Adults-only caravan parks or campgrounds aren’t really a fad in Australia. They’re a response to how the travelling population has changed.
Many travellers have noticed more quiet, laid-back, adults-only retreats appearing and wondered what caused it. One obvious shift is the number of families travelling year-round. Outside school holidays, caravan parks used to settle into a calm rhythm. Today they often don’t.
“I think part of it is simply numbers,” says Heatley Gilmore from CAMPS Australia Wide. “Ten or twenty years ago off-peak travel was mostly retirees. Now families travel all year, so parks don’t naturally quieten down anymore.”
Retirees, however, didn’t disappear when families arrived. Australia now has both groups travelling in large numbers at the same time, creating two very different expectations of the same space.
“It is not surprising to us that more and more customers are asking how they can find adults-only campgrounds and caravan parks in the Camps App.”
“It’s not anti-kids,” Heatley says. “It’s that two styles of holiday are happening in one park. One group wants activity and energy, the other wants calm and routine.”
The Great Divide in Australian Camping
More travellers are also staying longer. Big laps, seasonal migration and months on the road have replaced short overnight stops. When you live somewhere for weeks, atmosphere matters far more than facilities alone.
“If you’re there for one night anything works,” he explains. “If you’re there for three weeks, noise and layout suddenly matter a lot.”
Caravan parks have effectively split into two markets.
Families often look for pools, bikes and play areas.
Couples and retirees tend to look for space, conversation and early nights.
Operators discovered trying to satisfy both equally often left neither happy.
Why Some Parks No Longer Try to Please Everyone
“Parks realised they couldn’t be everything at once,” Heatley says. “So instead of compromise, they specialise.”
Remote work has reinforced the shift. Travellers now take meetings from vans and motorhomes, and daytime quiet matters.
“A playground beside your van is great on day one,” he says. “By the third interrupted video call, people start looking for a quieter option.”
“However, just because you have a family next to you doesn’t mean it’s going to be noisy. We have had much more noise from adults (or dogs!) rather than kids.” This is coming from a bloke who did three months straight with the wife and four kids (aged 8-15) in a six berth motor home around Oz, haha!
A New Trend in Australian Caravan Parks
Rather than replacing family parks, adults-only campgrounds have become the other sector of the market. Many are peaceful, laid-back stays, often pet friendly, designed for travellers who want a quieter atmosphere.
Australia didn’t become less family friendly.
Camping simply became popular enough to create two different holidays.
By far the majority of Aussie camps and caravan parks invite all ages to stay and are family-inclusive. At CAMPS, we simply update what is on offer at campgrounds and caravan parks; and we list them all for you in the Camps App and the guides (where appropriate), so you can travel the way that suits you best.
If adults-only is your preference, then here’s some that you can check out along in your travels from every state and almost every territory:
Pet-friendly Adults only sites
Ironically, “your furry friend is welcome on powered sites and in selected cabins, so the whole family can enjoy a relaxing getaway together” was spotted on one of these websites!
But there is no pressure from us. We don’t judge how you travel, or how other businesses operate. We just make sure you have the selection of campsites and caravan parks so you can have the best time seeing our wonderful country!
● One Nature Stays, Donnybrook, WA
● Bali Hai Holiday Park Mission Beach, Queensland
● Prime Adults Only & Pet Friendly Tourist Park, Lakes Entrance, Gippsland, Victoria
● Milawa Caravan Park, Wangaratta area, Victoria
● Waterfront Holiday Park, Tailem Bend, South Australia
● Murray Bridge Tourist Park, South Australia
● Gum Tree Lodge and Bush Camp, Howard, Queensland
NO PETS Adults only sites
● Mount Nancar Retreat, Daly River area, NT (April to September)
Update May 2026: The biggest flood on record occurred on the Daly River and Mount Nancar Retreat was hit hard, devastating the property and forcing the closure of camping for the rest of the year. Though the damage is immense we are hoping that with time, rebuilding and support, brighter days lie ahead for another season.
● Boogaloo Campground, Augusta, WA
● Stokers Siding Hill Top, Murwillumbah, New South Wales
● Alpaca magic, Sutton NSW (near Canberra)
● Kingsthorpe Horse Farm, Toowoomba area, Queensland
There are more photos of all of these sites in the Camps App. Please search by the names listed above in the CAMPS App.
Other Trends
Family-friendly parks may also offer adults-only facilities like Esk Caravan Park, Queensland and their adults-only pool and spa area or Big 4 Eco Resort Townsville, with a resort pool open for adults-only at certain times of the day.
TIP: don’t confuse adults-only campgrounds with naturalist or nudist camps. We list those too!
Download the CAMPS Australia Wide App for iPhone/iPad or Android
