PITCH PERFECT

There’s just something about old-school summer camping — packing the car to the hilt, hitching on the surfboards and bikes, and heading for a place where the wifi’s non-existent and the days are blissfully free of routine. It’s the kind of freedom that seeps in with the scent of salt air and sunscreen, when the biggest decision you’ll make all weekend is whether to swim before or after breakfast. Porque no los dos?

By Kate Reynolds

It’s in the first sip of coffee fresh off the stove and poured into your favourite enamel mug, the slow swirl of red wine (in the same enamel mug) under a sky freckled with stars. It’s riding bikes around the campground, making friends with other families and games of uno with whoever wants to join in. It’s bbqs for dinner, marshmallows around the fire (of course!) and going to bed with sandy toes and bodies tired from the fresh air, sea and sunshine.

Camping does something that other holidays can’t – it slows the world down. The noise fades, the phone signal disappears and suddenly there’s space to breathe again. Even the local wildlife gets in on the fun – a curious goanna eyeing off your dinner, a wallaby joining your campfire stories or a brush turkey boldly rearranging your campsite.

Summer in the Northern Rivers is made for this kind of living: barefoot, salty and a little bit wild. From Byron Bay’s tucked-away coves to the ocean views of Yuraygir National Park, here are some of the best spots to pitch your tent, park your van, and reconnect with that easy, elemental joy of being outdoors.

Woody Head Campground, Woody Head

So many family memories are stitched into the days spent at Woody Head. Set in a quiet cove within Bundjalung National Park, this beloved campground hums with simple summer magic, where resident kangaroos laze between tents, blue tongues wander through the grass, and turtles and stingrays glide through the shallows. Mornings are for snorkelling or collecting shells, lazy afternoons for reading that ‘holiday’ novel beneath a shady tree overlooking the bay, while the kids follow a rhythm of their own — swim, bike, eat, repeat.

What you’ll find:

Rainforest walks and shallow reefs offer plenty to explore, while a boat ramp makes it easy to bring your own vessel, with fishing spots aplenty.

Number of campsites: 94

Camping type: Tent, camper trailer site, caravan site, camping beside vehicle

Where: 92 Woody Head Road, Woody Head

Facilities: Toilets, showers, unpowered sites, picnic tables, barbecue facilities, boat ramp, café/kiosk, carpark, drinking water, public phone

What to bring: Fuel stove

Camping fees: From $34.85 per night

Mibanbah (Black Rocks Campground), Bundjalung National Park

Picnic dinners while cicadas hum, kayaking through the peaceful creek as bird flit around you, lazy afternoons splashing in the waves; Mibanbah – Black Rocks Campground is a beautiful spot nestled between Ten Mile Beach and Jerusalem Creek, just yonder from Evans Head. And if you’re heading on a camp trip with the crew, you’re in luck, because you can hire the group area (up to 30 people) for a getaway you won’t forget.

Pack the kayak, canoe or stand-up paddleboard, basically anything that’ll get your floating down this little slice of paradise with your nearest and dearest.

What you’ll find:The perfect spot for peaceful creek paddles just steps from your site.

Number of campsites: 51

Camping type: Tent, camper trailer site, caravan site, camping beside vehicle

Where: Black Rocks Road, Esk

Facilities: Toilets, picnic tables, barbecue facilities

What to bring: Drinking water, fuel stove, paddling gear if you’re venturing on the creek

Camping fees: From $24.60 per night

Sandon River Campground, Yuraygir National Park

Sandon River Campground is a little pocket of peninsular that offers the best of both worlds – sparkling ocean and tranquil river! Tucked a little further south of Yamba, this is another excellent spot that feels a million miles from anywhere. And if you’re embarking on the mutli-day Yuraygir coastal walk, it’s the perfect pit stop to hang up your hiking boots for the arvo and swap your muesli bars for marshmallows. Better still, rustle some snags and bread rolls and make use of one of the barbecues. Because what’s summer camping without a BBQ dinner, right?

What you’ll find: An excellent spot for swimming, fishing, kayaking and boating with gorgeous ocean views to boot, and plenty of information about the rich local Aboriginal and European Settler history.

Number of campsites: 29

Camping type: Tent, camper trailer site, caravan site, camping beside vehicle

Where: Sandon River Road, The Sandon

Facilities: Toilets, picnic tables, barbecue facilities

What to bring:  Drinking water, cooking water, firewood

Camping fees: From $24.60 per night

Delicate Campground, Goolawah Regional Park

Walking through the scrub between Delicate Campground and the ocean is like stepping into the wardrobe from Narnia; a small path takes you to a stunning stretch of beach where the sand and waves welcome you. Get up early enough (with a cup of strong coffee in hand) and you’ll be rewarded with dazzling sunrises painting the sky. As the day gets going, take your beach umbrella and picnic rug and setup shop on the soft sand. It’s the best seat in the house. And as the smells of camp dinner begin to waft through the air, it’s a good time to return to the bush track as the birds begin their dusk dance. The striking yellow-and-black regent bower birds call this campground home, and if you’re lucky, you’ll seem them pop their head through the trees.

What you’ll find: Great facilities including showers and toilets, the beach just footsteps away.

Number of campsites 40

Camping type: Tent, camper trailer site, caravan site, camping beside vehicle

Where: Point Plomer Rd, Crescent Head

Facilities Toilets, picnic tables, shower, barbecues, drinking water, beach access

What to bring Fuel stove, insect repellent, drinking water, cooking water

Camping fees: From $24.60 per night

Pebbly Beach Campground, Yuraygir National Park

Fortune favours the brave – or at the very least, those with a 4WD that can tackle the unsealed road to the secluded Pebbly Beach Campground. You’ll have to time this one with the tides, as you’ll only be able to reach this site when the tide is low. What awaits you on the other side is a remote, rustic campground that feels like a true nature escape as the breeze whispers through the she-oaks. Ahhhh.

What you’ll find: Blissful, remote magic that can only come from arriving at a hard-to-reach spot.

Number of campsites: 73

Camping type Tent, Camper trailer, 4WD access only (not suitable for caravans)

Where Freshwater Track, Barcoongere 

Facilities Toilets

What to bring Drinking water, firewood, everything you’ll need (no supplies nearby)

Camping fees From $24.60 per night

Broken Head Holiday Park, Broken Head

The best part of Broken Head Holiday Park (apart from comfy cabins and lovely facilities) is its proximity to the spectacular beauty of Broken Head Nature Reserve. Discover the twisty, towering rainforest that cascades down into the rugged beaches nearby, and then after a day of exploring, hop into a nice warm shower, get some supplies from the on-site general store and tuck into a delicious camp dinner.

What you’ll find: Creature comforts, and the township of Byron Bay just down the road.

Camping type: Tent, caravan, camper trailer, cabin options available

Where: 184 Reserve Road, Broken Head

Facilities: Toilets, hot showers, BBQs, picnic areas, general store, laundry, beach access

What to bring: Beach gear, insect repellent

Camping fees From $43 per night for unpowered sites