Caravan parks in Noosa: Noosa Caravan Park, Big 4 or Noosa River Holiday Park?

The Noosa Caravan Park in Tewantin, the Big 4 Ingenia Holiday Park and the better-located Noosa River Holiday Park are the most useful caravan parks in Noosa, Queensland. Expect to pay from $42 a night for a powered site at one of these Noosa caravan parks.

Caravan parks in Noosa play a valuable role. There’s a strong argument for Noosa being the best beach town in Australia.

This Queensland town at the top of the Sunshine Coast has the right mixture of shopping, dining, beaches, activities and natural beauty.

Koala-spotting in the Noosa National Park, cruising on the Everglades and surfing lessons can happily intertwine. And a driving time of roughly two hours from Brisbane makes Noosa highly accessible.

Get the best out of Noosa – 6 sensational experiences to look into

Cruise the mirror-like waterways of the Noosa Everglades – a glorious glide through stunning natural landscapes.
4WD along the beaches – AND kayak with dolphins on a day tour full of easy adventure.
Take a dolphin-watching safari down the Noosa River.
Have a go at kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding or waterbiking.
Take a tasting tour of the local craft breweries and distilleries – find out how the locals have devoted themselves to quality.
Get standing on your board by the end of a beginners’ surfing lesson.

But Noosa does have a reputation of being somewhat exclusive. And, if not exclusive, then certainly more expensive than other Sunshine Coast resort towns like Mooloolaba. Not everyone can afford a few nights at the Sofitel Noosa Pacific Resort or Seahaven Noosa, for example.

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Taste coffee and ginger, do rainforest walks, and visit the best lookouts on a highlight-packed hinterland tour.
Take a serene Noosa Everglades cruise along the mirror-like waterways – or canoe through the Everglades.
Learn to surf at a Sunshine Coast surf school – or try paddleboarding instead.
Combine sight-seeing and thrills on a fast boat tour.
Go e-mountain biking on the downhill trails of Tewantin National Park.
Kayak with dolphins as part of a beach 4WD tour.
Explore the Sunshine Coast from above on a seaplane flight.
Take an indigenous cultural tour – with bush tucker tasting.
Visit the region’s best craft breweries and distilleries on a drinks tasting tour.
Go jetskiing through the gorgeous Pumicestone Passage.
Taste wines, cheeses and chocolates on a hinterland food tour.
Watch migrating humpbacks on a whale-watching cruise.

Cheap Noosa accommodation

It is, however, possible to stay in Noosa relatively affordably. The usual way of finding cheap Noosa accommodation is booking an apartment rental. There are loads of apartments in Noosa and weekday deals, in particular, can be surprisingly inexpensive.

However, if you’re in a campervan, driving from Brisbane to Hervey Bay and beyond up the Queensland coast, a Noosa caravan park might be a better bet.

If I can do just one thing in Noosa, what should it be?

The Great Beach Drive – a four wheel drive adventure up Teewah Beach towards Double Island Point – is fantastic on its own. To go kayaking with dolphins as part of the same trip makes for a genuinely superb day out.

Take it as a massive personal recommendation – the Great Beach Drive plus Kayaking With Dolphins day tour should be at the top of your Noosa wishlist.

Realistically, there are three caravan parks in Noosa. There are others trying to brand themselves as being in Noosa, but they’re clearly not in the urban area. Habitat Noosa, for example, may be cool, but it’s in the Everglades, not the town.

It’s also important to realise that Noosa is essentially a collection of small towns. Noosa Heads is the one with the glamour and beaches, while Noosaville has a more laid-back vibe. But it also has plenty of restaurants and activities along the Noosa River.

Noosa waterways — The winding waterways are part of what makes Noosa special. If picking a caravan park in Noosa, you want to be near the water. Photo by David Whitley/ Australia Travel Questions

Caravan parks in Noosa: Big 4 Tewantin & Noosa River Holiday Park

The Noosa Caravan Park is in neither of these. It’s in Tewantin, essentially a separate town that has merged with the end of Noosaville, and has less of the magic. Facilities at this Tewantin caravan park are good, though – particularly the sizable heated swimming pool and children’s playground. There are cabins available for non-campers and caravanners, but you may as well stay in an apartment closer to Noosa Heads. Those looking to stay in a campervan in Noosa, however, can get a powered site at the Noosa Caravan Park for $44.

Another option for a Tewantin caravan park is the Big 4 Ingenia Holiday Park on the Cooroy-Noosa Road, near the Tewantin Golf Course. Powered sites at the Big 4 Noosa caravan park cost from $42 per night, while en-suite powered sites with their own toilet facilities cost from $45.

Noosa caravan parks: Noosa River Holiday Park

The Big 4 caravan park is a 9.3km walk from Hastings Street, Noosa’s main shopping and dining strip. If you want to be a bit closer, then the Noosa River Holiday Park is by far the best caravan park in Noosa. At the rough meeting point of Noosa Heads and Noosaville, the Noosa River Holiday Park is just a 2.7km walk from Hastings Street. It’s also surrounded by waterways. The downside is that this Noosa caravan park’s facilities are more basic – it’s designed more for self-sufficient campers than family holidays. Location bumps up the price, though. This Noosa caravan park costs from $44 a night for an unpowered site and $52 a night for a powered site.

If you’re not a fan of rain drumming on a tent, the Noosa weather is driest in September. Other caravan parks on the Sunshine Coast include the Coolum Beach Holiday Park and the Dicky Beach caravan park on Dicky Beach. There’s also the Cotton Tree caravan park in Maroochydore and the Rainbow Beach Holiday Village in Rainbow Beach.