see also:

• photography and camping main index page
• non-commercial camp grounds for tents within 2 hours of Melbourne
• non-commercial camp grounds for tents 2-4 hours from Melbourne
• Tanners Road campground near Anglesea
• Victoria's Otway Ranges and the Great Ocean Road

• there are two camp grounds in close proximity:
  • first from Bambra / Aireys Inlet Rd is the Parks Vic main camp ground which requires booking
  • ~3km along the gravel road is Hammond Rd North campground which is free but does not have mobile phone access nor grassed areas
• these are nicer than the nearby Tanners Road campground near Anglesea but cooler and more moist and a touch further to travel - all require around 7-9km of good quality 2WD gravel road to access

• 90min from NW suburbs via Geelong bypass and Mount Moriac turn off from the M1 (don't take the Anglesea turn off signs!)
• alternatively, turn off at Winchelsea which is the closest main town along with Aireys Inlet

• not much to do at the camp grounds other than chill out in the lovely peaceful ambience (generally no one is there mid week off peak from about 9am-1pm as they are all touring around)
• walking tracks are overgrown (Dec 2023) and not worth the snake and spider web issues
• short drive to the surf beaches
• circuit drives around the Otways - see Victoria's Otway Ranges and the Great Ocean Road
• check out You Yangs, Serendip bird Sanctuary (free) or Brisbane Ranges on the way there or coming home (can camp in Brisbane Ranges eg historic gold mining area of Steiglitz)

• 8km gravel rd from Bambra;
• booking
• mid week off peak, this is mainly for international and interstate tourists in campervans who generally arrive 1-2 hours before sunset and leave soon after sunrise so the camp ground is generally pretty much unoccupied from 9am-5pm
• 16 sites which require booking online with Parks Vic; 360m elevation;
• as of Dec 2023, the walks are quite over-grown so you may want to skip them.
• nicer camp ground with a small non-potable water hole, some tent sites have raised wooden platforms but these are too small for most tents - there are large circular reasonably level dirt areas instead - or if you can find flat grass that might be an option;
• sites 1-4 are best for campervans or small caravan and each pair share a fire pit
• sites 5-11 are the main tent sites close to the car parking area each with a 4m diameter circle grassless area for tents, fire pit, 1.5×1.5m wooden platform for drying out gear, etc
  • all sites get lots of midday and afternoon sun in summer (tents can get hot), and most get sun all morning which is handy for drying tents but not for sleeping in
  • sites 5,8,11 are the highest and close to sites 1-4 and the gravel road
  • site 7 is most central of the main tent area but is likely to have rain pool on it but would be good for dry weather
  • site 6 is in the bottom corner adjacent the fence and car park and gets some shade and some morning sun in summer
  • site 9 is in the centre at the bottom near the fence and gets some shade
  • site 10 is near the far fence
• sites 12-16 are some 30-50m from the car park area and are 4m diameter dirt based pads with fire pits set amongst trees offering some privacy from the rest of the camp area
• no dogs allowed; non-potable tank water;
• some Telstra internet available and along with the grass, this makes it the nicest of the 3 campsites in this area (Hammonds Nth, Tanner Rd)
• 16min, 13km from Aireys Inlet including ~9km gravel roads

• 16min to SW; 280m elevation;
• 12 separate vehicle sites; free camp;
• dogs allowed;
• 3min drive Nth of main Hammonds camp ground
• sites are gravel based and set amongst trees offering more privacy and shade than main camp ground and your car is next to tent but there is no mobile phone reception
• nicer than Tanners Rd but cooler and more moist
• 18min to Airey's Inlet

• distances are from the main Hammond camp ground
• 17min (13km including ~9km gravel) to Airey's Inlet
  • Lorne is a further 19min, 27km from Airey's Inlet
• 22min (24km including ~8km gravel) to inland township of Winchelsea via Bambra
  • check out the historic Barwon Park Mansion
• 40min (40km) to Lorne via Deans Marsh
  • 45min (42km) to Erskine Falls via Deans Marsh and Benwerrin-Mt Sabine Rd instead of going to Lorne
• ~47min drive to beaches at Pt Addis or Anglesea, Bell's Beach surf beach, Torquay

• Tanners Road campground near Anglesea
  • nearer Anglesea
  • warmer, drier but not as nice
• Inverleigh town free camp on the Barwon River
  • 28min to the north
• Big Hill campground Otways
  • 26min at the top of the Otways off the Deans Marsh-Lorne road
• Meredith Park, north shore Lake Colac
  • 41min (48km) to NW; issue with local thieves
  • windy ep. Sth winds; boating, paddle boarding; fishing;
• Allenvale Mill campground near Lorne (~200m walk in from car park)
  • 44min to SW
• Jamiesons Creek campground near Wye River - Parks Vic booking needed; ocean views;
  • 55min (50km via Deans Marsh, Lorne, Wye River)
• Lake Elizabeth campground
  • 46min to SW; 230m elevation; can be lots of mozzies and leeches;
• Mt Sabine campground at top of Otways
  • ~56min to SW; 580m elevation
• Stevensons Falls campground
  • 52min (54km) to SW; 160m elevation; along the Barramunga Creek; nice walk to the falls
• Dandos camp ground
  • 56min (55km) to SW; 140m elevation; along the Gellibrand River;
• Beauchamp Falls camp ground
  • 79min (95km via Deans Marsh and Gellibrand) to SW; 460m elevation; nice walk to the falls
• Johanna Beach (bookings)
  • 97min (116km via Deans Marsh, Gellibrand and Lavers Hill) to SW (or 4min longer if go through Colac)