How to Choose a Campsite in Australia
Knowing how to choose a campsite comes down to two decisions hiding in one: which campground, and then which patch of it. Get the first right and the trip is convenient. Get the second right and the trip is comfortable and safe.
Look up, look down, then pitch.
Caravan Parks vs National Parks vs Free Camping
Caravan parks
Powered sites, hot showers, camp kitchens, kids' facilities - the soft landing. Costs more, feels less wild.
National park campgrounds
The scenery you came for, basic facilities (toilets usually, water sometimes, power rarely), booked through your state parks service.
Free and low-cost camping
State forests, showgrounds, rest areas and council land - self-sufficiency required: your water, your power, your rubbish out. Earn it with a couple of campground trips first.
Toilets, Water and Facilities: What to Expect
Read the campground's facilities list literally - "toilets" may mean a drop toilet, "water" may mean an untreated tank, and neither may be near your site.
Assume drinking water is NOT available and bring your own - the single safest assumption in Australian camping.
No bins is normal in parks: pack rubbish bags and take everything home.
Shade, Wind and Overhead Hazards
Look up first
Walk the site before you pitch. No large gum limbs overhead, the widowmaker check. The full reasoning is in Camping Safety in Australia: What Beginners Should Know.
Then look down
Flat ground, above flood debris, out of creek beds and drainage lines, and not the lowest point where cold air and water both settle.
Think about shade
Shade from the morning sun keeps the tent cool enough to sleep in; a tent in full afternoon sun is an oven by 5 pm. In summer, look for a site that gets both.
Check the wind
Tent door away from the prevailing wind, and don't camp downwind of the communal fire pit or the drop toilet. Experience talking.
Booking Systems and Peak Season Planning
Every state parks service runs online booking - popular campgrounds sell out months ahead for school holidays, long weekends and Easter.
Book the specific site number where the system allows it - study the campground map for the sites near (but not next to) the toilets, away from the boom gate, backing onto bush.
Midweek and off-season camping is a different, better hobby: half the people, all the campground.
How to Read a Campground Listing
Campground listings can be optimistic. Here's how to read between the lines.
The photos show the best site on the best day - read the facilities list and recent reviews instead.
Decode the codes:
Unpowered
No electricity.
2WD accessible dry weather only
Check the forecast.
Generators permitted
Expect noise.
Walk-in sites
Carry everything from the car park.
Check park alerts the week of and the day before. Closures, water outages, fire restrictions and access changes all post there. More in Camping Safety in Australia: What Beginners Should Know.
New to camping? Start with Camping in Australia for the First Time: A Beginner's Guide.
Link to downloadable resource: Setting Up Camp Safety Check
You'll find what to look up, down and around before you unpack, plus fire safety once you are set up. Download or print the PDF with full details and keep it in your kit. The phone download version is a quick overview reminder list.
Source: site safety points align with the South Australian Department for Environment and Water's 8 ways to stay safe while camping.
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