There are plenty of grey nomads who aren’t big fans of having to book national park campsites online, but most now acknowledge that they are never going to see a return to honesty boxes or rangers making cash collections.
Failing that then, the best that can be hoped for are improvements to the systems currently in place.
Western Australia is the latest state to announce changes that it says will make planning trips to national parks and reserves simpler and more convenient.
It says it will be launching a new online booking system by the middle of next year.
Bookeasy Australia Pty Ltd has been selected to build the new system for customers purchasing park entry passes, and booking campsites managed by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA).
Competition for campsites may be fierce in beautiful Cape Le Grand National Park, WA
DBCA Assistant Director Visitor Services Nathan Greenhill said the new system would make it easier for visitors to find and book their next park experience.
“We want visitors to start their trip with a straightforward, user-friendly booking experience,” he said. “Improvements over the current system will include a smarter search experience with interactive maps, improved filters and clearer results, making it easier to identify available sites and plan trips.”
Mr Greenhill said campers will also receive notifications before, during and after their stays.
DBCA says user feedback and testing will help shape the system’s development to ensure it is accessible, intuitive and meets visitors’ needs.
The platform will be designed to cater for high demand during peak visitation periods and give park managers and tourism partners better tools to manage visitor demand and local operations.
In 2025-26 there were more than 190,000 online bookings for DBCA-managed campsites, up from 164,000 online bookings in the previous 12-months.
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