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Barkala farmstay

96%

· Coonabarabran, New South Wales

13000 acres hosted by Maria N.

59 Vehicle/Tent sites

Best tent sites: Finalist

Named one of the best Hipcamps to visit in 2023.

Family-friendly

Recent Hipcampers say this Hipcamp is great for families and kids.

Barkala Farmstay is a self-sustaining farm located off the grid, supplying our own water and solar electricity. The Farm is a grazing property situated on 13,000 acres surrounded by the tranquil Pilliga Forest. Only access is a 10km dirt road of the Newell Highway, north of Coonabarabran (follow directions below). As well as farm animals, the farm hosts a thriving community of birds and well- designed bush tracks where you can discover local wildlife, plants, Aboriginal artifacts, great lookouts, sandstone cliffs and caves all in the midst of the Pilliga Forrest. Barkala Farmstay is also home to Pilliga Pottery and the Blue Wren Bush Cafe (closed Wednesdays), offering pottery demonstrations and workshops, traditional European inspired fresh foods with ingredients from our organic green house and homemade Gelato. The property offers two camp sites, Goanna and Kellies Campground, which are freely available to anyone who books a camping stay with us. There are no allocated camping spots in either campground, thus it is first come, first serve. We offer large camping spots with no campground boundaries hence there is space for vehicles of any size. Both camping sites offer compost toilets and showers (although we encourage short showers due to our off-grid, self-sustaining farm). You are welcome to stop by the reception upon check-in to hear more about our campgrounds and we can help you find the perfect camp spot and tell you more about what we have to offer. Campers are welcome to enjoy feeding of our farm animals, our saltwater pool and campfires. Firewood can be collected on the property by yourself, or you can visit the reception to buy firewood. There is no phone reception close to any buildings but free limited Wi-Fi in the cafe area.Barkala Farm is a self-sustaining farm located off the grid (follow directions below), supplying our own water and solar electricity. The Farm is a grazing property situated on 13,000 acres surrounded by the tranquil Pilliga Forest. Campsites located close to the homestead, toilet and shower facilities, swimming pool, volleyball court, farm animals and cafe/pottery. Choose from a wide variety of camping sites ranging from creekside camping to open paddock sites. We also offer private sites away from the hub. As well as farm animals the farm hosts a thriving community of birds, well designed bush tracks where you can discover local wild life, plants, Aboriginal artifacts, great lookouts, sandstone cliffs and caves all in the midst of the Pilliga Forrest. Barkala Farm is also home to Pilliga Pottery and the Blue Wren Bush Cafe (not open for dinner on Wednesday night), offering demonstrations and workshops, traditional European inspired fresh foods with ingredients from our organic green house and home made Gelato. Campers can also enjoy feeding the farm animals, our salt water pool and campfires.

Activities

Biking

Hiking

Swimming

Wildlife watching

Natural features

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Forest

River, stream, or creek

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96%

169 Ratings · 121 reviews

Daniela O.recommends

May 1, 2024

Kellies Campground

A very special place

One of my favourite Hipcamps ever. It is very rare to have a place that offers such a great and generous bush camping area as well as many wonderful bushwalks that you can take your dogs on (on leash please, respect the wildlife). I kept extending and extending because this is so wonderful. In the end I will have been here for nearly three weeks - and I rarely stay anywhere longer than a few days. Kellie’s campground is a large, flat bush camp area suitable to caravans, tents, campers etc of any size. It has toilets and showers near the entrance if you need them and is still within easy walking distance to the pottery and Cafe if you want some activities or food. Goanna Campground is right near the pottery and swimming pool and has access to trampoline, volley ball court etc so probably more the family place to go. Your choice. Coonabarabran is half an hour away to stock up. It also has a public dump point as well as a - somewhat temperamental - public water access at the Visitor Centre ($2 for all the water our caravan and several canisters would take.) The last 10km are on a good dirt road that is easy with a 4wd and very doable with a 2wd. Just some corrugations and a couple of spots of ruts but really nothing dramatic. Can’t recommend this place highly enough!

Isa G.recommends

April 28, 2024

Kellies Campground

Great, quite campsite with great opportunity for coffee in the morning. We only stayed one night, would have loved to stay longer to try one of the pottery classes.

Natalie S.recommends

April 22, 2024

Kellies Campground

Camp amidst the birds & stars

Beautiful star gazing, peaceful camping, great facilities & overall a wonderful experience at Pillaga Pottery Hipcamp. My daughter did the wheel throwing class with Joel and I did some free clay play.. she loved it. So excited to get our take home gifts. It was such a lovely morning followed a stunning bushwalk. We will be back. Thanks Maria !

Carolyn R.recommends

April 21, 2024

Kellies Campground

Finding this campsite was great good fortune - it was a special place to stay, we wish the stay had been longer. We really appreciated the care and attention to detail that had obviously gone into setting up the amenities building. It was special!

Bray B.recommends

April 19, 2024

Kellies Campground

We stayed at Kellies Campground and absolutely loved it! So private, with plenty of space to set up a nice spot with a fire. So close to bathrooms with hot water and clean amenities and only a short walk to cafe and pottery with lovely staff that made us feel welcome and comfortable. Will definitely be returning 🏕️ Thank you Maria 😊

Anne D.recommends

April 19, 2024

Kellies Campground

Terrific place to visit

We loved staying at Kelly's Campground- we were able to have a campfire and stargaze at the amazing night sky. A bonus was the ability to have a hot shower and dawdle over to the cafe for great coffee and food and meet very friendly people. The pottery itself and the quirky garden were a lot of fun to explore and our guided bushwalk rewarded us with excellent views over the forest. I am not a fan of dirt roads - we drive a small hiace van- but the 10kms in, while corrugated and rough in places, was not too bad so I wouldn't let the road put you off, weather permitting of course. I would absolutely recommend that people visit Pillaga Pottery and stay at the campground.

Location

Coonabarabran, New South Wales, AustraliaTraditional, ancestral territory of Kamilaroi First Nations according to To respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking

Hosted by Maria N.Joined in March 2017

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Hipcamp acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders past, present and future and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.