Summer escapes: 10 of Victoria’s best camping spots

Need some time under canvas? Victoria’s epic campgrounds offer ocean views, vineyards, caves and hot springs.

Point Nepean Discovery Tents, Point Nepean National Park

Point Nepean offers incredible coastal scenery.

Point Nepean National Park is located next to the seaside town of Portsea on the tip of Mornington Peninsula. Its 46 newish Discovery Tents – khaki, canvas tents are pre-pitched among native grasses, acacia trees and incredible coastal scenery. They cater to two or four people and have stretcher beds with thick mattresses. The communal kitchen and bathroom (including hot showers) is housed in a heritage weatherboard building next to an outdoor barbeque area with shade umbrellas. The visitor centre has info on the park’s historic Fort Nepean and Quarantine Station and, incidentally, a coffee van. See parks.vic.gov.au

Lake Catani campground, Mt Buffalo National Park

Idyllic: Lake Catani.

Lake Catani, in Mount Buffalo National Park on the west of Victoria’s alpine region, was artificially constructed more than a century ago, and now looks like an idyllic pond in a native highland setting. Next to it, nestled among the snow gums, the campground has 49 unpowered campsites suitable for tents mostly, but also caravans and campervans. Excellent facilities include toilets, hot showers and fire-pits. Campers can swim, kayak and fish, before gathering by the fire in the old stone cottage. See parks.vic.gov.au

Tidal River, Wilsons Prom National Park

Intensely beautiful: Tidal River in Wilsons Promontory.

Jutting into Bass Strait, ‘The Prom’ is an intensely beautiful landscape of granite peaks, rainforest, rivers and squeaky sand. Tidal River, the main hub, has a visitor centre and campground with 484 campsites (20 of which are powered). Facilities include toilets, (hot) showers, gas barbecues, a laundry and dump point. It’s big and busy, but it’s Victoria’s most loved with boundaries including the sandy flats of clear Tidal River and the turquoise waves of Norman Beach. See parks.vic.gov.au

Peninsula Hot Springs glamping, Mornington Peninsula

Glamping tents at Peninsula Hot Springs tastefully blend luxury with rejuvenation in nature.

Peninsula Hot Springs offers a literal immersion in nature with its showcase of natural geothermal mineral spring pools. Among the native landscape of tea-tree and sheoak, 10 heavy-duty canvas glamping tents tastefully blend luxury with rejuvenation in nature. Choose from the garden view, lake view or secluded pavilions, and indulge in king beds, fancy linen, ensuites, air-con and a mini bar stocked with local beverages. Glampers have access to the bathing areas and a wellness experience at Spa Dreaming Centre. See peninsulahotsprings.com

Blanket Bay, Great Otway National Park

Great Otway National Park stretches along the Great Ocean Road and into the sweet-smelling Otways hinterland. Blanket Bay campground, just 10 metres from the beach, is sheltered in a woodland of manna gum whose tasty tapered leaves are loved by resident koalas. It has 22 unpowered campsites: 12 for tents only, and 10 for vehicle camping. It’s basic but facilities include compost toilets, tank water, picnic tables and communal fireplaces. The beach is protected by a rocky reef ideal for swimmers, snorkellers and rock-poolers.

Johanna Beach campground, Great Otway National Park

Wild Johanna Beach.Credit: Andrew Paoli/Visit Victoria

Just beyond the dunes of wild Johanna Beach, also in Great Otway National Park, this remote low-key campground has the roar of the waves as its soundtrack. It has 25 well-spaced, grassy campsites that are sheltered by coastal vegetation. Facilities include non-flushing toilets and a picnic table with a beach view, but not showers or drinking water. For surfers, Johanna Beach’s west-facing break is legendary. For non-surfers, the 3.5-kilometre (unpatrolled) beach has rock pools, sand cliffs and the gentle Johanna River inlet. Dogs are allowed on leash.

Erskine River Park (part of Lorne Foreshore Caravan Park), Lorne

Erskine River Park is in the heart of the beachside town of Lorne with direct boardwalk access to Lorne Beach. The pretty tear-shaped campground slots neatly between the main road and a whimsical bend in the Erskine River, and has downstream views towards historic Lorne Swing Bridge. Its 39 powered and unpowered campsites suit most camping set-ups including motorhomes. The campground is one of Lorne Foreshore Caravan Park’s five campgrounds, so expect shipshape facilities including an amenities block with showers, laundry and kitchen. See lornecaravanpark.com.au

Buchan Cave Reserve, Buchan

Buchan Caves.Credit: iStock

Next to Spring Creek and sitting among European trees, rocky garden walls, and cushiony grass, Buchan Caves campground has a bucolic parkland vibe. The 1930s landscaping is due to the reserve’s Buchan Caves which campers can tour to explore limestone formations, enchanting calcite-rimmed pools and stalactite chandeliers. The campground has 61 mostly powered campsites suited to tents, campervans and camp-trailers. Facilities include amenities block (with hot showers, toilets, laundry and camper’s kitchen), picnic tables and electric and wood fired barbecues.

Edi Cutting Reserve, King River

The benefits of camping in one of north-east Victoria’s wine districts need not be explained except to say, ‘prosecco’. Stretching for two kilometres along the banks of the shallow King River, and minutes from wineries including King River Estate, Edi Cutting is a free public campground with plenty of trees and lots of bush character. Its sites are unmarked, suited to most camping set-ups and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. It has two sections with pit toilets in each, and several fire pits. Everything else is BYO. The river is rocky and shallow so good for short floats, waterplay and trout fishing.

Banksia Bluff, Cape Conran Coastal Park

Banksia Bluff campground, in the Cape Conran Coastal Park wilderness, is dominated by scenery of orange beach boulders, heath-covered hinterland and dense forest. Its 135 unpowered campsites are suitable for tents mostly, but also bigger camping vehicles. They are spaced along a one-kilometre stretch, 100 metres from the beach, with intermittent toilet and shower blocks. Other basic facilities include picnic tables (not many), bore water (not for drinking), fire-pits and a communal fire. Some campsites are dog-friendly. See parks.vic.gov.au

The writer stayed as a guest of Point Nepean Discovery Tents. Penny Watson is the author of Ultimate Campsites Australia, published by Hardie Grant.