The Best Facebook Groups & Apps For Big Lappers

The Big Lap community lives online as much as it does on the road. Facebook groups are where travellers share campsite intel, road condition updates, and advice on everything from the best free camps to where to get a caravan serviced in Broome. And a handful of apps have become genuinely essential, replacing the paper maps and word-of-mouth that older generations relied on. Here are the ones worth your time.

Essential Apps

WikiCamps Australia ($8.99, iOS/Android)

The single most important app for Big Lappers. WikiCamps is a crowd-sourced database of campsites, caravan parks, rest areas, dump points, water refill stations, fuel stops, and points of interest across Australia. Users leave reviews, upload photos, and update information constantly, so the data is remarkably current. You can filter by facilities (powered sites, pet-friendly, free, toilets, water), save favourites, and plan routes. It works offline once you’ve downloaded the map data, which is essential for remote areas with no phone coverage. If you only download one app, make it this one.

Hema Explorer ($59.99/year, iOS/Android)

Where Google Maps shows blank space, Hema shows tracks, station boundaries, water sources, and campsites. Hema Explorer is the digital version of the legendary Hema paper maps and is essential for anyone venturing off sealed roads. The offline maps are detailed and accurate for remote Australia. The annual subscription stings, but if you’re doing the Gibb River Road, Cape York, the Savannah Way, or any outback driving, it’s non-negotiable. The free version has limited functionality; the paid version is worth it.

AnyCamp (Free, iOS/Android)

AnyCamp is a newer camping app that aggregates campsites from multiple sources, including national parks, free camps, and private campgrounds. A solid backup to WikiCamps, and worth having installed for the camps it picks up that others miss.

HipCamp (Free, iOS/Android)

HipCamp connects travellers with privately owned camping spots, from farm stays and bush blocks to vineyard camps. If you’re after something a bit different from the standard caravan park or free camp, HipCamp is worth browsing. Coverage has grown significantly in Australia over the past few years.

NSW National Parks (Free, iOS/Android)

If you’re spending time in New South Wales, the official NSW National Parks app is essential. It covers campground bookings, park information, and walking tracks across the state’s national parks network. Most popular NSW park campgrounds now require online booking, and this app is the easiest way to manage that on the road.

PetrolSpy (Free, iOS/Android)

Crowd-sourced fuel prices with a clean interface and reliable data. An alternative to Fuel Map Australia that many travellers prefer. Particularly useful for finding the cheapest servo in a regional town before you pull in.

Fuel Map Australia (Free, iOS/Android)

Another crowd-sourced fuel price app worth having. In remote areas where fuel can exceed $2.50/litre, the price difference between two servos 50km apart can be 30-40 cents per litre. Over a Big Lap, that adds up to hundreds of dollars. Check either Fuel Map or PetrolSpy before every fill-up.

Live Traffic (Free, iOS/Android)

Live Traffic covers road closures, accidents, roadworks, and incident alerts across Australia. Particularly useful when you’re about to commit to a long unsealed stretch or navigating around a regional town after heavy rain. Check it alongside the state road condition websites for a complete picture.

BOM Weather (Free, iOS/Android)

The Bureau of Meteorology’s official app. Forget third-party weather apps; BOM is the authoritative source for Australian weather, and it’s especially important for the tropics (cyclone tracking, severe weather warnings), outback travel (extreme heat alerts), and coastal driving (storm warnings). The radar view is your best friend when dark clouds appear on the horizon.

CamperMate (Free with premium option, iOS/Android)

Similar to WikiCamps but with a cleaner interface and stronger coverage of New Zealand (handy if you’re doing both countries). The free version covers the basics; premium ($3.99/month) removes ads and adds offline maps. Many travellers use CamperMate alongside WikiCamps, cross-referencing reviews between the two.

Google Maps (Free, iOS/Android)

Still essential for navigation, restaurant and shop searches, and general route planning. Download offline maps for the regions you’re heading to before you lose coverage. Google Maps underestimates towing times (it doesn’t account for reduced speed while towing), so add 15-20% to any ETA it gives you.

The Best Facebook Groups

General Big Lap & Planning Groups

Aussie Big Lappers is a focused community for people doing or planning a lap of Australia. The advice here is specific to long-term travel rather than weekend trips, which makes it more useful for Big Lappers than larger general groups.

Planning a Lap of Australia: Hints and Tips is exactly what it sounds like. Great for pre-departure research and asking questions before you hit the road.

A Lap of Australia for Beginners is a welcoming group for first-timers. No question is too basic, and the community is supportive rather than dismissive of new travellers.

Not Grey Nomads: The Group! is one of the most popular groups on this list. It’s for younger travellers (or those who don’t identify with the grey nomad label) doing extended trips. Very active, with a good mix of route advice, campsite intel, and general Big Lap chat.

And of course, the Big Lap Bible Facebook page is worth following for resources, campsite picks, and travel inspiration for the road.

Free Camping & Budget Groups

Free Camping: Australia is one of the most active free camping groups on Facebook. Members post GPS coordinates, photos, and reviews of free camps that may not appear on WikiCamps yet. Also useful for checking whether a free camp is still accessible (councils sometimes close them with little notice).

Free Camps Australia is another solid free camping group with good coverage of lesser-known spots, particularly in remote areas.

Free and Budget Campsites Australia covers both free camps and low-cost options under $20 a night. A good companion to the free camping groups if you’re travelling on a tight budget.

Free and Donation Caravan and Camping Parks Australia focuses specifically on donation-based camps, which are increasingly common across regional Australia. Worth joining if you want to support towns that offer free or low-cost camping in exchange for local spending.

Campsite & Destination Groups

Best Camping and Caravanning Spots in Australia is a popular group for sharing and discovering great camps across all price points. Good for inspiration when you’re planning a route through a new region.

Specialist Groups

Travelling Australia With Kids is essential for families. Activity recommendations, kid-friendly camps, education on the road, and the reality of travelling with children at different ages.

Caravanning With Kids Australia is more caravan-specific for families, covering van setups for kids, bunk configurations, schooling on the road, and family-friendly parks.

Caravanning With Dogs: Australia covers pet-friendly camps, vet recommendations, heat management, and the challenges of national park restrictions for pet owners.

Women Travelling Solo Australia is a supportive community for solo female travellers with safety tips, meetup coordination, and solo-friendly camp recommendations.

Work for Full-Time Travellers / Caravanners Australia covers remote work, Starlink setups, mobile coverage tips, harvest work opportunities, and the practicalities of earning an income from a caravan.

Caravanning for Newbies Australia is the place to ask questions without embarrassment. If you’re new to towing or just starting to plan your first extended trip, this group is worth joining early.

Caravan Styling, Storage and Hacks Australia is focused on van organisation, storage solutions, and making the most of limited space. Excellent for practical ideas before you hit the road.

Caravans: Buy Swap and Sell Australia is the largest caravan buy-and-sell group on Facebook. If you’re still in the market for a van, or looking to sell before upgrading, this is where most of the action happens.

Other Useful Websites & Resources

WikiCamps website (wikicamps.com.au) mirrors the app data on a larger screen. Useful for planning at home before you leave.

Camps Australia Wide (campsaustraliawide.com) is the book and app that’s been the free camping bible for decades. The app ($7.99) is less user-friendly than WikiCamps but has excellent coverage of free and low-cost camps, particularly in remote areas.

Big Lap Bible (biglapbible.com.au) is Australia’s most comprehensive online resource for Big Lappers, covering route planning, gear guides, campsite reviews, and everything in between. The Big Lap Bible shop also stocks planning resources to help you prepare before you leave.

National Parks booking websites vary by state. Bookmark the relevant ones: Queensland (parks.des.qld.gov.au), NSW (nationalparks.nsw.gov.au), Victoria (parks.vic.gov.au), Tasmania (parks.tas.gov.au), SA (parks.sa.gov.au), WA (parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au), NT (nt.gov.au/parks). Most now require online booking for popular campgrounds.

Road condition websites are essential for outback travel. Each state has an official road conditions site: QLD (131940.qld.gov.au), NT (roadreport.nt.gov.au), WA (mainroads.wa.gov.au), SA (dpti.sa.gov.au). Check before driving any unsealed outback road.

Quick Picks

If you only download three apps: WikiCamps, Google Maps (with offline maps), and BOM Weather.

If you’re going off-road or outback: Add Hema Explorer and check Live Traffic and state road condition websites before every unsealed section.

If you’re budget-focused: Join Free Camping: Australia, Free Camps Australia, and Free and Budget Campsites Australia on Facebook.

If you’re new to caravanning: Start with Caravanning for Newbies Australia and A Lap of Australia for Beginners before you get overwhelmed by the larger groups.