it.

Day trip to Dunk Island, snorkel the reef, or raft the Tully River if your kids are 12 or over. Walk the rainforest tracks and watch for cassowaries — they are famously elusive and famously large. Stinger season runs November to May, so swim inside the netted enclosure or not at all.

Cool-temperate rainforest and snow-gum plateaus, accessed via gravel road between Gloucester and Scone. Bush camping within the national park, walks to lookouts and natural waterholes, and excellent mountain biking. Commercial camping is available off the access road west of Gloucester. Worth knowing: the higher elevations get cold even in summer — pack proper layers.

Laidback bush-and-beach camping just south of Port Macquarie. Beachfront sites in the national park, easy walking tracks, and 4WD beach access available with a permit (collect at the Park ranger station). Surfing, swimming, fishing all on the doorstep. The macadamia farm and Norfolk Punch factory are good rainy-day visits.

Two to three hours south of Sydney, where Hyams Beach has been measured as having the whitest sand in the world. The bay is a marine park with more than fifty resident dolphins, and the water is protected enough for kids to paddle and swim without a shore break.

Booderee National Park has kid-length walks, native gardens and its own beaches. Dolphin spotting is close to guaranteed; humpbacks pass between June and November. Camping books out a long way ahead for school holidays.

Photo: Trevor McKinnon / Unsplash

Western Vic's iconic mountain range, centred on Halls Gap. The national park has stunning hiking (the Pinnacle, the Balconies, MacKenzie Falls), Aboriginal art sites, and abundant wildlife. Spring wildflowers are world-class. Plenty of bush camping in the park, plus Halls Gap has commercial caravan parks for serviced sites.

East Gippsland's holiday-park heart. Beachfront commercial camping, climate a few degrees warmer than Melbourne, and productive fishing both in the lakes system and offshore. Houseboat hire on the Gippsland Lakes is the family-friendly option for getting out on water without buying a boat. Surrounded by national parks for day trips.

Under three hours from Melbourne on the Murray. Echuca was once Australia's largest inland port and the restored Port of Echuca still has the 400-metre wharf where paddlesteamers unloaded cargo bound for Melbourne.

Take a paddlesteamer cruise on the PS Pevensey or PS Adelaide — children are sometimes given a turn at the wheel, which is the bit they remember. Houseboat hire turns the accommodation into the activity. Plenty of riverside caravan parks and bush camping along the Murray either side of town.

Historic Tassie town between Devonport and Launceston, just off the Bass Highway. Camping is at commercial parks. Day trips to Mole Creek Wildlife Park (kid magnet), trout fishing the Meander River, and the Liffey Falls walk. Many local artists have studios in the town — great for a quiet morning of browsing.

Tassie's east-coast jewel — pink granite peaks, white sand beaches, turquoise water. Coles Bay is the township base with commercial accommodation and camping. Bush camps at Wineglass Bay and Hazards Beach (walk-in). The Wineglass Bay lookout walk is the must-do (1.5 hours return); the longer Hazards loop is the proper experience (5-6 hours).

A twenty-minute vehicle ferry from Kettering, itself half an hour south of Hobart. A hundred kilometres long and barely populated — the Tasmanian wilderness experience without a multi-day commitment.

Eco cruises run along the sea cliffs past fur seals and fairy penguins. Walk the Cape Bruny Lighthouse loop, Mount Mangana or Fluted Cape, and watch for white wallabies and sea eagles. The cheese, oysters and whisky are the reason the adults agree to it. Camping at The Neck is $10 a night and the honesty box takes cash only.

World Heritage-listed Kakadu has camping options ranging from very basic bush camps to elaborate commercial parks. Wildlife is abundant, and Aboriginal-led bush tucker tours and Yellow Water boat cruises are bucket-list experiences. Critical: watch the kids — saltwater crocs prevent any water swimming. Mosquitoes and sandflies are vicious — bring proper repellent. Best visited dry season (May–Oct).

Yellow Water at sunrise for crocodiles, birds and buffalo; Ubirr at sunset for rock art galleries above the floodplain; Nourlangie for more art and a free ranger talk that is better than most paid tours. Gunlom Falls has the plunge pool at the top of the escarpment.

Photo: Wietse Jongsma / Unsplash

Two hours south of Darwin and arguably more accessible than Kakadu. The waterfall pools (Wangi Falls, Florence Falls, Buley Rockholes) are croc-free swimming holes — extremely rare in the NT. Commercial caravan parks near Batchelor; popular bush camps throughout the park. Great for families wanting NT scenery without the full Kakadu logistics.

An hour north of Albany on the Great Southern Highway. Famous for its springtime wildflowers (Sept–Nov is peak), and Bluff Knoll is the highest peak in WA's south-west — a great half-day climb. No-frills camping at Moingup Springs in the national park; commercial caravan park at Tambellup if you need facilities.

Mid-coast WA gem. Camping in town and bush camps in the national park. The deep gorges on the Murchison River (Nature's Window, Z-Bend, the Loop) are stunning. Beach walks, fishing, parrot enclosure and aquarium for the kids, and 4WD opportunities on the beach. Kalbarri Skywalk (cantilevered glass-floor lookout) is worth the visit.

Three hours south of Perth, famous for wine and quietly built for families. Beaches, bush, limestone caves, and a steady supply of free chocolate, cheese and fudge tastings between them.

Swim at Smiths Beach or Gnarabup, walk a section of the Cape to Cape trail, and take the kids through Mammoth, Lake or Jewel Cave. Whales pass Geographe Bay from September to December.

The classic SA outback experience. Largely accessible in a 2WD family car (sealed roads to all the major sites). Camping at Wilpena Pound Resort within the national park, plus a network of outback station stays (Rawnsley, Alpana, Angorichina). Wildlife is everywhere — kangaroos, emus, yellow-footed rock wallabies. Aboriginal heritage walks and the dramatic geology of Wilpena Pound are unmissable.

Just an hour's drive south of Adelaide to Cape Jervis, then a SeaLink ferry to Penneshaw. Mix of town and country camping scattered across the island. Sea Lion watching at Seal Bay (cold south-west coast), swimming on the calmer north coast, the historic Cape du Couedic lighthouse, and the gourmet wine + cheese trail for the adults. The ferry crossing itself is half the adventure for kids.

Seal Bay lets you walk among Australian sea lions with a guide. Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch sit on the wild south-west coast; Stokes Bay on the north is the sheltered swim. Roughly a third of the island is national or conservation park.

These 19 destinations are just a starting point — browse our Campsite Explorer for hundreds more current Australian camping options across every state.

Open Campsite Explorer →

• Bookings — NSW NPWS: nationalparks.nsw.gov.au
• Bookings — Parks Victoria: parks.vic.gov.au
• Bookings — QLD Parks: parks.des.qld.gov.au
• Bookings — Parks SA: parks.sa.gov.au
• Bookings — WA Parks (DBCA): parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au
• Bookings — Parks Tasmania: parks.tas.gov.au
• Bookings — NT Parks: nt.gov.au/parks
• Weather + warnings (BoM): bom.gov.au
• Leave No Trace Australia: lnt.org.au

You could fill several lifetimes camping around Australia and not get to all the great spots. The 19 above are a starting point — easy enough for families, varied enough to span coastal, rainforest, alpine and outback in a single round of trips, and far enough off the tourist circuit that you'll find proper bush experiences.

Pick one in your own state for the next school holidays, then plan the next one further afield. The country is best when you keep moving through it.