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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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Art, wine & fireplaces: 8 reasons Bowral is the ultimate winter getaway

(Credit: Destination NSW)

    Carla Grossetti Carla Grossetti
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    The Southern Highlands earns its title as Australia’s top country town in the cooler months, and it’s worth every minute of the 90-minute drive from Sydney.

    Many Sydneysiders head to the Southern Highlands in spring for the tulips. It’s one of the most stunning spring carnivals in Australia. But the ones in the know come to Bowral in winter.

    The first thing you notice at this time of year is the quality of the light. It catches the tangled limbs of the gums and tints the fields, farms and forests a pretty shade of Granny Smith green. And then, a world-class art museum, an impressive network of walking trails, great shops, cosy restaurants and bars and luxury accommodation take centre stage, making Bowral a place you want to linger as the mercury drops.

    Just 90 minutes south of Sydney, a Bowral winter getaway is the coolcation city folk desperately need. Here are eight reasons to pack a good coat and head for the Southern Highlands.

    1. Check in

    aerial of Ardour Milton Park Bowral in winter
    Check in to the gorgeous Ardour Milton Park Bowral. (Credit: Destination NSW)

    Ardour Milton Park Bowral rises like a hologram in the hazy green light as you turn onto Horderns Road. A $10 million refurbishment of the grand 1910 estate was completed in early 2026, and the beautifully restored hotel now includes 44 guest rooms washed in sage green, cobalt blue and dusty blush. The dining room at Horderns Restaurant continues with a botanical theme – earthy banquettes, floral touches throughout – and a menu that moves with the seasons.

    After enjoying slow-braised Cowra lamb and a second glass of red, move to the Polo Bar, which has a fireplace and views across the estate gardens. Build a grazing board from the dedicated Charcuterie Room and take it outside while the light lasts. If the sky clouds over, use this as your cue to enjoy a next-level spa experience at Èliva.

    2. Hunt for treasure

    couple exploring Dirty Janes bowral
    Find vintage treasures in Dirty Janes. (Credit: Destination NSW)

    Winter is the perfect season to lose an afternoon inside Dirty Janes Bowral. Over 1600 square metres of covered space houses 90 individual sellers of everything from mid-century furniture to industrial lighting, antique silverware, vintage clothing and objects whose previous lives you can only imagine. Enjoy a bit of off-the-cuff banter with your fellow fossickers in between searching for that must-have military jacket or vintage silk scarf.

    Around the corner, find the Instagram-famous front door of FoundAntiques, though the real finds are deeper inside. Bring cash, wear comfortable shoes and leave some room in the boot.

    3. Slow down in a beautiful gallery

    kids posing with donald bradman statue in bowral's The Bradman Museum
    Learn about an Aussie legend at The Bradman Museum. (Credit: Destination NSW)

    Ngununggula – meaning ’belonging’ in the language of the Gundungurra First Nations people – is the region’s first dedicated regional gallery, housed inside the sustainably transformed old dairy building at historic Retford Park. The onsite White Cottage Gallery and restored grounds of the former Fairfax estate reward a slow wander. Find a spot to sit in the courtyard filled with rivulets of winter light and enjoy the plaintive call of a currawong carrying across the heritage-listed grounds. It’s one of the best things to do in Bowral.

    Add Bowral Honey Farm for a hands-on harvest experience, then continue into town to the Milk Factory Gallery to admire eclectic works by local artists in a converted industrial space. The Bradman Museum also knocks it out of the park. Australia’s largest dedicated cricket museum sits beside the heritage-listed Bradman Oval, where a young Sir Donald Bradman first picked up a bat.

    4. A taste of France

    table spread at Lucette bowral
    Enjoy a taste of France at Lucette.

    For a taste of France without the airfare, husband-and-wife team Julien and Romy Besnard – of long-loved Franquette Crêperie – have opened Lucette, a French cafe-bistro with Paris-born chef Guillaume Dubois at the helm. Dubois brings serious pedigree from Michelin-starred kitchens in France and Sydney’s former two-hatted Monopole, and it shows. Start your day with pastries for breakfast and bookend it with boeuf bourguignon for dinner. The chocolate mousse, freckled with Guerande Salt, is the kind of dish that will make you feel smug about the decision to drive south. Join the Sydneysiders dressed in charcoal coats, boots and black tights who’ve already worked this out; the whole scene is worthy of splicing it into an Instagram reel.

    Francophiles should also be across Julien’s Bowral Brasserie – led by Frenchman Julien Viel, who also found his way to the Southern Highlands and stayed.

    5. Indulge in a tipple

    Centennial Vineyards bowral in winter
    Spend time amongst the local vines. (Credit: Destination NSW)

    The drive to Centennial Vineyards passes through a beautiful woodland idyll, the countryside a fuzz of green all around. Inside the Barrel Room, a tasting flight of cool-climate pinot noir, chardonnay and reserve shiraz viognier flaunts how well the Southern Highlands does winter.

    This is a region that takes its cool-climate wines seriously, and the pinot noir is one of the stars – a gentle, easy-drinking style with red cherry aromas. Follow your tutored cellar door tasting with another glass of wine in the Terrace Bar, which overlooks the vineyard and manicured grounds.

    6. Blend your own gin

    Millsheds Distillery & Bar
    Pop into Millsheds Distillery & Bar. (Credit: Mattia Panunzio)

    Millsheds Distillery & Bar is somewhat of a local secret. The award-winning small-batch operation produces gin, vodka and liqueurs using Australian botanicals and has picked up silver medals at both the London Spirits Competition and International Wine & Spirit Competition. Beyond the tasting paddle, the hands-on blending masterclass – where you design and leave with two bottles of your own custom gin – is the experience to book, while the terrace bar that wraps around the courtyard is a fine place to settle in afterwards.

    7. Go for a walk at dawn

    Switch your phone off sleep mode and set your alarm to early. Mt Gibraltar rises to 864 metres just east of Bowral’s main street and offers the best views in town. You will pass a raggle-taggle bunch of hikers on the way up to the summit, all making the same quiet pilgrimage into the crisp high-altitude air. On a clear morning, the bony ridges of the ranges come into sharp relief against the light. The return loop takes roughly 90 minutes. A flat white in Bowral tastes considerably better after completing one of the scenic walking trails.

    8. Cosy up by the fireplace

    Aspinalls Whisky Bar & Lounge at the Berida Hotel
    Get cosy in the Berida Hotel’s whiskey bar.

    A cosy bar is the perfect complement to winter in Bowral, and there are a few worth committing to. Aspinalls Whisky Bar & Lounge at the Berida Hotel is built for long, languorous evenings. Take a seat beside the fireplace laden with gnarled logs and work your way through a few whiskies and bar bites like Rangers Valley beef tartare, or salt cod and potato croquettes.

    At Hickory’s within Peppers Craigieburn, well-dressed waiters in denim and leather move quietly between tables, and the cosy fireplace in the adjoining guest lounge attracts an Escape to the Country crowd.

    Start planning your Bowral escape at visitsouthernhighlands.com.au.