Christmas in Australia means road trips, spending time with the family, eating good food, drinking cold beverages and amazing weather. The best way to spend Christmas for most Australians is by being outdoors and one way of doing that is by camping. For some, camping over Christmas might seem hectic because of how crazy busy it gets on almost all camping sites and the entry prices tend to be high as well but it all comes down to your planning skills. There’s nothing better than Christmas camping as you get to enjoy the beautiful views your campsite has to offer, swimming, barbecue sessions, making new friends and so on. With that being said, here are some tips on how to successfully plan a Queensland Christmas camping trip with the whole gang.
Choose a campsite that can accommodate your Christmas party
Finding the right camping site that is big and spacious enough to accommodate a large number of people should be the first thing you do. Ensure you do thorough research and ensure you check out some of the facilities these sites have. Things like picnic tables, a camp kitchen or barbecue area, onsite shops or even recreation rooms would be ideal. At Murphy’s Creek Escape, we have family and group sites that cater for groups of 4 to 9 families and are a series of level pads in large areas with their own driveways and large fire pit. Once you settle on a site, ensure you book it out in advance as they tend to fill up quickly especially during this season.
Prepare the meals beforehand if possible
One way to ensure that during the day itself you don’t have too much cooking to do that will have you exhausted by the time you are done is by meal prepping. You can easily do this at home before heading out. You can either dice up all the stuff you will need to prepare the meals and store them up in a ziplock bag or by pre-making dishes and heating them up at your campsite. Things like pies and casseroles tend to taste even better after reheating them. This way you won’t have to miss the famous Christmas dishes just because you aren’t at home. Also mix up the seasoning ingredients that you will need for your dishes in an airtight container.
Note that before you head out to your campsite, ensure you have done your shopping beforehand as well. As much as some campsites have a shop, it’s much cheaper when you shop in town plus chances of missing the items you need are low as compared to shopping in remote or rural areas. To make your shopping experience much faster and easier, draw up a list prior on the things you need plus also having a meal menu will help you identify what is needed. Check out some of these Christmas dishes that will definitely have the crowd’s mouth watering.
Don’t forget the Christmas decorations
Displaying some decorations around your campsite will definitely get you in that Christmas mood. Things like fairy lights or LED lights, a DIY christmas tree, tinsel and ornaments will do. Bring along some Christmas tunes with you as well. Alternatively, instead of buying Christmas decor, you could easily DIY some of them. This could be a fun activity that you can involve your kids in as a way to bond with them. Allow them to channel their inner creativity by letting them have fun with it.
When it comes to finding a Christmas tree while camping, one will have to find ways on how to make that happen by thinking outside the box and improvising especially because cutting down a tree is not an option. You could either use your recycling material or look for a nice branch around. Another option could be buying a small tree from your local shop. It may not look how you want it to or imagined it to but a little decoration here and there will give it a facelift.
Bring along some gifts
Though Christmas camping and hanging with the family is a gift in itself, unwrapping presents on a Christmas morning is usually one of the highlights of the day especially with kids around. It is wiser to get gifts that your family or friends can use while on the trips such as a camera, maybe some hiking shoes, a puzzle or coloring book, sleeping bag, a tent, a pair of binoculars or if you are thinking of getting something slightly bigger, a couple of camping chairs would be great.
In conclusion, while enjoying the Christmas festivities ensure that safety is also a priority. A lot can happen while you are outdoors so ensure that you have a first aid kit or emergency numbers on your phone. Lastly, don’t forget to be responsible campers.