Discover the best coastal campgrounds in Australia with swimming

Australia is a wild-at-heart continent, and camping is a part of its DNA thanks to Aussies who love camping holidays. It isn't hard to find a good caravan park or camping area—from five-star glamping at Uluru and family-friendly coastal holiday parks to rustic campsites at cattle stations and bush camping in national parks. Pitch your tent near the dunes and be lulled asleep by the sound of the surf, or wake up to bird calls and frog song in the rainforest. Take in the views from a country peak, or head out into the wilderness on an Outback road trip. And the best thing about camping in Australia? There's always perfect camping weather somewhere, no matter the time of year.

Where to go

New South Wales

New South Wales has a bit of everything that makes Australia such a great place to camp. Hipcampers can choose from snow-covered mountains, beaches, rainforest, and Outback plains—you can always find a good camping spot in NSW.

Queensland

Australia’s favourite place to escape the cold, the white-sand beaches north and south of Brisbane in southeast Queensland are warm enough to swim in all year-round. It may be too wet in summer to camp comfortably in the rainforest of Cairns, the Tropical North, and along the Great Barrier Reef, but winter is the best time to swim in the sea. The Outback, too, is at its best in the cooler months.

South Australia

A wild, dramatic, and mostly deserted coastline, South Australia’s rugged outback ranges and fantastic wine are just a few reasons to pitch a tent or park your caravan here. It may not always be swimming weather (the ocean waters are cold), but the beach camping here is some of the best in Australia.

Tasmania

Any time's a good time to visit Tasmania, a place that will delight intrepid Hipcampers with its wild and remote national parks and camping sites. You'll need a warm sleeping bag and good wet weather gear, as it can snow on the peaks near Hobart even in summer. But don't let a little dampness put you off, because it rains here all the time, which is why the World Heritage wilderness areas are so beautifully lush.

Victoria

Just down the road a bit from Melbourne, Victoria’s Great Ocean Road is a bucket-list road trip that lives up to the hype, with some of the best coastal camping areas around. Hiking and camping in the Grampians is good year-round, although the snow-covered high country peaks and the east coast national parks are best saved for the warmer months.

Western Australia

Western Australia is huge, so don’t expect to see it all in a couple of weeks. Let the weather be your guide and explore the coastal national parks, forests, wineries, and beaches south of Perth during the hot, dry summer, then head north to Broome and the Kimberley for a 4WD camping adventure in winter, when it rarely rains.

Northern Territory

When the wintertime chills hit the south, the Northern Territory is the place to be, especially if you’re fond of campervan road trips. The deserts of the Red Centre offer warm, fly-free days and cold nights ideal for gathering around the campfire. Kakadu National Park and the Top End are hot and dry—perfect for swimming.