7 Holiday parks in Australia’s most iconic regional locations

Long gone are the days when caravan parks were a patch of grass to pitch your tent – and not much else. From Queensland to Western Australia, here are seven holiday parks located in some of the most picturesque locations in Australia.

1. VIC: Lake Fyans Holiday Park

Getting there: 3 hours (250km) north-west of Melbourne

Spend days kayaking, boating, hiking and swimming, then nights cocooned in luxe spa cabins at Lake Fyans Holiday Park, perfectly positioned to make the most of Victoria’s Grampians National Park. Charming wooden cottages come with private patios, which you’ll want to make the most of when the sun sets, a sight that doesn't disappoint in this part of the state, casting a golden glow over the sandstone escarpments that carve the countryside. The only way to tear your kids away from the fully kitted activity room will be with the promise of time splashing about in the solar-heated pool, while mum and dad pop a cork beside the campfire; the Grampians wine region is known for its stellar sparklings.

2. TAS: Discovery Parks – Cradle Mountain

Getting there: 2 hours (150km) west of Launceston

If the slick log cabins and cottages at this Discovery Park don’t wow you (which they will), then the setting most certainly will. Accommodation is scattered under silvery gums across one of Australia’s most untouched wilderness areas, on the edge of World Heritage-listed Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair National Park. This is a place where wombats and wallabies are your neighbours and the call of birdsong greets you with the morning sun. You’re miles from anywhere; there are no skyscrapers, no highways, no traffic lights. Needless to say, the Southern Hemisphere stargazing is ep

3. QLD: Lake Tinaroo Holiday Park

Getting there: 1.5 hours (90km) south-west of Cairns

We wouldn’t blame you for not wanting to leave the grounds of Lake Tinaroo Holiday Park, set across seven hectares of landscaped grounds that include waterside and poolside cabins, as well as ample space for camping and parking your caravan. But you have plenty of inspiration to explore further afield through the Atherton Tablelands region, not in the least a host of equipment that will have you paddling around Lake Tinaroo in no time. Don’t have your own boat? The park has options for you to rent one – or, push out onto the water in a kayak or on a stand-up paddleboard.

4. NT: Discovery Parks – Glen Helen

Getting there: 1.5 hours (130km) west of Alice Springs

You’ll enjoy a front-row seat to the drama of the West MacDonnell Ranges and Glen Helen Gorge when you check in here, the region’s only accommodation, replete with comfy cabins and spacious camping spots. This is the Australian outback you see on postcards, all red earth, ancient gorges, and cooling waterfalls and waterholes – there’s also an onsite pool to relax in when the temperature begins to rise. Lace up your hiking shoes to explore trails traversing scenic lookouts and vast plains, then retire to your base to make the most of barbeque facilities or meals served up at the onsite restaurant.

5. WA: Gracetown Caravan Park

Getting there: 3 hours (270km) south of Perth

Families and surfers alike flock to Gracetown – for good reason. When you stay here, you’re just a couple of kilometres from the beach, which delivers some of the most reliable breaks on Australia’s west coast. But you don’t need to leave the park itself to enjoy Mother Nature, as the Park’s grounds are landscaped with wildflowers that cast colour year round. It’s a glorious setting for chalets and cabins, as well as camping and glamping options; simply turn up to your luxe tent, replete with a double bed for the perfect outback slumber. Action-packed days can be spent making the most of the park’s facilities – think mini-golf, tennis, basketball and volleyball – before pouring a glass of wine from the nearby Margaret River region to enjoy at the alfresco cinema.

6. NSW: Lake Talbot Tourist Park

Getting there: 4 hours (340km) north-west of Canberra

The Riverina region of New South Wales is lush, uniting wineries with artisan producers, watersports with land adventures. The pretty town of Narrandera is the perfect base to explore the bounty, and you’re within easy reach when you book a stay at one of Lake Talbot Tourist Park’s water-view cabins or shaded caravan sites. With this as your base, your spoiled for choice when it comes to legendary fishing haunts, not to mention walking trails that reveal some of the region’s rich history along the banks of the Murrumbidgee River. Over the summer months, cool off in the pool or at Lake Talbot Water Park, then find a grassy verge to spread out a picnic rug in the sun.

7. SA: Ardrossan Caravan Park

Getting there: 1.5 hours (150km) north-west of Adelaide

Perched atop red cliffs where the ocean meets rolling farmland, Ardrossan is a historic port that draws fisher-folk in droves. When you’re not out casting a line in Gulf St Vincent, which the Caravan Park overlooks, spend days enjoying the spoils of the rest of the Yorke Peninsula – you have 700 kilometres of coastline to traverse. There’s also great choice in accommodation at the Park, including everything from grassy camping spots up to self-contained cabins with space to sleep five. Plus pooch – the Park is pet-friendly, so the whole family can enjoy the vacay. Be sure to make the most of the onsite crab cooking stations; the local blue-swimmer crab makes for tasty dinner plans, particularly when enjoyed with friends around the communal campfire.

^Disclaimer

^{Viva Energy Australia Pty Ltd (“Viva Energy”) has compiled the above article for your general information and to use as a general reference. Whilst all reasonable care has been taken by Viva Energy in compiling this article, Viva Energy does not warrant or represent that the information in the article is free from errors or omissions or is suitable for your intended use.}