11 best caravan parks on the Gold Coast by suburb

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Keep the fam bam up to their eyeballs in outdoor activity by escaping to the best caravan parks on the Gold Coast.

Trips to Disneyland might top bucket lists but true-blue family holiday memories are more often freckled with days spent lounging about caravan parks. Australia’s Sunshine State is home to some of the greatest, allowing for easy access to epic, go-all-day, kid-friendly activities, affordable accommodation in some of the country’s most exciting coastal neighbourhoods, and so much more. We’ve rounded up the most value-for-money caravan parks on the Gold Coast to help you plan your next adventure.

Central Gold Coast

1. Main Beach Tourist Park

Where: Main Beach
Pet friendly? No

Offering some of the most budget-friendly accommodations right in the thick of the action, Main Beach Tourist Park is a winner for travellers who want activity layered upon activity. One of the most popular caravan parks on the Gold Coast, it’s fitted with both grass-covered and concreted powered sites that can cater for campervans, trailers, caravans, and tents, in addition to 24 ‘Ensuite Powered’ sites that come with a private bathroom and concrete slab. Studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom air-conditioned cabins are also available.

a family in a caravan set in a powered site at Main Beach Tourist Park
Spend time with your family at Main Beach Tourist Park. (Image: Destination Gold Coast)

To keep you busy between trips out on the coast experiencing a wide range of fun-filled things to do, there’s a partially shaded lagoon-style pool, barbecue facilities, a games room with a pool table, an enclosed camp kitchen, a fully patrolled section of the beach within walking distance and a playground. Plus, you’ll find a dump point, laundry, and kiosk on site.

a child on a slide at the Main Beach Tourist Park playground
There’s even a playground to keep your kids entertained. (Image: Destination Gold Coast)

2. Broadwater Tourist Park

Where: Broadwater
Pet friendly? No

Situated in the sleepier Southport area, right off Broadwater’s calming waters, Broadwater Tourist Park offers another slice of prime real estate for you to set up shop while exploring the city.

waterfront cabins facing the creek at Broadwater Tourist Park
Waterfront cabins offer scenic creek views.

Featuring six styles of powered sites with varied proximities to the water, plus your choice between concrete or grassed digs and shared bathroom facilities or your own private ensuite, this caravan park on the Gold Coast is just a 15-minute walk from a ferry service that travels to hot spots like Sea World and Surfers Paradise.

a woman facilitating a dolphin show at Sea World, Gold Coast
Hop by Sea World to watch a dolphin show during your stay at Broadwater Tourist Park. (Image: Destination Gold Coast)

One, two and three-bedroom, self-contained cabins are also available. Two swimming pools, a tennis court, a playground, a recreation room, a giant bouncing pillow, barbecue facilities, a small store, laundry, and a camp kitchen are also on-site, plus there’s a boat ramp and dump point for further convenience.

a self-contained cabin at Broadwater Tourist Park
The self-contained cabins are equipped with cosy amenities.

Southern Gold Coast

3. Kirra Beach Tourist Park

Where: Kirra
Pet friendly? Yes

Craving sun-soaked downtime away from the hustle and bustle of Surfers and the equally action-packed Broadbeach? Kirra Beach Tourist Park is an easy, breezy caravan park on the Gold Coast that you’ll struggle to say goodbye to. It offers both unpowered and powered grassed sites for tents, plus powered dog-friendly sites for vans and trailers. There are also rooms with single beds and queen beds, and you can bring your doggo along to a selection of two-bedroom cabins, too. There’s even a dog wash to keep your pup pampered while on tour.

Activity-wise, there’s a swimming pool, shaded playground, bouncing pillow, barbecues, and a games room, plus you’ll be sorted for an extended stay thanks to a camp kitchen, laundry, and dump point.

sunset at Kirra Beach
Kirra Beach delights at sunset. (Image: Destination Gold Coast)

4. Tallebudgera Creek Tourist Park

Where: Tallebudgera
Pet friendly? No

The Gold Coast’s worst-kept secret, Tallebudgera Creek Tourist Park , was once a relaxed haven for holidaymakers taking full advantage of the southern region’s most spectacular family-friendly swimming spot. But crowds now flock to this Gold Coast caravan park, well beyond school holidays, to soak up Talle’s picture-perfect surf set just beyond a dramatic mountain face, shallow, toddler-tailored splash spots along the creek and year-round good vibes.

The park offers unpowered and powered sites, some with ensuite bathrooms, plus rooms that cater for both couples and up to six-person families. There are also two and three-bedroom cabins. Outside of the creek’s endless swimming opportunities, there’s a kids’ splash zone and swimming pool fitted with waterslides, a food truck, tennis court, playground, and barbecue facilities on site, plus a kiosk, nearby boat ramp, dump point, laundry, and camp kitchen to keep the party rolling.

a family hanging out at the BBQ party outside their caravan in Tallebudgera Creek Tourist Park
Host a BBQ party right outside your caravan. (Image: Destination Gold Coast)

Burleigh Heads and surrounds

5. Burleigh Beach Tourist Park

Where: Burleigh Heads
Pet friendly? No

Situated just a short stroll away from the eclectic cafe, bar and boutique mecca of Burleigh Heads, Burleigh Beach Tourist Park is also just 200 metres from Burleigh Point which offers some of the dreamiest views right across the Gold Coast’s shimmering shores.

two women sitting under a beach umbrella at Burleigh Beach
Laze on the beach nearby. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

The much-loved space features powered sites for campervans, trailers and tents, plus a quirky take on glamping on the Gold Coast with its adorable two-person vintage van. There’s also a range of self-contained two-bedroom cabins, plus barbecues, a communal kitchen, a laundry, a games room, an on-site kiosk, and a dump point.

a couple sitting outside their caravan at Burleigh Beach Tourist Park
Burleigh Beach Tourist Park offers great value caravan holidays. (Image: Destination Gold Coast)

6. Nobby Beach Holiday Village

Where: Miami
Pet friendly? No

You’ll spot the waterslide before you get into Nobby Beach Holiday Village , a family-friendly hot spot right on the Gold Coast Highway that also offers walkable access to Miami’s thriving foodie and bar scene. This action-packed caravan park on the Gold Coast also provides easy transport to the city’s best theme parks, with a bus stop right out the front of the property.

kids riding a bike with their parents sitting outside the caravan park at Nobby Beach Holiday Village
Kids can go biking around the park. (Image: Destination Gold Coast)

Inside, the waterslide is unsurprisingly a kid magnet but so are the ninja and junior playgrounds, two heated pools and a recreation room fitted with video games and a lounge area. Grassed powered sites, studio rooms, two-bedroom villas and three to four-bedroom houses offer unique homes away from home, plus there’s a lovely camp kitchen featuring stone benchtops, a mini-mart, separate men’s and women’s shower blocks, a dump point and a laundry. Spoil yourself with in-room massages during business hours, too.

a kid on a slide by the poolside
Slide for fun by the poolside. (Image: Destination Gold Coast)

7. Jandarra Farm

Where: Tallebudgera Valley
Pet friendly? No

If you really want to get off the beaten track, Jandarra Farm’s country camping experience on a working farm should be top of your list. With just three sites (for either a tent, camper trailer, or 4WD caravan), it really lives up to its name: Jandarra means ‘place of peace’.

While you’re there, learn about the farm’s use of regenerative agriculture, visit onsite rockpools, take a self-guided walk through the rainforest and even enjoy a sauna. Join other campers around a communal campfire.

Jandarra Farm gold coast caravan park
BYO camper trailer or 4WD caravan and stay in the middle of nature.

Gold Coast hinterland

8. Thunderbird Park

Where: Tamborine Mountain
Pet friendly? Yes

A pooch-friendly escape amid lush tropical rainforest offers a totally unique holiday experience thanks to Thunderbird Park’s awesome caravanning grounds . Thunderbird Park, a popular outdoor activity hub built across 112 hectares of stunning hinterland, plays home to a collection of unpowered and powered bush sites suitable for both caravans and tents, and best of all, you can bring your four-legged friend along with you.

the entrance at Thunderbird Park
Head to Thunderbird Park for nature adventures. (Image: Destination Gold Coast)

There are also two-bedroom, self-contained bush lodges and glamping tents on-site. The Gold Coast caravan park features a camp kitchen with barbecues, a laundry, fire pits at each site, several dump points and two eateries; The Terrace Kiosk dishing up pizzas and snacks, as well as the Rainforest Restaurant & Lounge Bar that’s more formal and fitted with a pool table, TV, and fireplace.

parents paddle biking with their children at Thunderbird Park
Experience paddle biking with your kids. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Gold Coast suburbs

9. Ashmore Palms Holiday Village

Where: Ashmore
Pet friendly? No

In the mood for a resort-style ritz on the Gold Coast but struggling to splurge on the cost? Ashmore Palms Holiday Village is a 15-acre Gold Coast holiday park that houses a bunch of apartments and villas, plus powered caravan sites.

a two-bedroom cabin at Ashmore Palms Holiday Village
Ashmore Palms Holiday Village also offers bedroom cabins for long-term rentals.

Just a 10-minute drive from Surfers Paradise, two lagoon-style swimming pools with one featuring a baby-friendly splash zone, two playgrounds, three laundries, barbecue areas, a tennis court, a general store, an activity centre that stages regular programs of kids’ games and arts and crafts, plus exotic bird aviaries, provide bucketloads of one-stop-shop fun for the whole family.

an aerial view of Ashmore Palms lagoon
Plunge right into the pool lagoon.

10. Big4 Gold Coast Holiday Park

Where: Helensvale
Pet friendly? Yes

Offering some of the most convenient theme park accommodation on the Gold Coast, Big4 Gold Coast Holiday Park is the ultimate children’s playground in itself. The Gold Coast caravan park, located right between the two heavy clusters of theme parks along the Pacific motorway so it’s undoubtedly some of the region’s best family accommodation, caters for clans of all shapes and sizes, including the furry variety.

an old couple petting their dog at BIG4 Gold Coast Holiday Park
Your furry friends are also welcome here. (Image: Destination Gold Coast)

Here you’ll find unpowered and powered sites for campervans, trailers, caravans, and tents, plus one, two and three-bedroom cabins. You’ll find a sprawling waterpark on site plus plenty of kids’ activities, a resort-inspired pool and spa area fitted with luxurious cabanas, a leash-free dog park, doggy wash and even a dog-sitting service, licenced cafe and so much more. Further comfort is ensured via a laundry, camp kitchen and barbecue facilities, plus there’s a sewage dump point.

11. Treasure Island Holiday Resort

Where: Biggera Waters
Pet friendly? Yes

Another high-energy Gold Coast caravan park, Treasure Island Holiday Resort offers a wide range of powered sites that also cater for dogs if you’re holidaying outside the school holiday periods. A mix of caravan, motorhome, camper trailer, and tent-friendly sites are available for guests to set their digs up and dump their belongings before getting stuck into the park’s impressive range of facilities and activities.

a family relaxing on the ground with a blanket at Treasure Island Resort
Enjoy moments of leisure and relaxation with your loved ones. (Image: Destination Gold Coast)

A pirate-themed waterpark, four swimming pools including one with a waterslide, go-kart hire, a kids’ club, mini golf and bouncing pillow will keep little ones entertained while barbecue facilities, a cinema, Galleons Bistro’s a la carte dining, a gym and camp kitchen should help grownups settle in quickly. There’s also a boat ramp, laundry, and dump point on hand.

a little boy having fun while playing at Treasure Island Resort
Year-round activities are available for kids at the resort. (Image: Destination Gold Coast)

Looking for kid-friendly activities on the Gold Coast? Feel your heart racing at the top Gold Coast theme parks here.

Kristie Lau-Adams
Kristie Lau-Adams is a Gold Coast-based freelance writer after working as a journalist and editorial director for almost 20 years across Australia's best-known media brands including The Sun-Herald, WHO and Woman's Day. She has spent significant time exploring the world with highlights including trekking Japan’s life-changing Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage and ziplining 140 metres above the vines of Mexico’s Puerto Villarta. She loves exploring her own backyard (quite literally, with her two young children who love bugs), but can also be found stalking remote corners globally for outstanding chilli margaritas and soul-stirring cultural experiences.
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Discover the remote Queensland lodgings bringing luxury to the outback

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Adventure and refined Luxury combine at the stunning Rangelands Outback Camp.

Iconic Australian red dirt, ancient rocky landscapes and bursts of greenery and wildflowers all make the small town of Winton, and its surrounds, a sight to behold. Escape the ordinary and unwind in the Queensland outback, where ancient landscapes and off-grid luxury await at Rangelands Outback Camp.

cosy seats in Rangelands Outback Camp
Unwind in the ancient outback.

About Rangelands Outback Camp

Unforgettable 360-degree views of this 95-million-year-old land await at Rangelands; bathed in style and positioned on top of a jump-up (or mesa), your tented camp seamlessly blends into its outback setting.

Set on the 53,935-square-kilometre Rangelands Station – a working cattle property – the abundant wildlife are your only neighbours; kangaroos, echidnas, eagles and other birdlife all call Rangelands home.

Bathed in style, your tented camp seamlessly blends into its outback setting. Indulge with carefully curated menus, personalised service and supersized luxury tents that guarantee a private experience. This exclusive camp only has a maximum of 12 guests at a time.

Here, the aim is pampering. From tasty menus to supersized tents with all the creature comforts, to a range of guided tours around the property and beyond.

Guests are transferred from Winton or Longreach by a dedicated Rangelands driver.

aerial shot of Rangelands Outback Camp tent
Soak in 360-degree views.

Rangelands Outback Camp tours

Join small-group tours and enjoy exclusive access to the ancient Rangelands Rifts with your Rangelands hosts. These incredible rock formations were formed by millions of years of erosion, leaving dramatic channels through the rock. Or explore the surrounds with Rangeland’s touring partner, Red Dirt Tours .

Get sunset birds-eye views over dramatic mesa country in a helicopter, from Queensland’s own Three Sisters to Corey’s Range, stopping at the best lookouts along the way.

Get up close and personal with this rugged land on four wheels, with expert drivers and guides leading guests through famous Bladensburg National Park, visiting Gondwana Stars Observatory and more.

The Winton area is famous for its boulder opals (the second-rarest opal in the world, after black opals), and a stop at the mining community of Opalton sheds a fascinating light on the unique fossicking method used to find them.

A trip to dinosaur country is a must, as this is the place that ramped up Australia’s dino contribution after a fossilised footprint was found in 1962; after more exploration, the discovery of 3300 footprints made it clear this was the world’s only evidence of a dinosaur stampede. Those same footprints are still on display today at Lark Quarry Conservation Park , a 90-minute drive from Winton. Also check out Australia’s largest collection of Australian Dinosaur fossils Australian Age of Dinosaurs, just 30 minutes from Winton. Here, join a tour through a working laboratory, dinosaur canyon and more.

A twice-daily transfer into downtown Winton is offered to guests, where they can explore the Royal Outdoor Theatre, opal shops, Waltzing Matilda Centre and more.

tour being led through Rangeland rifts
Have an exclusive adventure through the Rangeland Rifts. (Image: TEQ)

Sleeping in luxury

After a day of exploring, return to your tranquil tent for a blissful open shower and uninterrupted views from your private deck.

Designed to integrate guests into the surrounding nature, each tent feels like its own private haven. While being off-grid in the outback (in fact, each tent is powered by its own solar panels, with the added support of a backup generator), guests can also luxuriate in comfortable amenities like air conditioning, a supremely comfortable king-size bed and stylish designer touches.

Guests can stroll to the open-air Sunset Deck for breathtaking panoramic views, or to the main lounge and dining tent, where books, on-demand coffee and drinks make it the perfect place to relax after a day in the outback.

inside Rangelands Outback Camp bedroom
Enjoy plenty of space inside, and stunning views outside.

Rangelands Outback Camp dining

As the sun starts to dip below the horizon, gather for drinks and canapés on the expansive Sunset Deck, watching the sun drench the landscape in pinks and oranges as it sinks below the horizon.

Later, head to The Mahal lounge area and dining tent where mealtime magic happens. Savour a gourmet meal made fresh by Rangeland’s onsite chef. The meals use local produce to elevate classic outback dishes, and don’t worry, dietary requirements are happily accommodated.

Enjoy an open bar filled with an expansive hand-selected list of wines and premium beers, with wine pairings offered by Rangelands hosts come dinner time.

Discover more and book your luxurious stay at rangelandscamp.com.