Ringers Rest RV Park; brilliant camping near Mareeba
Some camp sites in Australia have a lot more character than others, and Ringers Rest RV Park has this by the handful. We were actually recommended to stay here by some close friends who did a lap of Australia a few years ago, and they’re on the money, once again.
This goes down as one of our more enjoyable Queensland Camp Sites, and not for the reasons you might think.
Where is Ringers Rest RV Park?
You’ll find this private property about 10 minutes away from the centre of Mareeba. It’s super quick, simple and easy to get to and from town, and to the many attractions around Mareeba.
What is there?
Ringers Rest RV Park is a big paddock that has been set up for low cost camping. It’s got a couple of drop toilets at the top of the paddock, along with a number of trees, a communal fire pit, lots of horses and cattle, and a bush shower arrangement in one corner.
Ringers Rest also do private venue hire, with a big, beautiful area full of hand crafted furniture that suits weddings and other functions extremely well.
What else do you need to know?
If you have dogs, you can bring them to Ringers Rest. The only fires allowed are in the communal fire pit. You need to take your rubbish away, and your toilet waste too. You can empty grey water onto the ground, and feed the cattle any fruit or vegetable scraps (although some are a bit fussy!).
Hot air balloons are supposed to be used nearby, although we didn’t see any. You can get water from the taps, but it is untreated and comes from the stream nearby, that you are able to walk down to.
About Dave
There aren’t too many people around like Dave anymore. He’s the property owner, and a character that you have to see to believe.
Dave’s incredibly passionate about his property, and taking care of those who stay on it, and you’ll be asked to sit in his ‘airconditioned office’ to run through a heap of information about the property, and to get your stay paid for and documented.
You won’t find a nicer bloke, and he’s got a heap of very interesting stories to tell you, which we really appreciated. His demeanour set the tone for a truly relaxing, peaceful and happy stay on a beautiful property.
See our vlog
What’s it like to stay here?
There are few places that we’ve camped at that were as quiet, peaceful and relaxing as Ringers Rest RV Park. The paddock was still relatively green when we visited, and waking up to cattle right near your camp was pretty special.
We were grateful for Dave a number of times during our stay, and he’s set up a fantastic spot to pull into for a night, or several weeks at a time.
How much does it cost?
Camping here is just $10 a vehicle, per night. This is an absolute steal, and Dave is clearly interested in providing a cost effective service to those travelling or looking for somewhere to pull up stumps, rather than price gouging (which he easily could).
What can you do in the area?
Mareeba is a beautiful part of the world, and we were quite surprised at how much there is to do. Asides from being big enough to get everything you need done (like brakes looked at on our Dmax), you can head to Emerald Creek Falls, or Davies Creek Falls, or the Clohesy Fig Tree, and plenty of other attractions towards Atherton and Cairns.
Would we recommend Ringers Rest RV Park?
Absolutely. This place is amazing. It’s not the most picturesque place we’ve ever been to, but its got an amazing owner, a great sense of calm and we were very glad of 3 nights here.
If you are looking for somewhere to camp in Mareeba, Ringers Rest RV Park is a fantastic option.