It may have just rolled into spring but if you want that prime campsite for a summer weekend with friends then you should be booking already. To help with your selections, we’ve compiled a list of five east coast campsites that typify the best of beachside camping. Starting from down south: Pretty Beach, Murramarang National Park on the south coast of NSW.

This region fields more visitors from Sydney than anywhere else, so the decision is often between time in the car verse time at camp. The further south you travel the more it feels like you’re escaping the clutches of the city. But if you’re only gone for a few days then you don’t want to spend the majority of it in a car seat.

Pretty Beach is three and a half hours south of Sydney and one of those campgrounds that satisfies all tastes. The campsite sits on a headland, nestled behind a line of trees that offer some protection from nasty weather. There’s a grassy knoll filled with lazing roos that leads down to that pretty beach, which sits in a bay. There’s a few good surf spots around the corner, some nice walking trails, and a town nearby for a better coffee and other essential supplies. You don’t need to leave the campsite though: the office sells ice and the obligatory ice creams. There’s also powered sites for those who require it.

Pretty Beach sits inside Murramarang National Park so bookings are run by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.