Tag Archives: rest areas

Camp for free along the Bruce Highway from Brisbane to Townsville

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Clairview rest area

Clairview rest area, Paul Smedley

The sun isn’t the only good reason to head north for winter – there’s also excellent free camping along the Bruce Highway. Sure, these rest areas might not exactly be Hayman Island, but if you’re driving north and want to save a buck or two, you won’t find a better guide than Paul Smedley’s (author of Budget Rest Areas around Australia (2nd edition) list of free overnight stops!

Landsborough park area 

Around 500m off the highway, about 95km south of Gympie, Landsborough park area ticks all the boxes. It’s free, dog friendly, doesn’t require an advanced booking, has toilets and drinking water, and is in an attractive setting. The only downside is that it’s not suitable for big caravans or motorhomes.

Browns Creek camping area 

If you have a motorhome, keep driving to this rest area 3km north of Yandina, via the Old Bruce Highway. This campsite is nestled in the forest and has a good range of facilities.

Six Mile Creek rest area 

This shady rest area just off the highway, 6km south of Gympie, is suitable for motorhomes and has a good range of facilities, including a dump point.

Chatsworth rest area 

On the other side of Gympie is Chatsworth rest area, which isn’t suitable for big caravans and motorhomes, but it does have accessible facilities and is dog friendly.

Gunalda rest area 

Gunalda rest area is only a hop, skip and a jump from Chatsworth rest area, 29km north of Gympie, with good facilities, shade and a picnic table. Oh, and it’s dog friendly!

Petrie rest area 

This secluded rest area is on the banks of the Mary River, 1km from the highway. It’s dog friendly, has barbecues and toilets. It’s also a really pleasant place to fish. And sometimes, you don’t need anything else.

Apple Tree Creek rest area 

In town at Apple Tree Creek, this dog-friendly site is suitable for big caravans and motorhomes, has good facilities, and – bonus! – a playground.

 

Wallum rest area

Wallum rest area, Paul Smedley

Wallum rest area 

Around 30km south of Bundaberg, this dog-friendly rest area is shady and has good facilities.

Gin Gin rest area 

With good facilities and shade, this dog-friendly rest area is a good place to stop, 2km north of Gin Gin.

Granite Creek rest area 

Around 60km north of Gin Gin, pull up under the impressively large trees, light a campfire and enjoy the good facilities of this dog-friendly site.

Boyne River rest area 

Situated on a riverbank, this rest area is just off the highway and has good facilities.

 

Calliope rest area

Calliope rest area, Paul Smedley

Calliope rest area 

This rest area is as spacious as you’d ever need it to be, situated 30km south of Mount Larcom.

Yaamba rest area 

Located in the town of Yaamba, next to the roadhouse, this rest area is a good option for an overnight stay and has good facilities, and, of course, easy access to the town.

Waverley Creek rest area 

A shady, spacious rest area with good facilities, just off the highway, 66km north of Marlborough.

Clairview rest area 

This is an absolutely charming site on the foreshore, in the north of Clairview. We highly recommend it!

Bloomsbury park area

Bloomsbury park area, Paul Smedley

Bloomsbury park area 

This basic site is a large open area next to the roadhouse in Bloomsbury.

Guthalungra rest area 

In Guthalungra, opposite the roadhouse, this rest area has basically no facilities, but you can stay overnight for free, so no complaints from us!

Home Hill rest area 

Just off the main street, this rest area has all the facilities you won’t find at Guthalungra, including showers and toilets.

Sandy Corner rest area 

This dog-friendly site, 8km north of Ayr, has toilets, drinking water and is suitable for big caravans and motorhomes.

Saunders Beach camping area 

This small camping area on the foreshore is around 7km west of the highway, but is well worth the extra drive for its good facilities, including a playground, and great location.

Find more free rest areas in Budget Rest Areas around Australia (2nd edition) by Paul Smedley.

 

 

 

 

     

Best rest areas around Australia

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Highway, Tourism Australia

Highway, Tourism Australia

Have you ever planned to stop at a rest area, taken one look at the facilities, and just decided to drive on?

A good rest area can make a long drive that much smoother (and a bad one can add a few more rocks to the road). That’s why we asked Paul Smedley, author of Budget Rest Areas around Australia – which lists all of the rest areas along major highways in Australia – to nominate his favourite places to stop along Australia’s highways.

So whether you want to stop and stretch your legs or save a few dollars by staying the night (if permitted) these rest areas are always worth a stop.

Sea Lake park area, Calder Highway, Victoria

Near new, well designed and very well maintained, this rest area is at the entrance to the caravan park – but you won’t have to pay a cent. While you can’t stay here overnight, there are toilets, showers, barbecues, water, picnic tables, as well as being dog friendly.

Highly recommended in Victoria: Greenhill Lake camp area, Plantation camp area, Genoa rest area and Minyip rest area

Mundoonan rest area, Hume Highway, New South Wales

This rest area on the southbound side of the highway is matched by a twin area on the northbound side. Both are excellent, with toilets, drinking water, barbecues and shade. You can stay overnight for free. We’re not sure what it is about the rest area on the southbound side – but it’s slightly better than its twin, luckily for the people travelling towards Melbourne.

Highly recommended in New South Wales: Gol Gol park area, Ardlethan park area, Kempsey park area, Diamond Head camping area, Mulligans Hut camping area and Wallabadah rest area

Waikerie park area, Sturt Highway, South Australia

A picture-perfect rest area on the banks of the Murray River, this rest area is overflowing with facilities. But don’t worry, the facilities themselves aren’t overflowing, with clean toilets, showers, picnic areas, a playground and caravan access.

Highly recommended for South Australia: Port Neil park areas, Wilpena Pound camping area and Mambray Creek camping area.

Ellendale Pool camping area, Brand Highway, Western Australia

Ellendale Pool camping area is 27 kilometres from the highway, so it’s only worth the drive if you’re planning to stay overnight. It’s a scenic spot next to a pool, with showers, toilets, shade, picnic tables, barbecues and disabled access. There’s a small fee to stay here.

Highly recommended: Big Brook Dam park area, Walpole park area and Shannon camping area.

Berry Springs park area, Northern Territory

This is Paul Smedley’s favourite spot for a short break that usually lasts for hours. Around 10 kilometres west of the highway, the park area is in Berry Springs Nature Park, so you can take a dip as well as use the facilities (the creek can be shut to swimmers in the wet season).

Highly recommended in Northern Territory: Lake Mary Ann park area, Wangi Falls camping area in Litchfield National Park (another Smedley favourite), Edith Falls camp area (near Katherine).

Scottsdale rest area, Tasman Highway, Tasmania

Scottsdale has the most facilities of all of the rest areas on this list, as this site is a dump point, along with the regular facilities of toilets, showers, picnic tables and water. The setting is also pleasant.

Highly recommended in Tasmania: Swansea park area, Hellyer Gorge and Sisters Beach rest areas, Fortescue Bay camp area in Tasman National Park.

Seaford camping area, Bruce Highway, Queensland

Queensland takes the prize for most rest/park/camp areas with great facilities. But Seaforth camping area is among the best of the best. This is an official campground, so you have to pay to stay here. But we think you’ll agree that the facilities are worth it, with toilets, picnic areas, shade, showers, caravan access and drinking water.

Highly recommended in Queensland: Theodore camping area, Bramston Beach camping area, Bluewater rest area and Rollingstone rest area.

 

 

     

Camping along the Stuart Highway

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Devils Marbles camping area Devils Marbles, Raelene Woods

Devils Marbles camping area Devils Marbles, Raelene Woods

If John McDouall Stuart, the great explorer who was the first European to forge a path through Australia’s interior, saw the route from Adelaide to Darwin today, he wouldn’t recognise it.

For one thing, the road is covered in bitumen. And for another, there are some fantastic designated camping areas lining the route – a luxury he wouldn’t have conceived of.

Here are the best places to spend the night along one of Australia’s great drives. 

1. Ranges View rest area

View by name, view by nature – Ranges View rest area has a panoramic view of the surrounding countryside. As it’s only a short drive out of Port Augusta, you probably won’t need to spend the night here.

2. Bon Bon rest area

Around two hours south of famous mining town Coober Pedy, Bon Bon rest area is an opal of an overnight stop, with great facilities and plenty of space space.

3. Ingomar rest area

Good amenities and a great view – and all at the hefty sum of zero dollars a night.

4. Desert Oaks rest area

Desert Oaks rest area is one camping area you can take at face value. The rest area is shaded and has good facilities.

5. Finke River rest area

This rest area is on the banks of the Finke River, a famous river that has its source inthe West MacDonnells.

6. Prowse Gap rest area

The scenery here might not equal that at the previous stop, but it has good facilities and a large space suitable for all sorts of rigs.

7. Devils Marbles camping area

A camping area in close proximity to one of the best rock formations in Australia? No, you haven’t lost your marbles, you’ve found them again at Devils Marbles camping area, with a seriously good view and facilities.

8. Banka Banka Homestead camping area

A large, grassy, shaded, dog-friendly camping area near the highway – yes, please!

9. Twelve Mile Yards camping area

Twelve kilometres off the highway on the banks of the Roper River, you’ll be ropeable if you miss out on a night at this fantastic camping area.

10. Edith Falls camping area

Gorge yourself on the views from Nitmiluk National Park’s famous gorges after spending the night at Edith Falls camping area, next to a waterhole 19 kilometres off the highway.

11. Adelaide River park area

Sometimes simple accommodation is best – how about this large, shaded rest area in Adelaide River?

12. Berry Springs park area

Some stops are worth travelling off the highway for – like this park area near the famous pools at Berry Springs.

 

     

Summer Holidays Guide

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To celebrate the start of summer, we’ve put together a free Summer Holidays Guide. In the guide, we reveal the best summer camping areas (and how to find last-minute campsites), rest areas you need to stop at around the country, along with some top beach fishing, safe campfire tips and more. We’re also giving away a holiday prize pack, so make sure to read the guide for more information.