Paronella Park Caravan Park
Staying here is free with your admission into Paronella Park, which is valid for 2 years. You stay in the caravan park for one night only, though, not two years. Sorry :-). The toilet and shower block has recently been updated. The sites, though small, are separated by walls of tropical foliage for privacy. Find it on Google Maps.
Facilities
- Flushing toilets
- Hot showers
- Undercover BBQs and eating area
RATES: Free with purchase of admission into Paronella Park.
August Moon Caravan Park in Innisfail
This gets five stars on Trip Advisor. Yes, five whole stars! They have larger than average sites, friendly helpful owners (Cameron and Julie), and good clean amenities. The pool is a drawcard, especially in summer when the stingers are in the ocean and the humidity can drive you crazy at night. A dip in the pool is the only way I can cool down before going to bed. The pool at August Moon is a maze of channels and nooks that leads into the large pool ideal for laps. The grounds are neat and tidy and the park is a convenient location for day trips and all the conveniences of a large town like Innisfail. Find it on Google Maps.
Facilities
- Powered and unpowered sites
- Hot showers
- Flushing toilets
- Laundry (coin operated)
- Clothes lines
- Wash area
- Well-equipped camp kitchen and dining area with TV
- BBQ area
- Swimming pool, beautiful free-form shape, tri-level, and partly shaded
- Playground
- Dog exercise area
- Dump point
- Courtesy bus to the clubs on Friday and Saturday nights.
RATES: $30 for two. Additional adults are $15, additional children $8.
Free Camping at Japoonvale
The Japoonvale Rest Area is just outside Japoonvale near Innisfial and Paronella Park. It is a flat grassy area on the shady banks of Liverpool Creek. There are 20 sites, most in the sun, and there no bookings so its a first-come first-served basis. The amenities (flushing toilets) were destroyed in cyclone Yasi in 2011 and have been rebuilt, so they are reasonably new. Best of all, it’s free!
The facts
- 20 unpowered sites
- Flushing toilets
- Picnic tables
- No fires allowed
- Dogs allowed if on a leash at all times and not aggressive.
- 2 night maximum stay
COASTAL CAMPING
The following two campgrounds are on the Cassowary Coast, prime cassowary habitat, so you are almost assured of seeing one of these enormous flightless birds. They can be fierce if they are threatened, so keep a respectful distance when photographing them.
Flying Fish Point Tourist park
The beach is just across the road, and it is a quiet road. As the name suggests, Flying Fish Point is a great fishing spot. Just take a look at the photos on Trip Advisor – half are of fish, the other half are of the beautiful orchids flowering in the gardens of the caravan park. The Ella Bay National Park is just a 4 minute walk away. This is prime cassowary habitat so your chances of seeing them are excellent. The sites are shady and separated from one another with foliage to give privacy. Find it on Google Maps.
Facilities
- Flush toilets
- Hot showers
- Shady powered and unpowered sites
- Free WIFI
- Pool, partly shaded.
- Covered BBQs
- Camp kitchen
- Outdoor and indoor dining areas
- Mini golf
- Recreation room with TV
- Book library
- Laundry with dryers and clothes lines
- Boat ramp 2 minutes away
RATES: $28 (for campervan powered site) to $36 for caravan powered sites. Rates are for 2 people. Additional people $15 adults, $10 children.
Etty Bay Caravan Park
This place gets four stars on Trip Advisor, not for the amenities, which are basic and apparently in desperate need of an upgrade, but for its location right on the peaceful beach of Etty Bay. The showers don’t have a shelf to put your clothes and toiletries on, just two hooks on the back of the door. There is no bench space near the hand basins either. Some sites are sloping and may not be suitable for a caravan. On the positive side, every site has a view of the water, the caretakers are friendly and helpful, the amenities, though basic, are clean, and you have an excellent chance of spotting the local cassowaries. Find it on Google Maps.
Facilities
- Flush toilets
- Hot showers
- Powered and unpowered sites
- BBQs right on the beach
- Kiosk with coffee and food
- Free WIFI in the kiosk area
- Mobile coverage for Telstra
RATES: $28 – $32 for two people. $6 for additional people.
These campgrounds and caravan parks are close to the Misty Mountains Loop (below) – a 197 km road trip that encircles Wooroonooran National Park taking in waterfalls, swimming holes, campsites, local food producers and unique places to stay.
Top things to do
- Paronella Park
- Mamu Skywalk
- Wooroonooran National Park
- Josephine Falls
- Cheese tasting at Mungalli Creek Dairy
- Millaa Millaa Falls
- Lake Eachem
- Malanda Falls
- Zillie Falls
- Ellinjaa Falls
More Information
- Hire a campervan: If you are planning a road trip but don’t have a campervan, consider renting one. They start at $49 per day all inclusive and there are plenty of free and low cost campervan-friendly campsites and caravan parks in the region including Babinda, Wooroonooran National Park and the Atherton Tablelands.
- For a world map of the campgrounds and sights that I’ve blogged, see the Blog Map.
Little Green Nomad 
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