No travel plans? No worries: Here’s the best budget summer stays within a few hours of Sydney

A family summer holiday doesn’t need to cost a bomb, you only a good spot to pitch a tent. Here are the best budget summer stays for last-minute holiday-makers.

Christmas holidays at Patonga Beach on the Central Coast: Brother and Sister Daniel Bishop and Anna Cullinane bring their kids together every year. Picture David Swift

As the cost of living crisis continues to bite, more Australians are living more like their frugal grandparents: Growing veges in the garden, buying second-hand clothes, and trading a family pass to Disneyland for the humble road trip.

A new survey commissioned by Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF) Australia found nearly three quarters of Australians are abandoning overseas travel plans to holiday here instead.

This summer, 72% of Aussies said they’re holidaying in Australia, including 54% who’ll holiday in their own state, and 18% who’ll travel interstate.

That’s an increase on pre-Covid times in 2019, when 68% of Aussies were holidaying domestically.

In 2022, just 6.5% will go overseas, and 21.5% won’t go on holiday.

Cousins Eoin Cullinane, 13, and Edith, Bishop 10, and Millie Bishop, 14, playing with their dog on Patonga beach on the Central Coast. Picture: David Swift

But if you opted out of a trip to spare the budget, it’s not too late to make it happen on a shoestring.

Campsites and holiday parks offer a fun-filled getaway, with some of the best views in NSW, at a fraction of the cost of a hotel.

Reflections Holiday Parks are the largest operator in NSW, with 36 parks and 43 nature reserves on Crown land, from Byron Bay to Pambula (and everything in-between).

An unpowered ($55 per night) or powered tent site ($80) will set you back less than the cost of flights over a long weekend.

Glamping tents range between $150 to $250 a night. But if you’re really not a camper, tiny homes are ($200-$300) per night, and cabins are $200+.

Mike Bishop and Cate Sheahan with their daughter Sally, 13 heading out for a surf at Umina. Picture David Swift.

This cost could be split between multiple couples, or families, though.

“The country parks are so underrated,” general manager Peter Chapman said of where he’d pick to go.

“Everyone in Australia goes to the beach in summer, but you can have a time you’ll never forget inland.”

According to the TFF survey, most people planned a trip to the beach or the coast, and to stay with immediate family, between Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve.

Daniel Bishop, 48, a Newcastle-based research engineer and his sister Anne Culliane, 46, from Sydney’s Northern Beaches swear by the no frills summer holiday.

The pair have brought their five kids together at Patonga Beach on the Central Coast for 16 years.

Cousins Connie Bishop, 16, Millie Cullinane, 14 and Edith Cullinane 10 playing with their dogs not he beach. Dad Daniel Bishop says Patonga in the summer is “their world”. Picture David Swift.

“People who go to Patonga love the simplicity and sleepy village feeling of it,” Culliane said of the isolated fishing village beside the Hawkesbury River.

“And it’s safe. I’ve got three kids, who are 14, 12, and 10. They can go off and explore and have adventures with their cousins and the dog — playing, fishing, and swimming — and I don’t have to worry about it.”

He added that most Sydneysiders have never heard of their hidden gem, just an hour-and-a-half from the city.

TIFF CEO Margy Osmond welcomed the strong appetite for domestic travel: “Thank you to all those Aussie travellers who’ve decided to explore their own backyard and help our local tourism operators recover, she said. “This should be a bumper summer period.”

FIVE HIDDEN GEMS YOU CAN STILL BOOK

Burrinjuck Waters

Burrinjuck Waters campground. Picture: Supplied

Four hours from Sydney, you’ll find “the most amazing wilderness with a big lake, and heaps of availability,” Chapman said. The park, set on 75-hectares of lake shore, is the perfect escape for nature lovers, and famed for its easy fishing. There’s walking tracks, cabins (if you’re not keen on tenting), and space for boating, waterskiing and kayaking.

Lake Glenbawn

Lake Glenbawn campground. Picture: Supplied

Three-and-a-half hours drive from Sydney is another lakeside oasis, full of wildlife and some of the best freshwater fishing in the state. “It’s gorgeous, and perfect for boating, kayaking, jet skiing, and hiking. Or just sitting by the fire,” Chapman said.

Hawks Nest

Hawks Nest campground. Picture: Supplied.

Between Bennett’s Beach and the Hawks Nest village (two hours and 40 minutes from Sydney) is a beachy caravan park removed from the bustle of Port Stephens and Nelson Bay. Rated as one of Australia’s Top 20 beaches, keep an eye out for dolphins, check out the nearby Tea Gardens, or the surf at Winda Woppa.

Jimmy’s Beach

Jimmy's Beach campground. Picture: Supplied

One minute from Hawk’s Nest is another white-sand, crystal-blue-water spot, with large shady sites, or beachside glamping on offer.

North Haven

North Haven campground. Picture: Supplied

Just south of Port Macquarie (four hours from Sydney), you’ll get both the beach and river, adjacent to Dooragan National Park.

Originally published as No travel plans? No worries: Here’s the best budget summer stays within a few hours of Sydney