Car Camping Adventures Across Australia: The Ultimate Friends Getaway

Squad, can we talk about the absolute best way to create unforgettable memories together? Car camping road trips around Australia! After years of spontaneous weekend escapes and epic multi-week adventures with my crew, I'm convinced there's no better way to bond, laugh until your stomach hurts, and explore this incredible country than piling into cars with your best mates and hitting the road.

Let me spill all the tea about why car camping has become our friend group's go-to adventure style, complete with all the hilarious mistakes we've made and the genius discoveries that have upgraded our trips from "pretty fun" to "absolutely legendary."

How We Accidentally Became Car Camping Addicts

It started three years ago when five of us were desperate for a break from city life but totally broke after festival season. Someone suggested car camping at a beach a few hours away – "it'll be cheap," they said. We packed way too much stuff (seriously, why did Jake bring a full-size bean bag?), had zero idea what we were doing, and it was honestly the best weekend we'd had in ages.

Since then, car camping has become our thing. We've got a group chat specifically for planning trips, and at any given time, someone's plotting our next escape. What makes it perfect for friend groups? The flexibility is unreal. Not everyone needs to be super fit or outdoorsy. You can bring literally whatever you want – speakers for beach parties, extra food for those mates who "forget" to pack lunch, camping games, portable projectors for movie nights under the stars. It's camping without the suffering part!

Plus, costs stay low when you split everything. Petrol, campground fees (when we're not free camping), food – it all divides up nicely. We've done week-long trips for less than what a single night in a hotel would cost. More money saved means more trips, which means more memories. It's simple maths, really.

Why Our Squad is Obsessed

The beauty of car camping with friends is that everyone brings their own vibe to the adventure. We've got our designated chef (thanks, Emma!), the person who somehow always knows where we are even without signal (legend, Tom), the one who brings way too much gear but it's always exactly what we need (guilty as charged), and the mate who keeps everyone's energy up with the perfect playlists.

Road trips become part of the adventure. We've had some of our best conversations during those long drives through the outback, discovered the most random roadside attractions, and created inside jokes that still make us crack up years later. Remember that time we got lost trying to find a "secret" beach and ended up at someone's farm? Classic.

But the real magic happens at camp. There's something about sitting around a fire with your best friends, no phones (mostly because there's no signal), just actual conversations and stupid amounts of laughter. We've solved world problems, roasted marshmallows until we felt sick, played guitar badly, and watched more shooting stars than I can count. These are the nights that remind you what friendship is really about.

Essential Gear for Group Adventures

Alright, let me share what we've learned about group car camping gear, because trust me, we've made every mistake in the book.

Tents and Sleeping Setup

We learned quickly that tent arrangement is crucial for group harmony. Some people snore (looking at you, Chris), some people are early risers who wake everyone up, and some people stay up late talking. Our solution? Everyone brings their own tent or shares with one other person max. It keeps the peace and gives everyone their own space when they need it.

Get decent tents! After our first trip where three tents leaked during a storm, we all invested in proper waterproof ones. Worth every dollar. Sleeping bags and mats are personal preference, but we all recommend bringing something comfortable. You can't enjoy exploring if you're exhausted from sleeping on the ground like a caveman.

Cooking and Food

This is where group camping really shines! We bring multiple camp stoves so we can cook together, plus someone always brings a portable BBQ. Cooking becomes a social event – everyone pitching in, chopping veggies, cracking jokes, stealing snacks when the chef isn't looking.

Portable fridges are our MVP purchase. We went from dealing with soggy eskys and melted ice to having actual cold drinks and fresh food for days. We split the cost of one big one between the group, and it's paid for itself many times over. Nothing beats cracking a cold one with the boys (and girls) after a day of hiking or swimming.

Pro tip from painful experience: assign meal responsibilities before the trip. Nothing kills the vibe faster than arguments about who's cooking or discovering nobody brought breakfast supplies. We use a shared doc where everyone claims a meal, and it works perfectly.

Entertainment and Extras

This is where it gets fun! Someone brings a bluetooth speaker (essential for beach days and cooking sessions), we've got card games and board games for rainy days, a frisbee, football, portable hammocks, and yes, we even have a portable projector that runs off a power bank for outdoor movie nights. One mate has a drone that captures the sickest footage of our trips.

Solar lights and lanterns create amazing ambiance around camp at night. We've got fairy lights strung up between trees, making our setup look like a mini festival. The aesthetic is real, and Instagram loves it.

The Kayak Game-Changer (And How We Made It Work)

Here's where things leveled up massively for our group – kayaking! Last summer, a couple of us bought kayaks, and suddenly our car camping trips had this whole new dimension. Exploring gorges from the water, racing each other across lakes, fishing competitions, sunrise paddles – it's incredible.

But here's the thing – getting kayaks onto roof racks was an absolute nightmare at first. Picture this: four of us trying to lift one kayak, bumping into each other, dropping it (thankfully not breaking it), and nearly throwing our backs out. It was chaos, and we looked like absolute idiots.

Then we discovered car lift assist kayak rack systems, and honestly, it changed everything. These genius inventions use hydraulic or pulley mechanisms that help you load the kayak without needing three mates to help. Even the girls in our group can load their kayaks solo now, which is empowering and means we're not waiting around for help.

But the real MVP discovery? The car door step from Tooenjoymall! One of our crew found it online and ordered a few for the group. Game. Changer. It's this compact little platform that hooks onto your car door frame and gives you a proper step to reach your roof easily. Before, we were doing sketchy climbs, standing on wheel wells, or creating human pyramids just to check our straps properly.

The Tooenjoymall car door step is ridiculously sturdy – even our tallest mate who's over 100kg uses it with no worries. It's got this grippy surface that works even when it's wet from beach spray or morning dew. Best part? It folds up tiny, so everyone can keep one in their car without it taking up space. Cost us like forty bucks each, and we joke that it's the best investment we've ever made (besides the kayaks themselves).

Now loading up is actually kind of fun. We make it a competition to see who can get their kayak secured fastest. Current record holder is Sarah at 4 minutes flat – she's annoyingly efficient. The car door step makes checking straps during road trips so much easier too. We stop every hour or so to make sure everything's secure, and instead of awkwardly climbing on bumpers, we just pop up the step and check everything quickly.

Seriously, if your friend group is considering adding kayaks to your car camping adventures, invest in proper gear from the start. Check out Tooenjoymall – they've got heaps of accessories that make the whole setup less stressful and more enjoyable. Their stuff is reasonably priced too, which matters when you're trying to convince the whole squad to buy matching gear!

And obviously, secure everything properly! We learned the hard way about Australian regulations when a friendly cop pulled us over to let us know our kayak was extending too far without a flag. Awkward. Now we know – anything extending more than 1.2 meters past the rear needs a red flag. We use proper bow and stern tie-downs plus the rack straps, and we check them religiously. Safety first, because none of us wants to be responsible for a kayak flying off on the highway!

Our Favorite Aussie Camping Spots

We've adventured all over, and every state has its own magic. Here are our group's absolute favorites:

The Coastal Gems

NSW South Coast is our regular escape – it's close enough for weekends but feels like a proper getaway. We've found secret beaches where we camp, surf, and kayak all day. The Sapphire Coast is stunning, and you can score free camps near the water if you know where to look.

Great Ocean Road in Victoria is epic for group trips. The scenery is insane, there are heaps of campgrounds with good facilities (important when you've got six people needing showers), and the coastal towns are perfect for coffee runs and supply stops.

Up in Queensland, anywhere around the Sunshine Coast or further north near Seventeen Seventy becomes our winter escape. Warm water, perfect weather, and tropical vibes – it's where we go when we need serious beach time.

National Park Adventures

Grampians in Victoria is our go-to for hiking adventures. The camping spots are awesome, the rock climbing is sick, and the waterfalls make for perfect swimming holes. Plus, the wildlife! We've seen so many kangaroos and even spotted a few echidnas.

Wilson's Prom is legendary but books out fast. We learned to book six months ahead for peak times. Worth it though – the beaches are pristine, and the hikes offer views that'll blow your mind.

Tasmania deserves special mention because we did a two-week lap around the island last year, and it was hands-down the best trip we've ever done. Freycinet, Cradle Mountain, Bay of Fires – every single spot was incredible. The weather can be wild, so pack layers, but the landscapes are unreal.

Free Camping Gold

This is where we've found our most memorable spots. The Murray River has incredible free camps along its banks – we spent four days kayaking different sections and camping at different spots each night. Cost us almost nothing!

Outback South Australia and Queensland have rest areas that feel like private paradises. We've camped next to salt lakes, under huge outback skies, and in spots where we didn't see another person for two days. These are the trips that feel most adventurous.

We use WikiCamps religiously – it's like our camping bible. The reviews from other campers are gold for finding good spots and avoiding dodgy ones. CamperMate is great too, especially for finding free camps and checking what facilities are available.

Group Trip Tips That Actually Matter

After dozens of trips together, here's what keeps our adventures drama-free and fun:

Planning and Communication

We've learned that some advance planning prevents chaos. Someone (usually me) creates a shared doc with the itinerary, packing lists, meal assignments, and gear distribution. Sounds boring, but it means nobody forgets essential stuff and we're not doubling up on random items while forgetting toilet paper (happened once, never again).

Money stuff gets sorted upfront. We use Splitwise to track shared expenses, and someone brings cash for campground fees and random costs. Settle up at the end of the trip while everything's fresh in everyone's mind.

Setting Up Camp

We've got a system now! Arrive with at least two hours of daylight left. Everyone knows their role – some people get tents up, others organize the cooking area, someone sets up the social space with chairs and tables. With six of us working together, camp setup takes maybe 30 minutes, then it's beer o'clock!

Site selection is crucial for group harmony. We look for spots with enough space for all our tents but close enough that we can hang out together easily. Shade in summer, protection from wind always, and we check for ant nests (learned that lesson painfully).

Camp Etiquette

We keep noise reasonable because we're not trying to be those annoying campers everyone hates. Music during the day is fine, but after 9 PM we keep it down. Other campers are usually chill and we've made friends with neighboring camps, but respect goes both ways.

Fire safety is non-negotiable. We always check restrictions before leaving home. When fires are allowed, we use existing pits, never leave it unattended (someone's always on fire watch), and completely drown it before bed. We've got buckets specifically for fire management.

Food storage is a team effort. Everything gets packed away properly because we've dealt with possums, birds, and even a curious dingo getting into our supplies. In some spots, we hang food from trees or lock it in cars overnight.

The Reality Check: Cars and Prep

Group trips mean multiple cars, which means everyone needs to sort their vehicle situation:

Before big trips, we all check our cars – tyres, fluids, spare wheels actually inflated. We've had a flat tire in the middle of nowhere, and thank god we actually had a working spare and the tools to change it. Learn from us – check before you leave!

Someone (usually Tom because he's paranoid) brings extra supplies – engine oil, coolant, jumper cables, basic tools. It seems overkill until you need it, then that person becomes a hero.

We all have roadside assistance, and we've checked that it covers remote areas. Some policies won't come get you if you're too far off main roads, so know your coverage!

Recovery gear is essential if you're going off sealed roads. We've got MaxTrax, tow straps, and a shovel split between vehicles. Got bogged on Fraser Island, and without proper gear, we'd probably still be there.

Why These Are the Best Days

Look, I could tell you about the stunning locations, the perfect weather days, the awesome activities – and all of that's true. But what makes car camping with friends so special is the people and the moments in between.

It's the 3 AM conversations around a dying fire when someone opens up about stuff they never talk about normally. It's the spontaneous 6 AM beach swims because someone woke up early and convinced everyone else. It's the running jokes that start from something ridiculous someone said and become part of your group's language forever.

It's watching your mate face their fear of heights on that cliff jump. It's the group effort when someone's tent collapsed in the rain and everyone rushed to help. It's the perfectly timed photo that captures everyone mid-laugh at the exact right moment. It's singing badly to songs everyone knows while cooking dinner as the sun sets.

Car camping strips away all the digital noise and busy schedules and just lets you be present with your friends. No FOMO because everyone's there together. No distractions because there's no internet. Just real connections and shared experiences that become the stories you'll tell for years.

We've got friends who've met partners through our camping trips (two couples in our group now!), people who've discovered new passions like photography or kayaking, and countless memories that define our friendships. When someone in the group is going through tough times, we plan a camping trip because we know that's where healing happens – surrounded by nature and friends who care.

Ready to Start Your Own Squad Adventures?

If you're reading this thinking "that sounds amazing," then grab your friends and just do it! Start with something easy – pick a campground a couple hours away with good facilities. Test out your gear, figure out your group dynamics, and see how it feels.

I guarantee once you've done one trip, you'll be planning the next before you've even made it home. Car camping with friends isn't just about the destinations (though Australia has the sickest locations). It's about creating a tradition, building stronger friendships, and collecting experiences that money genuinely can't buy.

Our group made a pact: at least one trip every season, no excuses. It's become the thing we all look forward to most, the constant in our lives even as jobs change and people move around. These trips are where we reconnect, recharge, and remember what actually matters.

So grab your squad, chuck some gear in the car, pick a direction, and go. Trust me, the memories you'll create will be worth way more than any weekend spent scrolling on the couch. Plus, you'll have the best stories and photos that'll make everyone else wish they were part of your crew.

See you on the road, legends! And if you spot a convoy of cars with kayaks on top blasting throwback playlists, that's probably us. Come say hi!