• Murramarang Resort, South Coast
• Warrumbungle National Park, Central NSW
• Wollondilly River Station, Southern Highlands
• Wave Hill Station, Far North
• Myall Lakes National Park, North Coast
New South Wales is an environmental wonderland and summer is the perfect time for packing your bags, rigging up the car and heading off for a week under the stars. Whether you like to rough it or enjoy a bit of luxury, our State offers something for everyone. Here’s five of our favourite places to camp in NSW. Sandra Fabretti reports.
Just 20k
m north of Batemans Bay on the NSW south coast, Murramarang Resort offers an exquisite ocean front camping experience where you can escape the world and enjoy all that nature has to offer: swim, snorkel, fish or bushwalk. And if you’d like some indulgence on your camping holiday, you can use the lagoon style solar-heated swimming pool, poolside bar and bistro, and theatre restaurant. There’s also a kids’ pool, club and playground, games area, conference centre and volleyball court.
Details
Murramarang Resort, Mill Beach, South Durras. To book call 1300 767 255. For more details visit Murramarang Resort or call 4478 6355. The resort has powered and non-powered sites, plus luxury cabins. Camping costs $14–$55 for two people, per night. Pets are not allowed but there are no National Park vehicle fees.
Coonabarabran is the astronomy capital of Australia, so you can 
literally set up camp under a blanket of stars. It’s home to the Siding Springs Observatory, and is one of the best places to star watch because it’s far from any cities. Warrumbungle National Park, 35km from Coonabarabran has two campsites and backpack camping: Camp Wambelong is small and secluded with basic amenities; Camp Blackman is bigger, and has powered sites and amenities such as hot showers. Home of the Warrumbungle Mountains (a group of volcanic cores and dykes), the park is a bushwalker’s paradise and features the spectacular rock formation The Breadknife.
Details
Warrumbungle National Park, along John Renshaw Parkway, Coonabarabran. The camp grounds are at Wambelong Creek. It’s first come first served, even in the holiday season. For more details call 6825 4364 or visit NSW National Parks. Non-powered sites are $5 per adult, per night and $3 per child, per night. Powered sites cost $8 per adult, per night and $4 per child, per night, plus there’s a vehicle entry fee of $7 per day.
This is a family-operated private camping ground on the banks
of the Wollondilly River. It is family- and pet-friendly and boasts an ‘authentic bush camping experience’. The station is circled by bushland and mountains and there’s so much to do: set up camp by the river and fish, jump in your 4WD and go for a spin, canoe, horseride, bushwalk or even take part in a camp oven cooking demonstration.
Details
Wollondilly River Station, Goodmans Ford, Wombeyan Caves Road (via Mittagong). For more details call 4888 9207 (lunchtime or after 7pm) or visit Wollondilly River Station . Costs to camp per night are $7.50 for adults, $2 for school-aged children, free for children under school age and pets.
Wave Hill Station is described as outback country near the coast,
and its camp sites are for 4WD enthusiasts. A 5000 hectare cattle station, it lies beside the Clarence River Gorge near Grafton and gives you a taste of life on the farm. Take part in the daily farm activities, or horse ride, bushwalk through rainforest, canoe, fish, swim in the rock pools or just relax under a tree with a book.
Details
Wave Hill Station, Carnham Road, Fineflower (via Grafton). There are two camp sites and each takes a group at a time so bookings are essential. You can only access the campsite by 4WD. For more details call 6647 2145 or visit Wave Hill Station. Camping costs from $15.00 per day.
Myall Lakes is home to one of the State’s largest coastal lake systems and has 40km of beach, so there’s endless opportunities to waterski, kayak, fish, boat and swim. Over the past three years the camping grounds at Myall Lakes have had a major redesign. There are approximately 350 sites located throughout the park, one of which, called Sunnyside, is accessible by 4WD or boat only. Toilets and electric/gas BBQs are available at most sites, but bring your own water and firewood.
Details
Location details for the various camp areas in Myall Lakes National Park. For more details about the Park call the Great Lakes (Pacific Palms) National Park office on 6591 0300 or the Nelson Bay National Park office on 4984 8200. Camping costs per night are $5 per adult; $3 per child, plus $7 per day vehicle entry pass.
Don’t overpack – layer the clothes you wear so you’re prepared for hot or cold weather. Don’t forget to take wet weather gear, sun protection and mosquito repellent.
Where possible use existing fireplaces or campfire sites, or even better bring your own gas/fuel cooker. A total fire ban means just that so take food that doesn’t need to be cooked.
A good night’s sleep can make or break your camping experience, so invest in an inflatable mattress.
Serviced camp sites have rubbish bins and most likely recycling facilities but if you’re in a National Park take home everything you brought with you.
If there are no loos, the custom is to find a secluded spot at least 50 metres from the camp site and dig a small hole. But, don’t bury your toilet paper – take it and any sanitary items with you.
Observe camping etiquette. Pitch your tent a good distance from your neighbours’. Most camping sites have curfews, but the general rule is keep the noise down late at night including generators, televisions, radios, kids and pets.
When it’s time to go ensure all your gear is dry. Wet tents, sleeping bags etc are prone to mildew. If they’re not dried thoroughly before
You could practically furnish a house with the range of camping furniture available such as a Moon Chair which is great for stargazing, and a self-inflating, velour-covered queen bed mattress (rrp $239.90 from Kathmandu). There are also some nifty cafe-style, tabletop-sized lamps which are less hassle and more water resistant than a campfire and have adjustable heat settings (rrp $129.95 from Ray’s Outdoors).
Every campsite needs a torch. A battery-free Steve Mortimer Safety Torch will ensure that you never get left in the dark again. It has a unique wind-up mechanism that charges the inbuilt battery – and it can even be used to charge your mobile phone (rrp $29.99 from Repco. 
Bring the smallest room in the house with you. This extra large shell combines a shower and toilet and is made for privacy (rrp $129.95 from Ray’s Outdoors). For the ultimate in ‘conveniences’ consider a state-of-the-art, pump action portable toilet (rrp $169.99 from Ray’s Outdoors).
Your tastebuds don’t have to take a holiday when you do. Invest in an insulated coffee plunger and just add water and ground beans (rrp $39.95 from Kathmandu).
There’s plenty of portable BBQs available such as the Coleman Road Trip Grill which comes with an optional carry case with wheels (rrp $399 from Ray’s Outdoors).
For those going solo, this tent is a good choice. It uses your bike frame to help pitch it, so there’s no need for poles. It’s also lightweight, waterproof and has skylights for stargazing (rrp $289 from Dean Woods.
4WD
