No apology needed, Dilly - I just get a bit concerned sometimes about generalisations that we are all too quick to accept.

Safe travels -

Andrea

-- Edited by Andrea on Friday 11th of March 2011 08:12:25 AM

There are a number of issues here.

Firstly, I prefer the term bush camping to free camping.  I generally camp in places where the surrounds are nice & where I can have a campfire with plenty of space between me & the next person.  I'm not there because it's free but because its a nice setting. I will only occasionally camp in a roadside stop if i am on a mission & trying to get from point A to point B as fast as possible (doesn't happen very often), then I will pull in to a roadside stop late at night, sleep & go early.

Secondly, I believe the people who build/own/invest in caravan parks have a right to a good return on their investment (the same for any business).  They are entitled to much more than a "good wage" especially with the hours worked.  We all are concerned about the rises in our day to day costs, electricity, gas, water, fuel, insurances, freight etc... these costs are multiplied in most businesses, especially caravan parks & the Park owners have every right to recover these.  With the modern vans using so much power with air conditioning, heaters, hot water services etc these costs are much more than they were a few years ago prior to the modern van.  How many are as conservative with their power usage in the caravan park as they are at home?  They have every right to charge what they feel is necessary... the same as you & I have the right to go there or not.  I have been known to turn around & leave if I considered a caravan park too expensive but never questioned their right to charge that much.  I have also been known to be extra power conscious in parks & camps that are cheap..I use the hws on gas & use the gas burners instead of the electric one & keep AC & heating to an absolute minimum.

Thirdly, I travel on my own & when I stay at a caravan park I usually ask if there is a singles discount but fully understand if there isn't.  Most vans will use nearly the same power with the air conditioner/heater, hot water service whether there is 1 or 2 people in it & of course take up the same amount of space.

Forthly, I have seen first hand people, young & old, wander into caravan parks expecting to use the amenities.  Even if the doors are kept locked they just wait for someone to leave & say "Oh thank you, I left my key at the van".  I equate this to stealing!

Fifthly, in regard to camping beside caravan parks.  I have, first hand, seen older people in 2 motorhomes get abusive toward a caretaker who asked them to move on from a car park BESIDE the caravan park.  They firstly used the old furphy about being too ill to drive any further, to which he responded by offering to accommodate both motorhomes on 1 site for 1/2 price - $10 per night or there was a free camp in a wayside stop 7km from town.  They weren't happy with that & threatened to send the town broke because they were members of the biggest motorhome group in Australia & would report him & no one would stop in the town.  They eventually left, possibly to camp somewhere else because they had the RIGHT, being members of the biggest motorhome club in Australia.  The park caretaket called the Motorhome Club & reported them, the Motorhome Club said they would contact them & they could be removed from the club. Unfortunately we all get tarred with the same brush by the selfish attitude of the few people like this.

Sixthly, I believe it is just as rude to pull up in front of a cafe or pub & open up the back of the car & have a coffee out of the thermos or boil a billy for the cuppa.  I had a publican in a remote rural area of Queensland complain to me that he had caravanners pull up out the front, fill their tanks with the hose from his sprinkler while they had a cuppa & a sandwich from the van, then wander in to the pub to take a few photos, out the back to the toilet, PINCH his spare toilet rolls, out the back door & gone!! Another tar brush for the rest of us.

Luckily the majority are "good guys"

Happy camping & be courteous

 

PS: are forthly, fifthly & sixthly real words?

We live in a sizeable town where the council will not tolerate free camping in any shape or form and have recently closed down all options including the showgrounds. They employ officers to move on any "free campers" and they are instructed to fine them if they don't move on (we have a friend who is one of these officers). The dump point is not easily accessible as you need to collect a key between certain hours to use the dump point - so it is totally an unfriendly town in this sense for many travellers.

The local backpackers has recently opened up some land for campers to stay for a minimal amount with use of showers/toilets/internet and safety and we wish them well with this.

We, who free camp where we can, are horrified at what amount of trade the town (with lots of empty shops and others struggling) are missing out on. Yet having said that, all parks at the moment are chockers with holiday makers. The council in their wisdom think this is wonderful 5 weeks of business for the year - we wonder at how much the the town really missing out on.

"The council in their wisdom think this is wonderful 5 weeks of business for the year - we wonder at how much the the town really missing out on."

So true this statement by leajoy - for five weeks of the year there is some extra money coming into the town - but if they made it more traveller friendly, the would be getting extra money nearly every week of the year!!! Home Hill near Ayr in Queensland is a town that has embraced the travelling public all year around, and the economy of the town benefits - a terrific little town.