Sometimes you just want to leave behind camping areas with facilities like showers, toilets and barbecues and go bush. But in Australia, there’s a lot of bush to choose from, which is why we’ve picked our favourite bush campsites to help you narrow down your search.
You might have to leave your car – and everything that you can’t carry – behind to get to these camping areas, but the location and splendid isolation are worth the effort.
As with any activity off the beaten track, bush camping requires greater self-sufficiency than staying in regulated camping areas, so make sure park rangers are aware of your movements. You’ll also need permits to stay at many bush camping sites (the campsites on our list included).
Wilsons Promontory National Park, Victoria
Although the southernmost point of mainland Australia might not be quite as tough to reach as the northernmost point, it’s still quite an adventure to visit Wilsons Promontory National Park. This national park is one of the most spectacular coastal areas in the country, and the only way to visit most of the park (and its beaches) is on foot. And once you get past the more flashy camping area of Tidal River, which can be accessed by car, you’ll find a fantastic array of bush camping areas.
While many of these bush camping areas have the luxury of toilets, we’ve still included them on the list due to the level of difficulty to reach these campsites. You can only stay in the designated areas in order to protect the natural environment.
Southwest National Park, Tasmania
If Wilsons Promontory National Park is the southernmost point of mainland Australia, then Southwest National Park is the true bottom of the country. Most of the campsites in the national park are only accessible on foot, on paths that are often undefined and muddy. But that’s just what you should expect when heading into one of the last remaining wilderness areas in the country, which is part of Tasmania’s Wilderness World Heritage Area.
Cockle Creek is the farthest point you can reach by car in Southwest. You must continue on by walking either the South Coast or Port Davey tracks. Most of the small designated campsites along the track have pit toilets, but everything else is rough and ready. The most spectacular campsites are along the coast, such as Surprise Bay, which overlooks the beach.
West MacDonnell National Park, Northern Territory
Come prepared to camp along the Larapinta Trail in West MacDonnell National Park. Not only will you need to carry all of your essentials on your back, but we also suggest that you bring in some mood music. In particular, the classic Split Enz song, I See Red, which will never seem more apt than when staring out over the ochre expanses of the ranges (at least, the title is right).
Designated bush camping sites line the trail, which extends from Alice Springs to Mount Sonder. There are a few campsites with facilities on the trail that can also be accessed by 4WD, including the campsite at the famous Ormiston Gorge. But our favourite bush campsite along the trail has to be one with a view and no facilities – Hilltop Lookout.
Lamington National Park, Queensland
Lamington National Park looks like it stepped out of a time when the world was wilder, when paths had to be forged and camping was a way of life, not just a weekend activity. And the best way to appreciate this wild beauty is by camping off the beaten track.
There are a number of designated bush camping sites in the national park and you’ll need to get a permit to stay at all of them. If you are looking for views, you can’t go past the Panorama Point or Double Top sites, but there are other sites that will give you more of an immersive rainforest experience.
Anne Beadell Track, South Australia and Western Australia
Roaring along the remote Anne Beadell Track in your 4WD, it can feel like this is the land that modernisation forgot. After all, the track is a remnant from the days when roads were carved out of the harsh Australian landscape. This particular road was made by the team led by legendary Len Beadell, who named the track after his wife, Anne.
And just like Len, you’ll need to be self-sufficient and experienced to attempt this road, which starts in Laverton and passes through Western Australia’s goldfields into the Great Victoria Desert before ending in Coober Pedy in South Australia. There is one particularly harsh stretch where you’ll be travelling 750 kilometres without a chance of getting petrol or anything else, so being prepared is a matter of survival.
The environment may seem as harsh as the journey itself, but it’s also incredibly beautiful. You can camp anywhere along the trail, as long as you’re 30 metres from the road. There are a few established campsites with basic facilities along the road, but you’ll be roughing it more often than not – although you could bring a hardy caravan or camper trailer along for the ride.
