A great way to experience the NSW South Coast, is to have a Batemans Bay Camping holiday. Batemans Bay is a 2 hour drive from Canberra or 4 hours from Sydney. There are no specific Batemans Bay camping grounds but campsites are available at most of the caravan parks. These camping sites are usually mixed in with caravan sites so your tent may be pitched in between a couple of large caravans.

Being in such an urban environment however means you may miss out on some of the essential camping experiences such as:

• Being able to toast marshmallows over your own campfire;
• Having a visit to your site by possums during the evening.
• Getting woken up by the birds in the morning rather than traffic on nearby streets
• Watching the resident kangaroos cruising about the campground.

For these kind of experiences, you will need to travel just 20 minutes north of Batemans Bay to Durras North, a sleepy little village surrounded by the Murramarang National Park.

The small camping ground at Durras Lake North Holiday Park is set in a sheltered bushland setting and is designed to give you a more traditional camping experience. Though there are no playgrounds, there are plenty of bushwalks. No jumping pillows but plenty of room to explore. No swimming pool, but Durras Lake and Durras Beach are just a short stroll away. The campground is most suitable for campertrailers and tents. There are some sites available for small caravans.

Though the Batemans Bay camping facilities are very good in Batemans Bay, many campers, particularly overseas travellers, are seeking a more authentic camping experience such as that offered in Durras North.

Very popular also are the “Canvas Castles” – ideal for a first time camping experience. These are permanently erected tents which contain padded stretcher beds, table and chairs, comfortable camp chairs and your own personal fireplace. This means no worrying about having to transport and erect a tent for your camping holiday. It is all done for you. Book your first time camping experience in a Canvas Castle and save yourself a lot of hassle.

And if you are really into camping and caravanning, be sure to visit the annual Batemans Bay Camping Show held each year.