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Our guide to the best Warrnambool caravan parks and camping spots

Jade Raykovski Jade Raykovski
A trip to the beautiful regional city of Warrnambool doesn’t have to break the budget.

This last major stop on the Great Ocean Road is worth a few nights’ stay for its natural beauty, ocean views and rich maritime history. Luckily there are plenty of camping spots and caravan parks to choose from in Warrnambool, offering a range of accommodation from beachside sites to self-contained cabins and villas. It doesn’t matter if you’re travelling solo or with a partner, friends or family; it’s time to pack up the car and hit the road.

In short

If you only stay at one caravan park in Warrnambool, make it NRMA Warrnambool Riverside Holiday Park. You’ll fall in love with its peaceful riverside location, plus it’s got a fantastic range of accommodation and things to do.

Surfside Holiday Park

coastal views at Surfside Holiday Park, Warrnambool
Surfside Holiday Park offers direct beach access.

Nestled between Warrnambool’s foreshore, Surfside Beach and the popular Lake Pertobe Adventure playground, Surfside Holiday Park really is about location, location, location. The family-friendly park provides both unpowered and powered sites (large enough to accommodate motorhomes, fifth wheelers or large vans), plus a range of fully contained cabins. Go with the beach chalets; they’re just 50 metres from the beach and feature full kitchens, linen, reverse-cycle air conditioning and raised decks, ideal for sunny breakfasts to sundowners.

Meanwhile, all the amenities are taken care of, including a camp kitchen, showers and toilets, gas BBQs and coin-operated laundry facilities. If you’re on one of the powered or unpowered sites, you can bring your fur babies along for the holiday – just not during peak summer season.

Address: 120 Pertobe Rd, Warrnambool

Shipwreck Bay Holiday Park

Shipwreck Bay Holiday Park, Warrnambool
The Shipwreck Bay Holiday Park is renowned for its prized waterside location. (Credit: Road Tripping Faucetts)

Part of the Surfside Holiday Park but only open seasonally, Shipwreck Bay is located about 500 metres down the road from Surfside. The roads can be a little more tight, however the pet-friendly site gives campers and caravanners easy access to the beach and walking trails – your own gateway to the natural beauty of the area. Plus kids will love the mini golf across the road (as will competitive adults).

Note that this site has no camp kitchen; there’s an on-site kiosk with the essentials, and you’ll find the usual bathroom and laundry facilities.

Address: 42 Pertobe Rd, Warrnambool

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Discovery Parks – Warrnambool

Also located off Pertobe Road, not far from the hot springs and a ten-minute walk from Lake Pertobe, Discovery Parks ticks all the boxes for families looking for a fun stay by the coast. With pedal karts, a playground, activity room, swimming pool and on-site activities, you’ll be hard-pressed to get the kids to leave (did we mention it’s also dog friendly?).

For those camping or caravanning, powered sites include ensuite options for those who like their creature comforts, while self-contained cabins and motel rooms sleep 1-6 guests (including an accessible option with ramp access). And don’t be put off if you’re a couple; the superior spa cabin features a double spa bath, perfect for soaking in after a long day of exploring. A camp kitchen, kiosk, BBQs, bathroom facilities and laundry round out the on-site amenities.

Address: 25 Pertobe Rd, Warrnambool

BIG4 Tasman Holiday Parks – Warrnambool

a cabin at BIG4 Tasman Holiday Parks – Warrnambool
Book a two-bedroom cabin stay at BIG4 Tasman Holiday Parks – Warrnambool.

This centrally located holiday park is only ten minutes from the town centre, with its pubs, cafes, restaurants and shops. And while the beach is a little further away, it makes up for it with an indoor swimming pool, tennis court and pirate-ship themed playground.

A variety of budgets and holiday styles are catered for here. Pitch a tent or set up the caravan on a tree-hemmed powered or ensuite site (grass or slab), or book into one of the one-, two- or three-bedroom cabins. On-site facilities include a camp kitchen, BBQs, laundry and fire pit. Pets are welcome (apart from select cabins), and make sure to check their website for deals before you book.

Address: 33 Lava St, Warrnambool

NRMA Warrnambool Riverside Holiday Park

NRMA Warrnambool Riverside Holiday Park from above
Set up your caravan or tent by the Hopkins River.

Fun and relaxation go hand in hand at this tranquil holiday park positioned along the Hopkins River, a ten-minute drive out of town. Keep cool in the indoor or outdoor pools, try your hand at tennis or mini golf, or let the kids burn their energy on the playground and water slide (they also offer activities during the school holidays). When you need some quiet time, head down to the river for a stroll or cast a line from the jetty.

There’s plenty of accommodation options to choose from: set up your caravan or tent on a powered or ensuite site, or book into a self-contained studio, family cabin or three-bedroom villa. Many feature private verandahs, where you can relax over brekkie or afternoon drinks. Pets are welcomed in the campsite and select cabins, and the essentials – amenities block, camp kitchen and BBQ area, plus kiosk – are all covered.

Address: 125 Jubilee Park Rd, Warrnambool

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Warrnambool Holiday Village

If you’re looking for a quieter place to stay close to the town’s shops and restaurants, the well-maintained Warrnambool Holiday Village is for you. This smaller, recently redeveloped park offers a range of accommodation, from one-bedroom deluxe cabins to two-bedroom villas, complete with modern fittings and fixtures.

Camper and caravans will have their choice of unpowered or powered sites, with access to a camp kitchen and BBQ area, amenities block and laundry. Dogs are allowed in the campsite too, just not the cabins. Kids will adore the sandy playground area, featuring a new jumping pillow, but there’s plenty of adventures awaiting just outside, including the botanic gardens and aquatic centre just a few blocks away.

Address: 81 Henna St, Warrnambool

Warrnambool Holiday Park and Motel

Warrnambool Holiday Park and Motel interior
The superior ensuite cabin can fit up to six guests.

Just a short stroll to the Hopkins River – and less than a minute’s drive to a boat launch – this friendly holiday park is the perfect base for those coming down to fish for the weekend. The park offers free boat storage, fish fillet storage, and bait and ice is available from reception.

Not into fishing? No problem. From a solar-heated swimming pool to a playground, jumping pillow and games room, there’s plenty more to entertain. All types of holiday goers are catered for here, including couples, big groups, campers and those who prefer modern comforts. Choose from powered grass sites, ensuite sites, or studio cabins all the way through to family apartments. Communal facilities include electric BBQs, camp kitchen, coin-operated laundry and amenities block.

Address: 83 Simpson St, Warrnambool

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Jade Raykovski
Jade Raykovski is a freelance travel writer from Melbourne, Australia whose wanderlust began from immersing herself in the fantasy worlds of her favourite books as a kid. She started off her career as a graphic designer, before making the switch to copywriter, and now – in what you could say is the role she was always destined for – travel writer. Along with Australian Traveller, her bylines include National Geographic, BBC Travel, Escape and NZ Herald. And while she loves writing about home, she'll never pass up the chance to sip a spritz in Italy.
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Deep Blue Hotel & Hot Springs from above
Warrnambool

The best accommodation in Warrnambool

While holiday parks abound in Warrnambool, there are also plenty of options for those seeking a little more comfort and style.

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The road trips and trails you need to experience in Victoria now

    Kellie Floyd Kellie Floyd
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    Wind through fern tunnels, stop for a wine in a tram bar, or chase giant murals across the wheatbelt. These drives and rides prove Victoria’s best stories are found off the straight and narrow. 

    There’s something unmistakably Australian about a road trip: car packed, playlist on, landscapes shifting. Travelling down the highway toward Healesville, in Victoria’s Yarra Valley, the mountains rise, flanking me on both sides. I feel its embrace, a silent invitation to explore what lies beyond.  

    Moss-covered embankments rise on either side, and towering mountain ash trees form a green tunnel overhead. Road signs warn of wombats and cyclists but with giant ferns lining the roadside, the landscape feels prehistoric, as if a dinosaur might suddenly emerge. This, the Black Spur, is one of my favourite road trips. 

    The Black Spur 

    The Black Spur drive
    Through the forested canopy of The Black Spur drive that winds from Healesville to Narbethong. (Image: Neisha Breen)

    Location: Yarra Ranges
    Duration: 30 kilometres / 30 minutes 

    The Black Spur is short compared to other Victorian road trips, just 30 kilometres, stretching from Healesville to Narbethong. But what it lacks in distance, it makes up for in scenery. Just outside Healesville, Maroondah Dam offers bushwalks and scenic views. However, if pressed for time, Selover’s Lookout is an easy roadside stop offering uninterrupted views of the dam.  

    In Narbethong, close to the Marysville’s snowfield, is the Black Spur Inn, a charming double-storey brick hotel that’s been welcoming travellers since 1863. Here, diners cosy up by the roaring fire or gaze through the floor-to-ceiling windows, imagining horse-drawn coaches carrying hopeful gold seekers to the eastern goldfields.   

    Victoria’s Silo Art Trail 

    Silo Art Trail
    The Silo Art Trail in the Wimmera Mallee region. (Image: Visit Victoria/Anne Morely)

    Location: Various towns across the Wimmera Mallee region
    Duration: More than 200 kilometres / 4–5 hours but best over a minimum of three days  

    What began as a way to draw travellers back into town bypassed by highways – places such as Nullawil, Sea Lake and Patchewollock – has grown into a celebrated outdoor art movement. The Silo Art Trail now includes 23 silos, each transformed with large-scale mural portraits sharing local stories, celebrating community heroes, Indigenous history, farming life, or regional identity.  

    The Nullawil silo, for example, is a portrait of a local farmer in a chequered flannelette shirt alongside his loyal kelpie, painted by artist Sam Bates (AKA Smug). And the silos at Albacutya in the Grampians, painted by artist Kitt Bennett, depict her joyful memories of growing up in the countryside. Many of the murals sit right in the heart of small towns, such as Rochester and St Arnaud, making them perfect spots to pause for a country pub meal or something sweet from a local bakery.   

    Metung to Mallacoota  

    Gippsland lakes
    Gippsland Lakes. (Image: Visit Victoria/Josie Withers)

    Location: Gippsland
    Duration: Approximately 220 kilometres / 4 hours  

    The Gippsland Lakes are a much-loved holiday spot in Victoria, but road-tripping further east reveals much more. Begin in Metung and time your visit with the monthly farmers’ market, or simply linger over lunch on the lawn of the Metung Hotel. Twenty minutes away is Lakes Entrance, where you can watch the fishing boats return with their catch. 

    Lakes Entrance
    Lakes Entrance. (Image: Visit Victoria/Iluminaire Pictures)

    Continue to Marlo, where the Snowy River spills into the sea, and Cape Conran for its many beaches and walks. If needing to stretch your legs, Croajingolong National Park is home to the historic Point Hicks Lighthouse and the Wilderness Coast Walk. Birdwatching and rainforest trails near Bemm River are worth a pit stop before arriving in Mallacoota, where the forest meets the sea. 

    Great Ocean Road 

    12 Apostles on the Great Ocean Road
    The 12 Apostles on the Great Ocean Road. (Image: Tourism Australia/Two Palms/Harry Pope)

    Location: South-west Victoria, from Torquay to Allansford
    Duration: Approximately 250 kilometres / 4–5 hours but best over a minimum of three days  

    Victoria’s most famous road trip delivers it all: world-class surf breaks, rainforest walks, clifftop lookouts and wildlife encounters. The journey begins in Torquay, the state’s surf capital, then hugs the coast past Anglesea and Lorne to Apollo Bay, before curving inland through the lush rainforest of the Otways. Stop at Cape Otway Lightstation or take to the treetops at Otway Fly.  

    Between Cape Otway and Port Campbell lies the most photographed stretch – seven of the Twelve Apostles still standing, alongside the golden cliffs of Loch Ard Gorge. Further west, Warrnambool is a winter whale-watching hotspot, before the road winds to Port Fairy, a charming fishing village of whalers’ cottages, walking trails and offshore seal colonies further along the coast. 

    Bellarine Taste Trail 

    Terindah Estate
    Terindah Estate. (Image: Visit Victoria/Emily Godfrey)

    Location: Bellarine Peninsula
    Duration: Approximately 80 kilometres / 2–3 hours  

    The Bellarine Taste Trail is a feast for the senses, winding through coastal towns, past boutique wineries and artisan producers. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure style trail – simply grab a map and build your own delicious journey.  

    You might wander historic, seafront Queenscliff, sip wine in a converted tram bar at Terindah Estate, sample a locally distilled whisky at The Whiskery in Drydale or pick up a jar of honey at Wattle Grove in Wallington. Seafood lovers can head to Portarlington, famous for its mussels. Eat them fresh at local restaurants or head out on the water with Portarlington Mussel Tours. 

    O’Keefe Rail Trail – Bendigo to Heathcote 

    Pink Cliffs Reserve
    Pink Cliffs Reserve in Heathcote can be seen on the O’Keefe Rail Trail. (Image: Visit Victoria/Emily Godfrey)

    Location: Central Victoria
    Duration: Approximately 50 kilometres / 4 hours cycling 

    Travellers first journeyed between Heathcote and Bendigo in 1888, when the railway line was built to link the towns. Trains stopped running in 1956, but today the route has a new life as the O’Keefe Rail Trail. The path is mostly level for easy riding, and along the way you’ll cycle past bushland, waterways and reserves. There are plenty of places to picnic, birdwatch, and if you’re lucky, spot a platypus.  

    The trail is well supported with water stations, bike repair points, shelters, and signage. Axedale makes a great halfway stop, with the pretty Campaspe River Reserve for a rest and local cafes for refuelling. Begin in Heathcote, known for its wineries and cafes, or in Bendigo, which is easily reached by train from Melbourne/Naarm. Shorter sections, such as Heathcote to Axedale, are also popular. 

    Goldfields Track – Ballarat to Bendigo 

    Location: Central Victoria
    Duration: Approximately 210 kilometres / 2–3 days cycling  

    The Goldfields Track traces a route once so rich in gold it made Melbourne one of the wealthiest cities in the world. Starting at Mt Buninyong, south of Ballarat, the trail leads mountain cyclists and walkers north through Creswick, Daylesford and Castlemaine before finishing in Bendigo. Along the way, you’ll encounter granite outcrops, eucalypt forests, rolling farmland and remnants of the region’s mining past.  

    As it passes through the lands of the Dja Dja Wurrung and Wadawurrung people, the track shares gold rush history and Indigenous stories brought to life by interpretive signs. Walk or ride the full trail or choose from one of its three distinct sections. With cosy stays, cafes and pubs, it’s easy to mix wilderness with comfort.