If you love nature, the ocean, food, and wine, then Tasmania’s Great Eastern Drive is the perfect place! From the Bay of Fires in the North of the East Coast to Orford in the South, you will be spoilt for choice with free campgrounds. Our journey took us along this pristine coastline twice. Yes, you heard that right! Because it was so amazing, we traveled down the Great Eastern Drive twice! We simply couldn’t get enough of the shimmering turquoise waters and the orange lichen-covered rocks, which shine so beautifully in Tasmania’s sun.

We spent several days in the Bay of Fires and still can’t believe that all of the campgrounds we visited were free! The campgrounds that we didn’t go to are best accessed via 4WD, which unfortunately our campervan Putu couldn’t manage.

Policemans Point was a huge surprise to us, mostly because it was so empty as compared to Cozy Corner and Swimcart Beach Campgrounds. What we loved about Policemans Point (besides our prime sea view location), was that we could watch pelicans, go for a dip in the bay, and take nice long walks along the beach.

The permitted length of stay: 28 days

Cost: free

Toilets: pit toilets, no toilet paper

Pic Drop Toilets at Policemans Point

Wheelchair accessible: yes

Dogs allowed: yes

Drinking Water: no

Internet reception: yes

Accessible to: RV, Motorhomes, Camper Trailer, Caravan, Motorbikes

Policemans Point

Contact:

Phone: not found

Email: not found

Address: South Ansons Bay Road

Website: https://parks.tas.gov.au/explore-our-parks/bay-of-fires-conservation-area/bay-of-fires-camping

Located directly in the Bay of Fires is the Cosy Corner South campground. It is a huge area that is just a stone’s throw away from the famous orange-shining rocks and rests directly at the beach. What we really liked was that some of the campsites were elevated. This means that you park a little above the dirt road, and far enough from it so that the dust from passing cars and caravans doesn’t land in your food or in your own camper!

The permitted length of stay: 28 days

Cost: free

Toilets: pit toilets, no toilet paper

Wheelchair accessible: yes

Dogs allowed: yes

Dogs allowed: yes

Drinking Water: no

Internet reception: yes

Accessible to: RV, Motorhomes, Camper Trailer, Caravan, Motorbikes

Cosy Corner South

Contact:

Phone: +61 3 63875510

Email: not found

Address: Gardens Rd., Bay of Fires, Tasmania

Website: https://parks.tas.gov.au/explore-our-parks/bay-of-fires-conservation-area/bay-of-fires-camping

Swimcart Beach was our absolute favorite campground on the Great Eastern Drive! Many of the campsites are located directly at the beautiful beach and offer fantastic ocean views. For us, the bush feeling was less important than a good ocean view, so we really enjoyed the open space that Swimcart Beach offers. Almost all of the campsites by the sea, offer not only incredible views but also quasi-private access to the beach. Absolutely deluxe! The road in is – like all the other campgrounds in this area – corrugated dirt road, but it is absolutely doable for a 2WD. This campground was definitely our happy place and the reason why we drove the Great Eastern Drive twice!

The permitted length of stay: 28 days

Cost: free

Toilets: pit toilets, no toilet paper

Wheelchair accessible: no

Dogs allowed: yes

Drinking Water: no

Internet reception: yes

Accessible to: RV, Motorhomes, Camper Trailer, Caravan, Motorbikes

Swimcart Beach

Contact:

Phone: +61 3 63875510

Email: not found

Address: Swimcart Beach Rd., Binalong Bay, Tasmania

Website: https://parks.tas.gov.au/explore-our-parks/bay-of-fires-conservation-area/bay-of-fires-camping

What a gem!! As we had planned to do some wine and beer tasting on our Great Eastern Drive, this brewery, winery, and distillery (yes, all in one!) was definitely on the top of our list. From the moment you enter through the gate and drive down the lane, you already feel like you’re on holiday. The free campground is located on the right side.

On the left-hand side, you can watch cute wallabies that come out of their hiding places at sunset to eat. If you continue driving down the street, you will arrive at the Brewhouse Cafè and Bar. The Chalets are located next to it, just behind the in-house pool. As we didn’t stay in one of the accommodations, we couldn’t access the pool. But it is accessible for a small fee. We treated ourselves to a beer-tasting paddle and also enjoyed a delicious Haloumi Burger while enjoying the views of the ocean.

Afterward, we had a round of putting on their very own putting green! You have direct access to the beach and can also take some walks around the Estate. Everything was so easy and wonderful, that we returned for another night! Well done and thank you White Sands Estate & Iron House Brewery!

The permitted length of stay: 48 hours

Cost: free

Toilets: No toilets, but there are toilets at the Estate itself, open from 10 am until 5 pm

Wheelchair accessible: no information found

Dogs allowed: no

Drinking Water: no

Internet reception: yes

Accessible to: RV, Motorhomes, Camper Trailer, Caravan, Motorbikes

White Sands Estate & Iron House Brewery

Contact:

Phone: +61 409308824

Email: m.brigg@white-sands.com.au

Address: 21554 Tasman Highway, Iron House Point, East Coast of

Website: white-sands.com.au

We visited the Freycinet National Park during the school holidays, which made the availability of a campsite more difficult to find. Our first choice was fully booked, but luckily there are several options!

Our first night was spent at Freycinet Golf Club. We arrived late, which is why we decided against a round of golf. But we enjoyed a beer in the Clubhouse. We love to tell our story about how we took off with only our backpacks and golf clubs and met locals who were interested in our trip. We had a pleasant visit to the Golf Club. And the Campground area is huge. You can drive directly to the site and pay for the night at the honesty box.

The permitted length of stay: no information found

Cost: $10

Toilets: No toilets, only when the clubhouse is open

Wheelchair accessible: no information found

Dogs allowed: yes

Drinking Water: no

Internet reception: yes

Accessible to: RV, Motorhomes, Caravan

Freycinet Golf Club

Contact:

Phone: +61 362570053

Email: freycinetgc@gmail.com

Address: 1 SWANWICK ROAD, COLES BAY, TAS, 7215

Website: freycinetgolfcourse.com.au

The further we continued in our travels on the East Coast, the more surprised we got. The beautiful free campgrounds didn’t end with the Bay of Fires but continued on. Friendly Beaches Campground was an absolute delight! The powdered sugar sand offers possibilities for fantastic beach walks, and we saw cute wallabies all around the campground. There aren’t very many campsites, but the ones that are available are beautiful. And you can fall asleep to the sound of the nearby ocean. Can it get any better?

The permitted length of stay: 14 nights

Cost: free

Toilets: pit toilets

Wheelchair accessible: yes

Dogs allowed: no

Drinking Water: no

Internet reception: no

Accessible to: RV, Motorhomes, Camper Trailer, Caravan, Motorbikes

Friendly Beaches Campground

Contact:

Phone: +61 36222567000

Email: freycinet@parks.tas.gov.au

Address: Friendly Beaches Rd., Friendly Beaches

Website: Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service | Parks & Wildlife Service Tasmania

We stopped here for only half an hour as we were on our way to our next house sit and didn’t have enough time for an overnight stay. Otherwise, we definitely would have stayed here!

The Mayfield Bay Campground is located directly on a sandy beach and offers fantastic views of the Freycinet Peninsula. This campground looks super cozy and awesome. Small but nice!

The permitted length of stay: not found

Cost: Donation

Toilets: pit toilets, no toilet paper

Wheelchair accessible: yes

Dogs allowed: yes

Drinking Water: no

Internet reception: yes

Accessible to: RV, Motorhomes, Camper Trailer, Caravan, Motorbikes

The Mayfield Bay Campground

Contact:

Phone: +61 362578844

Email: not found

Address: 11830 Tasman Highway, Rocky Hills

Website: www.discovertasmania.com.au/attraction/mayfieldbaycoastalreserve