Wake up to the sounds of birds chirping, 180-million-year-old foliage rustling, waterfalls gushing and waves lapping the shoreline. Caravanning and camping trips don’t get much better than in the north of Queensland. Whether you’re looking to swim under waterfalls, spend…
Wake up to the sounds of birds chirping, 180-million-year-old foliage rustling, waterfalls gushing and waves lapping the shoreline. Caravanning and camping trips don’t get much better than in the north of Queensland.
Whether you’re looking to swim under waterfalls, spend quality time with the kids, reel in a big one or base yourself somewhere awesome to explore the only place in the world where two natural World Heritage-listed sites collide, here are seven of the best caravan parks to stay at in Tropical North Queensland.
Malanda Falls Caravan Park is the best spot in Tropical North Queensland for a getaway that’s all about chasing waterfalls. Located next to the Malanda Falls Environment Park, guests have the luxury of their own stairs down to the waterhole. There are numerous other waterfalls within driving distance as well. As if private access to the Malanda Falls wasn’t enough, the caravan park has its own animal nursery with ponies and miniature goats.
For the young and young at heart, BIG4 Ingenia Holiday Cairns Coconut Resort features an adventure playground, splash park and waterslides, jumping pillows, mini-golf and pedal cars. Located only seven minutes from Cairns’ town centre, it’s close enough to explore all the wonders that Cairns has to offer.
Located right on the beach, NRMA Palm Cove makes for one smooth getaway with everything on your doorstep. Restaurants and cafes are only a short walk and the well known Palm Cove Jetty is just across the road.
Paronella Park is a five-hectare magical landscape complete with a Spanish-style castle. Entry tickets to the park come with a free night’s stay for those caravanning and camping. Those who choose to stay here will enjoy a sound and light display when the sun goes down! If you’re not inclined to DIY your own dinner, you’ll find good, old-fashioned pub meals just 200 metres down the road at the Mena Creek Hotel.
Kurrimine Beach Holiday Park is located one block back from the water, where anglers have a choice of beach, reef or estuary fishing. The famous painted crayfish can be found just a couple of metres offshore here. Catch whiting and flathead straight off the shore, but if you’ve BYOB’d (bought your own boat), troll for giant trevally, mackerel or tuna out at the reef or line fish the bottom for red emperor, nannygai or coral trout. There are two official boat ramps in town but the holiday park has a tractor that you can organise to launch straight off the beach with.
NRMA Cairns Holiday Park is an ideal base for those visiting Cairns for the first time, or those aiming to tick off all the major attractions in one bucket list fuelled getaway. The park is only a seven-minute drive from the Cairns Esplanade and its amazing free lagoon. Plus, the park even allows you to bring your furry friend along (make sure to call ahead first though).
The Mareeba Drive-in allows you to camp on movie nights! Purchasing a ticket to one of the last remaining drive-ins in Queensland ensures a spot to pitch your tent or park your van the night as well as two film screenings. Meals are available from the canteen and well-behaved dogs on leads are also allowed.
