This is where we review all the places we either paid to stay in or really loved. Hopefully this comes in handy for people wanting to travel themselves! We use Wikicamps to find all the places we stay and the locations are generally the most accurate way to find the location. Please let us know if you have any questions about these locations we are happy to answer them 🙂 There are also usually deals for families. We mainly stay places that are cheap/free so this blog is perfect for anyone wanting to travel on a budget.
(All prices are for 2 adults unpowered) 👫
🎁 Stop 1 Belli Creek Park – Eumundi (near Noosa) Free
Address: Eumundi Kenilworth Rd, Belli Park QLD 4562
Belli Creek Park was the first stop on our long journey and I was extremely happy with the opportunity to use this free camp. We used this park to stay near Noosa as it was approx. 30 mins from the main beach (we have found that this is pretty good for proximity to a major suburb). Although we only stayed 2 nights the park did not have any indication of a time limit so this allowed us the privilege of not having to stress on finding a new campsite straight away. It is an extremely busy campground so it is advised to get in earlier rather than later and spots are not guaranteed. We had no problem with noises and the toilets were okay. It is attended to daily and we really appreciated staying at this campground.
💰💰Stop 3 Cheery Nomad RV farm-stay – Maryborough (near Hervey Bay) $20/night
Address: 113 Lawson St, St Helens QLD 4650
Cheery Nomad was the third location we stayed at. We paid $20 a night for camping and the use of showers, toilets, wifi and laundry. After a while of looking this was the cheapest rate I found so close to Hervey Bay (25 mins) which we were surprised by when arriving as it was a beautiful farm stay astounding landscape. As the sun set the whole farm turned a beautiful hue and created such a beautiful environment than cannot be missed. The quality of the toilets and showers were great, the people were friendly and the drinks and meals were a steal. We were extremely happy with our stay at Cheery Nomad and decided to stay 2 nights instead of 1. They appreciate quiet campers and respect for amenities.
💰💰Stop 6 Workman’s Beach Camping Area – Agnes Water $9.60pp
Address: 95 Springs Rd, Agnes Water QLD 4677
Workman’s Beach was a beautiful place to stay. The best thing about this campground was the proximity to the beach. A few minutes from the beach, this location was perfect. Planning to stay one we ended up here 2 nights because of how beautiful the location was. Agnes Water is famously known as the last place in QLD (heading north) to surf/swim safely in the beaches due to crocodiles and other harmful animals so we used this to our full advantage. It can be hard to find a park when you go as checkout is 2pm so it’s all about luck and timing but if you find a park you can take it and the ranger comes around to collect the money in the afternoon. If you can’t find a park there is an
overflow carpark” you can park in (just the day carpark) and same rules apply. No fires at this location and dog friendly (you’ll see lots of them). We would definitely say that Agnes Water was our favourite place to stay. Check out our photos from Agnes Water on the Gallery Page.
🎁 Stop 9 Dingo Roadhouse – (Dingo) Free
Address: Capricorn Highway, Dingo QLD 4702
Dingo roadhouse is yet another location that we were originally planning to stay 1 night and ended up staying 2 which is why it made this list. This location was a stop on a journey to somewhere else but we really enjoyed it. There’s not much in Dingo but the thing we loved most about this location was that they had a resident kitten named Minou (we’re both animal lovers). But that wasn’t the only thing we loved. The roadhouse is open 24/7. You’re probably thinking well that’s pretty normal right? Well the roadhouse also kept their kitchen open 24/7 which means…. CHIPS AND GRAVY AT 2AM IN THE MORNING. The staff were extremely friendly and they had free camping and HOT SHOWERS for free. This is the only place that we have found (and might ever find) that offered hot showers for free. Of course we bought some stuff from the roadhouse so that we could feel better about freeloading. There is also $3 washing machines.
💰Stop 12 Fern Flat Camping Area – Eungella National Park $6.65pp
Address: LOT 49 Diggings Rd, Broken River QLD 4757
We would definitely recommend staying at Broken River in Eungella National Park. Broken River is famous for its paddle of platypus. We stayed at Fern Flat camping area as a last minute decision to stay on the mountain. There was one space left so we were lucky to get in but we’re so happy we did. If staying in Broken River I would definitely recommend pre-booking a place at Broken River Bush Camp (through QLD National Parks) as it is right next to the river where you can see platypus and it is only $6.65pp/pn.
40 minutes from Broken River is Finch Hatton Gorge with two different rock pools. The wheel of fire is the hotspot for swimming which is a 4.2km return hike with quite a lot of obstacles so if you’re looking for a lighter walk then the Araluen cascades would be suitable with a 2.8km simple return hike. You have to drive through 4 overflowing lakes to get to the Gorge which we did easily in our van. We also saw a caravan and a motorhome there. Check out our photos in the gallery to see pictures of these two hikes!
💰💰💰💰 Stop 15 Paronella Park Campground – Mena Creek $47pp (Entry fee)
Address: 1671 Innisfail Japoon Rd, Mena Creek QLD 4871
North QLD’s Paronella Park camping is included in the entry fee to the park (which was $47 per adult and relevant discounts for concessions/families). We really enjoyed our stay. As we are on a budget it’s probably not something we would do often but we decided that, as it was voted QLD’s #1 must do (by RACQ), that we would celebrate a bit for our 1 year! This place included laundry ($4 wash $4 dry), hot showers (not to be underestimated on a camper van holiday), BBQ area and beautiful castles on your doorstep! If it’s in the budget we would definitely recommend going to Paronella Park and learning about José Paronella’s beautiful history. Check out the website for any info on the park and check out the photos in our gallery (stop 13) for our personal photos of the park which include the night tour and exploration photos!
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