Australia’s Best Campsites: 2026 Hipcamp Award Winners

How were Australia’s best campsites chosen?

Mystic Adventures Greenbank is one of the campsites crowned as ‘best newcomer’. (Credit: Hipcamp)

Rather than relying on a judging panel, Hipcamp looked at the places its own community loved most over the past year. Hipcamp is an app that helps users find and book campsites, so the platform was able to analyse booking, rating and review data from its network of more than eight million users and over 60,000 Australian campsites to narrow down the thousands of options available to just Australia’s best.

The award lists are unranked, so there is no single campsite claiming the crown. When you look through the winners, it makes sense why it would have been impossible to narrow down the list to just one. Instead, the awards recognise standout stays across seven states and territories, as well as categories covering tent camping, caravan sites, glamping, cabins and farm stays.

There are also dedicated awards for newcomers and legacy Hipcamps that have built up an enduring following among campers.

“These awards are really about celebrating the hosts who make great camping possible," says Hipcamp CEO and founder Alyssa Ravasio.

Five award-winning Hipcamps to inspire your next adventure

Set up camp on a stunning working family farm in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland at Hidden Pocket On The Mary, one of the ‘legacy’ award winners. (Credit: Hipcamp)

In NSW, Willowbank offers private camping along the Karuah River on a multigenerational cattle property. It’s a classic country escape, pairing a working rural landscape with the chance to set up camp beside the water.

Queensland’s Hidden Pocket on the Mary also makes the most of its verdant riverside setting. Peaceful campsites line the property, while complimentary kayaks give guests an easy way to head out on the Mary River.

Travelling further south to Victoria, Galea Ranch sits beneath the Cathedral Ranges. The family-run property combines farm life with a spectacular mountain backdrop, proving you don’t need to travel far from civilisation to find scenery that feels properly wild.

Ladybug Camping represents Tasmania among the highlighted winners, with creekside campsites and cascading waterfalls providing the soundtrack. Across the country in Western Australia, Jarvis Estate Winery makes he most of what Margaret River is best known for, offering camping directly on their vineyard.

Together, the five properties show just how varied camping in Australia can be. A weekend under canvas can mean paddling from a riverbank, waking beneath a mountain range or ending the day among the vines of one of the country’s best-known wine regions.

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

The full list of winners for 2026

Not sure if camping is for you? You can dip your toe in my glamping at a site like Nine Mountains, with outdoor baths, an outdoor kitchen, and a spacious yurt. (Credit: Hipcamp)

The awards include separate lists for NSW, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania, South Australia and the Northern Territory, with 12 winners named in each.

All winning properties can be found on the Hipcamp app and online, where campers can view availability and book directly.

With camping season getting underway as we get closer to summer, consider the 2026 list your cue to dust off your tent and make the most of what Australia does best: stunning outdoor adventures.

Bate Bay’s sweep of beaches has been crowned Australia’s best for 2026, placing Sutherland Shire in the spotlight as a top coastal destination just south of Sydney’s CBD.

The beaches fringing Bate Bay – Cronulla, North Cronulla, Wanda, Elouera and Greenhills – have topped Tourism Australia’s 2026 list of best Australian beaches (as curated by Beach Ambassador Brad Farmer). For locals, it’s less revelation, more recognition.

The mood shifts from the moment you step off the T4 train service from Central to Cronulla and catch a glimpse of the ocean. At dawn, the Esplanade is already buzzing with regulars, and by mid-morning, parents have staked out a toasty spot on Cronulla Beach where excited toddlers clamber over rocks, and the Jellybean swim squad at Oak Park have donned their bright pink caps while singing Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’.

By the afternoon, towels are being collected from across the sand as visitors wander back to Cronulla in loose formation.

North Cronulla beach — Dive into the world’s best beaches.

That’s the thing about Bate Bay beaches. This isn’t a story about a single beach. This long, uninterrupted sweep of sand and sea, where you can walk for kilometres without breaking stride, is not just enjoyed over summer; it’s a year-round destination. Here, Cronulla’s buzz gives way to Wanda’s wild edges, before stretching out to the quieter reaches of Greenhills.

But while Bate Bay’s beaches may have taken top honours in the 2026 Best Australian Beaches list, they’re only part of the drawcard. Sutherland Shire stacks up as a full-spectrum coastal escape, where good food, national park adventures and on-the-water experiences sit within easy reach of the shoreline. Whether you’re planning a long weekend or stretching out a stay, here’s how to make the most of Cronulla beyond the sand, sea and surf.

Beyond the beaches

Dining

The Sutherland Shire dining scene delivers from early morning to late at night with a mix of vibrant cafes, bars and pubs. Start your day at Grind Espresso, where the coffee comes strong and fast. From there, drift towards HAM for pastries, best eaten buttery warm.

By midday, locals linger across sun-lit tables. Loaf and Next Door appeal to the surfers who come in for snacks after chasing waves. Blackwood’s Pantry and The Press are also popular for breakfast and lunch, while Pilgrim’s continues to hold a special place in the hearts of vegans.

Newer arrivals signal where Cronulla is heading: Homer Rogue Taverna is being hailed as one of the best restaurants in Cronulla, with the confidence that comes from understanding what locals want. Ask a local to reveal their favourite restaurant for a special occasion, and it’ll likely be Pino’s Vino e Cucina al Mare, Yalla Sawa or Alphabet Street. Summer Salt, Sealevel, Benny’s, Bobbys and Pippis are a few of the best waterfront restaurants in the Shire.

Finally, when most places are winding down, Duke’s Providore shifts gears to become Duke’s After Hours – a low-lit romantic spot perfect for a date night. Parc Pavilion, Northies Cronulla and bars The Blind Bear, Las Chicas and Low & Lofty’s are also part of Cronulla’s identity.

Visit Bundeena

Bundeena Ferry Wharf — Catch a ferry to Bundeena.

A short ferry ride from Cronulla, Bundeena offers a counterpoint to Cronulla’s mighty surf beaches. If Cronulla is the Shire’s social heart, Bundeena – or Bundenesia, as it’s affectionately known – is the place to go to exhale and unwind.

Hop on the ferry from Cronulla, and within 30 minutes, you’ll be inhaling the eucalyptus-scented air. Check the creative pulse of the local community by timing your visit with the Bundeena Maianbar Art Trail on the first Sunday of every month.

One of the best things to do in Bundeena is paddle into Cabbage Tree Basin with Bundeena Kayaks. Follow the five-kilometre Jibbon Beach Loop Track that leads past quiet coves to ancient Indigenous rock art, or simply find a stretch of pearl-white sand to relax on.

Pristine walking trails

Royal National Park Cape Baily Walking Track — Cool off with a coastal stroll.

Beyond the coastline, Sutherland Shire offers myriad ways to shift gears. Royal National Park – the oldest national park in Australia – sits just minutes from the surf. Clifftop walks trace the edge of the continent, the rugged bushland is threaded with creeks and hidden waterfalls, and a network of tracks rewards those willing to go a little further.

Take the Coast Track, where the land drops cleanly into the ocean over sheer cliffs that have been stacked together like giant Jenga. Or veer inland, where pockets of forest cool the air and filter the light. It’s a reminder of how close nature sits to the bustle of suburbs in the Sutherland Shire.

Enjoy whale watching

humpback whale sighting noosa experiences — Spot whales from May to October. (Credit: The Edit Suite)

Twist your binoculars until the ocean is in focus, stretched like a creased blue sheet all around. Come May, the East Coast becomes the humpback highway. Thousands of whales migrate along this stretch of coastline each year, their movements tracked by keen eyes from vantage points like the Cape Solander platform in Kamay Botany Bay National Park, one of the best places for whale watching in Australia. There’s something quietly thrilling about seeing that first telltale spout or the arc of a breaching body against the vastness of the sea. From June to October, whale-watching cruises depart from Cronulla, offering a closer look at the migration.

Awards come and go. But places like Cronulla endure because they belong as much to the visitors as they do the early-morning swimmers, walkers and surfers.

Plan your escape at visitsutherlandshire.com.au.

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