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Zazen Permaculture Farm

Hosted by Peter · Cooktown, Queensland
4 sites · RV, Tent
94%
·
66 reviews
Avatar
We are 100% committed to sustainable living and do our best to do this. We have a 40-acre property with only about 10 acres cleared and the rest is natural rainforest. We have only been living here since September 2011 so everything is still a work in progress, but it is all coming together really great. We have cows, pigs, guinea fowl, a cat and a brilliant Border Collie dog called Buddy who is everybody's mate. I love woodwork and furniture making, have my owned timber mill and built my owned house with every piece of wood coming of the mill, The bush bath is a feature with most guests taking advantage of a hot bath in the moonlight. We have a substantial vegie garden with a large variety of plants and also about 100 fruit trees in our orchard. Everything is done on Permaculture and Bio Dynamic (Demeter) principles. I am not doing Hipcamping for the money, my main goal is to share with visitors a different lifestyle based on health, happiness, self responsibility and freedom, I am very easy to talk to and look forward to having a chat.We have a 40 acre property where we practice Permaculture and Bio Dynamic farming, the farm is situated in rainforest country, is very quiet and peaceful with lots of gardens and animals.  We are 100% committed to sustainable living and do our best to do this. We have a 40 acre property with only about 10 acres cleared and the rest is natural rainforest. We have only been living here since September 2011 so everything is still a work in progress but it is all coming together really great. We have cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, geese, peacocks, guinea fowl, pigeons, quails a cat and a brilliant Border Collie dog called Buddy. We have a substantial vegie garden with a large variety of plants and also about 100 fruit trees in our orchard. Everything is done on Permaculture and Bio Dynamic (Demeter) principles with all animal manures are recycled via compost back into the soil.

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Zazen Camping

94%
(77)
RV/tent site · Sleeps 6 · Vehicles under 13 m
We have a 40 acre property where we practice Permaculture and Bio Dynamic farming, the farm is situated in rainforest country, is very quiet and peaceful with lots of gardens and animals.  We are 100% committed to sustainable living and do our best to do this. We have a 40 acre property with only about 10 acres cleared and the rest is natural rainforest. We have only been living here since September 2011 so everything is still a work in progress but it is all coming together really great. We have cows, pigs, chickens, turkeys, geese, peacocks, guinea fowl, pigeons, quails a cat and a brilliant Border Collie dog called Buddy. We have a substantial vegie garden with a large variety of plants and also about 100 fruit trees in our orchard. Everything is done on Permaculture and Bio Dynamic (Demeter) principles with all animal manures are recycled via compost back into the soil.
Campfires allowed
Toilet
Potable water
Pets allowed
Electrical hookup
Water hookup
from
AU$31
/ night
for NaN guests

Reviews

94% Recommend77 Ratings · 66 reviews
Recommends
· November 2025
Tent ·
Zazen Camping
Our stay with Pete and Rose was lovely. They created such a beautiful home for themselves and showed us the whole place. In the evening, we had a fire and some drinks together which was very nice! The cherry on the cake is their puppy Mate who loves people. Glad they want to share their home with travelers. Would love to come back again. Thank you for showing us around!
L
Lorenzo G.
2 months on Hipcamp
Recommends
· October 2025
Peace on earth
4 m travel trailer · With pets ·
Zazen Camping
Beautiful place! So quiet and peaceful, full of bird life and close to Cooktown! Loved being here with my border collies who enjoyed their freedom and other campers’ company 😇 Dave was extremely helpful and full of local knowledge!! we will be back next year!
T
Tina R.
2 reviews
Recommends
· October 2025
10 m travel trailer · With kids ·
Zazen Camping
We had a great stay. Nothing was a problem. Great quiet camp close to Cooktown. Beautiful bird life. Would definitely stay again
Avatar
Kellie W.
3 reviews
Recommends
· September 2025
Very special place
6 m Class B · With kids ·
Zazen Camping
Peter and Rose were the most gracious and lovely hosts. Zazen quickly became one of favourite spots that we camped during our family trip to Cairns and surrounds. The camp site has basic amenities, but is completely surrounded by rainforest and established fruit trees. Peter gave us a tour around the farm in morning, showing us their farm and beautiful timber home that he had built himself. We were even gifted a lovely bunch of sugar bananas and an exotic black sapote! Feeding passionfruits to the cows was a fun little experience for us. We would definitely stay here again on our travels. Thanks for sharing this beautiful little part of the world with us! 😊
P
Pranav V.
3 months on Hipcamp
Recommends
· September 2025
Where you want to stay by Cooktown
Tent ·
Zazen Camping
A lovely spot 15 minutes from the centre of Cooktown. Peter and Rose are awesome hosts and provided a bunch of firewood for us during our 2 night stay. We spent a couple hours on one night sitting round the fire having a beer with them, learning more about the area and trading stories. A great trip. We can’t wait to visit again.
J
Jackson M.
2 reviews
Recommends
· August 2025
10 m travel trailer · With kids ·
Zazen Camping
This place is absolutely beautiful, only about 15 minutes from Cooktown. The hosts, Peter and Rose, were incredibly welcoming and genuinely lovely, which made the stay even more special. The property is spacious, affordable, and has such a peaceful atmosphere. I’ll definitely be recommending it to family and friends—it’s a hidden gem worth experiencing!
J
Jazmin P.
7 reviews
Recommends
· August 2025
13 m travel trailer ·
Zazen Camping
Great camp grounds, friendly hosts. Enjoyed our time there.
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Sharon B.
15 reviews
Recommends
· June 2025
5 m car ·
Zazen Camping
Had a great time camping at Zazen! Peter and Rose (and buddy the border collie) were very friendly and accommodating, showing us around the garden and treating us to some produce that was in season. We were able to help ourselves to firewood and had a great yarn around the fire. It was very quiet and peaceful, we'd love to come back again!
R
Rob D.
12 reviews
Recommends
· June 2025
6 m Class B ·
Zazen Camping
Peter and his partner were very welcoming on our stay at Zazen, we were shown around and lucky enough to be gifted some fruits. Nice to know Peter makes most (possibly all?) of the woodwork items you see around the farm. Overall, this was exactly what we were after for a couple nights to get away from the caravan parks. Thanks guys!
J
Josh M.
7 months on Hipcamp
Recommends
· June 2025
6 m travel trailer · With pets ·
Zazen Camping
Lovely spot. Peter is very accommodating and has some interesting stories about the region and the fruits he grows on his farm. He actually gave us some to try and take with us.
Avatar
Deb C.
6 reviews
Recommends
· September 2024
Great camp!
13 m travel trailer · With kids ·
Zazen Camping
Great camp! Awesome hosts. Glad we found this little gem. Was a good base to explore Cooktown and the coloured sands. Loved having fire wood supplied, green grass, water and hot tub. A little oasis! Thanks for letting us sample the yummy fruit!
A
Alicia C.
1 year on Hipcamp
Mixed feelings
· September 2024
Tent ·
Zazen Camping
Overall we had a great experience. Peter and Rose were excellent communicators and very welcoming, enjoying a chat shortly after arrival. They welcomed us to look at Peter’s creations and enjoyed watching birds and learning about the area. We enjoyed the fire heated bath set privately away from the camp. Our only concern was that a group of 3 camper families returned after nightfall when we thought we had it to ourselves, and as we were then all in one spot it felt awkward being in such close proximity. This wasn’t the hosts fault directly though, as I don’t believe he knew they had come back until the morning. I just think this camp site is suitable for one large group or just one party though.
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Amba B.
3 reviews
Recommends
· September 2024
5 m car ·
Zazen Camping
We felt welcome and safe at the property. Peter shared a beer around the fire with us in the late arvo and showed us around the garden. We had plenty of privacy.
C
Chloe T.
2 reviews
Recommends
· July 2024
4 m Class B ·
Zazen Camping
Peter was a great host. He and Rose were very welcoming and joined us around the fire for a drink and shared their knowledge of the area. They also gave us some of their home grown produce. Lovely friendly people
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Amanda C.
3 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· July 2024
Great site!
8 m Class A · With kids ·
Zazen Camping
Camping at Peters was a super experience . You are in the middle of the rainforest.
R
Rebecca F.
5 reviews
Recommends
· November 2023
1 m Class B ·
Zazen Camping
Absolutely beautiful spot in the middle of paradise just outside Cooktown. I had a really peaceful sleep while camping on Peter's land, and the facilities made for a comfortable and stress free stay. Peter and Rose were great company and went the extra mile to make the experience one to remember.
B
Bryony M.
2 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· October 2023
Tent · Group trip ·
Zazen Camping
We had a fantastic stay at Peter's farm. The property is beautiful with incredible sunsets, opportunities to see wildlife, and it's a convenient location for accessing the local attractions. I lead field programs for students and there was plenty of space for my group. Peter was kind and generous, and my students learned a lot about sustainable farming methods from him. The nights around the fire were fun and it was nice to have a covered structure to cook under. We hope to be back!
J
Jenna S.
4 reviews
Recommends
· October 2023
Tent · With kids ·
Zazen Camping
Amazing example of how to live cleanly and sustainably. Peter and Rose are wonderful, sharing people and great hosts. Awesome bath and delicious produce!
K
Kate K.
2 reviews
Recommends
· August 2023
Beautiful place and people.
5 m pop-up camper · With kids ·
Zazen Camping
Peter and Rose were very accommodating and wonderful people! They are doing such an excellent job with their land and it was great to have met them. Definitely recommend! Thanks again for having us.
H
Hayley M.
2 reviews
Recommends
· August 2023
Peaceful retreat
5 m travel trailer · With kids ·
Zazen Camping
We loved staying at Zazen with Peter, Rose & Buddy. Their place is a peaceful retreat with amazing gardens & fantastic campsite. We enjoyed a relaxing hot bath under the stars which lead us into a wonderful sleep. Thanks for an awesome stay!
A
Anna P.
3 reviews
Recommends
· August 2023
7 m travel trailer · With kids ·
Zazen Camping
Peter was an excellent host and the property is really interesting. The kids loved the garden and wood fired bath.
G
Garth S.
3 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2023
5 m Class B ·
Zazen Camping
Ruhiger Campingplatz mit schöner Feuerstelle. Peter war sehr zuvorkommend und hat uns mit stolz seinen fantastschen Garten und seine Werkstatt gezeigt
P
Patrick A.
2 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2023
Tent · With kids ·
Zazen Camping
Peter and Rose were wonderful hosts! There was an outside bath heated.by coals from the fire, with plenty of firewood. Would recommend to stay here
J
Joanne O.
3 reviews
Recommends
· August 2023
2 m Class A ·
Zazen Camping
My wife, doggo and I had a wonderful time at Peters place. Tranquil and beautiful, and he and his wife were so lovely. 10/10 would stay agai
M
M C.
3 reviews
Not recommend
· August 2023
13 m travel trailer ·
Zazen Camping
On arrival, we met Peter and Rose who were both very pleasant. We were told we could park anywhere in the area given only to be told the next morning, we may have to move to allow 3 more vans to move in. Once settled we sussed out the flushing toilet that only had old hand towel for toilet paper and no door, just an old doona cover sort of hanging from the roof. The bath was very ordinary and definitely not inviting by our standards. We had booked for 2 nights but only stayed one.
B
Bruce W.
2 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· August 2023
5 m travel trailer ·
Zazen Camping
A bit out of Cooktown but different and worth staying. We were able to hook into power which was appreciated, surrounded by tropical environment. Good to have a fire to chat around at night.
K
Kevin D.
3 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· July 2023
Lovely- sustainable travellers only
9 m travel trailer · With kids ·
Zazen Camping
This is not a place for tourists - unless you are genuinely into sustainable living. The property is peaceful and relaxing and hosts Peter and Rose are lovely and generous. Thanks for sharing your home and your knowledge. We really enjoyed meeting you and our stay. We'll be back!
K
Karley G.
2 reviews
Recommends
· July 2023
Thank you Peter
5 m travel trailer ·
Zazen Camping
We enjoyed camping on Peter‘s land for 3 nights! A great rainforest environment🌴 ……with only 4 sites available at a time……so no being packed in like sardines…..beautiful campfires ( with firewood available) under the Milky Way ⭐️. You need to be self contained although there is a toilet and a tap nearby! Thank you Peter for letting us spend a few days on your piece of paradise! 🌴🌴🌴
A
Astride E.
2 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· July 2023
6 m travel trailer ·
Zazen Camping
We stayed 2 nights at Zazen in the midst of the banana trees and pumpkin patch ! Pete hooked us up with power and he and Rose were very friendly and welcoming. We spent the day exploring Isabella Falls, Hopevale and Elim Beach Coloured Sands then came back and enjoyed a candlelight bath under the stars 🌟 Plenty of firewood to heat up the bath water - magical experience 😀
L
Liesa H.
2 years on Hipcamp
Recommends
· July 2023
Peaceful Remote Camping
5 m Class B ·
Zazen Camping
Peters Place is really peaceful. It feels very remote, which is great, but you also just 20 Minutes away from Cooktown. We really enjoyed enjoyed the quiet. Peter is very friendly and helpful. He made sure to welcome every new guest at the camp and was very generous in offering fresh fruits directly from his side. I would definitely recommend to stay there if you like camping of grid;)
A
Anja H.
2 reviews

Location

Cooktown, Queensland, AustraliaTo respect the Host's privacy, the precise address of this land will be provided after booking
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Hosted by Peter S.

Joined in July 2021
Response rate: 100%Response time: Within an hour

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        1. Australia
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        3. Cooktown

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