A guide to every picturesque Yamba camping hot spot

Carla Grossetti Carla Grossetti
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From spectacular sites with million-dollar water views to places to pull up your motorhome, the best Yamba camping and Yamba caravan park picks always dazzle.

Whether you’re a camping newbie or hard-core about sleeping under canvas, there’s a Yamba camping or Yamba caravan park to get you excited. Spanning old-school camping grounds, RV sites, glamping grounds and holiday parks, the best spots in and around the idyllic NSW North Coast town encourage ample time spent lazing about the water (or flying off bouncing pillows). Conveniently located to provide easy access to the top things to do in Yamba, these sites offer fishing, surfing, bush walks, beach hangs and so much more.

NRMA Blue Dolphin Yamba Holiday Resort

It’s a beautiful thing to have a mess of different families come together in communal spaces where they instantly have something in common. The NRMA Blue Dolphin Yamba Holiday Resort is like a cruise ship run aground and it’s all action stations with pedal karts, mini golf, a bike pump track, a climbing gym, arcade games, a water park and free wi-fi. The Yamba camping holy grail, which is just minutes from the heart of town, has cabins and villas as well as sites for tents and RVs.

Price: $-$$$ — it ranges from unpowered sites to three-bedroom waterfront villas.

Facilities: Where to start? A pool bar, equipment hire, boat ramp, pedal kart hire, multiple swimming pools, mini golf, a bouncing pillow, playground, kiosk, camp kitchen, laundry, kids activities during the school holidays, cafe, a dump point and even more.

Accessibility: Yes, it actively welcomes visitors with access needs and features wheelchair ramps and a quiet space.

Dog-friendly?: Yes, and you can choose from one-bedroom villas or powered sites.

Address: 31-45 Yamba Rd, Yamba

Big4 Saltwater Yamba Holiday Park

a caravan site at Big4 Saltwater Yamba Holiday Park
Sleep soundly in camper trailers and caravans at Big4 Saltwater Yamba Holiday Park.

Comfort is key at the Big4 Saltwater Yamba Holiday Park, where the appeal lies in a collective commitment to family fun and relaxation. The other draw card at this Yamba caravan park hot spot is The Oasis, a ridiculously lavish, totally thrilling lagoon-style water park that was unveiled in November 2024. Think palm trees, shallow bub-friendly waters, water slides and even a swim-up bar. Cue a soundtrack of children squealing as you walk around the perimeter of the park, which also features a jumping pillow, pump track, flying fox and pedal karts. The camping ground has campsites for tents and RVs, as well as cabins that are dog-friendly.

Price: $-$$$ — it ranges from unpowered sites to a five-bedroom cabin

Facilities: That sprawling Oasis waterpark, a jumping pillow, two playgrounds, a boat ramp, two camp kitchens, equipment hire, a flying fox, a pump track, pedal kart hire, four barbecue areas, amenities block, a dog wash, EV charging station, DVD hire, outdoor movies, volleyball, school holiday activities and, seriously, plenty more.

Accessibility: Yes, it actively welcomes visitors with access needs and features wheelchair ramps and accessible bathrooms.

Dog-friendly?: Yes, and you can choose from various sites and cabins.

Address: 286 O’Keefe’s Lane, Yamba

Pebbly Beach campground

Those setting off on the popular multi-day Yuraygir Coastal Walk will need somewhere to rest their head along the way. Stop overnight at the Pebbly Beach campground at the end of day one to carve off and wander along the Freshwater Track. There you’ll find towering pandanus palms that the local Gumbaynggirr people used to weave neckbands, dillybags and baskets. Please note that this much-loved camping hot spot, located within Yuraygir National Park, is only accessible at low tide and about a 1.5-hour drive from the centre of Yamba.

Price: $ — just unpowered sites are available, and you’ll need to pay $8 per vehicle per day for entry into the National Park.

Facilities: Non-flush toilets and you can buy firewood at the campground.

Accessibility: No

Dog-friendly?: No

Address: Freshwater Track, Barcoongere

Brooms Head Holiday Park

Brooms Head Holiday Park
Brooms Head Holiday Park is a great base camp for surfers. (Image: Clarence Coast Holiday Parks)

Embrace the region’s natural surroundings at Brooms Head Holiday Park, one of the most popular Yamba caravan parks come sunny season. Located less than 40 minutes from Yamba proper, the spectacularly positioned grounds instil instant calm as the views stretch across a golden beach and lagoon rockpools. You’re also within walking distance from Lake Arragan and Redcliff, so nature steals the spotlight every way you tackle your days. Book early to score a cabin or villa right on the beach.

Price: $-$$ — it ranges from unpowered sites to two-bedroom ocean-fronting villas.

Facilities: BBQ area, playground, multiple dump points, amenities block, laundry and a boat ramp.

Accessibility: Yes, it actively welcomes visitors with access needs and features wheelchair-accessible cabins, ramps and free hire of beach wheelchairs.

Dog-friendly?: No

Address: 35 Ocean Rd, Brooms Head

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Calypso Yamba Holiday Park

a scenic view of the Clarence River at Calypso Yamba Holiday Park
This Yamba camping spot is nestled in an idyllic spot overlooking the Clarence River. (Image: Destination NSW)

Arrive at the Calypso Yamba Holiday Park in the early afternoon and you will find a nostalgic scene reminiscent of all our childhood memories smooshed into one. There’s a chessboard of figures moving slowly around the park: a father lifting his son onto a swing, a young family shuffling back from the beach and a salty-haired grom cooking snags on the BBQ. Pitch a tent, park your RV or rent a cabin at this soothing Yamba camping delight.

Price: $-$$$ – it ranges from unpowered sites to waterfront two-bedroom cabins.

Facilities: BBQ area, playground, amenities block, ice, laundry, a swimming pool, a bike path, a pontoon and a camp kitchen.

Accessibility: Yes, it actively welcomes visitors with access needs and features wheelchair-accessible cabins, ramps and free hire of beach wheelchairs.

Dog-friendly?: Yes, across various sites during off-peak periods.

Address: 8A Harbour St, Yamba

Anchorage Holiday Park

The grounds at Anchorage Holiday Park are impeccably maintained, making it a tranquil spot to rest your head in the surrounding areas of Yamba. Positioned on the North Arm, near the Clarence River, just a 30-minute drive from Yamba, the park is full of parents who come here with one single purpose: to keep the family tight. And the park provides the means to do that each day with a dedicated social calendar of fun activities.

Price: $-$$ — it ranges from unpowered sites to two-bedroom Spa Cabins

Facilities: Free wi-fi, a convenience store, swimming pool, playground, laundry, gas BBQs, fishing jetty, kids’ activity programs during school holidays, DVD hire, equipment hire, a wading pool for littlies, camp kitchen, book loans and more.

Accessibility: Yes, it actively welcomes visitors with access needs and features cabins with accessible bathrooms.

Dog-friendly?: Yes, but only across select sites within off-peak periods.

Address: Marandowie Drive, Illuka

Fishing Haven Holiday Park

an outdoor deck facing Clarence River at Fishing Haven Holiday Park, Yamba
The park is perfect for active families who like to fish, spot wildlife, kayak and swim.

This popular Yamba caravan park draws repeat visitors who spend the year yearning for their annual holiday. Located on Palmers Island, just minutes from Yamba, Fishing Haven Holiday Park on the Clarence River is for active families who like to fish, spot wildlife, kayak and swim. There are powered and unpowered sites, river-view cabins as well as space for RVs. The park has kayaks, boats and mooring for hire.

Price: $-$$$ — it ranges from unpowered sites to a three-bedroom holiday house.

Facilities: Three jetties, electric BBQs, a camp kitchen, boat mooring, kiosk, ice, bait and tackle.

Accessibility: Yes, it actively welcomes visitors with access needs and features wheelchair ramps and accessible toilets and showers.

Dog-friendly?: Yes, across select stays

Address: 35 River Rd, Palmers Island

Higher Ground Coastal Bush Retreat & Permaculture

Romantics will thrill in glamping in fancy vintage-styled tents at Higher Ground Coastal Bush Retreat & Permaculture at Shark Creek, behind Yuragir National Park. The off-grid glamping tents are furnished with a comfortable double bed and the option of a single and guests can also rent out the 146-acre property’s homestead (enquiry via the booking page). Higher Ground is a working permaculture farm located 25 minutes from Yamba.

Price: $-$$ — glamping tent bedding ranges from single to double varieties.

Facilities: Solar power, tank water, a water hole for swimming, camp kitchen with a fridge, fire pits, nearby hot showers and composting toilets.

Accessibility: No

Dog-friendly?: Yes, as long as your pooch is well-managed and quiet.

Address: Shark Creek on the Clarence River

Minnie Water Holiday Park

campers dining outside their tent at Minnie Water Holiday Park, Yamba
Minnie Water Holiday Park is a popular stop-over for adventurers. (Image: Clarence Coast Holiday Parks)

Fans of retro family holidays will love Minnie Water Holiday Park,  a popular stopover for adventurers on the Yuraygir Coastal Walk, one of the best things to do in Yamba. The Yamba caravan park is like a small village furnished with cabins, vans and camper sites in quiet, natural surrounds. The pet-friendly park has a tennis court, pool and open campfires and is located near beaches and bushland.

Price: $-$$ — it ranges from unpowered sites to one-bedroom cabins.

Facilities: A swimming pool, camp kitchen, BBQ area, car and boat wash bay, amenities block, laundry, convenience store and tennis court.

Accessibility: Yes, it actively welcomes visitors with access needs and features free hire of beach wheelchairs.

Dog-friendly?: Yes, and you can choose from sites, cabins and safari tents as long as you’re visiting in off-peak periods.

Address: 646 Minnie Water Rd, Minnie Water

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Sandon River Campground

The Sandon River campground is sandwiched between the Sandon River on one side and the protected ocean on the other. As well as offering caravan sites, this lesser-known campground within Yuraygir National Park has picnic tables, barbecue facilities, a boat ramp and toilets. Find out about the remote campground’s rich Indigenous heritage from the informative panels positioned around the campground. Visitors should note that sites are suitable for caravans, camper trailers, campervans and tents, but large caravans and motorhomes are not welcome.

Price: $ — just unpowered sites are available, and you’ll need to pay $8 per vehicle per day for entry into the National Park.

Facilities: Wood BBQs, picnic tables, non-flush toilets, tank water (no drinking water), a waste point, boat ramp and coin-operated public phone.

Accessibility: No

Dog-friendly?: No  

Address: Sandon River Road, The Sandon

Secret Lake Retreat

two chairs by the lake at Secret Lake Retreat, Yamba
The quiet lakefront campground is an ideal spot to laze the day away.

This family-run lakefront campground has communal fire pits fashioned out of old truck rims, complimentary kayaks and canoes (though numbers are limited so get in early) and bushwalking trails that lead off into woodland. It’s set across 800 glorious acres and features a 60-acre private lake, but while the site feels remote, it’s just 10 minutes from the general store in nearby Lawrence. This Yamba camping highlight, just 20 clicks from its town centre, also features a swimming platform moored in the lake.

Price: $ — just unpowered sites are available

Facilities: BBQ area, camp kitchen, dining area, amenities block, dump point, tank water, communal and private fire pits, swimming platform, lawn games and more.

Accessibility: Yes, it actively welcomes visitors with access needs and features an accessible bathroom within the amenities block.

Dog-friendly?: Yes, as long as they’re well-behaved.

Address: 45 Ryries Rd, Lawrence

Iluka Riverside Holiday Park

an aerial view of Iluka Riverside Holiday Park, Yamba
Many holiday parks in Yamba are graced with a view of the Clarence River. (Image: Clarence Coast Holiday Parks)

Designed for carefree holidays centred on ample sun and surf, Iluka Riverside Holiday Park is flanked by the Clarence River and Yuragir National Park. The Yamba camping standout is about a 40-minute drive from the centre of town and positioned on the riverbanks, so fishing (there’s even a pontoon to help lend a hand) and general sun-seeking is highly encouraged. Spend every magical sunset gazing out yonder as BBQs set right off the river facilitate dream holiday memories.

Price: $-$$ — it ranges from unpowered sites to basic cabins

Facilities: Amenities block, camp kitchen, playground, dump point, gas refills, laundry, pontoon, boat ramp and boat kitty, BBQ facilities and free wi-fi.

Accessibility: No

Dog-friendly?: Yes, across the sites as long as you’re visiting in off-peak periods.

Address: 4 Charles Street, Iluka

Originally written by Carla Grossetti with updates by Kristie Lau-Adams

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Carla Grossetti
Carla Grossetti has written across print and digital for Australian Traveller and International Traveller for more than a decade and has spent more than two decades finding excuses to eat well and travel far. A prestigious News Corp cadetship launched her career at The Cairns Post, before a stint at The Canberra Times and The Sydney Morning Herald gave way to extended wanders through Canada, the US, Mexico, Central America, Asia and Europe. Carla was chief sub editor at delicious and has contributed to Good Food, Travel & Luxury, Explore Travel, Escape. While living in London, Carla was on staff at Condé Nast Traveller and The Sunday Times Travel desk and was part of the pioneering digital team at The Guardian UK.
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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.