A guide to the best free campsites around Australia

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With an influx of ‘environmental’ stressors felt in our everyday lives, it’s no wonder people are searching for a way to get ‘off-grid’ and back to basics in order to slow things down and realign themselves.

Free camping, or ‘FREEDOM camping’ as so many call it, can have this very effect. There’s nothing quite like immersing yourself in nature and staring up at a star-filled sky in the quiet darkness to reinvigorate the soul.

 

To help you get your free camping fix, we’ve compiled a list of the best free camps that we, and other travellers alike, have found as we tour the diverse Australian countryside.

Queensland

Long Waterhole

With amazing sunsets over the billabong and surrounding trees offering shade, this peaceful camp with plenty of wildlife is around two kilometres from Winton on the Winton-Jundah Road in the heart of Queensland’s outback.

 

Housing only self-sufficient campers (as there are no facilities on site), the area is prone to being affected by rain and floodwater, so awareness is key during times of rainfall.

 

A perfect base camp while doing the Winton leg of Australia’s Dinosaur Trail, or attending the annual camel races.

Archer Point

A short drive from Cooktown in Queensland’s tropical north, these stunning secluded beach camps on Archer Point Road are spread along the shore all the way to the lighthouse.

 

Accessible to all off-road set-ups, you need to bring your own everything, as there are no facilities available.

 

Spot abundant marine life including fish, turtles, dolphins and other wildlife surrounding the camps, particularly during the magnificent sunrises over the Coral Sea.

Expect stunning secluded beach camps on Archer Point Road

New South Wales 

Sandy Point Reserve

With a sandy beach in front of a safe swimming area, a ramp for those boat and water sport enthusiasts and facilities by way of barbecues, picnic tables and toilets, this little camp off Brunker Street in the southern NSW town of Hay will provide a relaxing short break.

 

Large gum trees provide shade over the spacious camping area, where you’re able to stay for up to three days.

 

A shared pathway that loops into town along the Murrumbidgee River houses some interesting artwork and abundant wildlife, and is well worth the trek.

Bingara River Camp

Found on Old Keera Road in northern NSW, this picturesque riverfront camp along the Gwydir River is a delightful spot to recharge your batteries.

 

Suitable for all camping set-ups, the area is clean, open, flat and spacious. There are no amenities available, so campers need to be self-sufficient.

 

The river and surrounds is full of birdlife, fish and wild brumbies – which you can spot grazing around the river. Be sure to take a blow-up tyre, kayak or paddleboard to float downstream on.

Australian Capital Territory

Brooks Hill Reserve

The sites just on the border at Brooks Hill Reserve in the suburb of Bungendore can make a great base for exploring our capital city.

 

Found on Kings Highway, the camp is accessible to all set-ups and offers toilets, picnic tables and bins for amenities. A popular place for hikers, there are some lovely bushwalks to trek where you’ll find some gorgeous views along the way.

Victoria

Barmah National Park

These secluded bush camps along river road in Yielima are a wonderful spot to lose yourself for a few days.

 

Located within a national park, the area is frequented by hundreds of kangaroos, emus and wild horses, giving it that unique ‘untouched’ bush feeling.

 

Enjoy cooling off in the river, fishing, or taking a stroll along some of the walking tracks nearby.

Barmah national park
The secluded bush camps in Barmah national park are a wonderful spot to lose yourself

Gadds Bend Reserve

Along Murray River Road in Walwa, you’ll find a peaceful and quiet campground by the river, where you can simply sit – breathe – and watch the river flow past.

 

Take a kayak or paddle board for a leisurely cruise along the water, swim, or simply sit on the banks and flick a rod if that’s your preferred relaxation method.

 

Try to spot the owls and possums while you kick back around a fire and experience the magical sunsets and moon rise over the water.

Tasmania

Lake Mackintosh

You do need to be self-contained to use the camps at the impressive Lake Mackintosh along Mackintosh Dam Road, in Tullah on the West Coast of Tasmania.

 

A dog-friendly state forest, the scenery here will blow you away. Known as a fisherman’s paradise, it can get busy at times, so there is a second campground beside the boat ramp (which is closed when dam water is being released).

 

An incredible place to spot possums, wallabies, wombats and Tasmanian devils in the surrounding forest, and if you love a challenging bushwalk, the view from the summit of nearby Mt Farrell is just amazing.

Cockle Creek

A picturesque and protected little bay, the campsites on Cockle Creek Road in Recherche make a fantastic base point for those undertaking the South Cape Bay Trail.

 

With a heap of secluded sites, the pristine wilderness and unique mash up of forest, beach and mountain views will leave you in awe.

 

The camps are in a national park, offering various walking tracks, places to fish and swimming areas. You can pick your own deliciously fresh oysters here on low tide too.

Cocklecreek
The picturesque and protected little Cockle Creek bay

More…

Wan’t more beautiful campsites in Tasmania? Find our ultimate guide here…

South Australia

Plushs Bend

With sites right on the river frontage and well-maintained roads making it accessible to all set-ups, anyone can enjoy the gorgeous Murray River views at Plushs Bend.

 

Housing bins, toilets, a safe swimming area and easy access for small boats, canoes and kayaks, this camp on Plushs Bend Road in Crescent, South Australia is one of the fancier free camps around as far as amenities go.

 

Be sure to catch the pelicans and other birdlife soaring over the water, making stunning silhouettes as the sun fades below the horizon.

Freycinet Trail Campsite

These campsites on Fitzgerald Bay Road in Port Bonython offer million-dollar views across the bay. Self-sufficient campers are permitted to use these sites as there are no facilities, with semi-private spots all along the track.

 

The beach is rock, not sand, but still great for a cool off, and with walking tracks and 4WD tracks to explore close by, it’s a great place to base yourself for a few days or more.

 

Don’t forget to wake up for the breathtaking sunrises over the water, try your luck at fishing, and look for the dolphins that swim past regularly.

Western Australia

Buttons Crossing

Pull up camp along the Ord River and lose yourself in the beauty of the surrounding landscape while enjoying some recreational fishing.

 

Found off Parry Creek Road in Kununurra, you do need to stay croc safe around these waterways, as they’re located within the East Kimberley region of Australia.

 

4WD vehicles are recommended with the terrain difficult in areas, and with no facilities, only self-contained campers are permitted. Base yourself here while exploring the many waterholes and falls surrounding Kununurra.

Quondong Point

A fantastic camp close to the beach, these sites along Quondong Point Road in Waterbank provide the best of coastal camping, whale watching and turtle spotting.

 

Suitable for all self-sufficient and off-road set-ups, if you park up along the top of the cliff you’ll feel like you have the beach all to yourself.

 

There is a limit of 72 hours at this free camp, so be sure to use your time to explore the 4wd and walking tracks, the sandy beach and rock pools, as well as the dinosaur footprints and fossils close by.

More…

Wan’t more beautiful campsites in Western Australia? Find our ultimate guide here…

Northern Territory

Diggers Rest

For the diehard adventurers, the Tanami Road is a familiar bucket-list track, crossing from the middle of the Northern Territory across the border into Western Australia and testing not only your driving skills, but your rig’s capabilities too.

 

The Diggers Rest campground is found in the suburb of Anmatjere and is popular because it is frequented by wild camels and varied birdlife.

 

4WD and off-road set-ups are a must, as is bringing your own everything – as there are no facilities here. With hardly another soul in sight, you’ll have an unrivalled view of the incredible sunsets behind the old windmill.

Mt Connor Lookout

If you’re headed into the Red Centre then this campground along the Lasseter Highway in Petermann could be the perfect base before exploring Uluru.

 

With a magnificent view of Mt Connor – a large rock that many mistake for Uluru from a distance – and a surprisingly large salt lake over a sand dune across the road, it offers spectacular scenery.

 

Toilet facilities are available and trees provide some shade over the camp area, which is big enough to fit a few small caravans, or vehicles with rooftop tents.

Mt Connor Lookout
The iconic views of Mt Connor Lookout

Camping is always best enjoyed with your nearest and dearest – so go grab some friends and family and start planning your next stress-free holiday to one of these epic free camps.

 

While you’re at it, throw in some of these hiking tracks for an extra ‘off-grid’ challenge.

 

You’ll thank us for it later!

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Inside Geelong’s glow-up from factory town to creative capital

    Chloe CannBy Chloe Cann
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    Abandoned mills and forgotten paper plants are finding second lives – and helping redefine a city long underestimated. 

    Just 15 years ago, Federal Mills was a very different place. Once among the most significant industrial sites in Victoria, the historic woollen mill was one of a dozen that operated in Geelong at the industry’s peak in the mid-20th century, helping the city earn its title as ‘wool centre of the world’. But by the 1960s global competition and the rise of synthetic fabrics led to the slow decline of the industry, and Federal Mills finally shuttered its doors in 2001. Within a few years, the abandoned North Geelong grounds had become makeshift pastoral land, with cows and goats grazing among the overgrown grass between the empty red-brick warehouses. It was a forgotten pocket of the city, all but two klicks from the bustle of the CBD.  

    Geelong cellar door wine bar
    Geelong has shed its industrial identity to become an innovative urban hub with reimagined heritage spaces. (Image: Ash Hughes)

    Federal Mills: from forgotten factory to creative precinct 

    Today, the century-old complex stands reborn. The distinctive sawtooth-roof buildings have been sensitively restored. An old silo is splashed with a bright floral mural, landscapers have transformed the grounds, and the precinct is once again alive with activity. More than 1000 people work across 50-plus businesses here. It’s so busy, in fact, that on a sunny Thursday morning in the thick of winter, it’s hard to find a car park. The high ceilings, open-plan design, and large multi-paned windows – revolutionary features for factories of their time – have again become a drawcard.  

    Paddock Bakery andPatisserie
    Paddock Bakery and Patisserie is housed within the historic wool factory. (Image: Gallant Lee)

    At Paddock , one of the precinct’s newer tenants, weaving looms and dye vats have been replaced by a wood-fired brick oven and heavy-duty mixers. Open since April 2024, the bakery looks right at home here; the building’s industrial shell is softened by ivy climbing its steel frames, and sunlight streams through the tall windows. Outside, among the white cedar trees, families at picnic benches linger over dippy eggs and bagels, while white-collar workers pass in and out, single-origin coffee and crème brûlée doughnuts in hand. 

    Geelong: Australia’s only UNESCO City of Design 

    Paddock Bakery
    Paddock Bakery can be found at Federal Mills. (Image: Gallant Lee)

    “A lot of people are now seeing the merit of investing in Geelong,” says Paul Traynor, the head of Hamilton Hospitality Group, which redeveloped Federal Mills. A city once shunned as Sleepy Hollow, and spurned for its industrial, working-class roots and ‘rust belt’ image, Geelong has long since reclaimed its ‘Pivot City’ title, having reinvented itself as an affordable, lifestyle-driven satellite city, and a post-COVID migration hotspot.  

    And the numbers stand testament to the change. In March 2025, and for the first time in its history, Greater Geelong became Australia’s most popular regional town for internal migration, overtaking Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Current forecasts suggest Geelong will continue to outpace many other Australian cities and towns, with jobs growing at double the rate of the population.

    Tourism is booming, too. The 2023-24 financial year was Geelong and The Bellarine region’s busiest on record, with 6.4 million visitors making it one of the fastest-growing destinations in the country. It’s not hard to see why: beyond the city’s prime positioning at the doorstep of the Great Ocean Road, Geelong’s tenacity and cultural ambition stands out.  

    As Australia’s only UNESCO City of Design, Geelong is swiftly shaking off its industrial past to become a model for urban renewal, innovation, sustainability and creative communities. The signs are everywhere, from the revitalisation of the city’s waterfront, and the landmark design of the Geelong Library and Heritage Centre and Geelong Arts Centre, to the growing network of local designers, architects and artists, and the burgeoning roster of festivals and events. That’s not even mentioning the adaptive reuse of storied old industrial buildings – from Federal Mills, to Little Creatures’ brewery ‘village’ housed within a 1920s textile mill – or the city’s flourishing food and wine scene.  

    The rise of a food and wine destination  

    boiler house
    Restaurant 1915 is housed within a restored former boiler house. (Image: Harry Pope/Two Palms)

    Traynor credits now-closed local restaurant Igni, which opened in 2016, as the turning point for Geelong’s hospo industry. “[Aaron Turner, Igni’s chef-patron] was probably the first guy, with all due respect, to raise the bar food-wise for Geelong,” he says. “People now treat it really seriously, and there’s clearly a market for it.” While Igni is gone, Turner now helms a string of other notable Geelong venues, including The Hot Chicken Project and Tacos y Liquor, all within the buzzy, street art-speckled laneways of the CBD’s Little Malop Street Precinct. Many others have also popped up in Igni’s wake, including Federal Mills’ own restaurant, 1915 . Housed within the cavernous boiler house, 1915’s interior is dramatic: soaring, vaulted ceilings with timber beams, exposed brick, a huge arched window. The share plates echo the space’s bold character, playing with contrast and texture, with dishes such as a compressed watermelon tataki, the sweet, juicy squares tempered by salty strands of fried leeks, and charred, smoky snow peas dusted with saganaki on a nutty bed of romesco. 

    Woolstore
    The Woolstore is a new restaurant and bar housed within a century-old warehouse. (Image: Amy Carlon)

     The Woolstore , one of The Hamilton Group’s most recent hospo projects, opened in February. It occupies a century-old riverside warehouse and exudes a more sultry, fine dining ambience. Much like Federal Mills, the blueprint was to preserve the original brickwork, tallowwood flooring and nods to the building’s former life. That same careful consideration extends to the well-versed, affable waitstaff as well as the kitchen. Head chef Eli Grubb is turning out an eclectic mix of ambitious and indulgent mod Oz dishes that deliver: strikingly tender skewers of chicken tsukune, infused with hints of smoke from the parrilla grill, and glazed with a moreish, sweet gochujang ‘jam’; nduja arancini fragrant with hints of aniseed and the earthy lick of sunny saffron aioli; and golden squares of potato pavé, adorned with tiny turrets of crème fraîche, crisp-fried saltbush leaves, and Avruga caviar, to name but a few stand-out dishes.  

    Woolstore menu
    Woolstore’s menu is designed for sharing.

    Breathing new life into historic spaces  

    On the city’s fringe, hidden down a winding side road with little fanfare, lies a long-dormant site that’s being gently revived. Built from locally quarried bluestone and brick, and dating back to the 1870s, the complex of original tin-roofed mill buildings is lush with greenery and backs onto the Barwon River and Buckley Falls; the audible rush of water provides a soothing soundtrack. Fyansford Paper Mill is one of few complexes of its time to survive intact. It feels steeped in history and spellbindingly rustic.  

    “We were looking for an old industrial place that had some charm and romance to it,” explains Sam Vogel, the owner, director and winemaker at Provenance Wines which moved here in 2018. When he first viewed the building with his former co-owner, it was in such a state of disrepair that the tradie tenant occupying the space had built a shed within it to escape the leaking roof and freezing winter temperatures. “To say it was run down would be an understatement,” he notes. “There was ivy growing through the place; the windows were all smashed. It was a classic Grand Designs project.” 

    Provenance Wines
    Provenance Wines moved to Fyansford Paper Mill in 2018. (Image: Cameron Murray Photography)

    The team has since invested more than a million dollars into their new home. Where paper processing machinery once sat, wine barrels are now stacked. Vaulted cathedral ceilings are strung with festoon lights, and hidden in plain sight lies a shadowy mural by local street artist de rigueur Rone – one of only three permanent works by the artist.

    While the award-winning, cool-climate pinot noir, riesling and chardonnay naturally remain a key draw at Provenance, the winery’s restaurant is a destination in itself. Impressed already by whipsmart service, I devour one of the most cleverly curated and faultlessly executed degustations I’ve had in some time. It’s all prepared in a kitchen that is proudly zero-waste, and committed to providing seasonal, ethical and locally sourced meat and produce under head chef Nate McIver. Think free-range venison served rare with a syrupy red wine jus and a half-moon of neon-orange kosho, shokupan with a deeply savoury duck fat jus (a modern Japanese take on bread and drippings), and a golden potato cake adorned with a colourful confetti of dehydrated nasturtiums and tomato powder, and planted atop a sea urchin emulsion.  

    handcrafted pieces
    Bell’s handcrafted functional pieces on display.

    The complex is home to a coterie of independent businesses, including a gallery, a jeweller, and its latest tenant, ceramicist Elizabeth Bell, drawn here by the building’s “soul”. “There’s so much potential for these buildings to have new life breathed into them,” says Bell, whose studio is housed within the old pump room. “Even people in Geelong don’t know we’re here,” she says. “It’s definitely a destination, but I like that. It has a really calming atmosphere.”  

    A Melbourne transplant, Bell now feels at home in Geelong, which offers something Melbourne didn’t. “If this business was in Melbourne I don’t think it would’ve been as successful,” she notes. “It’s very collaborative in Geelong, and I don’t think you get that as much in Melbourne; you’re a bit more in it for yourself. Here it’s about community over competition.”  

    Elizabeth Bell
    Ceramicist Elizabeth Bell has a store in Fyansford Paper Mill.