BEST CARAVAN PARKS IN AUSTRALIA

‘Travel can often be expensive. What if we told you that you could take caravan trips within Australia without having to break your budgets, that will leave you feeling refreshed and wanting more? Well, read on.’

Who says holidays have to be expensive affairs? If you’re short on cash, or if you’ve just come back from a budget busting trip and you want to scratch the travel itch a bit more lightly, say hello to the caravan holiday. This will take you back in time, but it is true to the Australian culture of mateship and ‘chilling out’ that so many of us seem to have forgotten today.

So go ahead and get back in touch with your Australian roots. As you probably know, Australia is full of perfect locations where you could go ‘caravaning’. Here is a selection that we absolutely love from around the country.

1. New South Wales

Between Forster and Port Stephens, north of Syndey, there are a clutch of too-good-to-be-true beaches that you can choose from. The Seven Mile Beach near Booti Booti National Park is as good a beach as any. There is natural vegetation right up to the sand, an uninterrupted shoreline, and clean breaking waves.

If you want to experience the white sands of Seven Mile Beach fully, Sundowner Tiona Tourist Park is your best bet, nestled between the beach, the cabbage palm trees of Wallis lake, and Booti Booti National Park. Just bring your swimming gear and your fishing line – you don’t need anything else to relax at the tourist park. They have a lot of camp and caravan sites where you can kick back your shoes, put up your feet, and relax.

2. Northern Territory

In this region, nothing beats taking an early morning boat trip as the light just begins to hit the 70-metre walls at Katherine Gorge. The trail is 12 kilometres long, so you can either hire a canoe and explore it through water, or you can hit the walking trails and take a hike, for which you will need your walking shoes and plenty of water.

The best place to stay for you would be Shady Lane Tourist Park. Don’t be put away by the name. It is Katherine’s top Tourist Member Park just five minutes away from Nitmiluk National Park (the indigenous name for Katherine Gorge). Sit back and relax under the shady trees with a cool drink and watch the world go by, or take a dip in the sparkling swimming pool after enjoying a cruise on the Gorge.

3. Victoria

Mallacoota is the name that matters in Victoria when it comes to caravan spots. It’s a quiet inlet with lakes, estuaries, rainforests and surf beaches. It’s a drive from Sydney and Melbourne, so it does not get as crowded as other coastal towns. If you’re after that quiet time away from hustle and bustle, look no further.

For accommodation, Mallacoota Foreshore Holiday Park is your ideal destination. It has sites right on the lake shore, is close to the town and beaches, and you can even bring your dog along. Make sure that your pet is not scared of wild animals, though. There is a range of 650 camping sites on the park. You can look at the map of the park beforehand and strategically choose your spots. Doesn’t get much better than this!

4. Western Australia

If you’re in Western Australia, around ten hours’ drive from Perth’s CBD is Monkey Mia, which is a one-stop shop for all those of you who are looking for the ideal short getaway. You can swim with wild dolphins in knee-deep waters, which is obviously the main draw, but there are many other animals you can check out too, like manta rays, turtles and sharks. Activities such as kayaking, snorkelling and sand dune hiking will keep you busy.

Monkey Mia Resort is probably your best bet for accommodation, for its classy service and its proximity to the park. It’s right on the edge of the ocean, with barbeques, bars, restaurants and a swimming pool and a hot tub. No matter what you wish to do, Monkey Mia will probably show you a way to do it. Crystal-clear waters, pristine white shell beaches, and a swim with the Dolphins. What more could you ask for?

5. Queensland

Mission Beach had a close call with Cyclone Yasi a couple of years ago, but it’s now open for business. It’s probably one of the prettiest beaches in Australia, with a 14-kilometre stretch of sand and four small centres that make up the area. It has been used as a backdrop for many movies recently. Inland from the beach, you can lose yourself in endless cane fields and cool rainforests.

Beachcomber Coconut Caravan Village is what you’re looking for once you get there, situated at the beachfront and surrounded by lush rainforest looking directly on Dunk and Family islands. They have games rooms, a large swimming pool, kayaks for hire, water taxi to Dunk Island, and a variety of other facilities that you will simply not get bored of.

6. South Australia

If you’re in Adelaide, then this one’s probably tailor-made for you. It’s not as easy to get to as the other resorts on this list: it is a good 600 km away from Adelaide, which means you will need a four-wheel drive and a good six hours to get there, but once you do, it will all seem worth it. The Flinders Ranges and the expansive Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary are saturated with some of the most beautiful arid landscapes in the country, and you will feel as if you’re living among kangaroos.

Set up camp at Arkaroola Resort, where they have a pool, cabin, caravan sites, restaurant, and shop for anything you may need. It’s a great place for bushwalking, hiking, bird watching, and swimming in the hidden gorges. Arkaroola features rugged mountains, towering granite peaks, magnificent gorges, and mysterious waterholes, the home to over 160 species of birds and the shy and endangered Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby. You will become quite the ornithologist once you visit this place!