Dig Tree camping area, Paul Smedley
These are the campsites in Australia where you can camp like an explorer, but with more amenities and less danger, from a caravan park in Mitchell in Queensland to the original Dig Tree where Burke met his unfortunate end.
Thomas Boyd Trackhead, Hume and Hovell Track, New South Wales
The Hume and Hovell Track follows the path that explorers Hamilton Hume and William Hovell took in 1824 as they forged a path from Sydney to Melbourne (hence the aptly named Hume Highway). You don’t have to be quite so adventurous to reach Thomas Boyd Trackhead camping area – you can now drive in with your dog and camper trailer and expect a campsite with quality amenities.
Dig Tree camping area, Queensland
The bad news about Dig Tree camping area is that the explorer Burke, back from his trek to the Gulf of Carpentaria with Wills, died underneath Dig Tree. The good news is that since that event, this area has been developed into an appealing camping area next to Cooper Creek.
Halligan Point camping area, Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre National Park, South Australia
Halligan Point camping area is the only lakeside camping area on Lake Eyre, and it’s just as desolate as it was when Edward John Eyre ran smack bang into its dry expanses trying to explore north. Out of all the campsites on this list, Halligan Point feels most like an exploration. But don’t do a Burke and Wills – make sure you are well prepared before you camp here (you also need a permit).
Major Mitchell Caravan Park, Mitchell, Queensland
Major Mitchell certainly wouldn’t have enjoyed a similar level of luxury on his four expeditions to that you’ll find at the caravan park that bears his name in Mitchell in Queensland. This friendly caravan park on the banks of a river is well worth a stay if, like Mitchell, you’re venturing into the outback.
Camp Beadell, Gunbarrel Highway
Travelling along the Gunbarrel Highway from the Red Centre into Western Australia’s interior still feels like an adventure today – which is fair enough, considering Len Beadell only made the track in the 50s. There’s water here, and space. A lot of space. Oh, and one of the best sunsets you’ll ever see.
