Going camping with a toddler doesn’t have to be quite as stressful as it sounds, and it can certainly be a lot of fun providing you pick the right area, right weather, and also have everything you need to keep the young one entertained and safe from anything that may cause harm during your time spent in the outback. For me taking my toddler camping was a great experience as he got to see some of the interesting things in outback Australia as we camped next to a small riverbank under some trees in a small gully. Our pick for the weekend was a small reserve called White Cliffs which is in the Mid-North area of South Australia and has been a favourite of mine since I randomly stumbled across it during a leisurely drive one Sunday afternoon. So, I made it my mission to plan a quick trip there and hopefully enjoy some peace and quiet.

Thanks to its low-down setting in a small gully, you are quite sheltered from the weather including direct sunlight and especially wind which makes it a great spot no matter what the weather is. We had plenty of different species of birds prancing around us, as well as small fish and yabbies which we could see from the riverbank without having to go too close.

For the older kids or even for yourself there is a rope swing set up for jumping into the river for a little bit of extra adventure! The camping area is neatly setup and relatively quiet due to the small area in which there is to setup, heavily restricting numbers, which means you need to get in early especially leading into a holiday period as it fills up quick thanks to its serenity and being a free camping spot. We set up our camp close to the middle and away from most of the trees. We had a simple set up of a Kings Big Daddy Deluxe swag and a pull-out awning from the side of the car which was ample for us to enjoy the countryside for a couple of nights.

We picked the perfect time and only a few campers set up near us for the first night and a handful more on the second. There was a great mix of camping set-ups with some sleeping on the ground by a small campfire in sleeping bags, one family in a caravan and an elderly gentleman with a camper trailer and a diesel generator which sounded like it was on its last legs. But the main thing here is everyone was out there enjoying themselves and making do with what they have, which allowed us to overlook the obscene amount of noise bellowing from the old  generator! Another great draw card for this camping spot is the fact that it boasts a long-drop toilet for those that don’t want to rough it too much and most people seem to do a courteous job of keeping it neat and tidy during their stay. Among the campers there was also a good range of equipment on show with some setting up small solar panels to sponge as much of the sun as possible, and other had gas and battery powered options which are probably better off for this camp ground because as I mentioned it is quite sheltered from the sun, which can definitely hurt your ability to recharge using the solar set up.

Among the things to entertain the toddler I was sure to pack plenty of sports gear and a flying disc so if one thing became a lack of excitement we could move on to the next. We engaged in some riverside soccer and football of which our friendly neighbours joined in as their dog continued to steal the ball anyway. Aside from sports play we spent some time seeing what we could find along the river’s edge and the young one enjoyed finding different shaped rocks, leaves, sticks for the pup to chase and also plenty of bugs and insects, bringing about plenty of questions of why and how which create great educational conversations between you and your young ones, with a hands-on approach.

We were able to set up a small, contained campfire to provide some warmth and also boil up our hot water to make pre-bed hot chocolates to drop the marshmallows in. As my young one tends to swell up at the smallest nibble from a mosquito we pack the essential sandalwood sticks, mozzie patches and insect repellent to make sure we have all bases covered. Now coming back to the Big Daddy Deluxe monster of a swag we enjoyed the great layer of protection from the insect mesh which allows you to have plenty of airflow while not compromising yourself to the pests of the outback. We had a simple hotplate to chuck over the top of the camp fire to burn off some snags and plenty of drinks in the 12volt fidge to keep us going, so we really didn’t take anything more than we needed to, which was great as it meant we weren’t jam packed into the small sedan which we had at the time. Yes, that is right, this great camping spot doesn’t even require a 4×4 for access, in fact not even close! As long you are happy for your car to leave the bitumen and spend a bit of time on an unsealed road then you can most definitely make your way down into this gully for a good time. And it isn’t just for camping, we noted quite a few people who must live in nearby Koolunga or other surrounding towns coming down just to spend the day wading around in the shallows of the river and making use of the rope swing to have some fun, and with them they brought a small boom box which also created some extra atmosphere for us to enjoy while exploring. So, all in all, camping with toddlers does not have to be stressful, doesn’t need a caravan park and doesn’t need to break the bank, with plenty to do in the outdoors which will keep their cognitive minds turning.

Make sure if you’re looking for a quick adventure with the young ones you do yourself a favour and just back the main essentials and go out to tackle the outback for a couple of nights. You certainly won’t regret it and you’ll definitely create some lifelong memories in the process!