Christmas camping is pretty much an Australian rite of passage.
Let’s face it, everyone wants to be off travelling and having great camping adventures over Christmas. It’s when many businesses close for the year, the kids are on school holidays, and most people can take advantage of their annual leave.
But, with every man and his dog doing the same thing, how can you make the most of it without Christmas camping becoming too stressful?
To be honest, Christmas is one of the worst times of the year to be on the road. Everywhere is crazy busy, prices are at a premium, and it can all quickly become rather overwhelming. But, with some planning and a touch of foresight, camping over Christmas can be one of the most memorable times of the year.
I reckon Christmas should be for putting your feet up with the family. After all, it is just one date on the whole calendar. It’s not worth maxing out credit cards and worrying ourselves stupid for one single day of the year.
Here are some tips for getting the most out of camping at Christmas, and if you need help with packing, here are over 120 road trip items to browse.
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Tips For Christmas Camping
Get in Early
Christmas is the one time of the year that’s notorious for camping spots filling up quickly and booking out early.
If you’re planning on heading to a camping spot for Christmas, that’s first-come, first-served. Make sure you get in as early as you can! It might be worth leaving that one day earlier just to ensure you’ve snagged a good spot for the duration of your trip.
Make sure that you choose a camping spot that’s big enough to house your entire Christmas party. Check with others to see which things are the most important to everyone in a location. Do people want to be close to the amenities, or is a waterside spot preferable?
Pre-book as Soon as You Can
On the other hand, if you know that you’ll be needing Christmas camping accommodation in a caravan park, get organised early and pre-book your site to avoid completely missing out.
Pre-booking as early as you can is especially important if you plan on camping at Christmas with a group of people. The only way to guarantee that you’ll all be alongside each other is to get that booking finalised earlier in the year.
Head Away from Popular Areas
If you don’t want to fight the busy holiday crowds or pay the peak season premiums, head in the opposite direction from the city and coastal regions.
There are thousands of amazing free and cheap camps in the quieter regions with plenty of space for yourself. The small towns would very much welcome the tourists for the silly season, as it all helps to boost their local economy.
Use the WikiCamps app to find great camps of all shapes, sizes and prices, no matter where you want to visit around Australia.
Add Christmas Lights
The easiest way to Christmasify your campsite is to string up some fairy lights.
You could go for the solar light option if you’re camping off-grid. But, if you’re hooked up to power, you won’t have to worry about chewing into your battery storage, so go for gold!
Forage for Decorations
We all know how limited space is when you’re on the road, which means carrying around decorations is not always an option. There are plenty of other ways to get into the festive spirit without filling the car with tinsel and plastic trees!
I reckon the best Christmas trees are the ones made from the natural environment. Once you get to camp and set up, go for a walk and find a nice branch for your ‘tree.’ See what other bits and pieces you can forage to decorate it.
One year, I made my own bonbons out of empty toilet rolls and newspaper, which also doubled as the decorations for the tree. We just popped some lollies inside for the cracking. They were a hit with the kids, who also had fun making them as a Christmas craft activity leading up to the day.
The best thing about using natural items to decorate is that you can put them back into the bush before packing up camp to head home – no carting around extra crap in the back of the car!
Connect With Other Christmas Campers
If you find yourself camping at Christmas and don’t have anyone else to spend the day with, reach out to others and have an ‘Orphans Christmas.’ Chances are, other travellers are staying near you who are in the same situation.
Chat to your fellow campers or put a call out in a like-minded Facebook group. Organise a time and location, and ask everyone to BYO drinks, food and chairs to keep it simple and stress-free.
Cheers to making new friends, while creating a unique Christmas experience to remember for years to come!
Explore Local Christmas Events
Check out what events are on in the community, local to where you’re camping at Christmas. Most Councils have kids’ activities, Carols by Candlelight, Christmas markets and more at that time of year. Browse the local newspaper and tune into the local radio station to find out what’s happening.
Don’t forget to get out at night during December and gaze at the local homes (if you’re near a town) that have been jazzed up with twinkling Christmas fairy lights.
Give Gifts that People Can Use on the Camping Trip
The best gifts I remember receiving as a kid at Christmas time were the things that I could rip open and use straight away! That’s one of the things that made Christmas so fun and special.
When it comes to gift-giving while camping over Christmas, consider gifts that people will be able to use on the trip.
Useful Christmas camping gift ideas:
- New camp chair
- Sand & water toys
- Boogie board
- Stand Up Paddle Board (SUP)
- Camp oven
- BBQ accessories
- Hammock
- Fishing gear
- New novel to read
- Board games
For loads more caravanning & camping gift ideas, check out these articles:
Pre-organise Your Resources
If you’re planning on going camping at Christmas in a location that only has a small, local town, you can’t assume that you will be able to get all of your supplies leading up to Christmas.
Research ahead of time and figure out if there are things you’ll need to acquire from a larger town before heading out to camp. Write a list of everything you need to organise before the hectic Christmas period, and get organised early.
Resources to consider:
- Food
- Drinks & alcohol
- Gifts
- Fuel
- Gas
- Ice
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Pre-prepare Meals
For a cruisy camping Christmas trip, pre-prepare as much of the food and cook at home as you can. The last thing you want to be doing on a relaxing trip is spending all day running around the campsite preparing food and cleaning up the mess.
You might be able to pre-cook some of the meals so that it’s only a matter of heating them through while you’re camping. For Christmas day meats, have them all pre-cooked and pre-cut in containers, so that on the day, you can pull them out, ready to go.
Another thought is to skip the traditional Christmas meal altogether and go for a camping twist instead. A camp oven roast with banana boats for dessert makes for a truly authentic camping Christmas experience.
Pre-wrap Gifts at Home
To simplify camping over Christmas, pre-wrap all of the gifts at home before you even pack the car to hit the road.
Let’s face it, wrapping Christmas gifts in secret is hard enough in a full-sized house; imagine how much harder it is in a tent or caravan! The bonus is that you don’t have to worry about packing sticky tape, wrapping paper, gift bags and name tags.
Keep Cool
An iconic Aussie Christmas is usually one shrouded in heat! Make sure that you’ve got some 12-volt fans for keeping cool, and plan to incorporate water activities if possible.
Unless you’re plugged into power, you won’t be switching the air conditioner on.
Tips for keeping cool in summer while camping:
- Set up in a shady spot
- Keep the sun out with curtains & blinds
- Utilise 12v fans to keep the air flowing
- Create shade with awnings, annexes and shelters
- Cook outside
- Stay hydrated (don’t forget the pets)
- Regularly dunk yourself in the water
For more tips on keeping a caravan cool in summer, head to the article below.
Download a Bushfire App
Another commonality about camping at Christmas in Australia is that it’s smack bang in the middle of fire season.
If you’re heading into a rural area for your camping trip, make sure you’ve downloaded a Bushfire App and set your watch zone. That way, you will be alerted to any fires that pop up in your area, giving you the chance to get out early if necessary.
Bushfire Apps:
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Put Your Feet Up
Set up camp as early as you can so that you can be off the busy roads and enjoy the Christmas season. It’s time to crack open a cold drink, set out some nibblies and put your feet up – you’ve earned it!
Camping at Christmas time can be a breeze if you plan ahead and stay away from the chaos.
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Thanks for sharing your tips for christmas camping. I’m excited to put them into practice!Awesome article! Please keep updating.
Thanks!
Great post! The information is clearly explained and very useful for readers. I really appreciate the effort you put into sharing practical insights. Looking forward to reading more content like this.
Some great suggestions here… I would love to try the house sitting option but it’s probably too late this year. My husband and I are staying home this year so no family Christmas. It’s too busy to go to a caravan park somewhere but I’ll definitely have a look at house sitting options, you never know!
You really never know with House Sitting. We scored a last minute gig last Christmas while we were in Townsville. It was for a guy who lived locally and was going to America for 6 weeks, but needed someone to look after his dogs. It worked out perfectly.
I once camped along the Great Ocean Road at Christmas and we nearly got evacuated due to fires in the area! I love the home made Christmas bon bons, such a good idea!
Oh gosh, what an experience!
I’m not much of a camper, so I’ve never given the idea of camping over Christmas much thought. I bet it makes a big difference if you’re in a place with warm weather (versus ice and snow, like where I live) or not for the holiday.
Yes, warm weather is the make or break for Christmas camping.
It must be nice to be able to actually spend time outside during Christmastime! haha…. Since we rarely leave Europe during Christmas (lots of family members and have to spend Xmas with them…), we can’t really imagine how it when the weather’s hot in December! Anyway, keeping this post for when eventually we’ll go somewhere far away for Christmas! 🙂
Haha yes I can totally understand that. Here in Australia, a hot Christmas is pretty much tradition.
Great and practical tips you have here. Christmas season is that time of the year when almost everyone are out and about for get togethers and travelling on a holiday. I was nodding at each item you listed here, especially the involvement in outreach programs. Christmas is a season of giving and sharing our time and blessings to those in need.
It’s definitely a time to give back if you can, no matter where in the world you find yourself.
While not from Australia so much of this advice really doesn’t apply regarding camping specifics, this nevertheless gives a lovely insight into another way Christmas is celebrated down under. Love the creative Christmas tree idea and community spirit suggestions.
This definitely wouldn’t apply for regions that have Christmas in the winter, but it’s a very Aussie tradition.
Some great tips here especially as it can be quite a sad time for some people. Love the idea of a creative Xmas tree – should be plenty around the camp sites I would have thought!
Christmas can definitely be a lonely time of year for some people, but there are ways to make it more fun and exciting. There are usually plenty of things around a campsite to use as impromptu decorations and tree.
Bon Bons out of empty toilet rolls and newspaper sounds such a great idea 🙂 Away from home and reaching out to others and have an Orphans Christmas is a novel idea. Loved reading the post. 🙂
Thanks Indrani.
I had never thought of camping over the holidays. But you make a good point about it being a time to spend with family. And camping certainly offers that. I love the idea of thinking about out of the box options for a tree. We certainly would not be hauling a tree and decorations with camping gear! Heading out early to avoid the holiday traffic is a great tip.
I think the last thing you’d want to do is pack up the Christmas decos on top of all the other camping gear.
Such great tips for camping during Christmas! Looks like it could be really fun and a nice way to get together with your camping community. I also love the BonBon idea! Not only for camping but could be used for Christmas at home.
They’re such a great idea for Christmas anywhere. We started making them last year and it’s now going to be a family tradition I think.