Family beach camping holiday: The dos and don’ts

Once the largest caravan and camping area in the southern hemisphere, the beaches of the northern Bellarine are still one of the best places to take the family for a traditional beach camping trip.

• Make sure your air mattresses are intact before you leave home! Noone wants to start a holiday with a flat bed!
• Park your caravan or pitch your tent right on the sand with beachfront sites available during the warmer months at Portarlington, Indented Head or St Leonards. The campgrounds all have shower, bathroom and laundry facilities for campers, which means less packing. Huzzah!
• Let kids help with the set-up – that’s part of the fun! Even little ones can grab the pegs or hold ropes.
• Make meals simple. Anything that can be cooked on a BBQ, in one pot or (preferably!) by someone else is a winner.
• Make sure everyone has a torch – even better, a headtorch that keeps both hands free. And bring spare batteries!
• Bring watersport gear – and lots of towels. The beauty of being right on the edge of the water is that you can spend loads of time in it. Snorkels, kayaks, paddleboards and fishing rods will all get plenty of use, right outside your camp.
• Spend time exploring the town and further afield.  There are parks, playgrounds, ice cream shops and places to eat and drink nearby.

• Pack heaps of toys and gadgets – give them the fresh air and room, they’ll make their own fun.
• Stress out over sand inside the tent. It comes with the territory.
• Underpack – even though it’s daylight saving season, nights can get cool, especially in a tent.
• Disrespect your neighbours. Camping on the beach is a shared experience and tent walls are thin. Be mindful of noise and behaviour.

Now to find that perfect spot to lay your heads. Take a look here at some great camping spots.