Six caravan parks and campgrounds to put on your winter bucket list
Banish the winter doldrums with these six caravan parks and campgrounds that shine in the cooler months.
By Janie Medbury,
May 7, 2025
When winter sets in, the action heats up at these top caravan parks and campgrounds. Whether you’re hitting the slopes, exploring the outback or soaking up the sun in the tropics, these are the destinations to visit this winter.
Discovery Resorts – Lake Argyle, WA
On the very eastern edge of the Kimberley, Lake Argyle is a green haven in a burnt umber world of ancient cliffs, rugged wilderness and remote country. Topping every traveller’s bucket list here is Discovery Resorts – Lake Argyle, famous for its jaw-dropping infinity pool.
Lake Argyle, about 70km south of Kununurra, draws thousands of adventurers every year during the milder winter months. Here, you can cruise the largest built lake in mainland Australia, explore the majestic Carr Boyd Ranges, and even swim with 35,000 freshwater crocs.
The 5ha resort teeters on the lip of the lake’s steep, rust-red banks, offering panoramic waterfront views. In addition to that dreamy pool, you will also find more than 200 powered and unpowered sites, as well as cabins, a restaurant and bar. The sunsets here are outrageously good.
Litchfield National Park, NT
Litchfield National Park is a forested oasis less than 90 minutes south of Darwin. Smaller and more accessible than Kakadu, the park is a wet playground of (mostly) croc-free swimming holes, waterfalls, springs and curious rock formations.
There are five RV-accessible campgrounds in the park, bookable through the Northern Territory Parks Booking System. The most popular campgrounds are Wangi Falls and Florence Falls. Both are suitable for caravans and camper trailers. Tjaynera Falls is a quieter spot near a beautiful swimming hole but you’ll need a high-clearance off-road RV to get to this 4WD-only campground, located beyond a deep water crossing.
Don’t miss Tolmer, Wangi and Florence falls, as well as Buley Rockhole, the sandstone formations of the Lost City and the magnetic termite mounds.
Wugudaji-Adels Grove Camping Park, Lawn Hill, QLD
In far north west Queensland, not far from the Northern Territory border, lie the twin attractions of Lawn Hill Gorge and the Australian Fossil Mammal Site. On their doorstep is Wugudaji-Adels Grove Camping Park, your springboard for exploring all this remote outback region has to offer.
While Lawn Hill Gorge within Budjamulla National Park remains closed for flood remediation works (check the parks website for updates), the campground just east of the national park will be open this dry season. Camp on the banks of Lawn Hill Creek, go canoeing, swim in the calcium-rich waters and enjoy a campfire under the stars. The sites are all unpowered; choose from a creekside spot in The Grove or a good solar position in the Top Campground.
Don’t miss visiting the World Heritage-listed fossil sites at Riversleigh, about half an hour’s drive south of the campground. Here, you can explore one of the world’s richest mammal fossil sites, seeing preserved Tasmanian tigers, marsupial lions and the remains of a 15 million-year-old platypus.
NRMA Jindabyne Holiday Park, Snowy Mountains, NSW
Many years ago when the kids were mere little Vegemites, we packed the troops up and carted them down to experience the Aussie snowfields on a camping adventure. It remains one of our most memorable holidays – exploring the Snowies and living on hot soup and crusty rolls.
NRMA Jindabyne Holiday Park is a pet-friendly park at the gateway to the slopes, so you can bring the whole family along. During the winter months, it’s an affordable way to have a ski holiday. Take a trip on the Alpine Skitube into the mountains of Perisher, or set your sights on Thredbo and Mount Kosciuszko.
The holiday park is right on the lake’s edge and has a range of caravan and camping sites and cabins. There’s also a camp kitchen and barbecues, games room, playground, basketball and tennis court and winter drying room. Just the ticket for hot toddies around a roaring campfire this winter.
Lake Placid Rainforest Retreat, Cairns, QLD
Cairns is a tropical paradise every Australian should visit – and there’s no better time than in winter when southern-state dwellers make their annual pilgrimage north. The gateway to the Daintree offers a plethora of places to explore, from the cool mountain village of Kuranda to the sandy beaches of the coast.
Twenty minutes’ drive north-west of central Cairns, Lake Placid Rainforest Retreat is nestled deep in Barron Gorge, enveloped by tropical rainforest. If you can pull yourself away from the lagoon pool, nearby Crystal Cascades is well worth a visit. Hop on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, where you can soar over World Heritage-listed rainforest to Kuranda, stopping to take in spectacular Barron Falls. Explore the village, then chug back down the mountain on the Kuranda Scenic Railway.
Don’t miss a day out on the Great Barrier Reef. We highly recommended Reef Magic, the reef’s newest, most sustainable and high-tech pontoon.
Ingenia Holidays Rivershore, Sunshine Coast, QLD
The Sunshine Coast has always be a favourite holiday spot for those heading north for warmer climes. And while beachside accommodation vacancies can be as rare as hens’ teeth during peak season, why not cast your eye a little further inland?
Ingenia Rivershore Resort is located on the banks of the Maroochy River at Diddillibah, just inland from the commercial hub of Maroochydore. In addition to the full gamut of caravan and camping sites, the park also has glamping tents and vintage Airstream trailers – but it’s those poolside cabanas we love the most.
The park enjoys ready access to the Maroochy River, with kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding on offer, together with a private swimming pontoon. Throw in a line off the jetty, enjoy a beer at the onsite restaurant or wack a ball on the mini-golf course. Winter doldrums, what…?
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