‘I make more money from campers than cows’: Australia’s top Hipcamps revealed
Australia’s best Hipcamp spots have been crowned with private landowners revealing how the lucrative side hustle has now become their major money spinner. See the list of top camp spots
Australia’s best Hipcamp spots have been crowned with private landowners revealing how the lucrative side hustle has now become their major money spinner.
The world’s number 1 camping app Hipcamp has ranked its best campsite listings across Australia for 2025, based on data from bookings, reviews and ratings.
The app has more than 500,000 campsites on private properties listed across the country.
Out of the 15 best all round camp spots in Australia suited to both tents and caravans, eight were in the Sunshine State - around the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast hinterlands, Scenic Rim and up north, close to Mackay and Townsville.
Other winning campsites were featured in locations near Coffs Harbour and Sydney in NSW, Ballarat in Victoria and Perth in WA.
Cameron Coutts, who runs one of the winning campsites, Larapinta in Queensland’s Scenic Rim, said Hipcamp had now become more lucrative for him than his original cattle breeding business.
Mr Coutts has set up 12 campsites on his property, spread over 540 acres and makes triple what his cattle business does.
“I make far more money out of campers than I do cows,” he said.
“This particular property here, the carrying capacity is 100 breeders, and if I got an 85 per cent calving rate - 85 calves, I would say after expenses my profit after that is probably $30,000 a year.
“Whereas [with] campers, I’m making $100,000 profit.”
He said many guests came an hour away from Brisbane and the Gold Coast, with city-folk able to “experience where their food comes from and how life is on the land”.
However, he said it wasn’t an easy business, requiring time, facilities to be installed, portaloos to be pumped out, and interactions with the odd unpleasant customer.
For other farmers considering it, Mr Coutts said they had to figure out if they would make a “reasonable income” for their investment.
“My suggestion is if you’re planning on dipping your toe in the water, put your shoe back on because you’re wasting your time,” he said.
“Either get into it in a sizeable and tangible way or don’t bother because the extra five or ten grand a year you might make out of it by having two or three sites somewhere down by a creek - the odd person [is] going to drive you insane and you’ll wonder whether the five or ten grand’s even worth it.”
Hipcamp has also crowned winners in other categories, including best campgrounds for tents, caravans, glamping and farmstays; and best in state.
See the winners below.
Best all-round places to camp in Australia
RIVERDELL - Bald Knob, Queensland
A 166 acre property on the eastern side of the Blackall Range in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, extending to the Moloolah River.
LARAPINTA - Laravale, Scenic Rim, Queensland
This 540 acre cattle property west of the Gold Coast claimed to have 500-year old grasstrees and picturesque views of the Jinbroken Range.
MALUKA PARK - Imbil, Queensland
A 110 acre working cattle property close to Lake Borumba, south of Gympie, with access to a creek and free kayaks for campers to use.
The site also featured a rainforest and walking track.
THE BLUE LAGOON - Upper Orora, NSW
Twenty minutes west from Coffs Harbour is this 100 acre property, with a private turquoise waterhole.
NATURAL BRIDGE RETREAT - Natural Bridge, Queensland
A 135 acre property adjoining Lamington National Park on the Gold Coast, which has lookouts with ocean views.
It claimed to have a waterfall made famous by Laura Dern in a Sunsilk shampoo commercial shot in 1998.
HOPEVALE ADVENTURE CAMPING - Widgee, Queensland
West of Gympie is this 113 acre cattle property, bordered by Wrattens National Park.
The Wratten Falls waterfall sits at the back of the property, feeding a creek which flows through it.
LAKEVIEW - Beachmere, Moreton Bay, Queensland
A 50-acre site 45 minutes from the Brisbane CBD, with three billabongs.
KENILWORTH RURAL CAMPING - Kenilworth, Queensland
Located in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland is this 5-acre block with a waterhole, next to parklands.
BYRON MYOCUM FARM - Myocum, NSW
A farm with livestock, 15 minutes from Byron Bay.
The campsite is on a grassy knoll with views of farmland and the Byron lighthouse in the distance.
HOLD IT FLATS – Yalboroo, Queensland
A 120 acre property in the Mackay region up in North Queensland, bordering the O’Connell River.
MOUNT SURROUND CAMPGROUNDS - Mount Surround, Queensland
Located close to Townsville and Mount Elliot, this 90 acre property has access to a dam.
ROSE’S RESERVE - Coolup, WA
A 20 acre campsite within a working farm, located just an hour from Perth.
NSW SKI GARDENS - Wisemans Ferry, NSW
A site on the banks of the Hawkesbury River at Wisemans Ferry, on the northern outskirts of Sydney.
RODBOROUGH VALE - Majorca, Victoria
A working sheep property, 600 acres large, with creek flats and native bushland.
PENZANCE BUSHLAND RETREAT - Durham Lead, Victoria
Located close to Ballarat, this spot has access to a dam.
Best tent campsites in Australia
There were some overlaps with the best overall winners including Rose’s Reserve in WA and Hopevale Adventure Camping in Queensland.
Others included Boulder Brook Valley in Bulla, Victoria - a 100 acre cattle and chicken farm, 45 minutes from Melbourne’s CBD.
The Scrub Campsite in Inman Valley, SA, was another winner, with its 130 acre cattle and sheep farm, one hour and 20 minutes from Adelaide.
Best caravan spots in Australia
Kenilworth Rural Camping in Queensland from the best all round sites list was also ranked in the best caravan spots.
Others included Coober Pedy Views in SA, an outback campground which was also crowned one of the best sites for its state.
Hay Valley Farm from SA also made the list, with its vineyard, orchard and livestock in the Adelaide Hills wine region.
Best in state
The list included winners for each state, including Ryelands Farm & Vineyard in Macquarie Plains, Tasmania, on the River Derwent.
In the NT, the Urban Retreat on the edge of Darwin was featured, with a tropical garden.
Best farmstays in Australia
Best all round winners Byron Myocum Farm, Rodborough Vale and Riverdell were listed as well as Hay Valley Farm in SA.
Other farmstay winners included River Run Farm Camping in Antigua, Queensland near Maryborough and Bolinda Vale Farm in Keysbrook, WA.
Best glamping sites in Australia
This category featured Something Different in Lowden WA, with a converted machinery shed, and pitched cabins in Redbank156, in Metcalfe, Victoria.
Best cabins in Australia
Winners included Eckert’s Old Place, situated in a merino sheep and wheat farm at Emu Downs in SA and The Love Shack in Tarra Valley, Victoria.
Legacy Hipcamps
Best all-round winners Rodborough Vale and Hold It Flats were on this list of Hipcamp properties run for more than five years.
Others included Riverside King Valley in Victoria and Sapphire Coast Dairy-Homestead in Greendale, NSW.
Newcomer Hipcamps
Hipcamp stated this category rewarded properties which made a name for themselves in a short period of time.
Among the winners were Bonville Camp Ground, south of Coffs Harbour in NSW and Mountview Farm Stay and Poodles in Toonpan, near Townsville in Queensland.
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Originally published as ‘I make more money from campers than cows’: Australia’s top Hipcamps revealed
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