The most popular way of exploring Australia is by camping - whether with a motorhome, campervan, caravan or a roof tent on top of a car. This gives you the ultimate freedom of going as fast or as slow as you like.
Free camping is permitted (staying somewhere for free) throughout the country and we're reveling in the joy of simply parking up our home somewhere for the night before carrying on our journey the next day.
I first visited Australia in 2019, following the classic backpacker route, mostly visiting big cities, staying in hostels and traveling by public transport.
This time, we bought ourselves a campervan (a 2018 Mercedes Sprinter) and are living in it full-time to drive "the lap" of Australia (completing the entire perimeter of the country). With this freedom, we're trying to hit the lesser known spots along the way. It's a massive undertaking and we're taking all the challenges and wins and all the highs and the lows in stride.
COMING SOON → My complete guide to van life and driving the lap of Australia!
New South Wales has been one of our favourite states, situated on Australia's southeast coast between Victoria to the south, South Australia to the west and Queensland to the north. It also completely surrounds two territories, the Australian Capital Territory (where Canberra, the capital, is) and the Jervis Bay Territory.
We started our van trip in Sydney, the biggest city in Australia and the capital of New South Wales. In our travels around the country, we haven't quite done a logical lap and have been in and out of New South Wales a number of times, exploring as much of the state as possible.
Here are all the places we have camped for free at across the state that we loved and would recommend for anyone on their trip down under, in the order in which we visited them:
Every single spot (and more) that I mention in all my blog posts about Australia can be found in my Australia | Ultimate Map!
This is a digital map featuring hundreds of my favourite restaurants, campgrounds, accommodations, shops, photo spots, museums, beaches, lakes, animal spots, bridges, viewpoints, hikes and SO much more in Australia, including its three external territories.
Each pin includes exact locations, images, detailed information, the ability to open and save the spot in your Google Maps and a link to my relevant blog post to read more.
COMING SOON → Buy the Australia | Ultimate Map!
Below is some useful information for preparing for your trip to New South Wales. In all cases, please be sure to check with the relevant local authorities for the latest and accurate information.
Language: The official language of Australia is English. In New South Wales, Aboriginal people have lived on the land for more than 60,000 years with their own language groups.
→ Learn more about the Aboriginal people of New South Wales.
Currency: The currency used in Australia is the Australian dollar, denoted as AUD $. I use a Wise account when I travel which allows me to have a single, free account with multiple currencies. I only have to pay once to convert my money in the app and then I can pay in AUD $!
→ Check the latest currency conversion between AUD $ and your local currency.
Data: Before you arrive, I recommend purchasing an eSim on your phone so that you can access data the moment you land. eSims are much more convenient as it means you don't have to put a separate physical Sim into your phone. AirAlo offers great deals for eSims of various data sizes and time lengths with Optus.
→ Load an international eSim on your phone with AirAlo.
If you are visiting Australia long term, you might wish to put a physical Sim in your phone as AirAlo is geared more towards short term visitors on holiday. This way you can access a local phone plan. There are three main mobile phone network providers in Australia: Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. Telstra has the best coverage across the country whereas Optus and Vodafone are good within cities. I recommend Telstra as it means you have the best coverage while you travel around the country, especially in rural areas.
Visa: All passport holders except New Zealand require a visa to visit Australia. All arrivals must fill out an Australian arrival card before landing.
→ Check which visa you need for Australia.
Time of year to visit: Australia can be visited all year-round. New South Wales, situated on the southeast coast of the country, has different appeals in different seasons. Come in spring (September-November) or autumn (March-May) for pleasant, sunny days. Summer (December-February) can get hot and busy with school holidays but is peak beach season. Winter can very cool and rainy here but it also the best time for snowy activities such as skiing in the Snowy Mountains.
Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House
As with the rest of Australia, New South Wales permits free camping on designated sites. These sites can vary greatly; some offer a variety of facilities such as toilets, trash bins, picnic tables, outdoor cooking stations and others have none of this and might simply be a pull-out on the side of the road.
The best way to find legal free camping spots is to use an app. We use Wikicamps Australia, a cheap app that has every single amenity listed (both free and paid) that you might need on the road. This includes things like where to fill up fresh water, where to dump grey water, where to empty toilets, where to stay, gas stations, information points and also has suggestions for things to do as you go.
→ Download the Wikicamps Australia app.
We found all our campgrounds using Wikicamps Australia (both free and paid).
Here is a map of everywhere we camped in New South Wales:
Where we stayed in NSW
There are hundreds of campgrounds, both free and paid, across New South Wales and it would take a lifetime to check them all out!
To get you started and inspire your camping trip through the state, here are all the free campgrounds we stayed at, in the order in which we stayed at them:
Warragamba Reserve
This is the closest free campground to Sydney and we truly love it here. Every time we're back near the city, we stay here. It's clean, safe, quiet and is perfect for a couple of days' rest. Often, you can spot kangaroos hanging out here and the trees are full of beautiful, white cockatoos.
Amenities: toilets, outdoor cooking, dump station, fresh water
→ Check out the Warragamba Reserve listing on Wikicamps Australia.
Our first van, Kea
The toilet block
A cockatoo
Kangaroos at the campground
Muttama Rec Ground
A super quiet field in outback Muttama just across the road from the Village Hall, this is a great stopover spot when heading across the state. Say hi to the neighbouring sheep!
Amenities: none
→ Check out the Muttama Rec Ground listing on Wikicamps Australia.
Punt Hotel, Darlington Point
This fantastic free camp spot is in the back parking area of the Punt Hotel in Darlington Point. They allow campers to stay for free and appreciate if you come inside the hotel for a drink or a pub meal. Every time we cross NSW, we stay here, because it's one of the few good free campgrounds for miles around.
Amenities: toilets (across from the hotel), dump station (at the Lions Club), fresh water
Lake Benanee Rest Area
Right on the shores of Lake Benanee, just before reaching Mildura, campers are permitted to stay and enjoy the lake. You can swim and fish here, too.
Amenities: toilets
→ Check out the Lake Benanee listing on Wikicamps Australia.
Sawyers Hut Rest Area, Kiandra
Just before Kiandra, on the Snowy Mountains Highway, we stayed at the free rest area outside Sawyers Hut. It's just a roadside pullout next to the lovely restored Sawyer's Hut (worth a stop in itself, even if you don't camp here).
Sawyers Hut is a historic traveler's shelter in the Snowy Mountains. Prior to paved roads, it was the highest north that carts could reach in the winter at which point travelers would transfer to horseback or skis to carry on into Kiandra. Sawyers Hut was built to provide safety and shelter to those making the trek.
It's burned down quite a few times and rebuilt, most recently in 2022.
Amenities: toilets, picnic table
Three Mile Dam Campground
In Kiandra, on the Snowy Mountains Highway, we stayed at the Three Mile Dam Campground. This was one of the most beautiful free campsites we stayed at in Australia located right on the Three Mile Dam. You fall asleep and wake up on the water's edge and might even get lucky and spot the Snowy Mountains' wild horses. We saw them here at sunset and it was just magical.
It's a free campground itself but requires a $6 booking fee per site, plus a park pass to access Kosciuszko National Park.
Amenities: none
→ Check out the Three Mile Dam listing on Wikicamps Australia.
Yachting Point, Blowering Reservoir
Yachting Point is an absolutely stunning campsite on the Blowering Reservoir on the Snowy Mountains Highway. There are a number of campsites alongside the reservoir; we chose this one because we literally had the entire place to ourselves. We were even joined by a couple of inquisitive emus who decided to wake us up at 5:30am!
It's a free campground itself but requires a $6 booking fee per site.
Amenities: none
→ Check out the Yachting Point listing on Wikicamps Australia.
Jones Bridge, Tumut
Just outside Tumut, on the Snowy Mountains Highway, there are two free campsites along the river at Jones Bridge; I recommend the south side ("Campground" not "Park") for gorgeous river views. We got so lucky and pulled in here after an intense heat storm and were greeted with the steam literally rising off the river creating such a magical effect.
Amenities: none
→ Check out the Jones Bridge listing on Wikicamps Australia.
Robertson Bowling Club
Robertson Bowling Club offers free camping behind their club in the parking lot. It's not much but it's a quiet and clean stopover when roadtripping the South Coast. Robertson is just inland from Wollongong.
They appreciate when their campers come in for a meal to support the club!
Amenities: none
→ Check out the Robertson Bowling Club listing on Wikicamps Australia.
Lions Park, Macksville
While visiting the Macleay Valley Coast, we spent a night of free camping in Macksville, right on the shores of the Nambucca River. It wasn't super quiet with traffic going through town, but we're always grateful to places that permit free camping.
Amenities: toilets, picnic tables
Thora
We stayed in Thora for three nights while exploring the Waterfall Way. This lovely little campground is tucked into a curve of the road - it's marked as "chicken joe's park" on Google Maps - and offers a few levels of grass for you to park up on. It's right next to a river and next door to a cute general store, the perfect place to camp.
Amenities: toilets, bins
BOOK AN EXPERIENCE IN NEW SOUTH WALES!
PIN THIS POST TO REFER BACK TO LATER!
GET READY TO TRAVEL!
— Book tours and experiences - with GetYourGuide
— Get all the gear you need for your trip - with Amazon (North America)
— Get all the gear you need for your trip - with Amazon (Europe)
— Find a place to stay - with Booking.com
— Choose a hostel to stay at - with Hostelworld
— Purchase global travel insurance - with World Nomads
— Load an international eSim on your phone - with AirAlo
— Start your own travel blog - with Hostinger
— Join the GetYourGuide Travel Creator Community - with GetYourGuide
Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.
