Outback Festival Winton 2027 Campervan Hire and Camping Guide

Which rental brands suit the Outback Festival in Winton?

Twelve brands we compare returned campervans, motorhomes or 4WD campers from Cairns in our live search for 18 to 28 September 2027: Adventure Rentals, Apollo, Autosleepers, Britz, Camperman, Campervan Village, Jucy, Maui, Mighty, Spaceships, Star RV and Travellers Autobarn. Winton is a long way from any depot, so pick a van you are happy to live in for 10 nights and roughly 1,900 km of driving. We found no festival rules about rental vehicles, but read each brand's terms on unsealed roads and remote travel before you book, because some side trips around Winton leave the bitumen.

• Budget two to four sleepers: Campervan Village (Mini Camper with a rooftop tent, Aventus, Johnny Feelgood, Alice Chillgood), Spaceships (Alpha, Beta 2S, Beta 4 Berth), Travellers Autobarn (Budgie, Chubby, Hitop, Kuga), Jucy (Chill'd Sunseeker, Condo, Crib Plus), Camperman (Juliette, Maxie 3) and Autosleepers Hitop suit couples and small groups who will use the showers at the festival campsite or a caravan park.
• Self-contained with shower and toilet: our shower and toilet filter returned the Camperman Maxie 4, Autosleepers Kea Nomad, Mighty Duo, Deuce, Deuce Plus, Double Up and Big Six, Apollo Euro Mini, Euro Tourer, Euro Plus, Euro Quest, Euro Camper and Euro Deluxe, Star RV Polaris 2 and 6, and Maui Ultima, Ultima Plus, Beach and River. These suit free camping at Long Waterhole, which has no facilities.
• Four to six berths for families: Mighty Double Up and Big Six, Apollo Euro Quest, Euro Camper and Euro Deluxe, Britz Voyager, Maui Beach and River, Star RV Polaris 6 and the Jucy Condo and Crib Plus.
• 4WD campers: Campervan Village (D5 4x4, Grip 4x4, Desert Sands), Mighty 4WD Camper, Apollo 4WD Adventure Camper and Overland Camper, Britz Maverick and Warrior 4WD, and Adventure Rentals Toyota Prado and Hilux campers. Consider one if you want the unsealed roads to Lark Quarry or Bladensburg National Park, subject to the brand's own road rules.

Our Cairns search lets you change the drop-off city if you would rather finish in Brisbane, and our Brisbane search returned 11 of the same brands for similar dates.

How much does campervan hire for the Outback Festival cost?

Prices below are in Australian dollars per day from our live Cairns search on 19 October 2026, picking up Saturday 18 September 2027 and returning Tuesday 28 September 2027 (10 nights). The search returned 65 vehicles, and most showed Available Now with instant confirmation. The results page also shows a total for the hire, for example $688.82 for the Campervan Village Mini Camper and $750.11 for the Spaceships Alpha.

• Two to three sleepers without a shower or toilet: about $48 to $251 a day (Campervan Village Mini Camper to Britz Trailblazer).
• Four sleepers without a shower or toilet: about $88 to $216 a day (Jucy Chill'd Sunseeker, Jucy Condo, Spaceships Beta 4 Berth, Jucy Crib Plus, Britz Voyager).
• Two to three sleepers with shower and toilet: about $157 to $305 a day (Autosleepers Kea Nomad, Mighty Duo and Deuce, Apollo Euro Mini and Euro Tourer, Star RV Polaris 2, Maui Ultima and Ultima Plus).
• Four sleepers with shower and toilet: about $156 to $352 a day (Camperman Maxie 4, Mighty Double Up, Apollo Euro Quest and Euro Camper, Maui Beach).
• Six sleepers: about $284 to $359 a day (Star RV Polaris 6, Mighty Big Six, Apollo Euro Deluxe, Maui River).
• 4WD campers: about $134 to $499 a day (Campervan Village D5 4x4 to Adventure Rentals Toyota Hilux Dual Rooftop Tent).

Our Brisbane search for 17 to 29 September 2027 showed a similar spread, from about $52 to $428 a day. These rates leave out insurance excess options, one-way fees, extras such as camping kits, and fuel, which adds up on a round trip of roughly 1,900 km from Cairns. They also leave out festival costs. Event tickets are sold online, and the festival campsite charged $329 for a seven-night powered site, $245 for five nights, or $29 a night unpowered in 2025. Check the official festival camping page for 2027 prices.

Winton camping during the Outback Festival

You can camp in a campervan at the festival's own campsite, at a caravan park in town or at the free Long Waterhole camp. The festival says Winton accommodation often sells out well in advance, so book as soon as 2027 bookings open. The festival camping page still shows 2025 dates and prices, so treat the figures below as a guide.

Festival Campsite at the Winton Showgrounds

• Powered sites: for caravans or campervans only. In 2025 a seven-night package (21 to 28 September) was $329 and a five-night package (23 to 28 September) was $245. The festival says powered sites are limited and sell until sold out.
• Unpowered sites: for tents, caravans or campervans, $29 per site per night with a two-night minimum in 2025.
• Booking: online only through the festival website. Bookings are non-refundable and cancellation fees apply, so the festival recommends travel insurance.
• Arrival: enter from Cork Street and follow the signs. Staff allocate sites on arrival, and adjoining sites are only kept together for groups that book together. In 2025 the campground opened at 10am two days before the festival, and the festival asked campers not to arrive earlier. 2027 opening times are not yet published.
• Facilities: toilets, hot showers, an onsite coffee stall and a free shuttle to festival venues. The FAQ describes the campsites as for self-contained visitors.
• Rules: one vehicle per site, with a vehicle entry pass issued on arrival. Generators are allowed but not between 10pm and 8am. Fires and firepits are not permitted. Dogs are allowed on a leash at the campsite, but not at Tent City or the Eric Lenton Memorial Recreation Grounds concert venue.
• Water: Winton's water is artesian. The festival says it is safe to drink but has a sulphur smell.

If you would rather not sleep in the van, Club Paterson Tent City offers made-up safari tents near Elderslie Street. In 2025 a five-night package started from $96 a night for two people.

Caravan parks in Winton

The festival lists four caravan parks: Pelican Caravan Park and Cabins (92 Elderslie Street, 07 4657 1478), Tatts Hotel Van Park (Tattersalls Hotel, Elderslie Street, 07 4657 1309), Winton Roadhouse Cabins and Caravan Park (43 Chirnside Street, 07 4657 0404) and Winton Wanderers Caravan Park (Landsborough Highway, 0456 354 975). Ring them directly for festival week rates and availability, and see the official accommodation page.

Free camping at Long Waterhole

• Where: Experience Winton lists Long Waterhole as free camping off Jundah Road. The turnoff is 1.9 km from town and the waterhole is a further 1 km.
• Facilities: none, so arrive with water, food and empty tanks, and take all rubbish with you. A van with a shower and toilet is the easier choice here.
• Access: Experience Winton asks you to check road conditions first. Camper reviews describe a gravel track, so confirm your rental terms allow it.
• Council rules: Winton Shire Council's local law only permits camping on council land in a designated caravan park or camping area, or more than 200 metres by road from a designated town area, and never within 10 metres of a watercourse. Camping is banned at Barry Wilson Park, Hollow Log Park, Patricia Bucknell Memorial Park, beside the Winton Public Library and at Travellers Rest, so do not sleep in your van in town.

Bladensburg National Park

The Bough Shed Waterhole camping area in Bladensburg National Park is closed until 31 January 2027, according to Queensland Parks and Wildlife. When open it allows tent and camper trailer camping but no caravan camping, no generators and no dogs, needs a paid permit, and the booking page recommends a high-clearance 4WD. It does not suit most hire campervans.

How to get from Cairns to the Outback Festival in Winton

Winton is about 946 km by road from Cairns, around 12 hours of driving, so allow two days each way, or three if you prefer shorter days. The festival says Winton is reachable on fully sealed bitumen roads. The sealed route from Cairns is:

• Cairns to Townsville: about 347 km on the Bruce Highway.
• Townsville to Charters Towers: about 136 km on the Flinders Highway.
• Charters Towers to Hughenden: about 248 km on the Flinders Highway.
• Hughenden to Winton: about 215 km on the Kennedy Developmental Road, which the Hughenden visitor site describes as fully sealed but narrow in some sections.

Do not take the inland Kennedy Developmental Road via The Lynd from the Cairns side unless your rental terms allow unsealed roads, as Queensland's transport department reported unsealed sections still remained at the end of 2023.

Fuel, road trains and phone coverage

• Fuel: Experience Winton says the closest towns to Winton are 158 km to 214 km apart, so refuel at every town and watch for No Fuel signs.
• Road trains: they can tow up to four trailers and run 25 to 50 metres long, so only overtake with a long clear stretch of road.
• Wildlife: watch for kangaroos and emus, especially at dawn and dusk, and avoid driving at night.
• Phone coverage: the festival says Winton has Telstra 4GX only, and outlying areas have no reception except satellite, so download maps before you leave.
• Road conditions: check QLDTraffic and the Winton Shire Council road conditions page before you set off.

From Brisbane instead

The festival puts Winton about 1,300 to 1,350 km from Brisbane on the Matilda Highway, roughly 16 to 17 hours of driving via Roma, Barcaldine and Longreach, so allow three days each way. Our Brisbane campervan hire page returned 11 brands for September 2027.

Parking in Winton

Elderslie Street closes during the festival. There is street parking near the festival precincts, and a free shuttle runs between the venues, the campsites and Tent City. Start from our Cairns campervan hire page and see the official getting here page.

An 11 day Outback Festival campervan trip from Cairns

This plan matches our search dates, collecting on Saturday 18 September and returning on Tuesday 28 September 2027. The 2027 program is not yet published, so the festival days below follow the 2025 program and may change.

Day 1 (Saturday 18 September): Cairns to Townsville

Collect your campervan in Cairns, stock up on food and water and drive about 347 km south on the Bruce Highway to Townsville.

Day 2 (Sunday 19 September): Townsville to Hughenden

Head inland on the Flinders Highway through Charters Towers to Hughenden, about 384 km. Refuel in each town.

Day 3 (Monday 20 September): Hughenden to Winton

Drive the sealed 215 km to Winton, arriving in daylight. Check in at your caravan park or the festival campsite if it is open, and collect your wristband from the Festival Information Office on Elderslie Street.

Day 4 (Tuesday 21 September): The festival opens

Day one in 2025 brought the Outback Ironman and Ironwoman, kids events and night entertainment.

Day 5 (Wednesday 22 September): Australian Age of Dinosaurs

Drive 24 km on a sealed road to the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum on The Jump-Up, which opens Tuesday to Saturday in September 2027, with tours on the hour from 9am to 1pm. Book ahead in school holidays, then return for the Outback Aussie Sports.

Day 6 (Thursday 23 September): Bush poets and Waltzing Matilda

Start with the Bush Poets Breakfast, then visit the Waltzing Matilda Centre, which also runs the Winton Visitor Information Centre.

Day 7 (Friday 24 September): Dunny Derby

In 2025 the Quilton Australian Dunny Derby ran on the Friday, with gates open at 1pm and racing from 4:30pm. Check the 2027 day in the program.

Day 8 (Saturday 25 September): Final day

In 2025 the last full day brought the Outback Century Cycle Challenge, the Whip Cracking Championships, the Grand Parade and markets on the main street.

Day 9 (Sunday 26 September): Winton to Hughenden

Pack up and drive back to Hughenden. If your hire allows unsealed roads, the Dinosaur Stampede at Lark Quarry is 110 km south-west of Winton, with 35 km unsealed, and is worth an extra day.

Day 10 (Monday 27 September): Hughenden to Townsville

Retrace the Flinders Highway to Townsville and refill water and fuel.

Day 11 (Tuesday 28 September): Return to Cairns

Drive the final 347 km early and return the van before your depot's closing time.

Tips for the Outback Festival in a campervan

• Book camping as soon as it opens: powered sites at the festival campsite are limited and Winton accommodation often sells out well in advance.
• Refuel at every town: towns near Winton are 158 km to 214 km apart, and fuel use on a 1,900 km round trip is a real cost.
• Check your rental terms before leaving the bitumen: the main route is sealed, but Lark Quarry has 35 km of unsealed road and Bladensburg National Park suits high-clearance 4WDs.
• Drive in daylight: kangaroos and emus are most active at dawn and dusk, and road trains up to 50 metres long share the highways.
• Pack for dry heat: the festival expects daytime highs around 32°C and nights around 17°C. Carry plenty of drinking water.
• Plan for patchy phone coverage: Winton has Telstra 4GX only, with no reception in outlying areas, so download maps and bookings before you go.