Bulli Beach Tourist Park

The park is right beside a great beach, with a recreational path and pool nearby. There’s a cafe next door with good food and coffee, and playgrounds are close as well. Staff were friendly and helpful. The toilets in the southern/top block were modern and clean, and the ensuite sites were clean too.

For a weekend away, this is a perfect spot, with a beautiful beach and two lovely swimming pools close by. The camping sites are clean and spacious, the amenities are great, and cafes are nearby. The staff are super friendly, and the quiet, well-kept park has become one of my favourite places to stay.

The main drawback for us was setting up a tent. The ground was so hard it felt like hammering into cement. We bent several pegs, even after wetting the soil, and ended up weighing the corners down with rocks and sandbags. I’ve camped in lots of places, and this was among the toughest setups. Bring heavy-duty stakes and a rubber mallet, or expect a lot of effort and swearing. The campsites are also close together, so there’s little privacy and noise carries. A family with kids was next to us, and quiet evenings aren’t guaranteed. After a short overnight shower, we found damp patches in the tent despite using a ground tarp, as the site doesn’t drain well. The setting is still hard to beat. Bulli Beach is beautiful, and waking to the waves beyond the dunes was special. The coastal walk is lovely for a morning stroll or sunrise, and the sea breeze and mix of open and shady areas were nice. The amenities block was clean and looked after. Showers had good pressure and stayed warm, which was welcome after the beach. There’s a playground, BBQ areas and a nearby café if you don’t want to cook every meal. Staff were polite and checked us in quickly, though we hardly saw them afterward. I gave it three stars because those frustrations kept the weekend from being great, not because the place was bad. I imagine it’d be much more comfortable in a campervan or caravan. For tent camping, especially without preparation for the hard ground, it’s a challenge. Bulli is beautiful, the beach is unbeatable and the facilities are fine, but pegging out a tent will test your patience and your pegs.

Our ensuite site was clean and well equipped, though having a bin there would have been useful. The park sits right by the ocean and makes a good base for seeing Wollongong’s sights. There’s a great cafe on site for breakfast or coffee, and you can take your cup along the coastal walking track. If you’re feeling adventurous, there are rock pools for an early swim.