Sounds fair to me. I always thought that was the case, an overnighter, not a long term camping spot.

Sounds OK to us though we do have our reservations. Some Rest Areas have large areas adjacent to them where people stay for a lot longer than one night. Meadow Glen RA on the Barrier Hwy is an example. It has an area as big as a CP at the rear & along side it mingled with bush. No truck could possible access the area away from the RA as there are lots of trees.
Do the NO CAMPING signs apply just to the RA itself or the whole unofficial bush camp? We stayed there for 3 nights about 300 metres away from the RA proper. Some folk had been staying there for a week or more as it's a very nice area well off the Hwy. Basically everyone was camped along a private property boundary fence on crown land. Where does the RA finish & the bush camp start? Interesting to see if the RMS tries to move people on in those circumstances. There are many similar campgrounds near RA's, at least four of them between Cobar & Broken Hill. We were well rested by the time we arrived in Broken Hill as it took over a week to get there from Cobar.

-- Edited by Desert Dweller on Tuesday 1st of September 2015 07:12:11 PM

Personally after spending my working life as a transport driver 12 hours would be more then long enough for all to share and enjoy these purpose built and maintained RMS rest areas in NSW while travelling between a and b.

To enjoy more then 2 meals in these rest areas is camping to me, to pull out of one and go down the road 15 minutes or so to the next is not fair on the genuine travelling public.

I have heard people say that "if you are not in a rest area by mid day you are on the side of the road", not that many years ago these rest areas would be empty up to around 4 ish in the afternoon.

The Pacific Highway is a classic of being or was up until RMS put up the no camping signage as being over used or miss used as intended on the east coast between Newcastle and the Qld border. So much so on our last trip home from being down Sydney way the one we had lunch in was being enjoyed and room to park our car and van but previously I needed to park in the transport area on another time it was so crowded did not stop for it appeared some were using it stay a little longer. Clothes lines out, awning, chairs and tv set up. Personally to noisy for me with passing traffic.

This is my rant for the day. Ralph.

 

-- Edited by Radar on Tuesday 1st of September 2015 07:28:39 PM

actually I don't think 12hrs is quite long enough especially in winter. We like to be off the road before dark and generally don't get going till after 7am when there is less chance of hitting wild-life and the sun is a bit higher in the sky.

12 hours is not enough for us either, it does take at least that to ease the aches and pains away.

May be why some states allow up to 20 hours

we only ever stop for an overnighter if there is nowhere else that is better.

frank

Thank you Troopy

Now I am away from base home unable to get the real regs for driving hours, transport driver for some of their hours don't equal other hours. Night time against day time rest or driving times.

Now I would not have a problem with a traveller pulling into a rest bay at 5pm and leaving at 8.30am, 16 hours later, meal break, sleep breakfast and gone.

The ones pulling in earlier then this and having lunch, dinner, sleep and breakfast thats questionable.

Now you say ah "but he drove for 4 hours from the last overnight spot", there not a traveller they are wandering about living a dream camping where and mostly as long as they like.

These rest area are as the sign reads Rest Area for travelling Public.

Now the question is how long is a rest period 15, 30 minutes or 4, 8, 12 hours, not because we don't want to be on the road because there maybe a wandering animal could come and get you. Sun to high, sun to low, We do't support caravan parks or low cost showgrounds, yes lots of reason to stay longer, the rules are made for all travelling motorist.

As a caravanist (my new word for the day) I also like to start looking for a overnight rest area after about 4pm on and leave after breakfast next morning and once I was not well pulled up just after lunch parked up for the afternoon but was on a low traffic highway and left mid morning. Shared the rest area with 2 transports and couple of others during the night, the area was very big and got over near the fence out of the road.

I do try to thing of others and I enjoy my travells with out causing problems for others. Ralph.

 

I think everyone here is saying the same thing here and that's confirming the RMS definition of Rest Areas / No camping / 24 hr camping. I think the RMS article is quite clear and I think identical rules apply in all states. Certainly did in NSW & Qld in the 1980s. Not sure about Vic. Hope this is not another set of rules that vary from state to state.

This is something that has never really bothered me. I usually plan ahead where I am going to stop and nearly always find a pleasant spot off the main road where I can have an overnight sleep and a bit of relaxation. I can think of nothing more hideous than sleeping in a rest area with a thousand others, parked near a garbage bin with trucks coming and going down the road next to me. On the occasions when I pull in to the rest area for a cuppa I get right down one end, have a break and then toddle off. Wedged in to some rest stop arguing with a council worker as to why you should be there is not my idea of travelling around in a caravan. Anyway, to each his or her own.

It's also good to pull up in daylight.

Stopped once on the New England highway after dark. Then after a few hours just got a feeling something wasn't quite right. It was a wayside stop but it was also the entry to a pig farm with grain trucks going in an out regularly and several vans of Gypsies parked in a corner who looks like they actually lived there.

Another time with my parents, dad pulled up about midnight in what he thought was a country lane, layed the seats in the old Vanguard out to a full bed and we all when to sleep. Some other vehicles pulled up too so dad thought it must be a good overnight stop. Then about 5:00 am all hell broke loose. We were actually camped in the "trade" entrance to the Albury showgrounds and it was set-up day for the show. We had blocked off access to all the carnival trucks, food vans, cattle trucks etc. waiting to setup.

At least that person got an answer; i made the same enquiry two yrs back a still waiting.

JC.

a clear and easily understood letter from a Govt Dept - sack that woman or man that wrote it !!!!!!!!!

We've been travelling for 4 years now and never camped at a roadside stop on a main highway.

Be worse than staying in a CP I reckon. Specially if it was crowded.

Plenty of places to camp all over this great country.

 

Hi all. Just want to ask the question as to what people would do if the RMS come out with a policy in regards to rest area's where as it places NO OVERNIGHT STAY for campers, caravans and motorhomes? What will be the next option to overnight stays? I ask this because the RMS is in the process of developing a new strategy in the guidelines in Rest Area's and their intended use, and if they do place these signs there the aftermath will be a lot of people being fined.

You guys are making an issue over nothing . Play on words . Free camping , overnight sleep . Much the same .. We just keep clear of trucks ., in most cases there's RV spots and semi's seperate .. Another they often ask is have grey / black tanks . Like people have to be told ?