The Ultimate Guide To Becoming An Eco-Camper

From solar power to beeswax wraps, here’s our ultimate guide to becoming an eco-camper.

1. Solar panels

Let’s start with one of the best decisions you could make for a more environmentally-friendly camping experience: solar panels. Whether you’re towing a caravan or driving a van, installing solar panels is a no-brainer. Keep in mind that in case of bad weather you will have to recharge your battery or else contact a tow truck to take you to a place where you can either replace or change your vehicle battery.

Not only do they mean you’re not drawing on a town’s electricity supply, but they’ll give you the freedom to go anywhere. Relying on the sun to power a 12-volt fridge, lights, camera, laptops and your phone means you can camp in remote locations, and that means more money in your pocket for tours and eating out when you return to civilisation. You don’t have to permanently attach solar panels to your vehicle either, with plenty of collapsible set-ups on the market. Folding solar panels and solar blankets are great because they can be moved during the day to capture the best sunlight and then packed away easily at night.

Check out… 4WD SupaCentre and REDARC to familiarise yourself with the options.

A van with solar panels on the roof camping on cliff sea shore. — Solar power means more money in your pocket (or more travel)

2. Mozzie spray

Those nostril-burning mosquito repellents certainly do their job, but one sniff and it’s obvious they’re not doing the environment – or your skin – any good. Thankfully, there are natural alternatives, mostly in the form of creams.

Keep an eye out for the term “DEET-free" and look for child-friendly options. Essential oils such as citronella, tea tree, lemongrass and eucalyptus are said to keep mozzies at bay, so get yourself a designated camping diffuser. If nights are cool, light a campfire as the smoke is also believed to be a deterrent.

Check out… Australian-made Nature’s Botanical or any repellent made from essential oils.

Woman spraying insect repellent on skin outdoor. — DEET-free mozzie repellent is a lifesaver.

3. DIY washing machine

Forget saving up coins for caravan park laundries, which can be stocked with dated (read: power-zapping) washing machines, and let your caravan or car wash your clothes for you. Yes, you heard right. Buy a tub with a lid from a hardware store, fill it with water and soap, and then stuff it with your red-dirt-stained camp clothes before you head to your next destination.

As the car or caravan moves, the water and clothing will agitate, knocking that dirt out of your favourite sundress. Once you arrive at the next campsite, rinse the clothing under a tap, hang it in the sun to dry and Bob’s your uncle.

Check out… Bunnings Warehouse for a cheap, hardy bucket.

4. Beeswax wraps

Tupperware was so last century and using plastic wrap is a wasteful, bad habit. Stay ahead of the crowds by replacing both products with beeswax wraps. At $30 a pop for a three-pack, they’re expensive but worth the coin.

Not only do they take up less room in your caravan kitchen, but they’re better for the environment and your long-term health. Simply made out of cloth and beeswax, the wraps can be used as a lid for ceramic and glass crockery, and can be wrapped around cheese and cut vegetables to keep them fresh. You’ll find a lot of small businesses producing them, too, so you know your money is going directly into the pocket of the creator.

Check out… @bumblebeewraps on Instagram. The 100 per cent cotton wraps are handmade in the NSW Riverina and the business is part of the #buyfromthebush social media movement supporting communities in drought.

Take away cake inside homemade beeswax wraps. Wrapping food in handmade beeswax wrap cloth indoors, alternative for plastic. Using iron machine to melt beeswax into cotton cloth. — The ultimate kitchen essential.

5. Shop local

The lure of big supermarkets for both convenience and low prices can be strong when you’re travelling but, wherever possible, you should also head along to produce markets to stock up on your camping food and beverages.

While it might mean you are paying a bit more, this is offset by the fact you will be reducing your food miles, buying in-season fruit and veg, and supporting local farmers, which in turn boosts the economy of the tourist town you’re enjoying so much. If you’re travelling through Queensland, you’ll likely come across a tonne of roadside stalls selling bananas, passionfruit and other delicious produce for reasonable prices. Make sure you pull over and stock up.

Check out… some of our favourite markets, such as Albany Farmers’ Market and Albany Boat Shed Markets in WA; Rusty’s Markets in Queensland; and Mudgee Farmers’ Markets in NSW.

Fresh tropical fruit stalls at Rusty's Markets in the heart of Cairns. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland) — Rusty’s Markets is a must-stop in the heart of Cairns. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

6. Wood fires

It may be harder, but relying on old-fashioned newspapers and matches to light a campfire is far gentler on the environment than quick-to-ignite fire starters made from kerosene (paraffin). If you’re determined to stick with fire-starters, look for products that are labelled “no kerosene".

Recycle any newspapers and cardboard by using them in the fire, and follow national park rules about only burning fallen branches. Get the kids to collect any sticks around the campsite for kindling (it’ll keep them busy and they’ll love helping).

Campfire with a vintage kettle next to the beautiful lake. — Steer clear of the kerosene when lighting your campfire.

7. Your location

Camping on the beach can be controversial due to fragile dunes and unruly 4WDers who ignore signs about protecting the vegetation. Then there’s the issue of inexperienced campers incorrectly disposing of human waste (carry a shovel, people).

That’s why it’s important to pick an appropriate campsite for your style of travel. If you’re not willing to obey local council rules about where you can pitch a tent or you couldn’t be bothered to take your rubbish home, it’s best you stick to holiday parks. Also, while rinsing off in a free beach shower is fine, it’s not acceptable to use soap in the ocean or fragile river ecosystems.

Shot of illuminated tent in a romantic glamping site at night with Mount Batur view. — Be mindful of where you choose to set up camp.

8. Take 3 for the Sea

You’d be surprised by how many campers leave their rubbish behind, sometimes unwittingly, after a weekend away with mates. Throwing your beer bottle tops in the campfire doesn’t make them disappear and, if you head to the beach for a morning coffee, carry a reusable mug.

If camping and fishing go hand in hand for you, be sure to bin any cut fishing line and hooks, and avoid casting a line where it’s likely to get snagged on rocks and end up in the ocean.

Check out… Instagram account @take3forthesea for inspiration on doing the right thing.

multiple views of an old worn sign post instructing campers fishermen bush walkers hikers to take responsibility for removing all waste trash rubbish and take it with them. Environmentally responible behaviour. warning sign no littering. Say no to illegal dumping concept story — Pretty self-explanatory…

Video credit: Visit Victoria/Tourism Australia

The Grampians just might be the ultimate antidote for the metropolis, writes one returning Aussie ready to disconnect from the modern world and reconnect to the Great outdoors.

There are no kangaroos back in Chicago: they’re all here in the Grampians/Gariwerd . In the heart of the Grampians National Park’s main gateway town, Halls Gap, pods of eastern greys are eating grass beside my parked rental car beneath the stars. Next morning, when I see the backyard of my rented villa on the edge of town for the first time, there are kangaroos feeding beside a slow-moving creek, lined with river red gums.

Five hundred metres up the road, 50 or so of them are eating by the side of the road in a paddock. I pull over to watch and spot three emus. Yellow-tailed black cockatoos fly overhead towards the tall green mountains just beyond town.

‘Kee-ow, keee-oww’… their calls fuse with the maniacal cackle of a kookaburra (or 10). Gawd, how I’ve missed the sound of them. Far above, a wedge-tailed eagle watches, and there you go: the ‘great birds of Australia’ trifecta, all half a kay from the town limits.

Exchanging city chaos for country calm

kangaroos near Halls Gap, Grampians National Park — The park is renowned for its significant diversity of native fauna species. (Image: Visit Victoria/Robert Blackburn)

I’ve come to the Grampians to disconnect, but the bush offers a connection of its own. This isn’t just any bush, mind you. The Grampians National Park is iconic for many reasons, mostly for its striking sandstone mountains – five ridges run north to south, with abrupt, orange slopes which tumble right into Halls Gap – and for the fact there’s 20,000 years of traditional rock art. Across these mountains there are more than 200 recorded sites to see, created by the Djab Wurrung, Jardwadjali and Gunditjmara peoples. It’s just like our outback… but three hours from Melbourne.

I’ve come here for a chance at renewal after the chaos of my life in America’s third-largest city, Chicago, where I live for now, at the whim of a relative’s cancer journey. Flying into Melbourne’s airport, it only takes an hour’s drive to feel far away from any concept of suburbia. When I arrive in Halls Gap two hours later, the restaurant I’m eating at clears out entirely by 7:45pm; Chicago already feels a lifetime ago.

The trails and treasures of the Grampians

sunrise at Grampians National Park /Gariwerd — Grampians National Park /Gariwerd covers almost 2000 square kilometres. (Image: Ben Savage)

Though the national park covers almost 2000 square kilometres, its best-known landmarks are remarkably easy to access. From my carpark here, among the cockatoos and kangaroos on the fringe of Halls Gap, it only takes 60 seconds’ driving time before I’m winding my way up a steep road through rainforest, deep into the mountains.

Then it’s five minutes more to a carpark that serves as a trailhead for a hike to one of the park’s best vantage points, The Pinnacles . I walk for an hour or so, reacquainting myself with the smells and the sounds of the Aussie bush, before I reach it: a sheer cliff’s edge lookout 500 metres up above Halls Gap.

walking through a cave, Hollow Mountain — Overlooking the vast Grampians landscape from Hollow Mountain. (Image: Robert Blackburn)

There are hikes and there are lookouts and waterfalls all across this part of the park near town. Some are a short stroll from a carpark; others involve long, arduous hikes through forest. The longest is the Grampians Peaks Trail , Victoria’s newest and longest iconic walk, which runs 160 kilometres – the entire length of Grampians National Park.

Local activities operator Absolute Outdoors shows me glimpses of the trail. The company’s owner, Adrian Manikas, says it’s the best walk he’s done in Australia. He says he’s worked in national parks across the world, but this was the one he wanted to bring his children up in.

“There’s something about the Grampians,” he says, as he leads me up a path to where there’s wooden platforms for tents, beside a hut looking straight out across western Victoria from a kilometre up in the sky (these are part of the guided hiking options for the trail). “There are things out here that you won’t see anywhere else in Australia.” Last summer, 80 per cent of the park was damaged by bushfire, but Manikas shows me its regrowth, and tells me of the manic effort put in by volunteers from town – with firefighters from all over Australia – to help save Halls Gap.

wildflowers in Grampians National Park — Spot wildflowers. (Image: Visit Victoria)

We drive back down to Halls Gap at dusk to abseil down a mountain under the stars, a few minutes’ walk off the main road into town. We have headlamps, but a full moon is enough to light my way down. It takes blind faith to walk backwards down a mountain into a black void, though the upside is I can’t see the extent of my descent.

Grampians National Park at sunset. (Image: Wine Australian)

The stargazing is ruined by the moon, of course, but you should see how its glow lights up the orange of the sandstone, like in a theme park. When I’m done, I stand on a rocky plateau drinking hot chocolate and listening to the Aussie animals who prefer nighttime. I can see the streets of Halls Gap off in the distance on this Friday night. The restaurants may stay open until 8pm tonight.

What else is on offer in The Grampians?

a boat travelling along the Wimmera River inDimboola — Travelling along the Wimmera River in Dimboola. (Image: Chris McConville)

You’ll find all sorts of adventures out here – from rock climbing to canoeing to hiking – but there’s more to the Grampians than a couple of thousand square kilometres of trees and mountains. Halls Gap may be known to most people, but what of Pomonal, and Dimboola, and Horsham? Here in the shadow of those big sandstone mountains there are towns and communities most of us don’t know to visit.

And who knew that the Grampians is home to Victoria’s most underrated wine region ? My disconnection this morning comes not in a forest, but in the tasting rooms and winery restaurants of the district. Like Pomonal Estate, barely 10 minutes’ drive east of Halls Gap, where UK-born chef Dean Sibthorp prepares a locally caught barramundi with lentil, pumpkin and finger lime in a restaurant beside the vines at the base of the Grampians. Husband-and-wife team Pep and Adam Atchison tell me stories as they pour their prize wines (shiraz is the hero in these parts).

dining at Pomonal Estate — Dine in a restaurant beside vines at Pomonal Estate. (Image: Tourism Australia)

Three minutes’ drive back down the road, long-time mates Hadyn Black and Darcy Naunton run an eclectic cellar door out of a corrugated iron shed, near downtown Pomonal. The Christmas before last, half the houses in Pomonal burnt down in a bushfire, but these locals are a resilient lot.

The fires also didn’t stop the construction of the first art centre in Australia dedicated to environmental art in a nature-based precinct a little further down the road (that’s Wama – the National Centre for Environmental Arts), which opened in July. And some of the world’s oldest and rarest grape vines have survived 160 years at Best’s Wines, outside the heritage town of Great Western. There’s plantings here from the year 1868, and there’s wines stored in century-old barrels within 150-year-old tunnels beneath the tasting room. On the other side of town, Seppelt Wines’ roots go back to 1865. They’re both only a 30-minute drive from Halls Gap.

Salingers of Great Western — Great Western is a charming heritage town. (Image: Griffin Simm)

There’s more to explore yet; I drive through tiny historic towns that barely make the map. Still part of the Grampians, they’re as pretty as the mountains behind them: full of late 19th-century/early 20th-century post offices, government offices and bank buildings, converted now to all manner of bric-a-brac stores and cafes.

The Imaginarium is one, in quirky Dimboola, where I sleep in the manager’s residence of an old National Australia Bank after a gourmet dinner at the local golf club, run by noted chef and teacher, Cat Clarke – a pioneer of modern Indigenous Australian cooking. Just south, I spend an entire afternoon at a winery, Norton Estate Wines, set on rolling calico-coloured hills that make me think of Tuscany, chit-chatting with owners Chris and Sam Spence.

Being here takes me back two decades, when I lived here for a time. It had all seemed as foreign as if I’d driven to another planet back then (from Sydney/Warrane), but there seemed something inherently and immediately good about this place, like I’d lived here before.

And it’s the Australian small-town familiarity of the Grampians that offers me connection back to my own country. Even in the better-known Halls Gap, Liz from Kerrie’s Creations knows I like my lattes with soy milk and one sugar. And while I never do get the name of the lady at the local Ampol station, I sure know a lot about her life.

Kookaburras on a tree — Kookaburras are one of some 230 bird species. (Image: Darren Donlen)

You can be a local here in a day; how good is that? In Chicago, I don’t even know who my neighbour is. Though each day at dusk – when the kangaroos gather outside my villa, and the kookaburras and the black cockatoos shout out loud before settling in to sleep – I prefer the quieter connection I get out there in the bush, beneath these orange mountains.

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

Sleep beside the wildlife on the edge of Halls Gap at Serenity .

Playing there

abseiling down Hollow Mountain — Hollow Mountain is a popular abseiling site.

Go abseiling under the stars or join a guided hike with Absolute Outdoors . Visit Wama , Australia’s first environmental art centre. Check out Dimboola’s eccentric Imaginarium .

Eating there

steak, naan bread and beer at Paper Scissors Rock in Halls Gap — Paper Scissors Rock in Halls Gap serves a great steak on naan bread.

Eat world-class cuisine at Pomonal Estate . Dine and stay at much-revered icon Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld. The ‘steak on naan’ at Halls Gap brewhouse Paper Scissors Rock , can’t be beat.

Dunkeld Arboretum in Grampians National Park — The serene Dunkeld Arboretum.

For Halls Gap’s best breakfasts head to Livefast Cafe . Sip local wines at Great Western’s historic wineries, Best’s Wines , Seppelt Wines and Norton Estate Wines .

two glasses of beer at Paper Scissors Rock in Halls Gap — Sink a cold one at Paper Scissors Rock.

The ultimate guide to becoming an eco-camper