Howqua Hills Historic Area, Lyndon Sparrow
We certainly don’t think so. Camping at Easter this year is going to be big. If you take three days off work between Easter and Anzac Day, you’ll get a whole 10 days off. Here are our favourite Easter campsites (some of these require bookings).
Sheepyard Flat camping area, Howqua Hills Historic Area, Victoria
The Easter holidays is the last break before winter sets in, so get in before the snow does! If you want to go camping in the High Country, now’s the time to do it. And while Alpine National Park offers plenty of camping areas, our favourite spot in the area is Howqua Hills Historic Area, which has multiple campsites ranged around Howqua River.
One of the most popular is Sheepyard Flat camping area. This is a lovely grassy and spacious campground, with plenty of facilities. Because the camping areas are outside of the national park, you can bring your dog, and the area is also a keen haunt of horseriders and four-wheel drivers. These are no-bookings sites, but if you miss out at Sheepyard Flat you can just head further up or down Brocks Rd to the other campgrounds in the hills.
Appletree camping area, Blue Mountains National Park, New South Wales
The Blue Mountains hasn’t been having an easy time of it lately, with the catastrophic bush fires of 2013. But most camping areas will be up and running for the Easter holidays, including family-friendly Appletree camping area. As of the date this article was published, there were still camping areas available to book for this period. You’ll feel blue if you miss out on a camping area in the national park, so hop to it!
Appletree Flat is one of the camping areas that make up Euroka campground, and is in a ridiculously scenic position next to the Nepean River Gorge. It’s in the Glenbrook section of Blue Mountains National Park, which is the section of the park closest to Sydney. There are toilets (non-flush only, so warn the kids!), but you’ll have to bring your own drinking water.
Darlington Park camping area, Beaudesert, Queensland
We know, we know – we harp on about Darlington Park camping area. But that’s just because it’s so good. It’s affordable, scenic and spacious, with plenty of good facilities. We think you should go there and find us something not to like. In fact, we dare you.
Situated in the Darling Downs area of Queensland, it’s only a short drive to Beaudesert and within an easy distance of the Gold Coast.
Tulki Beach camping area, Cape Range National Park, Western Australia
Ten days in April? That’s enough time to travel up the new Indian Ocean Drive to Cape Range National Park and pitch your tent at Tulki Beach camping area, which as the name suggests is right next to the beach. Now, you might be thinking, not another beach. But this isn’t just any beach, as spectacular Ningaloo Reef is just offshore and you can rent a snorkel and get amongst it in the most literal sense.
You can set up tent next to your car, which always things easier, and there are toilets at the site. You’ll have to bring pretty much everything else yourself, including drinking water. Don’t forget to book this site online soon – it’s sure to fill up fast.
Memory Cove camping area, Eyre Peninsula National Park
If what you’re looking for at Easter is a place to get away from the crowd, Memory Cove could be the campsite for you. Access to the cove is restricted to 15 cars at a time, so you’re guaranteed to get the feeling of being alone with nature – at least until you spot another car on the horizon.
There’s even fewer cars allowed at the camping area itself, as it only has five sites. Memory Cove camping area is situated above the cove and your view will only be interrupted by the scrubs and trees of this shady campsite. With extremely limited facilities at the site, prepare to be self-sufficient. You’ll need a key to access this camping area, so don’t forget to book.
