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The best Forster camping spots to connect you to nature

Credit: Reflections Tuncurry

Kristie Lau-Adams Kristie Lau-Adams
Drop those shoulders and savour coastal stillness at the best Forster camping spots.

A single strip of shops. Seabreeze drifting through the window. I cruise down Tuncurry’s Manning Street from the Pacific Highway, heading to Forster, and life feels significantly lighter. Entering Forster across the Forster-Tuncurry Bridge, I’m thankful I’ve booked a campsite – soaking up the NSW North Coast town’s blanketing natural beauty is evidently one of its major drawcards. I soon learn that Forster camping unleashes prime real estate to jaw-dropping sights while facilitating all the creature comforts.

Here are the best Forst camping spots for your next beach getaway.

In short

If you only stay at one Forster camping spot, make it Reflections Forster Beach for its middle-of-everything location, ridiculously chic camp kitchen and amenities block, and river-fronting powered sites (also, the cabins on a hill provide epic views).

1. NRMA Forster Tuncurry Holiday Park

NRMA Forster Tuncurry Holiday Park from above
Retreat into lakeview cabins. (Credit: NRMA Forster Tuncurry Holiday Park)

I love to (watch my husband) pitch a tent but the two three-bedroom villas and three glamping tents at NRMA Forster Tuncurry Holiday Park are one of the region’s standout accommodation picks, so let’s start there. Located in Forster’s twin-town of Tuncurry, right off the duck-dotted Ohmas Bay, the Forster camping hot spot’s Hamptons-inspired villas offer one of the best cabins I’ve ever stayed in. Modern bathrooms, spacious open-plan living and dining areas and hotel-tight sheet fittings (a very pleasant surprise) make me forget it’s a caravan park. Elsewhere, there are smaller villas, including two-bedders that front the bay, plus one-bedroom and studios, while pet-friendly powered and ensuite campsites also boast water views.

Tip: Don’t miss dinner from the Baked ‘n’ Loaded spud truck that parks by the water every Thursday – it draws a cult following.

Amenities: Two swimming pools (including a heated one near the glamping tents that’s adults-only until 12pm daily), toddler-friendly waterpark with slides, games room with two free arcade games, enclosed camp kitchen with high chairs for bubs, Pet Wash, laundry, e-bike hire, nearby boat ramps, the Great Lakes cafe (a door down from the park’s entrance), volleyball court.

Address: 1 Baird St, Tuncurry

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2. Reflections Forster Beach

Hands down the best accommodation location in town, Reflections Forster Beach’s camp kitchen and amenities block are so modern that they’re almost too plush for camping. With two fully enclosed fridge and stovetop prep areas (two sets of toasters, kettles and microwaves, too) and a timber deck dressed in festoon lights that offers an elevated view of the park, it’s the type of amenity you’d expect from a high-rated Airbnb. The bathrooms, including the ‘Easy Access Bathroom’ for guests with access needs, are even fancier – I snapped photos to inspire future home renovations. It got even better back at my campsite which overlooked Coolongolook River and bobbing yachts. Each evening, at around 6:30pm, a pod of wild dolphins also flipped right in front of me (I stayed in February 2026, in case it’s a seasonal thing), providing a money-can’t-buy show my family still raves about.

Tip: Make sure the reception crew have your mobile number because they text when The Oyster Man Cafe’s truck rolls into the park selling crabs, prawns and the region’s famed Sydney Rock oysters. Again, how fancy is that for camping?

Amenities: Two amenity blocks, a camp kitchen and a separate barbecue area, dump point, laundry, communal fire pit, bush tucker and herb garden.

Address: 1 Reserve Rd, Forster

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3. The Ruins Campground

Elizabeth Beach in Forster
The Ruins Campground serves as a great base for surfers heading to Elizabeth Beach. (Credit: Destination NSW)

Think holiday parks cheat old-fashioned camping? For some bare basics, hit up Booti Booti National Park’s The Ruins Campground, situated about 15 kilometres south of Forster. It offers 96 campsites for tents, trailers, caravans and car-side camping as vistas speckled with cabbage tree palms and paper bark trees give way to Wallis Lake on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other.

Tip: Don’t miss the Booti walking track which leads to the family-friendly surf magnet that is Elizabeth Beach.

Amenities: Flushable toilets, showers, unpowered and marked camp sites, barbecues, picnic tables, drinking water, rubbish bins and carpark.

Address: 4374 The Lakes Way, Booti Booti

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4. Reflections Tuncurry

Reflections Tuncurry, Forster
Check into a cabin overlooking Coolongolook River. (Credit: Reflections Tuncurry)

Extending its trademark excellence to a second holiday park in the region, Reflections Tuncurry is a winner for fur parents as it’s located right off the off-leash Nine Mile Beach. When I visited, I also saw dolphins from the nearby netted Rockpool Beach (right next to Nine Mile and the Tuncurry Passage, and boasting one of Forster’s best cafes, the locally loved Rockpool Beach Cafe). Choose from cabins, with some overlooking Coolongolook River, and extra-large dog-friendly powered campsites that welcome caravans, motorhomes, campervans and tents.

Tip: If you’re an angler, there are fish cleaning facilities and a boat washdown area, too.

Amenities: Accessible bathrooms, camp kitchen, barbecue area, boat ramp, pet-friendly campsites, laundry, playground, communal firepit, tennis court, EV charging station, bushtucker and herb garden, dog wash, dump point.

Address: 32 Beach St, Tuncurry

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5. Lani’s Holiday Island

Lani’s Holiday Island, Forster
This pet-friendly holiday park offers a range of accommodation options for families. (Credit: Lani’s Holiday Island)

Offering Forster camping with a swimming pool, Lani’s Holiday Island is made for families. While the location, nestled between Pipers Creek and Wallis Lake, is a fisher’s dream, there’s also a string of kid-friendly initiatives to keep everyone busy (see the full list below). Arguably better, there’s a multitude of accommodation options spanning ensuite and powered sites, spa retreats, water-facing pet-friendly cabanas, villas, huts and cottages.

Tip: Ask for board and ball games at reception as they have plenty of options.

Amenities: Two swimming pools, playground, games room, cinema, sporting equipment, camp kitchen, undercover barbecue area, two amenity blocks, laundry, business facilities including photocopying and printing, accessible bathrooms, dump point.

Address: 33 The Lakes Way, Forster

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6. Lakeside Forster Holiday Park

Lakeside Forster Holiday Park, Forster
Lakeside Forster Holiday Park offers convenient access to Wallis Lake. (Credit: Visit NSW)

Let’s keep the swimming pool rollcall going with Lakeside Forster Holiday Park, which offers amazing access to Wallis Lake. Stays span one-, two- and three-bedroom cabins, caravan and unpowered and powered campsites, and ensuite sites. What I loved about this campsite is its magical sunsets, which I spent sunken in a camping chair plonked right beside the lake as my kids splashed about in shallow waters at my feet.

Tip: Keep a lookout for those resident dolphins, plus sea eagles, stingrays and humpback whales from May to November.

Amenities: Heated swimming pool, camp kitchen, dump point, barbecue area, games room, laundry, playground, pedal kart hire, basketball, boat ramp, pet-friendly campsites, accessible bathrooms.

Address: 13 Tea Tree Rd, Forster

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7. Tiona Holiday Park

Tiona Holiday Park treehouse glamping in Forster
This accommodation sits within a lush landscape. (Credit: Tiona Holiday Park)

A bit of a local’s secret, Tiona Holiday Park is deeply connected to nature, located in the middle of Seven Mile Beach, Wallis Lake and Booti Booti National Park, so swimming, kayaking, surfing and sand-slothing is highly encouraged. Welcoming caravans, glamping and tents, it’s Forster camping split between a lakeside section and a beachside section so picture-perfect moments come at you from every direction.

Tip: You’re about 15 minutes’ drive from a major supermarket so factor the time into daily grocery grabs.

Amenities: Four amenity blocks, swimming pool, laundries, camp kitchen, guest lounge, sites with firepits in winter and autumn, pet-friendly campsites, cafe, dump point.

Address: 4451 The Lakes Way, Pacific Palms

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8. Twin Dolphins Holiday Park

A leafy, tree-lined Forster camping hot spot within a few minutes’ drive from the centre of town, Twin Dolphins Holiday Park is a chilled space to recharge the family’s batteries. It’s pet-friendly if you’ve booked a campsite (seasonal dependent), and there’s also air-conditioned studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom cabins to crash in. If you’re travelling with bub, portacots can be arranged in each cabin for a flat fee of $50.

Tip: Courtesy buses to local pubs and clubs drop into this spot, so ask reception for an up-to-date schedule.

Amenities: Heated saltwater swimming pool and separate toddler pool, games room, laundry, undercover barbecue area, dump point, Pet Wash, two amenity blocks.

Address: 134 South St, Tuncurry

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9. BIG4 Happy Hallidays Holiday Park

BIG4 Happy Hallidays Holiday Park in Forster
Park your RV in one of the dog-friendly powered sites. (Credit: BIG4 Happy Hallidays Holiday Park)

It’s a BIG4 so you know it’s going to be Forster camping with all the family-friendly bells and whistles. Located about a 20-minute drive from the centre of Forster, BIG4 Happy Hallidays Holiday Park offers good proximity to whale watching points come migration season (May to November) – not that you need to leave the site if you don’t want to. Ample amenities provide all-age entertainment while accommodation spans one and two-bedroom cabins, powered campsites and ensuite campsites.

Tip: If it’s whale season, head to the platform via the street behind Black Head Surf Club to better your sighting chances.

Amenities: Indoor heated swimming pool, outdoor swimming pool with a waterslide, games room, indoor play centre, mini golf, jumping pillow, tennis court, playground, pet-friendly campsites, EV chargers, amenities block, barbecue area, laundry, library, dump point.

Address: 517 Blackhead Rd, Hallidays Point

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10. Neranie Campground

Rough it in a playground of natural swimming and boating activities at Neranie Campground in Myall Lakes National Park. Located about 35-minutes’ drive from the centre of Forster, the Forster camping spot offers total tranquillity as the still waters of Myall Lakes are hypnotising. I didn’t have a kayak with me during my visit, but I deeply regretted it as it’s ideal gliding terrain. 24 sites welcome tents and camping beside your car, plus there are dedicated camper trailer and caravan sites.

Tip: Bring drinking water as you won’t find fresh water here.

Amenities: Flushable toilets, unpowered marked campsites, picnic tables, a carpark

Address: Neranie Rd, Bungwahl

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Kristie Lau-Adams
Kristie Lau-Adams is a Gold Coast-based freelance writer after working as a journalist and editorial director for almost 20 years across Australia's best-known media brands including The Sun-Herald, WHO and Woman's Day. She has spent significant time exploring the world with highlights including trekking Japan’s life-changing Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage and ziplining 140 metres above the vines of Mexico’s Puerto Villarta. She loves exploring her own backyard (quite literally, with her two young children who love bugs), but can also be found stalking remote corners globally for outstanding chilli margaritas and soul-stirring cultural experiences.
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This surprising regional town is making its mark on the culinary world

(Image: Visit Griffith)

    Carla Grossetti Carla Grossetti
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    With more than 60 nationalities calling it home and a century of Italian influence shaping its paddocks and plates, Griffith is a regional Australian town with serious culinary cred.

    It might feel surprising to learn that Griffith is one of Australia’s leading food destinations. In-the-know Italians have understood this for generations, drawn to the Riverina region’s fertile soils that reminded them of the terrain they’d left behind more than a century ago. These days, Griffith supplies much of the nation’s pantry: 95 per cent of Australia’s prunes come from the region, it’s the country’s largest citrus-growing area, and it’s a leading producer of almonds and walnuts. Even the pickles in every McDonald’s burger nationwide are produced in Griffith. This is not just a farming town; the Griffith food scene is leading the way.

    Here, culinary confidence is rooted in migration. Italian families began arriving from 1913, with a second wave settling after the Second World War. Today, Griffith has the highest proportion of Italian ancestry of any Local Government Area in Australia. Add to that more than 60 nationalities represented across the community and you have a town where food is driven not by trends, but by tradition. Griffith’s motto, ‘Taste our culture’, isn’t marketing spin; it’s the reality.

    Where the vines tell a story

    A hand pouring wine into a glass, with a table filled with food.
    Uncover the stories behind every glass. (Image: Destination NSW)

    The Riverina has long been dubbed the food bowl of Australia, but it’s also a wine region that remains largely under the radar. What sets Griffith apart is that every one of its wineries is family-owned, many spanning generations.

    Calabria Family Wines is one of the region’s standard-bearers. The Calabria story began in 1945 when Francesco Calabria planted his first vines; today, the family continues to shape the region’s identity while also stewarding the historic McWilliam’s Wines brand. McWilliam’s was the first winery to plant vines in the area, and its barrel-shaped cellar door – complete with a soaring stained-glass window – remains one of the most distinctive in regional NSW.

    Yarran Wines, run by the Brewer family, showcases estate-grown fruit across Mediterranean varietals that thrive in the warm climate. Expect bold reds and textured whites that reflect both heritage and innovation.

    Set inside the old ambulance station, Harvest HQ is owned and operated by the Riverina Winemakers Association and pours a rotating selection of local wines under one roof. It also features spirits from The Aisling Distillery, reinforcing the region’s collaborative approach to craft.

    At the table

    A flat lay of a steak.
    Dine where tradition meets a bold new generation. (Image: Visit Griffith)

    If the vineyards tell one story, the dining rooms tell another. Griffith’s restaurants are where tradition and next-gen confidence meet.

    Zecca Handmade Italian occupies the former Rural Bank building, an imposing Art Deco landmark from the late 1930s. ‘Zecca’ means money print, and the name is a nod to the Zecca di Venezia in Venice. Here, find the Riverina’s only producer of dried artisan pasta and traditional Italian recipes. Importantly, the growers and producers supplying the kitchen are listed on the menu as a transparent expression of the region’s farm-to-table ethos.

    Established in 1977 and still run by the Vico family, La Scala puts authentic Italian cuisine on centre stage. Expect handmade pasta, traditional wood-fired pizzas, slow-cooked sauces and dishes that follow recipes guarded like family heirlooms. For something more contemporary, Bull & Bell in Gem Hotel is a shrine to the Euro-style steakhouse that works closely with local farmers and artisans to showcase Riverina produce.

    And then there are the institutions. Bertoldo’s Pasticceria, now in its third generation, draws locals daily for cannoli, biscotti, crostoli and house-made gelato, alongside classic sausage rolls and potato pies. La Piccola Grosseria feels like stepping into an Italian alimentari, its shelves lined with continental goods that wouldn’t feel out of place in Puglia.

    Meanwhile, Limone celebrates local and seasonal produce across breakfast and lunch menus, enriched by the produce and stories of Piccolo Family Farm. Find pastries and sourdough baked daily, and pop into the onsite retail pantry for products from regional producers – including the Piccolo family’s own wine range, Caro Piccolo.

    From the source

    A plated Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod dish.
    Taste world-renowned Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod, straight from its source. (Image: Visit Griffith)

    Behind every menu is a producer. Aquna Sustainable Murray Cod is perhaps Griffith’s most high-profile export; the brand’s Murray cod and Aquna Gold Murray Cod Caviar have achieved global recognition. In October 2024, Aquna presented its products to King Charles III and Queen Camilla at the NSW Premier’s Community BBQ in Parramatta. Impressed by the producer’s sustainable farming practices, the King requested the cod be sent to Buckingham Palace – not bad for a fish farm in regional NSW.

    Mandolé Orchard champions almonds grown on a family-run farm, transforming them into almond milk and value-added products. At Morella Grove, olives are pressed into premium olive oil and pantry staples that speak to Griffith’s Mediterranean heart. These producers are not peripheral; they are central to the town’s culinary ecosystem. Learn about local sustainable farming practices during a farm tour.

    Mark your calendar

    A woman walking past a food mural, something you can spot during A Taste of Italy Griffith.
    Plan your visit around A Taste of Italy Griffith. (Image: Visit Griffith)

    For a town that helps stock Australia’s supermarkets, Griffith has remained curiously absent from the national dining conversation. That’s beginning to change. If you’ve been searching for a regional food destination with substance, heritage and a clear sense of identity, you’ll find it here in the Riverina, right under your nose.

    Time your visit to the Riverina region to coincide with A Taste of Italy Griffith, held every August. This week-long celebration of Italian heritage and culture offers a wide range of Italian-inspired events and experiences to enjoy. Expect long-table lunches, wine tasting experiences, cooking classes and a Makers in the Piazza market. The headline event is a ticketed long lunch – Festa delle Salsicce (Salami Festival) – where winners of the best salami are announced.

    Start planning your foodie getaway at visitgriffith.com.au.