Waterside glamping in North Coast
The North Coast offers campers mountainous hinterlands, sandy shores, and famous vineyards.
- North Coast
Popular camping styles for North Coast
Waterside glamping in North Coast guide
Overview
The North Coast of New South Wales has it all. Golden sands, surf beaches, and billowing dunes stretch along the coast from Newcastle to Tweed Heads. Inland, UNESCO World Heritage-listed rainforest and award-winning vineyards blanket the mountainous hinterlands, where you can hike and camp in some of the state’s most popular national parks. Campers have plenty of choices, whether you’re road-tripping along the Legendary Pacific Coast from Sydney to Brisbane or venturing into the rainforest. Park your motorhome at a national park campground, seek out a secluded bush campsite, or check into a 5-star holiday park or caravan park along the coast.
Where to go
Hunter Valley
Just north of Sydney and Newcastle, the Hunter Valley is one of Australia’s most renowned wine regions. Sip semillon and shiraz at cellar door tastings, visit family-run boutique wineries, then pitch your tent or park your RV amid the vineyards or along the Hunter River. Just to the north, the World Heritage-listed Gondwana Rainforests of Barrington Tops National Park afford endless options for bushwalking, fishing, and camping.
South North Coast
Beautiful beaches and wild bushlands await along the southern stretch of the North Coast between Newcastle and Port Macquarie. Go sandboarding at the Stockton Bight Sand Dunes, take a dolphin-watching cruise from Port Stephens, or enjoy kayaking, fishing, and camping at Myall Lakes National Park. Further north, Port Macquarie is the gateway to numerous lakes, lagoons, and wildlife reserves.
Central North Coast
Holidaymakers flock to Coffs Harbour for its water sports, wildlife-spotting, and whale-watching cruises, but the coastal town is also the gateway to some of NSW’s most popular national parks. Dorrigo National Park has spectacular waterfalls and scenic trails through UNESCO-listed rainforest, while there’s great camping at nearby Guy Fawkes River National Park and Nymboi-Binderay National Park.
Northern Rivers
Byron Bay is the quintessential NSW beach town, known for its epic surf and bohemian vibes, but Ballina, Brunswick Heads, and Tweed Heads are equally good choices for coastal campers. Don’t miss the Rainforest Way scenic drive, the beaches and lagoons of Bundjalung National Park, and the Cape Byron Headland Reserve, Australia’s easternmost point.
