8 of the best Queensland holiday parks without kids

This is the sort of place you’ll never want to leave. Perfectly positioned close to a long stretch of beach and an enviable selection of restaurants and cafes, Palm Cove tops it all off with a jetty where the fish queue up for a date with your hook.

Settle in for a sunset viewing here, and all other spots are going to look a little less shiny. Palm Cove Holiday Park has affordable powered and unpowered sites, free Wi-Fi and you can bring your dog. Find it just a few clicks up the highway from Cairns in Tropical North Queensland.

Noosa River Holiday Park, Noosaville

Grab onto that Noosa feeling with a relaxed stay at Noosa River Holiday Park in Noosaville. With the glorious Noosa River on your doorstep, you can wander the tree-shaded riverwalk, enjoy a riverside barbecue with friends or throw in a line and catch your dinner.

Perfect for boaties, the river offers plenty of offshore options including fishing and crabbing. Nothing like steaming your own mud crab. Noosa’s famous beaches, Hastings Street and National Park are all only a ferry ride away, and the Wi-Fi is free.

Listed on the State Heritage Register, this campsite is lovingly maintained. It is also bordered by a beach, where you can expect to spend most evenings kicking back with a few drinks and watching the sun go down.

While you’re in town, check out these best things to do in Noosa.

Julia Creek Caravan Park, Julia Creek

There’s a real community spirit in Julia Creek. At Julia Creek Caravan Park, you will be welcomed like family and treated to a bush dinner on Monday nights where fine local produce is part of the menu and a yarn told by a true blue outback Aussie around the campfire will ensure you walk away from your trip with a better appreciation for this unique part of Outback Queensland.

Take advantage of the complimentary cruiser bikes to get around town or relax in one of the caravan park’s bath houses. Inside each bath house you’ll find two clawfoot tubs and amazing views, perfect for whiling away the afternoon with a wine in hand.

Did you know this is beef and red claw country? Expect some fine eating and don’t forget to bring your furry friend along for the ride, as this park is pet-friendly. Find it on the Flinders Highway between Mount Isa and Townsville.

While you’re out this way, why not explore more of Outback Queensland: Try this eight-day Outback road trip from Cunnamulla to Karumba.

Blue Gem Tourist Park, Sapphire

If you’re not hooked on the thrill of finding a fine coloured sapphire hiding in the dirt, you will be after a visit to Queensland’s Sapphire Gemfields near Emerald in Central Queensland. Head out to the hills with your pick, shovel and sieve or pull up at Blue Gem Tourist Park in Sapphire, on the banks of Retreat Creek.

This is where some of the area’s first sapphires were discovered, and regular rainfall means the creek banks are still revealing prizes regularly. The Blue Gem makes it easy to fossick with help from staff and equipment on hand. Perhaps you’ll find your fortune here.

Good to know: The region’s best burgers are made right here in the tourist park. Being crowned the title in 2020 by Central Queensland locals, what makes these generously-sized burgers such a hit is the locally sourced produce stacked high between Fairbairn Bakery buns.

Cape York Camping, Punsand Bay

You can’t get much further north in Queensland than the tip of Cape York, just a hop from the Torres Strait Islands.

Cape York Camping Punsand Bay is the place to watch the sunrise over the Pacific Ocean and sunset over the Indian Ocean, spot some birds or just relax on the beach or at the bar. It’s also a legendary fishing spot so be prepared to eat your fill of barramundi, coral trout and trevally.

You’ll need a four-wheel-drive vehicle to get to this beachfront camping ground, but the wood-fired pizzas are worth the drive. Your pet is welcome, too.

While here, a day trip to Thursday Island should definitely be on the cards. The Pedells ferry will get you there in a little over an hour, then your local tour guide will take you on a scenic bus drive around the island with stops at the island’s historical pearling, shipping and military sites.

Goondiwindi Holiday Park, Goondiwindi

Say goodbye to your aches and pains with a long session in the mineral-rich waters of the artesian spa at Goondiwindi Holiday Park.

You’ll feel as though you are relaxing at a five-star resort after a session in the pool. Wheelchair and pet-friendly, the free Internet, damper hot from the coals and regular friendly sausage sizzles make this park a must-stop.

Aboriginal for ‘the place birds rest’, it should come as no surprise that Goondiwindi - on the Queensland and New South Wales border - is a bird watchers paradise with over 200 species taking up residence in the district. The 25-hectare Botanic Gardens is a great place to get your binoculars out (download this bird watching guide before you go). Also at the gardens is a living museum of plant communities that are unique to the Upper Darling Basin.

Goondiwindi is home to one of the largest cotton gins in the world, so make sure you book a tour. If you can, time your visit for late spring to see the jacaranda trees throughout the rural town in all their purple glory.

Yarraman Caravan Park, South Burnett

Want to explore the Bunya Mountains? Browse the South Burnett and stop for a sip at a few wineries? Set yourself up at Yarraman Caravan Park, and you can do it all.

This tree-filled park is a great base from which to explore the tall rainforest-clad slopes of the Bunyas and the open plains around Kingaroy with a wine and food trail map. Don’t forget to take an Esky for all your local food purchases.

Keen hikers and history buffs won’t want to leave without conquering the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail. Starting in Yarraman and ending in Moore, the 48km trail follows the disused Brisbane Valley rail line that commenced construction at Wulkuraka in 1884 and was completed at Yarraman in 1913. For something a little shorter, there are plenty of other walking and mountain bike trails accessible from the caravan park.

For a chance to spot a platypus in the wild, head upstream of the Yarraman Creek at Emmert Street. At the very least, you should see your fair share of the 150 or so bird types that flock to the area.

Bush Oasis Caravan Park, Townsville