There are two chances of a decent size area near the popular south Sydney beaches being set aside for backpackers and their campervans, Buckley's and None!!!
Any spare land around these places that isn't set aside as park land is sooo valuable that no council would be able to resist the temptation to sell it off to developers.
The reality is that far too many small campervans, currently the vehicle of choice for most backpackers, are totally inappropriate to be used for free camping. Few have a proper toilet facility, let alone shower or even a sink to clean their dishes.
These vehicles should be confined to camping in caravan parks which can provide such vital facilities.
If the council does somehow find an area for overnight stays, only fully self contained vehicles should be permitted to use them. I'm so over having to step over dung heaps and used toilet paper when I use free camps. Respect, people!!!!
Bruce and Bev said
09:57 PM Apr 5, 2015
agree with you 100% Fastcoach, but its not just the zip bangs (the packbackers). How many long haul trucks have toilets on board - very few in fact. 1000s of these trucks go up and down our tourist roads each day and guess what they do - squat, do the job, wipe off with toilet paper and jump back in the truck - more snow (toilet paper) drying out and blowing around the rest areas and our pristine land. Large companies like Toll and Linfox provide most of these long haul trucks and they should be forced into ensuring their trucks have a porta pottie that is smell tight for the drivers comfort. They don't even provide these guys a spade - do they care - no they sit in their boardrooms in China (Toll soon) and Sydney and don't care a toss.
And lets not talk about the smaller 'vans, pop-tops and campervans with no toilet that cant wait to the next road house and pull over and its a white Xmas again!!!
On the Stuart H/W between Port Augusta and Coober Peedy (which I think is a distance of over 800 km) there are only 2 toilets provided in the rest areas. Same on the S.A Govt for the lack of such toilets and proper rest areas right through the State
Fastcoach said
08:51 AM Apr 6, 2015
It appears that we're in furious agreement Bruce and Bev.
The lack of basic toilet facilities at rest stops is an appalling oversight in many areas, but SA really is hard to beat.
We recently stopped over at a free park in an area controlled by State Forests in Victoria's far West. When we arrived there was nobody else there and we had the place to our selves. The site provided great fire pits, plenty of wood, tables and seating and a brand new, no smell toilet facility. We thought we'd landed in paradise!!
Not so fast. About an hour before sunset it all started to change with the arrival of the first of the backpackers vans. Then another and then another until we were surrounded by them. Plenty of obscure "music" and lots of loud voices as darkness descended.
By now numerous tents had been erected and it was time to light a few fires to cook dinner. These fires had to be seen to be believed. Flames shooting into the night sky, I swear they were 6 meters if they were an inch!! Eventually about 1am it all subsided and peace returned to the area.
When we awoke the next morning, after daybreak, we used the toilet provided at the site. You can imagine how annoyed we were to find the site littered with used toilet paper. It was obviously too far to walk for many of our backpacker friends and anyway they probably won't be returning any time soon so why not just do a dump next to the first tree they found. Thankfully at about 11am our guests arose and gradually packed up and drove off leaving anything they didn't want. Meanwhile we donned the industrial strength rubber gloves and spent half an hour cleaning up after them.
What can be done with these types of bottom feeding losers who come here, trash our camp sites and give virtually nothing back to the areas they abuse.
milo said
12:12 PM Apr 6, 2015
that kind of behavior is what gives campervaners a bad name.. not every one is like that..
iana said
07:11 PM Apr 6, 2015
Is this the reality of "Free Camping?. I think I have to stop reading these threads or else I will be put off my plans of living on the road for a couple of years.
Todays reading of a number of threads was not exactly encouraging.
Fastcoach said
07:30 PM Apr 6, 2015
Don't be put off iana because of a few experiences others have had. Overall, our free camping experiences have been extremely positive and rarely have we had any dramas.
Possibly that's why some of us tend to highlight the bad occasions , because they aren't the norm and are memorable because they are unusual.
Get out there and enjoy this awesome country and make your own mind up for yourself.
they always seem to have trouble there with no where to go for the campervans
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/can-of-worms-sydneys-beachside-councils-debate-camper-vans-20150328-1m33em.html
Any spare land around these places that isn't set aside as park land is sooo valuable that no council would be able to resist the temptation to sell it off to developers.
The reality is that far too many small campervans, currently the vehicle of choice for most backpackers, are totally inappropriate to be used for free camping. Few have a proper toilet facility, let alone shower or even a sink to clean their dishes.
These vehicles should be confined to camping in caravan parks which can provide such vital facilities.
If the council does somehow find an area for overnight stays, only fully self contained vehicles should be permitted to use them. I'm so over having to step over dung heaps and used toilet paper when I use free camps. Respect, people!!!!
And lets not talk about the smaller 'vans, pop-tops and campervans with no toilet that cant wait to the next road house and pull over and its a white Xmas again!!!
On the Stuart H/W between Port Augusta and Coober Peedy (which I think is a distance of over 800 km) there are only 2 toilets provided in the rest areas. Same on the S.A Govt for the lack of such toilets and proper rest areas right through the State
The lack of basic toilet facilities at rest stops is an appalling oversight in many areas, but SA really is hard to beat.
We recently stopped over at a free park in an area controlled by State Forests in Victoria's far West. When we arrived there was nobody else there and we had the place to our selves. The site provided great fire pits, plenty of wood, tables and seating and a brand new, no smell toilet facility. We thought we'd landed in paradise!!
Not so fast. About an hour before sunset it all started to change with the arrival of the first of the backpackers vans. Then another and then another until we were surrounded by them. Plenty of obscure "music" and lots of loud voices as darkness descended.
By now numerous tents had been erected and it was time to light a few fires to cook dinner. These fires had to be seen to be believed. Flames shooting into the night sky, I swear they were 6 meters if they were an inch!! Eventually about 1am it all subsided and peace returned to the area.
When we awoke the next morning, after daybreak, we used the toilet provided at the site. You can imagine how annoyed we were to find the site littered with used toilet paper. It was obviously too far to walk for many of our backpacker friends and anyway they probably won't be returning any time soon so why not just do a dump next to the first tree they found. Thankfully at about 11am our guests arose and gradually packed up and drove off leaving anything they didn't want. Meanwhile we donned the industrial strength rubber gloves and spent half an hour cleaning up after them.
What can be done with these types of bottom feeding losers who come here, trash our camp sites and give virtually nothing back to the areas they abuse.
Todays reading of a number of threads was not exactly encouraging.
Possibly that's why some of us tend to highlight the bad occasions , because they aren't the norm and are memorable because they are unusual.
Get out there and enjoy this awesome country and make your own mind up for yourself.