Best Aussie Camp Spots You've Never Heard Of. -

Are you ready to go on a journey of discovery to find the best Aussie camp spots you’ve never heard of? Here’s a list of my favourite spots featuring one from every state…

VICTORIA

Picture this; it’s January and it’s a beautiful hot summer’s day. You’ve set up camp where you’re nestled among the shady trees. Fellow campers are spread apart in a massive campground and you’re just a few steps away from the cobblestone stream. The water is coming directly from the alpine mountains, and it’s the perfect temperature to escape the heat of the day. In fact, it’s so good, you can sit in the water all day long.

People come here during summer to go fishing, tubing and 4wding in the nearby state forest.

Just 3 and half hours drive from Melbourne.

This is Running Creek, Howqua

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Chambers Gorge camp lapping oz — Chambers Gorge camping

You drive for hours and hours and see nothing but desolate desert all around you. You hope that you don’t break down because you are positively remote now. Suddenly, a statue of indigenous men appear and you turn into the entrance of the camping area. You’re setting up camp with the imposing gorge as a background and you hike to witness the ancient rock carvings deep inside the gorge. At night you have a campfire to stay warm while you listen the howling of dingoes echoing throughout the valley.

A 3-5 hours drive from Wilpena Pound, on the edge of the Flinders Ranges

This is Chambers Gorge, South Australia

QUEENSLAND

You’re in North Queensland and knee (or balls) deep in sugarcane country. The car pivots away from the coastline and you begin to notice an array of plantlife and wildlife. You’ve now entered the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area and after setting up camp, you decide take a look at the nearby waterfall. . After hiking a steep descent, you are now standing at the base of Australia’s highest single drop waterfall. The waterfall drops an incredible 268m before it first touches the pool below. It’s an incredible sight, that no photo could ever give justice to its magnificence.

If you don’t want to (or can’t) hike down to the base, there is the main lookout, which is a mere 200m drive from a campground in Girringun National Park and a short stroll from the carpark. We chose to stay at a nearby camp in the State Forest, featured here in this YouTube video…

A one hour drive from Ingham.

This is Gowrie Creek, Queensland.

TASMANIA

So you’ve decided to take a drive on the wild side, the stunning West coast of Tasmania. You like to have the choice of camping on the beach front or to be hidden behind the dunes to escape any wind. You like to snorkel and swim in sheltered water, and perhaps you might like to have some fresh caught fish for lunch.

At the end of a busy day of 4wding on the beach you watch the stunning sun set over the ocean. You pull up a chair around the campfire for happy hour and while gazing at the stars, a resident Tasmanian devil sneaks between your feet.

Isolated in its beauty, you’ll find this camp spot two hours drive south-west of Burnie.

This is Couta Rocks, Tasmania.

NEW SOUTH WALES

You’ve been mesmerised by outback sunsets on your trip towards Broken Hill, NSW. Then you decide to set up camp at a nearby lake in Kinchega National Park and you are now positively hypnotised. The silhouettes of naked trees against the lake’s eerily still body of water at sunset is like nothing you’ve ever experienced before. If you’re really lucky, swathes of emu’s will congregate on the water’s edge and casually stroll by your camp site throughout the day.

One and half hours from Broken Hill.

This is Lake Pamamaroo, NSW.

NORTHERN TERRITORY

Rainbow Cliff camp Nhulunbuy East Arnhem Land Gove

It’s been a 600km+ journey on heavily a corrugated road, that started near the centre of Australia. You are now standing on the edge of a cliff, surrounded by the Azure Sea and the wonderful sight of the ocean. At low tide, you walk from your camp to explore the magnificent cliff that features earthy tones of ochre, orange, red and sandy white.

After watching a panoramic sunset, you listen to the sound of the waves and keep an ear open for the wild buffalo who occasionally stroll by your campground during the night. Truly one of the best Aussie camp spots you’ve never heard of.

Rainbow Cliff camp Nhulunbuy East Arnhem Land

8km from Nhulunbuy, East Arnhem Land.

This is Rainbow Cliff, NT.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

You’ve finally made it to the magical north west of WA. The Dampier peninsula is on your bucket list but with many camping options to choose from its hard to know where to stay. You depart Broome and after a few hours you hang a left and traverse along a virtually one way track. All the while wondering what to do if another caravan comes in the opposite direction. How will you get past? You’ve taken the locals advice and have waited until after lunch time, hoping that everyone checking out at 10am have cleared the track by now.

There’s some stress involved in finding the campground. The signage is not clear because you can’t rely on google maps – it always takes everyone on a bum steer. You eventually reach the bay and select a secluded camp, well spaced from others and for the first time in a while, it feels like you’re on holidays. You laze on the beach, explore the rock pools and fall asleep to the sound of the sea. It is pure bliss.