Some of my best Christmases have been spent camping with my family and friends. When our children were young we would put all of our camping gear into a trailer and tow it to many of the great coastal areas over the border into Northern New South Wales or to one of the islands just off the coast of the Gold Coast.

Although it was a mission preparing for our camping trips and then setting up the tent, erecting camp stretchers, pumping up air mattresses and unpacking clothing and food, it was fully worth the effort once everything was done. You could kick back and relax and forget about all the stress of the hectic lead-up to Christmas.

Woody Head, NSW

Woody Head is near the village of Iluka in Northern New South Wales and is only a 200 kilometre drive from the Gold Coast. The grassy campsites are all unpowered but are suitable for tents, camper trailers, caravans of campervans. There are coin operated hot showers, toilets, drinking water, BBQ facilities, picnic tables and a shop that sells a few necessities located at the office.

Campsite at Woody Head

It’s a great place for a family holiday, with a protected sandy beach that’s ideal for swimming and fishing, a boat ramp and the spectacular rock platform. We loved exploring the rainforest in the National Park and shallow reefs around the campground.

Rock Pools at Woody Head

Yamba, NSW

On the southern side of the Clarence River, just a hop, skip and jump from Iluka, is the popular family holiday town of Yamba. It boasts 3 caravan parks that are either located on the river or nearby the beach. We stayed at the Calypso Yamba Holiday Park that is only a short stroll into town and has riverfront access as well a nearby beach.

Campsite set up at Yamba

Our children were never bored, particularly if they had other children to play with. Their entertainment for the holidays included everything in or around the ocean and estuaries. They would be surfing, paddle-boarding, snorkelling, fishing and building sand castles from sun-up to sundown.

Hickey Island beach in Yamba

South West Rocks, NSW

One of our favourite camping spots was at South West Rocks, near Kempsey, in Northern New South Wales. Here we camped at the Horseshoe Bay Holiday Park that is right near Horseshoe Bay Beach. As well as having a great safe little bay for children to swim in there was also an estuary for fishing, swimming and snorkelling.

Paddling with Dad at South West Rocks

Standing high on a narrow headland 5 kms south of South West Rocks, sits Smoky Cape Lighthouse which is surrounded by the stunning coastal scenery of Hat Head National Park.

Views from Smoky Cape, South West Rocks

Only a short drive from South West Rocks, is another fantastic campground at Trail Bay Gaol. It’s idyllic location in the Arakoon National Park, on Front Beach and near the old gaol ruins, makes it an extremely popular family camping spot.

Front Beach at Trial Bay

Lake Moogerah, Qld

For something a bit different we’ve tried lakeside camping at Lake Moogerah near Boonah, around an hour’s drive west of the Gold Coast. Lake Moogerah Caravan Park is a private campground right on the lakeshore, with grassy powered and unpowered tent and van sites.

You can drop a line from the shore and there are fishing dinghies, kayaks, and paddleboards for hire. Otherwise bring your own power boat or jet ski and go water skiing or wake boarding on the lake. Otherwise the adults are only too happy to relax and unwind on a comfortable camp chair and read a book or drift off to sleep in a semi-hazy state.

Camping = Relaxation!

Lennox Head, NSW

We’ve spent a few Christmas or Easter holidays camping at Lake Ainsworth Holiday Park in Lennox Head, just south of Byron Bay in Northern New South Wales. All campsites are within a one minute walk to the tea tree Lake Ainsworth and under a five minute walk to Seven Mile Beach, which is a patrolled beach adjacent to the caravan park.

Shores of Lake Ainsworth

Late afternoons at Lake Ainsworth would generally entail enjoying a few refreshments with other campers and swapping stories of the day’s activities. Followed by a BBQ dinner.

Boys having afternoon beers at Lennox Heads

Moreton Island, Qld

One of the best places we have camped includes the beautiful Moreton Island just north of the Gold Coast. You can load your 4WD vehicle up with your camping gear and drive onto a vehicular ferry at Redland Bay across Moreton Bay to the island and camp anywhere along the oceanside of the island.

Beautiful white sandy beach at Moreton Island

4 wheel driving on the beach at Moreton Island

There are fifteen shipwrecks on the bayside of the island at Tangalooma that have created an artificial reef to attract coral formations and marine life such as wobbegongs, trevally, kingfish yellowtail and an array of tropical fish.

Tangalooma Wrecks, Moreton Island

Tangalooma Wrecks, Moreton Island

There really is no better way to keep the children entertained than an island, beachside or lakeside camping holiday.

Kids playing in the estuary at South West Rocks

Do you have memories of camping during the Christmas holidays? Where are some of the best places you have camped?