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Campsites and camp hosts: the kindness of strangers

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Tulki Beach campground, Cape Range National Park, Kerryn Burgess

Forget cafes, pubs and restaurants. My favourite way to spend time with friends and family – and strangers, for that matter – is camping together. It means shared experiences; it means having time to talk. Properly. Or time to share silence. Relationships that grow from camping trips grow deep and true.

It’s ironic, then, that researching a camping guide can be a lonely occupation.

I was the only person in the campground when I stayed at Mt Trio Bush Camp and Caravan Park, Stirling Range, WA.

Out of necessity, I travel alone when I’m researching. It’s camping but not as you know it: pitching the tent at a different campground every night for months at a time, visiting up to 10 other campgrounds during the day, taking photos all along, and writing up my notes at night.

It brings me into contact with amazing people doing amazing things – but the encounters are always fleeting, because there’s no time in my research schedule marked ‘sit around the campfire and talk’.

I’m two months into my latest solo research trip for my new guidebook, Australia’s Best Camping, which will be published by Explore Australia in 2014. And I’ve gotta say, I’m well and truly ready to sit around the campfire and talk.

Which is why I was soooo happy to reach Cape Range National Park and experience Western Australia’s amazing system of camp hosts.

Sandy Bay, Cape Range National Park, Kerryn Burgess

When I arrived at Tulki Beach campground, I knocked on the caravan of Anne and Noel, the hosts in this part of the park. Anne came down the steps and held her arms wide. ‘It’s our long-lost traveller!’ she said, and then called to her husband, ‘Noel, she’s here!’

I’d never met these people before. And they were just doing their (volunteer) job. But they’d evidently been anxious about the fate of the one person who’d booked but hadn’t yet arrived as the afternoon shadows lengthened and hour grew late. They cared.

In Western Australia, 53 of the state’s most popular government-run campgrounds have seasonal camp hosts. They’re members of the public who volunteer their time to camp onsite and manage check-ins, offer information, and liaise with park rangers when issues arise.

But in the more distant reaches of Australia – such as Cape Range National Park, 1200 kilometres north of Perth, 5130 kilometres north-west of Sydney – camp hosts also help form the glue that bonds travellers who are sharing the experience of remoteness and self-sufficiency. In remote locations, people seem to become even nicer to each other. There’s more at stake.

Fifteen minutes after Anne had greeted me so warmly, I was kneeling on the ground doing my best to bash tent pegs into the concrete-like compacted gravel and sand that forms the camping area at Tulki Beach. My mallet bounced off the aluminium and bent the pegs into pretzel shapes instead of driving them into the ground. More than once a strong gust blew my tent into the dunes and I chased after it.

Then another kindly human loomed, her form and shadow providing temporary relief from the late afternoon sun and 25-knot winds. ‘I thought you might need a cup of tea,’ she said. ‘I’m Pauline from next door.’

If I started to weep a little just then, I can’t be sure whether it was because of the sting of the sand whipping off the dunes, or the sunscreen on my eyelids.

Soon Anne and Noel, the camp hosts, shepherded all the campers in the campground towards the communal picnic tables and we gathered for the traditional sundowners. It was the time of day – the photographer’s ‘magic hour’ – when I’d normally be running around taking photos for the book, but today I joined in, and for an all-too-brief half-hour, we did the equivalent of sitting around the campfire and talking. Campfires aren’t allowed in Cape Range National Park, but you know what I mean.

Sundowners, Tulki Beach campground, Cape Range National Park, Kerryn Burgess

The kindness of strangers was raining down on me today like a rare outback shower, and in my mind it will always be bound up with Cape Range National Park and a lovely couple of camp hosts.

The ACT, New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia recruit volunteers to work as seasonal campground hosts. Queensland is trialling the system. Click on your state or territory below for more information on volunteering as a camp host.

Kerryn Burgess is the author of Cool Camping Australia: East Coast, and is currently on the road researching campsites for her new book, Australia’s Best Camping, which will be published in October 2014 by 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.

 

     

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.

     

7 campsites to stay at before you die

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Red Bluff camping area, Quobba Station, courtesy of Lyndon Sparrow

Sometimes travelling isn’t about the journey, it’s about the destination – especially when that destination is a camping area.

Campsites in Australia can be very hit and miss, but we’ve picked seven sites that are among the best in the country and will always deliver, for their settings, views, amenities, and that feeling of truly getting back to nature.

What other campsites make your camping bucket list?

Red Bluff camping area, Quobba Station, Western Australia

Red Bluff, Quobba Station, courtesy of Lyndon Sparrow

With views like this, you’d think you were at a luxury spa retreat instead of on a working cattle station. And just like at a spa retreat, shoes aren’t necessary. Kick them off and relax at Red Bluff camping area, where chilling out comes as naturally as the spectacular scenery.

The camping areas are positioned right behind the beach at Red Bluff, which gives you an uninterrupted view of the turquoise sea, craggy outcrops and the spectacular, ever-changing sky.

The sunsets here rank among the best in Australia and there’s nothing quite like the natural light show of watching day turn into night on this section of the Western Australian coast.

Once you’ve finished admiring the scenery, get out and explore it. Red Bluff is only a short distance from Ningaloo Reef, and boasts a similar abundance of marine life. And when you’ve finished swimming, you can jump into a hot shower – one of the surprisingly luxurious amenities at this otherwise basic campsite.

Camping in Southwest National Park, Tasmania

Southwest National Park, courtesy of Tourism Tasmania

Camping in Southwest National Park isn’t for the faint-hearted. While a couple of campsites in the park are accessible by car, most of the camping areas can only be reached by foot.

But the walks to these campsites aren’t just any treks. Two of the walks, the Port Davey Track and the South West Track, are extended hikes through tough landscapes with even tougher weather conditions. But these hardy bushwalks are just what you’d expect for one of the wildest places in Australia.

And what will you get after you’ve put in all of this effort? Well, definitely not many facilities. But you will get to camp in splendid isolation at what feels like the bottom of the world with some of the most spectacular views of the ocean, sky and craggy ancient mountains you’ll ever see.

Cockatoo Island, Sydney, New South Wales

Cockatoo Island camping, courtesy of Destination NSW

Over its two hundred years of white settlement, people waking up on Cockatoo Island have included some of the worst convicts in the colony, schoolgirls and shipbuilders – and now recreational campers. There’s a sizeable campground on the foreshore of the island, which is Sydney Harbour’s largest, with both permanent tents and space to set up your own.

Wake up in the middle of the harbour and experience the stunning beauty of Australia’s first city from a vantage point that not many people get to experience. Clamber around the island to explore the remains of its fascinating history (enjoy great views of Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney’s pretty inner suburbs), and then settle in front of your tent at night to watch the life of the harbour happen around you.

When you decide it’s time to say goodbye to the island, it’s only a ten-minute ferry ride back to Circular Quay and the hub of the city.

Ormiston Gorge camping area, West MacDonnell National Park, Northern Territory

Ormiston Gorge, courtesy of Tourism NT

Whether it’s the red sand of the desert, the red hue of Uluru at sunset, or the red rocks of Ormiston Gorge, the Red Centre really does live up to its name. But you won’t just be seeing red when you visit the centre of Australia. You’ll see unexpected colours, from shades of green and blue to purple. The best way to experience these colours is by getting amongst them on Larapinta Trail.

The Larapinta Trail starts at Alice Springs, and travels over the stunning ranges and gorges of West MacDonnell National Park, with clearly marked campsites for you to set up tent at night along the way. One of the best campsites along the trail is the Ormiston Gorge camping area.

This camping area is also accessible by car, so non-hikers can camp here as well. It’s the perfect place to set up to visit the gorge. This famous red gorge encloses a peaceful waterhole that’s safe for swimming. You’ll feel a world away from your regular life.

Craigs Hut camping areas, Alpine National Park, Victoria

Craigs Hut, courtesy of John Langley

Victoria’s High Country may not be on the radar of international travellers, but it’s firmly on the bucket list of domestic camping enthusiasts for its large scenic sites and range of activities. And the camping areas that most campers have their eyes firmly set on are at Craigs Hut.

Camping at Craigs Hut is almost more about the drive than it is about the camping. It’s a stunning trip through the changing landscapes of Alpine National Park, from gullies populated with ferns to mountains peppered with snow gums.

There are three sites around Craigs Hut. The sites are all basic, with no facilities. They are also not marked, although you’ll know the sites when you come across them. The first site is around 400 metres from the hut on Clear Hill Track on your way up to the hut, the second is around 200 metres further up the road towards the hut, and the final area is around 1 kilometre down the other side of the track, past the hut.

Whitehaven Beach camping area, Whitsundays National Park, Queensland

Catching a boat to your own private island in the Whitsundays where you can camp right behind the beach sounds like one of those travel dreams that will never come true. Well, if you camp at Whitehaven Beach, we can’t promise that you’ll have the area completely to yourself – there are seven defined sites – but we can promise that it will be one of the most incredible camping areas you’ll ever stay at. And it’s only accessible by boat.

While Whitehaven Beach is crowded during the day with visitors, at night only campers are allowed to remain on the beach. The sites are situated in the bush right behind the beach, and have basic facilities of toilets and picnic tables.

Once you wake up in the morning, you’ll have one of the whitest beaches in the world to play on, and the Great Barrier Reef at your feet. Just another day camping in paradise.

Cullyamurra Waterhole camping area, Innamincka Regional Reserve, South Australia

By all appearances, Innamincka is one of the driest and most barren areas of Australia. But don’t be fooled. Drive past the plains and you’ll eventually find yourself at Cullyamurra Waterhole, which is one of the most spectacular waterholes in Australia, and might just challenge the idea that Australia’s best water views are from the coast.

While there aren’t many facilities, the upsides are that you can bring your dog, your caravan and your fishing gear and binoculars – both the fish and birdlife are abundant.

The secret is out about Cullyamurra, so if you’d like to enjoy the surprisingly lush scenery of the area, you can also camp at Minkie Waterhole or at the even more remote wetland of Coongie Lakes. Although Cullyamurra is a permanent waterhole, try and visit the waterhole in a wet year so you can see the region when it is blooming with life.

     

Top 5 most popular campsites in Australia

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Johanna Beach, Tourism Victoria

In the list of the top five most popular campsites on the Explore Australia website, only Victoria and Queensland make an appearance, leaving Australia’s most populous state, New South Wales, in the dust.

The most popular camping area, Darlington Park camping area in Queensland, just beat out Victoria’s Johanna Beach camping spot for the top spot. Although Johanna Beach tends to be more popular in the warmer months, Darlington Park prevailed due to all of the campers who head north for winter.

Here’s the top five in order of popularity.

1. Darlington Park camping area, Beaudesert, Queensland

Arrive at Darlington Park camping area’s 12 hectares of well-shaded grounds and you’ll start to understand why this campsite is so popular. Add in a cricket oval along with a playground for the kids, plus friendly staff and excellent facilities (as well as being dog-friendly), and you’ll soon be adding your voice to the chorus of fantastic reviews Darlington Park camping area gets on our website.

Around 25 kilometres outside of Beaudesert, this camping area is an easy stop for people travelling up the inland route from Victoria to Queensland.

2. Johanna Beach camping area, Great Otway National Park, Victoria

Just off the Great Ocean Road, hidden behind sand dunes at one of the best surf beaches in Victoria, Johanna Beach camping area really doesn’t need further explanation of its popularity. While facilities are limited (you need to bring your own water), people come here for a quiet and relaxing weekend at one of the most scenic campsites in Australia. Anything else is an added extra. Best of all, Johanna Beach is free, dog-friendly and doesn’t take bookings. So it’s first in best dressed!

3. Burgess Park camping area, Beaudesert, Queensland

The sister campsite to Darlington Park camping area, Burgess Park is around 10 kilometres further out of Beaudesert. It is also significantly smaller, covering 1.2 hectares of land. But it is still a great spot to camp, and it backs on to Christmas Creek, which means there are plenty of opportunities for fishing and swimming.

4. Sheepyard Flat camping area, Howqua Hills Historic Area, Victoria

Sheepyard Flat camping area in Victoria’s High Country is located in the Howqua Hills Historic Area, an old gold-mining district. This is a delightful campsite, with easy access to bikeriding, horseriding, fishing, swimming, 4WD tracks and walking paths along Howqua River. Being quite a big camping area, Sheepyard Flat is popular with groups. If you are after a more isolated spot, there are more secluded sites further up in the historic area, including Davons camping area.

5. Blanket Bay camping area, Great Otway National Park, Victoria

Blanket Bay camping area is so popular with campers you have to enter a ballot to camp there over the summer and Easter holidays. Along with Johanna Beach camping area, Blanket Bay is in Great Otway National Park, although these sites are at opposite ends of the national park.

To the south-west of Apollo Bay, Blanket Bay is only around 30 kilometres from the spectacular Cape Otway Lighthouse and is one of the only campsites that gives Johanna Beach a run for the crown of most scenic campsite in Victoria. A well-shaded camping area, it’s also near an ocean beach.