10 Aussie Caravanning Tips Everyone Needs To Know

Thinking of joining the ever-increasing number of Aussies hitting the open road with a caravan in tow? Here, then, are the Top Ten things you should know before pulling into your first tourist park.

1. There’s no such thing as sleeping in

People in caravan parks like to rise early. They have places to be and they need to get there ASAP. I know, I know, they’re on holidays – but there’s no rest for the wicked and the early bird gets the best site at the next van park.

Plus, many caravanners are older retirees and they’ll be the first to tell you they usually wake by 5am anyway. So expect a lot of clatter and banging, car engines starting and loud morning greetings before the sun is even in the sky.

2. Privacy is a thing of the past

You may dream of quiet nights in a tranquil bush setting with a book and a folding chair, but while that can happen if you head off the beaten track, most of the time you’re on a small site (grassed, if you’re lucky) with another caravan a few feet either side of you.

Quite possibly one behind as well. Most have flimsy walls and lots of open screens, so sound travels a long way. Your own conversations, and those of people around you, will bounce around your not-so-quiet oasis for all to hear.

Build in bed in 4WD. Backpacking Australia with camper van.

And that’s before the lights go out and the snoring starts. You can hit your own husband (or, to be fair, wife) when they start to grunt and snort, but you can’t do much about the foghorn five caravans down.

3. People like to watch

Caravan parks are like mini theatres, with an ever-changing cast and crew watched by an openly curious, often downright nosy, audience. New arrivals are like a new set of actors taking the stage.

Oldies sit at their outdoor tables and stare as the latest travellers struggle to reverse their vans, maybe exchanging a few harsh words to each other in the process. A good domestic during the treacherous setting-up-of the-van process can brighten any caravan park afternoon.

If you’re young and appear inexperienced, so much the better. If, like my husband and I, you’re still in your 30s and on your first long-haul caravan journey, you’ll draw plenty of attention. Try not to show fear.

4. The toilets stink in the morning

We humans often follow a fairly set routine when it comes to eating and, um, expelling our waste. The post-breakfast trip to the amenities block is, therefore, never a pleasant experience. Often there’s a queue and the toilets invariably stink.

There are also all those embarrassing bodily function noises emanating from the cubicles while those in line cringe and await their turn.

5. Someone will always know better than you

There are tens of thousands of people currently on the road around Australia. Many of them have lapped the country more than once and, let me tell you, they know a thing or two (or three or four) about caravan travel.

They know where the cheapest petrol is, where the best views are, and which places not to bother with. And they won’t be backwards in coming forwards when it comes to telling you the things you should be doing or shouldn’t have done. There’s no solution to this. Just nod politely and agree.

6. The honeymoon is over

Living in a confined space for an extended period will test the strongest of relationships, no matter how much you love your partner. Especially if your chosen mode of transport is lean (in our case a 12ft, 26-year-old caravan).

Being with someone 24/7 can be tough, especially when you can’t move from one side of the van to the other without crashing into each other. Tension between couples on the road is the subject of many jokes.

Expect it and do your best to create space when it’s needed. The other alternative is to have a good old fight and add to that afternoon’s caravan park entertainment (refer to Point No. 03).

7. Things go wrong

No matter how well laid your plans, things will invariably come undone from time to time. The caravan park you want might be booked. Your warm tropical week in northern Australia might be windy and rainy. You might blow a tire or your vehicle might suffer some other type of mechanical problem. Be prepared and stay flexible. Throwing the odd tantrum sometimes helps, too.

8. The washing lines are always full

Washing and drying clothes when on the road can be a difficult chore to complete, especially when the limited number of clotheslines and driers seem always to be full.

A campervan passes beneath the memorial arch on the Great Ocean Road in Victoria. The scenic road winds down the coast of Victoria and is popular with tourists.

Unless you’re one of the aforementioned early birds, my advice is to wash at night. Get in and hang your clothes up way before the sun has come up.

9. You instantly become a slow driver

Before we began caravanning, my husband and I complained about caravans driving below the speed limit and holding up long lines of cars. “Bloody caravanners," we’d been known to mutter. Now we are one of those moving roadblocks.

We drive carefully and usually sit just under the speed limit, not because we have to, but because we get better fuel consumption that way. And with petrol one of the biggest on-road expenses, I guarantee your hooning days are over once you start towing a caravan.

Of course, some people do take this concept to new levels, crawling along at a snail’s pace . . . bloody caravanners.

10. Caravanning is one of the best things you’ll ever do

Despite points one to nine, nothing beats the freedom of the open road; the sense of adventure and fun as you explore new places and the flexibility that comes from taking your accommodation with you.

Australia is a fantastic country full of beauty and diversity and there are lots of great people to meet. Don’t put it off. Hook up that caravan and hit the road.

Makers, bakers, artists, chefs, crafters – Ballarat and its surrounds are overflowing with creative spirits. All dedicated to keeping traditional skills alive for a city that is humming with artful energy.

Modern makers: a new generation of artists and artisans

“Keeping craft alive is a noble cause,” says Jess Cameron-Wootten, a charming and passionate master leathercrafter and cordwainer, who handmakes traditional leather boots and shoes in Ballarat’s old Gun Cotton Goods Store.

Ballarat was recognised in 2019 as a UNESCO Creative City of Craft and Folk Art, and today it’s a place where craft traditions converge with contemporary needs. Nothing quite captures this convergence as a visit to Wootten , the workshop and store of Jess Cameron-Wootten and his partner Krystina Menegazzo.

heritage buildings in Ballarat — Ballarat’s streets are lined with heritage buildings. (Image: Matt Dunne)

Jess’s father was an artisan bootmaker, or cordwainer. Now Jess and Krys and their small team of artisans continue the tradition, but with a modern spin. The company’s boots and shoes, made completely from scratch, are renowned for their quality and longevity. Wootten also craft shoes, bags, belts, leather aprons, wallets and more.

Cosy beanies, gloves, alpaca socks, “unbreakable” shoelaces and various other goods – many from local craftspeople and small-scale makers – fill the shop’s shelves. “We’re always happy to support a mate,” says Jess. “People love to see the workshop and where things are made. Our clients care about quality and sustainability,” Krys comments. The company slogan ‘Made for generations’ says it all.

Ruby Pilven’s ceramics at Ross Creek Gallery. (Image: Tara Moore)

For Ruby Pilven, craft is also in the DNA – both her parents were potters and with her latest porcelain ceramics, Ruby’s young daughter has been helping add colour to the glazes. “I grew up watching my parents in the workshop – I’ve always been doing ceramics,” she says, although her Visual Arts degree was in printmaking. That printmaking training comes through particularly in the rich layering of pattern. Her audacious colour, unexpected shapes and sudden pops of 12-carat gold are contemporary, quirky – and joyful.

You can see Ruby’s handcrafted ceramics, and work by other local and regional artists, at Ross Creek Gallery , a light-filled space surrounded by serene bushland, across from the mudbrick house her parents built in the 1980s. A 10-minute drive from Ballarat, it’s a tangible link to the region’s well-established craft traditions.

How Ballarat is preserving the past

artisans making crafts at the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades, Ballarat — The Centre for Rare Arts & Forgotten Trades holds workshops to preserve crafts and skills.

While tradition is ongoing, there’s a danger that many of these specific type of skills and knowledge are fading as an older generation passes on. Step forward the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades .

The seven purpose-built studios occupy a fabulous modern building adjacent to Sovereign Hill, with state-of-the-art facilities, enormous windows and landscape views across to Warrenheip and Wadawurrung Country.

artisanal works at the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades, Ballarat — Check out artisanal works at the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades.

Practising artisans run hands-on workshops. Fancy making your own medieval armour? Or trying your hand at blacksmithing, spinning wool, plaiting leather, weaving cane or craft a knife? Book a class and learn how. “It’s about creating awareness and also sharing knowledge and skills before they are lost,” explains Deborah Klein, the centre manager.

A city steeped in food and flavours

Chef José Fernandez preparing American streetfood at Pancho — Chef José Fernandez creates vibrant South American street food at Pancho. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

One skill that hasn’t been lost is that of cooking. Ballarat’s burgeoning gastronomy scene runs the gamut from an artisan bakery (the atmospheric 1816 Bakehouse) to cool coffee shops, speakeasy cocktail bars and distilleries to fine-dining venues. But I’m still surprised to find Pancho , José Fernandez’s South American street food restaurant, serving fried cheese tequeños, fiery fish tacos, Argentinian grilled chicken.

The room is as lively as the food – a whirl of colour filled with gifted and thrifted paintings, photos, tchotchkes (trinkets), plants. There’s a Mexican abuela aesthetic going on here. Even before the music and mezcal kick in, it’s fun. Heads up on the drinks menu – an authentic selection of mezcal, tequila, South American wines and Mexican cerveza.

a cocktail at Itinerant Spirits, Ballarat — Enjoy a cocktail at Itinerant Spirits. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

The spirit is willing, so after lunch we head towards the gold rush-era Ballarat train station and across the line to the old 1860s Goods Shed for Itinerant Spirits . At one end, a massive German copper still looms behind a wall of glass. The fit-out embraces deep olive-green tones, original bluestone walls, steamer trunks as coffee tables, heritage timber floors, oversized lamp shades and cognac-hued modernist leather seating.

the Itinerant Spirits Distillery & Cocktail Bar, Ballarat — The distillery operates from an old goods shed. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

Gallivanter Gin, Vansetter Vodka and Wayfarer Whiskey – the key spirits distilled – star at the bar. The spirits are crafted using grains from the Wimmera Mallee region, and native botanicals foraged in the Grampians. Seasonal cocktails are inspired by local people and places (I loved The Headland, inspired by Sovereign Hill and flavoured with old-fashioned raspberry drops). Sample the spirits, and join a cocktail masterclass or a distillery tour. It’s a seductive setting – you’ll likely find yourself ordering a charcuterie platter or pizza as the evening progresses.

The Ballarat stay combining history and luxury

one of the rooms at Hotel Vera, Ballarat — The rooms at Hotel Vera have a contemporary style. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

New lives for old buildings keeps history alive. Vera, Ballarat’s boutique five-star hotel, has taken it to the next level: it’s a palimpsest, a subtle layering of early 1900s and 1930s Art Deco architecture with a sleek new wing. There are seven spacious suites, each a dramatically different colour, with designer chairs, blissful bathrooms. High-end pottery and hand-picked artworks imbue the spaces with personality.

Vera’s intimate, award-winning restaurant, Babae, is subtly theatrical with sheer drapes and gallery lighting, its bespoke timber furniture and brass-edged marble bench setting the stage for food with a sharp regional focus. “We have goat’s cheese from a local supplier, handmade granola from local Vegas & Rose, truffles from nearby Black Cat Truffles, fresh food from our garden, and regional wines,” says joint owner David Cook-Doulton.

Celebrating the local makers, bakers, growers and producers, and the master chefs who work their magic is all part of the rich tapestry that links Ballarat’s history to its vibrant present.

A traveller’s checklist

Getting there

It’s 90 minutes from Melbourne, either on the Western Freeway, or hop on a V/Line train from Southern Cross Station.

Staying there

Hotel Vera is a centrally located Art Deco boutique hotel. Consider Hotel Provincial , which feels like a sleek country house, but with its own restaurant, Lola.

a contemporary room at Hotel Provincial, Ballarat — Hotel Provincial has country house vibes.

Eating there

dining at Mr Jones, Ballarat — The table is set at Mr Jones. (Image: Tony Evans/ Visit Victoria)

Culinary whiz Damien Jones helms Chef’s Hat winner Mr Jones Dining with quiet assurance. His modern Asian food is deceptively simple with deep, intense flavours. Low-key, laid-back ambience, lovely staff, thoughtful wine list.

Cocktails are definitely a thing in Ballarat. Reynard (fox in French) is foxy indeed, a clubby space with top-notch cocktails and small bites. Grainery Lane is extravagantly OTT with its massive 1880s bar, myriad chandeliers, brass gin still, Asian-inspired food and lavish cocktails.

dining at Grainery Lane, Ballarat — Dining at Grainery Lane.

Playing there

a laneway filled with artworks in Ballarat — An artful laneway in the city. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

Check out local design legend Travis Price’s wall murals in Hop Lane with its colourful canopy of brollies, or in Main Street. The Art Gallery of Ballarat’s off-site Backspace Gallery showcases early-career artists in a stylish, contemporary space. First Nations-owned and run Perridak Arts connects people to place, bringing together art and crafts in this gallery/shop.

a woman admiring artworks at Perridak Arts Gallery — Perridak Arts is a First Nations-run gallery. (Image: Tony Evans)

The wineries of the Pyrenees are close at hand with their welcoming cellar doors and robust reds. Join a behind-the-scenes tour at the Centre for Gold Rush Collections .

Don’t forget the giant bluestone Kryal Castle , ‘the land of adventure’, for a little medieval magic, and not just for the kids: get ready for Highland-style feasting, jousting, even overnight stays.

Ten Aussie caravanning tips everyone needs to know