Tired of crowded and dusty free camps?

Tired of crowded and dusty spots? Here’s how to find the most picturesque free camps in the country!

Not a night goes by where you won’t see a deserted beach or picture perfect rolling hills on the telly. Those seemingly perfect spots are often considered myths, unattainable unless you’re living in some kind of alternate universe. Well, we’re here to tell you that’s not the case.

With some careful planning, a nose for what’s good and what’s not and a bit of talk you can find yourself parked up on the best beaches, the most incredible mountains and the most deserted rainforest Australia has to offer, so follow our guide and enjoy everything this country really has to offer, but don’t tell anyone!

PLANNING IS KEY

First things first you need to decide on some destinations you want to cover in your trip. You then need to put some solid planning in place to ensure you’re able to see as much as possible for your money. The best free camps can often take a while to get to, so planning is a great way to make sure you take in as much as possible without blowing your budget.

It just isn’t good sense to spend a couple of days fossicking out the best beachside camp in Northern Queensland only to decide to pack up and head south a couple of days later. You will need to allow more time for discovering locations and setting up camps if you’re planning on finding free camps, as they are normally further out of town and less convenient to access than a caravan park.

THE INSIDE WORD

It doesn’t matter how much research you do online you’re not going to tap into the truly spectacular spots without talking with those who know them best – the locals. Every time you stop in a town that you know has some bushland, parks, beaches and other known spots nearby, pull into a coffee shop or the local pub. It won’t take much talking to the publican to get the inside word on where the best spots are, and these are spots that you won’t find on a map. Local information centres are also great to lean on for advice on local weather, rules and anything else you may need to know.

What you really need to work on when you pull into a town is digging even deeper. When you’re speaking to the barista, make note of who they mention in conversation. It might be a local school teacher who heads out in their van every weekend or the lady that runs the local community centre that seems to know everything. Whoever it is, get onto them and ask them about the best places to park your van. There’s no doubt they’ll know some hidden gems that will take your stay from good to great.

PLAY DETECTIVE

A certain degree of awareness is required when it comes to free-camps. You almost need to consider yourself a detective, and you need to take a proactive approach to sorting the good camps from the bad. It pays to keep a map of the area you’re targeting in hand, and cross check what the locals are saying with what you see on the map, as well as what you can find online. If the locals are pointing to a spot that’s near a main road, tip or any kind of development, you’ve probably been given a bum steer. But if the spot you’ve been directed to is surrounded by bush or beach and you can’t find anything on Google about it, you’re about to hit paradise.

Seeking out free campsites is all about playing the odds. There might be some days where you come up short on your wish list, but more often than not the planning, talking and deciphering method will result in places you only thought existed on TV.

It can take a long time to find Australia’s truly great spots, but it’s well worth the effort. With a population of only 20 million and a country as big as ours at your fingertips there’s no shortage of breathtaking spaces, so get your maps, get talking and get travelling!

OUR PICKS

Throughout the years we’ve been lucky enough to experience some of the best free camps in Australia, so we had a brainstorm in the office to come up with the best we’ve stayed at.

1. BALGAL BEACH, THURINGOWA, FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND: One of Fred’s personal favourites, Balgal Beach gives you that iconic Australian beach location without the crowds. There’s also a boat ramp if you feel like catching your dinner
2. MAYS BEND CAMPGROUND, BOURKE, NEW SOUTH WALES: Camp along the Darling River amongst the scenery that Australia is known for. There’s no amenities but there’s also no crowds
3. SHADY CAMP, DARWIN, NORTHERN TERRITORY: Popular with anglers due to its location right on the Mary River. The area is packed with great camp sites far beyond Shady Camp. Just take a look at the landscape!
4. LONG WATERHOLE, WINTON, QLD: Reportedly the location that inspired Banjo Patterson to pen Waltzing Matilda. It’s in the middle of town, but there’s a range of free camps just outside the township that are more than comfortable
5. SHERINGA BEACH, SA: Free camping is available just behind the dunes and pets are allowed. Walk down to the beach before breakfast and let your troubles soak away

BRIAN AND JENNY WARD

We wanted to see how a lifelong camper like Brian has managed to keep his passion for the untouched bush alive now that he tows a van. He says they were concerned about where they could and couldn’t get to with a van in tow, but they needn’t have worried.

“As long as your tow vehicle is well prepared and you’re sensible when towing, you can get to some incredible spots,” Brian says.

“We’ve found that the key in finding the truly incredible places is to gather as much knowledge as possible before you get there, then collating it into a list of spots that you can bet your odds against as being great.”

Using this method you’ll save money by avoiding driving around aimlessly for hours. Brian says the reality is not every camp is going to be perfect but the more information you go armed with, the more chance you have of striking free-camp gold.

JOSEPH AND NERIDA VAN WOERKOM

On the other end of the RVers scale to Brian and Jenny, Joseph and Nerida have been travelling in caravans for over 20 years, starting when they had a young family. Joseph says that his instinct has been the most reliable tool when seeking free camps.

“You can try and rely on Google or trust other opinions, but I’ve had some great success trusting my own instinct and exploring,” Joseph says.

“Every time I hit the road for an adventure, whether it’s working for Caravan and Motorhome or just for fun, I make a habit of exploring a little further than the standard camp sites.”

“Going against the herd allows me to see and experience new things, and I generally save money on fees and expenses too,” Joseph says.

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

To help you on your search for the best free camps look for the local knowledge boxes in all of our travel stories. When you hit the town that the story has covered, use the info in these boxes to start your search for the best places to stay. On top of that, we’ve also included a box on the best things to do and the best places to eat. You won’t find this info anywhere else – we had to speak to the locals to find it, so use it as a base for your own research, and happy hunting.