It’s great fun, but camping with kids can be a challenge. Caz and Craig Makepeace know this well; the founders of ytravelblog.com recently took an 18-month road trip around Australia with their two daughters. Here they share their camping tips.
1. Nuture nature
Use camping to teach your kids about the natural world, basic survival skills and teamwork. Limit the electronics they can bring; camping is about disconnecting and getting back in touch with nature and family. We choose campgrounds that have a natural bush setting and great facilities for kids.
2. The essentials
Pack baby wipes to clean off the grime and dirt; head torches to help little campers find their way at night; mosquito coils and deet-free repellent to keep the bugs at bay; gum boots for jumping in puddles; and a rug so they always have a place to sit and play.
3. Safety first
Run through campsite safety rules with your children as soon as you’ve set up. We let them know the boundaries of where they can and can’t play. Show them where the amenities are and ensure they know to visit with either Mum or Dad. Also remind them to return to the campsite when it gets dark.
4. Busy bees
Involve your children in exciting camp tasks. Let them collect wood, start the fire and pitch tents. Assign more mundane jobs as well, from washing-up to garbage collection. Our daughters loved winding the legs up and down on our trailer, and building a fire is their speciality.
5. Clean as a whistle
Have a small broom handy to wipe the dirt off before entering the tent. The dewy early morning grass will wreak havoc on your clothes and shoes, and inside your camping home. Kids will love being in charge of sweeping down Mum and Dad before they enter the tent.
6. Room for the whole family
Check to see if the campground has a family bathroom. It makes shower time much easier, especially with little ones. You can clean the whole family at once, the rooms are bigger and sometimes have baby baths. Plus, they are generally much cleaner and less busy!
The nation’s most prestigious network of guided multi-day hikes has expanded to 15 with the addition of two spectacular new experiences – the Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa Signature Walk and the Kangaroo Island Signature Walk, both operated by the Tasmanian Walking Company.
Launched in 2013 as part of Tourism Australia’s Signature Experiences program, Great Walks of Australia represents the gold standard in nature-based tourism – think all-inclusive, fully guided adventures through the country’s most breathtaking wilderness areas.
Hiking to the heart of Australia
A decade in the making, the Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa Signature Walk is a first-of-its-kind experience offering exclusive overnight stays inside the World Heritage-listed national park. Developed in partnership with Aṉangu Traditional Owners, the five-day journey traverses 54 kilometres from the domes of Kata Tjuṯa to the base of Uluṟu, blending premium comfort with deep cultural connection.
Walkers stay in new eco-sensitive camps and a private lodge, feast on chef-prepared meals under desert skies, and learn stories passed down over tens of thousands of years. Guided by Indigenous partners and expert storytellers, this walk redefines what it means to travel respectfully on Country.
The island is back
Across the water, the Kangaroo Island Signature Walk celebrates South Australia’s wild southwest coast on a four-day guided journey through Flinders Chase National Park. Traversing the most scenic stretches of the 46-kilometre Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail, the experience pairs rugged cliffs and ancient forests with heritage lighthouse accommodation at Cape du Couedic, chef-prepared local produce and premium South Australian wines.
Guests walk lightly, supported by expert guides, and can expect encounters with sea lions, wallabies and echidnas along the way. True to the Tasmanian Walking Company’s sustainability ethos, the walk is 100 per cent carbon neutral and certified under Advanced Ecotourism Australia.
A new chapter for Great Walks of Australia
Stay in heritage lighthouse accommodation at Cape du Couedic on the Kangaroo Island Signature Walk. (Image: Declan Hartley Brown)
Executive Officer of Great Walks of Australia, Genevieve Matthews, says the new additions add “both heart and a new edge” to the collection.
“One experience has guests journeying through the ancient landscape of Australia’s Red Centre, and the other set along the spectacular rugged coastline of South Australia,” she said.
“These new additions to the collection extend the offering to our loyal walking community, showcasing some of the most globally recognised and breathtaking landscapes in the country.”
Tasmanian Walking Company co-owner Brett Godfrey said it was a privilege to share these landscapes through responsible tourism.
“Both Uluru-Kata Tjuta Signature Walk and Kangaroo Island Signature Walk represent not only world-class hiking experiences, but also a profound respect for the landscape, cultural heritage, and environment in which they take place,” Godfrey said.
