We are 5km south-west from ‘The Tip’. You can see the headland from our beach at Punsand Bay, however, driving there takes between 40 minutes and 1 hour, depending on road conditions and traffic. We’re the closest commercial campground to ‘The Tip’.

Drive time from Cairns directly to us, via the ‘main road’, is about 14 to 15 hours depending on road conditions. If you’re trying to get here ASAP, for safety’s sake, we recommend at least 1 overnight stop. Then you’ve got all the great stops and side tracks to do along the way. So take as long as you can spare, either on your way up or on your way back down again.

We believe that in an ideal world a bare minimum stay would be 4 nights.

• Day 1. Arrive at Punsand Bay Cape York Camping, check in and settle in.
• Day 2. Spend the day exploring the local area by vehicle. A nice day’s drive is to The Tip (maybe via the Roma Flats Track depending on your 4wding experience and track conditions). Then through the Lockerbie Scrub Rainforest to Somerset Beach. On to Fly Point and the East Coasts “5 Beach Run”. Then back to us via The Croc Tent (for some great Cape York merchandise and souvenirs.
• Day 3. One day to visit Thursday / Horn Island, part of the Torres Strait Islands, or maybe take a boat trip to nearby Roko Island and Pearl Farm or get picked up from our beach for a Fishing Charter.
• Day 4. Plus, most importantly, one day to relax, do nothing, recover from the long drive up and prepare for the drive back.

Then there is always walks along the beach, fishing, drives to nearby beaches etc, which is why many people stay much longer.

That’s us. We have a freshwater swimming pool for the kids and kids at heart.

After a long day of corrugations, kick back and relax in the The Corrugation Bar. The Corrugation Bar has a selection of icy cold tap beers, bottled wines – red, white & sparkling – a huge variety of stubbies, cider, ginger beer, seltzers, spirits and a selection of non alcoholic beverages available. A great place to meet other travellers and swap stories.

We offer an a la carte menu for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner and we also have a bakery cabinet, which is topped up with fresh goods every morning. The Corrugation Bar is open 7 days per week from June – October. Opening times / days vary throughout the time of season.

Try our famous Wood Fired Pizzas which are 6 nights a week and Sundays for lunch.

We have a espresso coffee machine operated by a trained barista available every day. We have a range of alternative milks, syrups & full coffee menu. Our coffee is supplied by a local Cairns business and our beans are “Black Bird Coffee”. Open 7 days per week from 8am (dry/peak season) so you don’t miss your caffeine hit before your head off exploring for the day.

Our beautiful reception is fully stocked with awesome Cape York Merch – tees, footy shorts, stubby coolers, bar runners, key rings and so much more.

We have a cold drinks fridge, sunglasses, thongs (in case you have a blow out), fishing gear ice, bait and ice creams.

We sell basic products such as: bread, long life milk, maps, basic 1st Aid and toiletry items etc. It’s best to stock up with your main grocery items etc. on your way through Bamaga or Seisia.

• We have 3 Amenities Blocks with hot showers and toilets. We also have a disabled person’s toilet and shower room.
• We have a Laundry with coin operated Washing Machines and Dryers. Change and washing powder sachets are available at our Reception / Bar. Our laundry is small but open 24 hours.

One of the side effects of our campground being in such a peaceful out of town location is that we’re a bit far away from the communities to have treated town water. So, most of our water is untreated creek / soak / bore water.

We recommend boiling water before drinking. Bottled drinking water can be purchased from the bar. We can also fill small personal drink bottles (max. 1Lt) with filtered rainwater. But unfortunately we simply can’t store enough rainwater for everyone to fill large tanks /containers.

Large tanks and containers can be filled with treated drinking water on your way to us at BP Bamaga and BP Seisia on your way out to us.

The nearest shops to us are at Bamaga Ibis or Seisia Supermarket. Best to stock up with your grocery items, fuel, etc. on your way through. There is also a pharmacy, post office, service stations, bakery & general goods store.

We offer a Free Tour Booking and Information Service and can arrange the following tours for you. Just ask at Reception.

• Punsand Bay Aviation offers Scenic Helicopter Flights, island & airport transfers & custom packages operating from our beautiful beach 7 days per week
• Thursday Island, Horn Island & Friday Island – Ferry, Island Tours, Charter Boats
• Roko Island Pearl accommodation stays
• Albany Island day trips & custom transfers
• Fishing Charters/li>

No – Gas Bottles can be refilled on your way through to us at the Seisia BP Service Station. Bamaga BP, Seisia BP and the IBIS Supermarket have Swap and Go Gas Bottles.

Campfires are permitted in campsites. Please use existing fire places and keep fires small and smoke to a minimum. Consider your neighbors and extinguish when not attended. Please do not put rubbish in fires. No fires permitted on the beach. Fires are not permitted when there are local fire bans in place.

We get the best range of Telstra 3G/4G/5g on the beach and a less stronger signal in the bar and restaurant area. Optus is very limited.

We have a guest WIFI service available to purchase at reception or the bar. This is available to updated socials, emails etc but not do big downloads like Netflix etc.

Your dogs are welcome – but not in the Restaurant and Bar, pool deck area or the majority of our accommodation. We do ask that you keep them on a leash at all times, clean up after them, do not leave them unattended at your camp for long periods of time and keep them from disturbing your fellow campers. Dog policy applies.

The nearest dump point to us is at Bamaga on Lui Street between Traders & BP Bamaga.

There is also one at Seisia. You could use this on your way to and / or after leaving us.

We do not have a mechanical or maintenance service available at Punsand. You will pass a few Mechanics on your way to us.

• Coy’s Budget Motors in Bamaga – right hand side heading towards BP Bamaga. Ph 4069 3558
• Cape York Mechanics & Vehicle Recovery in Seisia – 1 Tradesman Way (left hand side heading into Seisia). Ph 4069 3182

You can purchase nuts, bolts and miscellaneous items as such from Traders which is near the Bamaga BP.

Punsand Bay Cape York Camping is not subject to any alcohol restrictions but you must drive through the Northern Peninsular Area (NPA) Alcohol Restriction Zone to get here. The following applies within the Restriction Zone:

• The maximum amount of alcohol that can be carried per vehicle is: 2 litres of wine (unfortified) and 1 x 30 can carton of any strength beer, or 2 litres of wine (unfortified) and 1 x 24 can carton of premixed spirits of up to 5.5% alcohol/volume. It is an offense to drink in a public place.

Unlike some other Alcohol Restriction Zones on your way up here you are not exempt from these regulations if you are a bona fide traveller passing through the NPA Alcohol Restriction Zone.

For more local information check out NPARC website.

We have a fully stocked bar and can sell takeaway alcohol to in-house guests only between 10am – 6pm.

Depends on the Wet Season. The main road up is usually open by end of April and generally stays open until well into December, but this can vary from year to year.

During Tourist Season the ferry operates from 8am to 5pm 7 days / week. It closes for lunch between 12pm and 1pm. Please check NPARC website / facebook page for the most current information. https://www.nparc.qld.gov.au/ | https://www.facebook.com/NorthernPeninsulaAreaRegionalCouncil/

Depending on current road conditions we are 1hr to 1.5hrs drive from Jardine River Ferry.

Depending on current road conditions we are 30min to 45min drive from Bamaga / Seisia.

Generally we open from the end of April through to early December depending on weather. Pre-bookings are highly encouraged. Most years our official tourist season kicks off from the 1st May.

Yes – there are crocodiles. Croc Country begins south of Gladstone & stretches all the way to the Tip of Australia reaching across to the NT border. During our tourist season, crocs tend to stay further away from the beach due to the hustle & bustle. Just because you cannot see the crocodile, it doesn’t mean there is not once close by.
We do not recommend swimming at our beach, even though it looks tempting. That’s what the pool is for! For some tips in staying safe in croc country check out Crocwise.

Yes we do have powered campsites. We are 100% off grid running off solar power, batteries & back up generators.

Yes, you can land a helicopter at Punsand Bay. We have our own on-site helicopter, Punsand Bay Aviation, which operates scenic flights and transfers from our beach seven days a week.

If you are arriving in a private or chartered helicopter, we ask that you call ahead to notify us of your arrival time. There is a designated helicopter landing area on the eastern side of our on-site helicopter pad, located on the beach. From there, it’s just a short walk to our bar and restaurant.

For more details or a landing map, feel free to contact us via email.

No, we strongly advise against swimming in the ocean.

Cape York is home to saltwater crocodiles – apex predators that are experts at staying out of sight.

For a safe & enjoyable swim, our on-site pool is your best options, just be prepared to share it with the kids!

Yes, we do have an in-house site map which is provided to you upon arrival when your campsite is allocated. However, because all of our campsites vary in shape and size, a map doesn’t accurately reflect the specific dimensions of each individual site.

Our experienced team allocates sites based on a range of factors such as van size, setup requirements, number of guests, and whether you’re travelling with pets.

Here’s a general layout:

• Beachfront sites: All unpowered, located along the front of the campground with stunning ocean views.
• Middle and rear sites: Mostly powered, stretching through the central and back sections of the campground.
• Bush unpowered sites: Located at the far end and also in a quieter section called Lily Creek, which is tucked away from the ocean.

We have three amenity blocks spaced throughout the campground for your convenience. While we don’t have a communal camp kitchen, our on-site bar and restaurant are available for meals and drinks.

For tailored advice or help choosing the best site for your setup, feel free to chat with our friendly staff when booking.