The New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service will introduce caravan hire at 16 campgrounds across the state in November 2026, allowing visitors to camp in national parks without purchasing or maintaining their own caravans.
The service will provide access to caravan accommodation at existing campsites across the Central Coast, South Coast, Southern Ranges, Sydney, Blue Mountains and Central West. The locations were selected based on available facilities and campground occupancy capacity, according to the agency.
The initiative is intended to make caravan camping more accessible to families with young children, people with mobility challenges and first-time campers who do not own camping equipment.
Visitors will book an existing caravan site through the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service booking system and arrange caravan hire directly with an approved supplier. The service will use existing caravan sites and will not reduce the number of sites available for tent camping.
Caravan hire is expected to cost an average of AU$165 per night, although operators will determine their own fees.
The agency also will restore tent hire at The Basin campground in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, where visitors can book a fully equipped tent. The service previously operated at the campground from 2015 to 2024.
Tent hire bookings at The Basin are open, with the service expected to cost an average of AU$380 for two people for a minimum two-night stay.
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service Deputy Secretary Alex Graham said the equipment hire options would allow more visitors to experience national parks without purchasing camping gear or caravans.
“Camping is a quintessential Australian experience and our national parks give people the chance to slow down, spend time outdoors and enjoy what NSW has to offer,” Graham said in a press release. “We’re making it easier for more people to experience our national parks, without the cost or hassle of owning camping gear or a caravan.”
The caravan and tent hire services build on existing equipment rental programs that support activities including hiking, snow sports, kayaking and camping.
The agency records approximately 1.9 million overnight stays annually across 366 campgrounds and 156 cabins and other accommodation facilities in NSW national parks.
