in the grey nomad Times.. Great Story and proof that Grey Nomads are putting money into communities all over Australia and are a Great Asset... unlike what GREEDY CARAVAN PARK OWNERS try to have us to believe..
The road bypassed us ... the grey nomads didn't
Free camp dream stirs a community and saves it from ghost town fate
When the Pacific Highway bypassed Bulahdelah last year, there were many predicting the quick demise of the tiny New South Wales town.
But they hadnt counted on the resolve of the residents. Rather than allowing itself to be turned into a ghost town, Bulahdelah is now proud to call itself a grey nomad town.
Central to the survival strategy has been the transformation of a scrubby, lantana-filled patch of land into an attractive, riverfront, 72-hour, free camping spot with barbecue facilities and tables and chairs. Working on the theory that if you build it, they will come, a motivated army of 50 or so volunteers, with the support of the Lions Club and the local council, refused to let their town die.
Now, on any given night, a dozen or more self-contained RVs will be stopped at Lions Park, and this influx has been a lifesaver to local businesses.
"Bulahdelah might not be quite as busy as it was when the highway went through it, but it is still alive and thriving," Myall Lakes member Stephen Bromhead told the GNT. "Grey nomads show their appreciation by shopping at the supermarket, getting a coffee
at a cafe, or buying fuel it is a win-win situation."
Bulahdelah was fortunate in that the detour from the new highway is a short one, and that there were those with the vision to find a solution to a potentially disastrous set of circumstances.
As a former caravan park owner, as well as an RV owner and a truck driver, the president of the Bulahdelah Lions Club, Arthur Baker, was instrumental in getting the park up and running.
"When I drove at night I would see rest areas packed out with caravans and I thought we just need a way to bring these people into the town," he said. "Thats how it started, but it took years of planning, meetings and hard work to make it happen."
While visiting grey nomads are full of praise for the facilities at Bulahdelah, including a dump point at the showgrounds, and a pub, club, and chemist,
Mr Baker says a minority still does the wrong thing. With the 18-month trial of the facility expiring soon and its operation to be re-negotiated, he says 10% of rule breakers risk spoiling it for the rest.
"We have major issues with grey water disposal, as well as people overstaying the 72-hour limit," said Mr Baker. "Some nomads just cant read!"
He insists the camping area will always be there and will always be free, but it may be policed more strictly in future and fines may be issued.
Mr Baker says the camping area has co co-existed successfully with the towns van park. "Many travellers stay for a few nights at the free camp and then move into the van park for the shower or the laundry," he said. "And, of course, there are many others who would never use a van park, anyway better they stay here than by the side of the highway."
Dougwe said
05:40 PM Oct 12, 2014
I reckon there would be heaps of places like that Blue.
I went past the dish licker track in Warrnambool today and noticed all this land with power boxes around, said to self, self why don't they allow people to stay there for a small fee and make some $$$$ instead of just sitting there vacant. Shame really.
oldbobsbus said
05:40 PM Oct 12, 2014
It is community minded people that make these things happen...
As far as the ones that seem to think they are a law within themselves it is time they are taught a lesson and the sooner the better..
I fully support the powers that be cracking down on them and also the grubs that think it is someone elses job to clean up after them.
We will be going that way in the next few day so we will call in there for a look and maybe stay a night and spend some money in the town..
Cloak said
06:48 PM Oct 12, 2014
My brother lives next door to a secret caravan park in all place but Belgrave Heights.
I say secret because it is owned by some freaky Pentecostal church and you have to be a true believer to get in.
Every time I've seen it it's empty but he says easter and christmas it fills up.
Hahaha I have a vision of happy hour greys running riot....
But yeah there are spots that could be used for GN's that owners can't probably get insurances or council permits for.
Although a few caravans were allowed to stay in the showgrounds a Warrnambool tonight (8th May 2014) this was by the good graces of he caretaker who understood the inconvenience of planning a trip to include the showgrounds stopover. We were advised that the council had discontinued allowing camping in the showgrounds because it now owned caravan parks in the district.
The dump point and toilet/shower facilities are still operating but I don't know whether they will be closed too.
The information we were given is unofficial but anyone planning their trip with a stopover in the Warrnambool showgrounds should confirm whether camping is allowed there.
Kel
I did not know that this has happened...
a while back there was an uproar about free or low cost camping in the area..
this is the type of backwards thinking a lot of towns have..
Panmure took full advantage of this and advertised free areas to camp by their river when shunned by Warrnambool...
they have now upgraded their facilities with new toilets and BBQs.. I think.. play ground and access to the river to attract Nomads..
they only have one small shop, fuel bowser and pub in the town so they are keen to attract Nomads..
Warrnambool on the other hand are UP themselves with the greedy CP owners wanting all or nothing and "stuff" the rest of the city.. this includes the our local council who own a couple of the CPs down by the beaches..
if it were me I'd stay at Koroit, Killarney or Panmure for cheap or free accommodation and stuff the greedy Warrnambool CPs
Blue said
09:11 PM Oct 12, 2014
by the way.. the Wbool city council have always owned CPs in the area.. always
this is not new and is no excuse as to close the show grounds..
im going to follow this up..
leajoy said
08:01 AM Oct 13, 2014
I agree with all the comments about Warrnambool......and we live there. Yep the council are greedy and I don't blame any grey nomad for bypassing the town. We have approached and questioned a counsellor about the showgrounds with no response. It is not important! I even spoke to a show ground committee member recently and their hands are tied. They certainly miss the income it produced.
the rocket said
08:47 AM Oct 13, 2014
leajoy wrote:
I agree with all the comments about Warrnambool......and we live there. Yep the council are greedy and I don't blame any grey nomad for bypassing the town. We have approached and questioned a counsellor about the showgrounds with no response. It is not important! I even spoke to a show ground committee member recently and their hands are tied. They certainly miss the income it produced.
Gladstone showgrounds is the same. people there operating it was it but council won't allow.
the rocket said
08:54 AM Oct 13, 2014
can anyone tell us where this town is in new south wales.
_wombat_ said
09:08 AM Oct 13, 2014
the rocket wrote:
can anyone tell us where this town is in new south wales.
We stayed in Bulahdelah a few weeks back and it was so refreshing to stay in such a friendly little town. It is true that when a free camp is provided us grey nomads always stop to shop and usually have a coffee or two at the local bakery.
What a shame that Warrnambool has stopped camping at the showgrounds. At Christmas time along the Victorian coastline it is all but impossible to find a camp spot and if you do the rates charged are extreme, usually upwards of $75per night.
Last Christmas we camped at Terang , a pretty little town about 30k's from Warrnambool, for $100 for 7 nights. This little town has everything the travelling RVer needs.
I have heard on the grape vine that the Ballarat City Council is thinking about opening a free camp in McKenzie Drive Wendouree has anyone else heard anything about this? Ballarat is another town that definitely does not welcome grey nomads just look where they have located their Information Centre.
oldbobsbus said
03:24 PM Oct 13, 2014
the rocket wrote:
can anyone tell us where this town is in new south wales.
Look Here all the information you will ever need about anything..
_wombat_ said
03:32 PM Oct 13, 2014
oldbobsbus wrote:
the rocket wrote:
can anyone tell us where this town is in new south wales.
Look Here all the information you will ever need about anything..
the rocket said
06:35 PM Oct 13, 2014
_wombat_ wrote:
the rocket wrote:
can anyone tell us where this town is in new south wales.
hi wombat, thankyou wombat, your input to answering my question is appreciated. regards. rocket.
Blue said
07:00 PM Oct 13, 2014
well...
I know who NOT to vote for come next council elections..
Warrnambool City councillor Brian Kelson shone a spotlight on the issue briefly when he told Monday nights council meeting there had been complaints about increasing numbers of freeloading campervan users arriving in the municipality.
JayDee said
10:02 PM Oct 13, 2014
After seeing the above photo of all the boats of all sizes on the lake, it begs the question.
How do they dispose of their grey water and need I ask how do they dispose of the cassettes or what eer used as Toilets????
I wonder!!!!!!!
Jay&Dee
Quanger said
11:04 PM Oct 13, 2014
Quote: "I have heard on the grape vine that the Ballarat City Council is thinking about opening a free camp in McKenzie Drive Wendouree has anyone else heard anything about this?"
As a Ballaratarian I had to Google it to find out where this was, pretty crap area of town, would want to keep everything under lock & key out there, good idea just off the Western FWY but that off ramp is only usable westbound to get off & eastbound to get back on so a bit awkward for those just travelling through the area, you'd need to use 1 of the other ramps further away in either direction to continue on the FWY if you are heading west & if you are coming east you would need to get off either earlier or later & find your way to the campsite, think they could do a lot better with a bit of thought, knowing the Ballarat CC nothing will come of it.
Grumpytoo said
08:24 PM Oct 14, 2014
JayDee wrote:
After seeing the above photo of all the boats of all sizes on the lake, it begs the question. How do they dispose of their grey water and need I ask how do they dispose of the cassettes or what eer used as Toilets???? I wonder!!!!!!! Jay&Dee
The boats in the photo are House Boats and they are moored at their base. The boats have storage tanks that are emptied. The photos were taken from the free camp site which is on the southern side of the river (The Myall River). Buledelah was on the Pacific Highway between Newcastle and Taree but has now been bypassed. Was a real traffic bottleneck before it was bypassed. We stayed there for a couple of nights in June. Very pleasant. The only drawback is that the nearest toilets are on the other side of the river so being self contained is a real advantage.
in the grey nomad Times.. Great Story and proof that Grey Nomads are putting money into communities all over Australia and are a Great Asset... unlike what GREEDY CARAVAN PARK OWNERS try to have us to believe..
The road bypassed us ... the grey nomads didn't
Free camp dream stirs a community and saves it from ghost town fate
When the Pacific Highway bypassed Bulahdelah last year, there were many predicting the quick demise of the tiny New South Wales town.
But they hadnt counted on the resolve of the residents. Rather than allowing itself to be turned into a ghost town, Bulahdelah is now proud to call itself a grey nomad town.
Central to the survival strategy has been the transformation of a scrubby, lantana-filled patch of land into an attractive, riverfront, 72-hour, free camping spot with barbecue facilities and tables and chairs. Working on the theory that if you build it, they will come, a motivated army of 50 or so volunteers, with the support of the Lions Club and the local council, refused to let their town die.
Now, on any given night, a dozen or more self-contained RVs will be stopped at Lions Park, and this influx has been a lifesaver to local businesses.
"Bulahdelah might not be quite as busy as it was when the highway went through it, but it is still alive and thriving," Myall Lakes member Stephen Bromhead told the GNT. "Grey nomads show their appreciation by shopping at the supermarket, getting a coffee
at a cafe, or buying fuel it is a win-win situation."
Bulahdelah was fortunate in that the detour from the new highway is a short one, and that there were those with the vision to find a solution to a potentially disastrous set of circumstances.
As a former caravan park owner, as well as an RV owner and a truck driver, the president of the Bulahdelah Lions Club, Arthur Baker, was instrumental in getting the park up and running.
"When I drove at night I would see rest areas packed out with caravans and I thought we just need a way to bring these people into the town," he said. "Thats how it started, but it took years of planning, meetings and hard work to make it happen."
While visiting grey nomads are full of praise for the facilities at Bulahdelah, including a dump point at the showgrounds, and a pub, club, and chemist,
Mr Baker says a minority still does the wrong thing. With the 18-month trial of the facility expiring soon and its operation to be re-negotiated, he says 10% of rule breakers risk spoiling it for the rest.
"We have major issues with grey water disposal, as well as people overstaying the 72-hour limit," said Mr Baker. "Some nomads just cant read!"
He insists the camping area will always be there and will always be free, but it may be policed more strictly in future and fines may be issued.
Mr Baker says the camping area has co co-existed successfully with the towns van park. "Many travellers stay for a few nights at the free camp and then move into the van park for the shower or the laundry," he said. "And, of course, there are many others who would never use a van park, anyway better they stay here than by the side of the highway."
I went past the dish licker track in Warrnambool today and noticed all this land with power boxes around, said to self, self why don't they allow people to stay there for a small fee and make some $$$$ instead of just sitting there vacant. Shame really.
It is community minded people that make these things happen...
As far as the ones that seem to think they are a law within themselves it is time they are taught a lesson and the sooner the better..
I fully support the powers that be cracking down on them and also the grubs that think it is someone elses job to clean up after them.
We will be going that way in the next few day so we will call in there for a look and maybe stay a night and spend some money in the town..
I say secret because it is owned by some freaky Pentecostal church and you have to be a true believer to get in.
Every time I've seen it it's empty but he says easter and christmas it fills up.
Hahaha I have a vision of happy hour greys running riot....
But yeah there are spots that could be used for GN's that owners can't probably get insurances or council permits for.
I found this
Warrnambool - Showgrounds no longer available for camping
The dump point and toilet/shower facilities are still operating but I don't know whether they will be closed too.
The information we were given is unofficial but anyone planning their trip with a stopover in the Warrnambool showgrounds should confirm whether camping is allowed there.
Kel
this is not new and is no excuse as to close the show grounds..
im going to follow this up..
Gladstone showgrounds is the same. people there operating it was it but council won't allow.
can anyone tell us where this town is in new south wales.
http://www.visitnsw.com/destinations/north-coast/forster-and-taree-area/bulahdelah
What a shame that Warrnambool has stopped camping at the showgrounds. At Christmas time along the Victorian coastline it is all but impossible to find a camp spot and if you do the rates charged are extreme, usually upwards of $75per night.
Last Christmas we camped at Terang , a pretty little town about 30k's from Warrnambool, for $100 for 7 nights. This little town has everything the travelling RVer needs.
I have heard on the grape vine that the Ballarat City Council is thinking about opening a free camp in McKenzie Drive Wendouree has anyone else heard anything about this? Ballarat is another town that definitely does not welcome grey nomads just look where they have located their Information Centre.
Look Here all the information you will ever need about anything..
hi wombat, thankyou wombat, your input to answering my question is appreciated. regards. rocket.
well...
I know who NOT to vote for come next council elections..
Warrnambool City councillor Brian Kelson shone a spotlight on the issue briefly when he told Monday nights council meeting there had been complaints about increasing numbers of freeloading campervan users arriving in the municipality.
How do they dispose of their grey water and need I ask how do they dispose of the cassettes or what eer used as Toilets????
I wonder!!!!!!!
Jay&Dee
Quote: "I have heard on the grape vine that the Ballarat City Council is thinking about opening a free camp in McKenzie Drive Wendouree has anyone else heard anything about this?"
As a Ballaratarian I had to Google it to find out where this was, pretty crap area of town, would want to keep everything under lock & key out there, good idea just off the Western FWY but that off ramp is only usable westbound to get off & eastbound to get back on so a bit awkward for those just travelling through the area, you'd need to use 1 of the other ramps further away in either direction to continue on the FWY if you are heading west & if you are coming east you would need to get off either earlier or later & find your way to the campsite, think they could do a lot better with a bit of thought, knowing the Ballarat CC nothing will come of it.
The boats in the photo are House Boats and they are moored at their base. The boats have storage tanks that are emptied. The photos were taken from the free camp site which is on the southern side of the river (The Myall River). Buledelah was on the Pacific Highway between Newcastle and Taree but has now been bypassed. Was a real traffic bottleneck before it was bypassed. We stayed there for a couple of nights in June. Very pleasant. The only drawback is that the nearest toilets are on the other side of the river so being self contained is a real advantage.