Author Archives: Explore Australia

Best bush camping areas in Australia

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Camping on the Larapinta Trail, Tourism NT

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

Walking at Wilsons Prom, Tourism 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

Views from a campsite on the Larapinta Trail, Tourism NT

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.

 

     

How to build a campfire

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Gathering wood for a campfire

Gathering wood for a campfire

Building a campfire

Building a campfire is one of the joys of camping. A campfire is not only something to cook on but also to sit around, relaxing and chatting or simply to stare into and dream.

And once you get the hang of it, campfires are pretty easy to build.

Always check that campfires are permitted

Always check that campfires are permitted

Firstly and most importantly, check there are no fire bans in place and ensure you keep up-to-date on the fire situation on hot and windy days. Secondly, find out where campfires are permitted. In many campgrounds you can only light campfires in the fireplaces provided, in others it’s okay to have them wherever you want. But wherever you build your campfire, always follow these guidelines:

  • Build a fire on dirt or on the spot of a previous fire.
  • Don’t light fires on grass. Not only is this a fire hazard but the grass may never grow again once it has been burnt.
  • Don’t build a fire near overhanging branches.
  • If you can find any large rocks, use these to build a circle around the fire to keep it contained.
  • If you’re camping off the beaten track and want to light a campfire, pick a suitable spot and remove the top layer of soil. Build and enjoy your fire, then, once the ashes are cold, scatter them and replace the soil.
  • Don’t use your fire as a place to burn your rubbish. Much of it won’t burn or may give off toxic fumes. Never put glass bottles in a fire.

  • How to build a campfire

    If you’re new to building a fire or will be arriving late and want to get a fire going quickly, you may like to keep a packet of firelighters in your kit, but use these for emergencies only. Tuck one in amongst the first layer of your campfire.

  • Before going to bed or moving away from your campfire ensure it is completely extinguished.

Making your campfire

Cardboard is good for campfire kindling

Cardboard is good for a campfire base

You’ll need the following three things to build a successful fire: something that catches alight and burns very quickly, such as dry leaves, newspaper or cardboard, or fallen, dry bark; slightly thicker sticks for kindling; and bigger logs that will provide the real heat of your fire. Remember all of this must be dry – wet or green wood will just smoke and do very little.

For the kindling either bring a bag with you (usually available from petrol stations in the nearest town) or gather from the campground, although check if this is allowed as dead wood provides valuable habitat for native animals. Also, never ever break branches off trees.

Bark is also good for campfire kindling

Bark is also good for a campfire base

Start the base of your fire with a bed of dry leaves, scrunched up newspaper or cardboard. Then start adding your kindling in a tepee shape, adding some dry leaves in amongst it if you have them. Light your fire and let it take hold for a few minutes.

Make a tepee shape with your kindling

Make a tepee shape with your kindling

Light your tepee shape

Light your tepee shape

Add a larger log or two. Don’t be tempted to add really thick logs as these will take a long time to give off any real heat. Equally don’t add a very long log, as all this will do is burn in the middle and create a tripping hazard around your fire.

Add a couple of big logs to your campfire

Add a couple of big logs to your campfire

Put a a couple more larger logs and then if you’re building your fire for cooking, leave it alone to create white coals, as these are the most useful for cooking over. If your fire is for warmth only, continue adding logs as needed, but never let the fire get too big or out of control.

White coals are great for campfire cooking

If you’re going to use your fire for both warmth and cooking, use a spade to move the white coals to one side and cook over these, keeping the rest of the fire going for warmth.

Always keep an eye on children around fires and discourage them from waving burning sticks around.

If you follow these simple, but important guidelines, in no time at all you’ll be sitting and dreaming around your own camp fire.

Katy Holder is the author of the Hungry Campers Cookbook, a camping cookbook with a gourmet twist, and builds a campfire almost every weekend.

 

     

Discover all of our camping around Australia lists

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Going camping? Find all the inspiration you need to find the perfect campsite in one of our camping lists.

     

Best free camping areas in Victoria

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Frys Flat camping area, courtesy of Lyndon Sparrow

Frys Flat camping area, courtesy of Lyndon Sparrow

Whether you want to camp next to Victoria’s spectacular coast or find a bush campsite with access to bushwalking and mountain-biking, you don’t have to spend a cent to find a great camping spot in this southern state.

Victoria has some of the best free camping areas in Australia, many of them within an easy drive from Melbourne. And since many of these free campsites are in state forests, you can often bring your dog along with you.

Here are our picks for some of the best free camping areas in the state – let us know your picks in the comments.

Johanna Beach camping area, Great Otway National Park

You probably wouldn’t expect to find a free campsite on one of the most popular stretches of coast in Australia. But Johanna Beach camping area, just off the Great Ocean Road, is not only free – it’s also dog friendly. The campsite is situated behind the dunes of this popular surf beach and leads onto undulating farmland.

You can’t make a booking to camp at Johanna Beach, so it’s first in, best dressed. This free camping area can get quite busy (especially with surfers), but if you do miss out on a space at Johanna Beach, you can try your luck at one of the other free campsites in Great Otway National Park, including the forest campsites of Lake Elizabeth and Aire River.

O’Brien’s Crossing camping area, Lerderderg State Park

You’ll find O’Brien’s Crossing camping area in Lerderderg State Park, which is an easy drive out of Melbourne, just past Bacchus Marsh. State parks generally have more relaxed rules about pets and campfires than national parks, and Lerderderg is no exception. This free campsite is dog-friendly and you can have a campfire, fire restrictions permitting.

O’Brien’s Crossing is also a charming campsite right next to the river, with plenty of space to set up your tent or camper trailer. It has great access to Lerderderg’s range of activities including fishing, swimming and bushwalking.

Blue Pool camping area, Briagalong State Forest

Blue Pool camping area in Briagalong State Forest is all about water, both for its proximity to the refreshing deep swimming hole of Blue Pool, and also for being the only campground with toilets in the state forest.

This could almost be the perfect summer campsite. There’s also a relaxed attitude to dogs and campfires (both are allowed). But always check with rangers regarding fire restrictions and whether you need to keep your pet on a leash.

Andersons Garden camping area, Mount Disappointment State Forest

If you are looking for a campsite that’s an easy drive from Melbourne, you could do much worse than Andersons Garden camping area. This camping area was damaged in the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009, but it’s well on its way to recovery, supported by regeneration initiatives and a few wet winters.

There aren’t many facilities here, but it’s free, dog friendly and you can also have a campfire (but remember to check fire warnings and restrictions before your trip). Sit back and enjoy the peaceful forest surrounds, or for more adventurous campers, this camping area makes a great base for bushwalking, mountain-biking or horseriding in the surrounding forest.

Ada River camping area

Just on the outskirts of the enchanting Errinundra National Park, the free campsite at Ada River is a fantastic option for people travelling with pets or in caravans or motorhomes, as the only campsite inside the national park is not suitable for pets or large vehicles.

There’s nothing particularly flashy about Ada River, but if you are looking for a campsite from which to explore the cool temperate rainforests of the national park, or even just a place to relax with a few mates in a nice forest setting, Ada River camping area could be right for you.

Sheepyard Flat camping area, Howqua Hills Historic Area

There’s a surprising amount of free camping areas spread throughout Victoria’s High Country, which is a popular camping region. You’ll find a collection of great free campsites in Howqua Hills Historic Area, which is sandwiched between Lake Eildon, Baw Baw and Alpine national parks. But unlike most of the campsites in these national parks, the camping areas at Howqua Hills are free and dog friendly.

Sheepyards Flat is one of the most popular sites in the area, and has a sizeable range of facilities from toilets to picnic tables. Other free campsites nearby in the historic area include Frys Flat camping area, Davons camping area, Noonan Flat and Pickering Flat camping areas.

 

     

How to photograph the sun and the moon

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The moon over the Great Ocean Road, Nick Rains

The moon over the Great Ocean Road, Nick Rains

When you’re photographing the natural wonders of Australia, the moon and sun can be hard to capture at the right moment.

Photographer Nick Rains, author of Australia: The Photographer’s Eye, demonstrates how to get these tricky elements to work for you.

This image of the Twelve Apostles in Victoria shows the full moon setting at dawn. The
warm light on the sea stacks comes from the pre-dawn light and at the same time the moon is low over the horizon as it sets.

This shot is all about timing. Each month the moon goes through its usual cycle from full to new. Because of the way this 28-day sequence occurs, in conjunction with the slower changing sunrise times throughout the year, the full moon always rises and sets opposite the sun. In other words, the full moon always rises at sunset and sets at sunrise. On one day of the month the moon is still setting about 20 minutes before dawn, which is when the light is at its best and, given the regular movements of the sun and moon, it is quite easy to predict the date of this occurrence.

For moonset at sunrise, the day after a full moon is best; conversely for a moonrise at sunset, the day before a full moon is best. The moon phases are usually published in local or regional newspapers but the exact times vary depending on the longitude. Knowing the times of sunrise and sunset is useful, but knowing where the sun and moon will be at any one time is even better. The best way I know to work out where the sun and moon are going to be at any time and place is to use a wonderful software application called The Photographer’s Ephemeris. It’s free for PCs and Macs, and costs a very modest amount for smartphones and tablets. It’s available from http://photoephemeris.com.

Find out more photography tips in Australia: The Photographer’s Eye, on sale now.