Frequently asked questions

What is CampConditions.au?

CampConditions.au is a free site that shows campground conditions and closures for Victoria and New South Wales, built for motorhomers, caravanners and campers. It is not an official warning service.

Where does the information come from?

Victoria: DataVic Recreation Sites and Explore Outdoors (DEECA), Parks Victoria / DEECA MapShare closures and CFA fire danger ratings. New South Wales: the NPWS Visitor Area layer, the NPWS alerts and closures data and NSW RFS fire danger ratings. Extra campgrounds come from OpenStreetMap. The About the data page lists every source.

How often is the site updated?

The site is rebuilt from the official sources about every three hours, with extra builds at about 10am and 2pm Melbourne time during daylight saving (AEDT), when many NPWS closures start or end. OpenStreetMap campgrounds and towns are refreshed weekly. Each page shows when it was built.

What do Closed, Check conditions and No known issues mean?

Closed means an official source records a closure for that campground. Check conditions means there is no closure on record, but the site cannot confirm the camp is open, so check the official source before you go. Do not treat Check conditions as open. No known issues means the official Victorian record shows no closure. OpenStreetMap campgrounds are not in the closure feeds, so their pages say to check with the operator, and showgrounds say to call first.

Why does a camp show an upcoming closure but not Closed?

A closure that starts later is shown as an upcoming closure with its start and reopening dates. The camp is marked Closed once the closure has started. NPWS times such as 2pm are taken into account.

Does the site show bushfire, flood or other emergency warnings?

No. Incident warnings are linked, not republished. Check VicEmergency in Victoria, NSW Rural Fire Service and NSW SES in New South Wales, and the Bureau of Meteorology before you travel. In an emergency call 000.

Which camps are closed this weekend?

The Closures this weekend page lists every camp with a recorded closure over the coming Saturday and Sunday, and closures that start during the weekend. It is rebuilt with the rest of the site.

Something is wrong or missing. How do I tell you?

Use the Report conditions page, or email [email protected]. Reports are checked against the official sources before anything changes.

Is there an email digest?

Yes. The free weekly digest covers what's closed, which roads are shut and what campers are reporting. Signing up is double opt-in, and every email has an unsubscribe link.

Is the data available as a feed?

Yes. status.json lists every campground's status, closure dates, sources and attribution. llms.txt summarises the site for AI tools.

How do I know if a free camp in Victoria is open?

DEECA Recreation Sites pages show the closure status and nearby Parks Victoria road and seasonal closures. OpenStreetMap campgrounds are not in that closure feed: the page says to check with the operator, and showgrounds say to call first. CampConditions.au does not republish VicEmergency warnings. Check VicEmergency, Parks Victoria and the Bureau of Meteorology before you travel. In an emergency call 000. The VicEmergency hotline is 1800 226 226.

How often is CampConditions.au updated?

The site rebuilds from DEECA and Parks Victoria sources several times a day. OpenStreetMap campgrounds and towns are refreshed weekly. Each page shows when it was built. Warning information is not included.

Does the NPWS Visitor Area layer say if a camp is open?

The camping-area points do not include open or closed status, fees or facilities. Fees and facilities stay blank. This preview reads the NPWS alerts feed: a camp is marked closed only where that alert records a closure of the reserve or of that campground and the closure has started. A later start is an upcoming notice. Every other camp stays check. The camp page also shows its NSW fire weather district fire danger rating and Total Fire Ban status from the RFS feed.

More: About the data · Closures this weekend · Report conditions · status.json · llms.txt