Sarawak West camping area
This sheltered camping area is beachside accommodation at its greatest! Set yourself up here and explore the surrounding area.
Accessible by
- 4WD
Camping area facilities
- Campfires allowed (conditions apply)
- Generators allowed (conditions apply)
- Toilets (non-flush)
- Wheelchair access (may require assistance)
- Tent camping
- Caravan camping
- Camper trailer camping
- Campervan camping
- Tent camping beside car
- Walking
- Canoeing and kayaking
- Boating
- Fishing
- Dogs permitted (on leash)
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Sarawak West camping area. Photo credit: Queensland Government
-
Sarawak West camping area. Photo credit: Queensland Government
-
Sarawak West camping area. Photo credit: Queensland Government
Always check
- Park alerts for the latest information on access, closures and conditions.
- Bureau of Meteorology weather forecasts.
- Current bushfire warnings and incidents and also fire bans and restrictions.
- Your camping permit is booked.
- Any park-specific camping information for
Inskip.
- Visiting Inskip safely for important safety information.
Set up your tent, caravan, campervan or camper trailer in one of the shady sites and head off to explore the surrounding area. Drive and walk the beach or throw in a line and see if you can catch a fish for dinner.
If relaxation is more your goal, sit back and read a book in the shade of the coastal sheoaks and Moreton Bay ash.
Why Sarawak?
The names of six camping areas on the Inskip Peninsula recall the area’s past shipping history. This former navy minesweeper plied the coastline from Brisbane to Maryborough via Inskip weekly between 1949 and 1970. It brought supplies including drums of fuel and returned to Brisbane with sugar from Maryborough.
Before you visit
Camping area features
Open camping area behind the foredunes. No formally defined sites.
- Coastal trees provide dappled shade in most areas.
- A few camp sites offer views across the ocean towards K'gari, while other ‘inland’ sites provide shelter from the sun and prevailing ocean winds.
- 4WD vehicles are strongly recommended as all tracks are sand.
Location: Behind the foredunes, off Inskip Point Road. This is the furthest camping area from the entrance of the recreation area.
Also see:
Access: 4WD access via Inskip Point Road on sand tracks. No beach access for vehicles into or out of Sarawak West camping area.
Number of sites: Open area without separately defined sites.
- Occupation of a camp site is on a ‘first in, best placed’ basis.
- Reserving or roping off areas is not permitted.
- All structures under a single camping permit must be in one place and no more than 3m apart.
- Don't spread your camp too far, so others can fit in too; rangers will ask you to move structures that have taken up an unreasonable amount of space.
- Camping more than 30 days is prohibited.
Camp sites are suitable for: Tent camping beside a vehicle, off road camper trailers, campervans and caravans.
Camp site surface: Grass and/or sand.
Facilities: Hybrid toilet blocks are provided in this camping area. One has a wheelchair access ramp.
- No showers.
- No drinking water taps.
- Rubbish bins are located near the camping area exit.
- If you bring a portable toilet, the nearest waste disposal facility is available at the council service facility located on Clarkson Drive just outside of Rainbow Beach. Do not empty portable toilet waste into the camping area toilets. Penalties apply.
- The service facility also has drinking water—take your own water storage containers.
Open fires: Permitted in pre-existing fire sites, except when QPWS-imposed fire prohibitions or Queensland Fire Department (QFD) fire bans are in place. Fuel stoves are recommended.
Also see:
Generators: Only low decibel generators up to 2.0Kva are permitted. Turn generators off after 9pm.
Essentials to bring: Drinking water, rubbish bags, insect repellent, fuel or gas stove first-aid kit, sunscreen, sand pegs.
- For camp fires bring clean, untreated firewood such as milled timber off-cuts.
- Bring kindling and fire lighters as collecting and burning wood, including leaves and twigs, from the protected area is illegal and penalties apply.
- Don't bring bush timber for firewood. It may contain pests and diseases, which could kill native plants.
- If you bring a portable toilet, please dispose of your toilet waste at the Gympie Regional Council service facility on Clarkson Drive just north of Rainbow Beach. Do not empty portable toilet waste into the camping area toilets. Penalties apply.
- The Gympie Regional Council service facility also has drinking water—take your own water storage containers.
Also see:
Mobile phone coverage: Intermittent.
Bookings
Camping permits are required before setting up camp. Book online or learn about our camping booking options. Advance bookings are required, especially for holiday periods including long weekends and public holidays.
Also see:
Visiting safely
For more safety information see Visiting Inskip safely and camp with care.
- Planned site rehabilitation and maintenance closures 12 August 2025 to 7 March 2026
- Sarawak West Toilet block relocation, 11- 29 August 2025 11–29 August 2025
- Severe weather damage and shoreline retrogression - M.V. Natone camping area 26 June 2025 to 26 June 2026
- New waste transfer stations for Great Sandy National Park, Cooloola Recreation Area 14 May to 30 September 2025
- Annual Cooloola Hazard Reduction Burn Program 1 May to 31 August 2025
- Nearshore landslide Inskip Peninsula 12 July 2024 to 9 January 2026
- Beware marine stingers (jellyfish)
Conditions report
Inskip conditions report Updated 31 Jul 2025
Critical information for your safety is included in the conditions report—always check it before you visit.