Camping guides
Must-have camping apps for Australia: complete guide
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When you hit the road, it's handy to have up-to-date information about campsites, facilities, roads and attractions. But it’s also nice to know what the local birdlife sounds like or which constellation you’re looking at in the night sky. This list of the best camping apps for Australia covers all the essentials and so much more!
10 best camping apps for Australia
1. WikiCamps Australia
Price: $7.99
WikiCamps is consistently rated the # 1 camping app in Australia. It allows users to comment, review and upload photos of campgrounds, caravan parks, day stops, attractions, points of interest, dump points, toilets, showers, water taps and information centres. And because it relies on other WikiCamp users, you can be sure that the information is up to date.
WikiCamps can operate completely offline so that you don't have to worry about phone reception or a WIFI connection. Simply download the content onto your device and you’ll have access whenever you need it and wherever you are. A helpful camping app regardless of whether you’re heading off for a weekend getaway or a year-long lap around Australia!
2. BOM Weather App
Price: Free
Another one of the most useful camping apps for Australia, the Bureau of Meteorology's (BOM) app instantly provides up-to-date weather information. The BOM Weather app includes localised current conditions (such as temperature, real feel, wind, rainfall and humidity) and 7-day forecasts (including UV forecasts) so that you can plan your camping trip according to the elements.
Most importantly, it also includes warnings and a rain radar so that you can prepare or abandon your camp when facing oncoming storms, fires or other dangerous events.
Extra tip: Keep your adventure stress-free by following our road trip travel tips.
3. Maps.Me
Price: Free
Maps.Me is the # 1 app in the world for offline maps and one of the best camping apps in Australia if you plan on visiting destinations with poor mobile reception. Before you leave on your trip, simply download the map to your phone and it will use GPS to provide turn-by-turn navigation, even when you’re offline. This feature also helps to save on mobile data.
You’ll find that Maps.Me contains many points of interest and campgrounds that are missing on other map apps. This is because Maps.Me relies on updates from millions of daily contributors. Plus, you can also use the app when navigating hiking trails and cycleways on foot or bike.
4. Waze
Price: Free (premium option available in-app)
With Waze, you will always know what’s happening ahead on the road. This app provides real-time updates on traffic, construction, police, crashes, petrol prices and more. And if an obstruction stands between you and your camping destination, it will re-route your map to take the fastest path.
Again, this app relies on updates from other users, so you know that the information is up to date. However, unlike Maps.Me, this app relies on a mobile internet connection to provide you with real-time information about events en-route. As such, it’s a great camping app to use when navigating areas of Australia with decent phone reception, such as cities and highways.
Extra tip: Learn how to plan a road trip with Google Maps so that you have a general idea of where you’re heading each day.
5. Geocaching
Price: Free (premium option available in-app)
One of the best camping apps in Australia for holidaymakers looking for a different kind of outdoor adventure, geocaching is the world’s largest treasure hunt with over 35.2 million app downloads. Join the community and start finding the clever containers called geocaches hidden in nearly every country around the planet. Once you find the geocache, sign the logbook and let other travellers know that you’ve been there. There are millions of geocaches waiting to be found!
This camping app might just sound like a bit of fun but it also offers a rewarding experience and you’ll discover a lot of cool Australian sights and attractions along the way.
6. TripAdvisor
Price: Free
Find the most recommended attractions, camping spots and restaurants in each location that you visit. The TripAdvisor app has millions of reviews, photos and maps from fellow campers all over Australia and the world. Use the “Near Me” feature to find points of interest near you and book directly through the app.
Extra tip: Make sure that you’ve got everything you need with our cross country road trip checklist.
7. Morcombe and Stewart Guide to Birds of Australia
Price: $29.99 (iOS) or $18.99 (Android)
Michael Morcombe's famous field guide to Australian birds has been digitised into an app that is perfect for wildlife loving campers. Identify birds around you based on geographic location, hi-res images and sound recordings. Alternatively, do a reverse search and identify a bird based on its features. Then save your sightings to your species list. Lighten the load on your camping trip - leave the heavy books at home and download this app!
8. Star Walk 2
Price: Free (premium option available in-app)
Star Walk 2 allows you to identify stars and constellations in the night sky. It provides an astronomy guide so you can observe the position of solar system bodies such as the Sun and the Moon as well as asteroids, comets and satellites. The best part is that the app works in real-time, so you can see exactly what’s above your camp!
Extra tip: Keep the whole family entertained with our list of fun things to do on a road trip.
9. Fuel Map Australia
Price: Free ****
This is one of the most essential camping apps in Australia if you want to save money on your trip. It gives you the location of nearby petrol stations and the latest fuel prices so that you can find the best deal at the bowser. There is also a feature that allows you to log every time you fill up and how much you spent, so that you can later calculate expenses and split the bill amongst passengers.
10. Hema 4x4 Explorer
Price: $49.99
iOS download
Android download
This camping app helps you plan, navigate and share your 4WD and caravanning adventures. Whilst the free Maps.Me app might be great for navigating remote roads, the Hema 4x4 Explorer app is a solid backup for campers navigating the 690,000km of 4WD tracks in Australia. However, it is costly and is probably only useful for those camping in the most remote parts of Australia.
Hire a van for your camping trip in Australia
Now that you’ve downloaded all the best camping apps in Australia, you’re just about ready to set off on your big adventure. All you need is to find and hire the perfect van for your camping trip…
Camplify is a platform that allows holidaymakers to quickly search through heaps of privately-owned motorhomes, campervans and caravans to find the ideal rental for their getaway. Simply enter your pickup location (plus plenty of optional filters) and within seconds, you will find the perfect van for your Australian camping trip!
Why Camplify?
We are proud to be Australia’s largest private caravan, campervan and motorhome sharing community. When you hire a van through our platform, it comes with lots of advantages:
Comprehensive hire insurance
NRMA roadside assistance
24/7 customer support
All members are verified
By hiring with Camplify, you are also helping local families who share their van on our platform and supporting many local companies across Australia in addition to ours. So we are very grateful to you.
Sign up if you want to join our beloved community of van life lovers and receive our most recent news and offers.
The information in this blog is accurate and current as of the date of posting. Please be aware that information, facts, and links may become outdated over time.