Hi all, first off thanks all for the replies on budget camping I'm learning alot from this site.
Regarding free camping I'm not a total idiot and know I shouldnt park my bus where it sticks out like a sore thumb , or obstructs anyone . If I find somewhere where it dosnt specify no camping and dosent bother anyone can I just pull over and park? or does it have to be a rest area?
We love this place near Coledale beach just south of Sydney and its a dog beach with plenty of parking ,If it is eleagal would I get a warning atleast or straight up fine?
Even within the latest version of Camps Australia (v6) I have found discrepancies .. especially after travelling up the west Coast and east across the top.Using it as a guide, I find it very good.
What I tend to do at all times is to seek 'local' advice .. Locals, not necessarily local councils, but folk that live/work in the vicinity have good knowlege that has never led me astray ..
.. and of course, throw questions about specific locations on here and I'd be very surprised if someone couldn't advise you ..
If it is only for one night & you are parked in a place where it wouldn't inconvenience anyone & it is enroute then it should be ok because we are always told don't drive when we are tired etc so if the police complain you just say you were too tired & woud be a danger on the road.
Someone, in the past, I believe on this forum, showed us a form he always has with him which is very useful if a person in authority hassles you to move on. It says he has stopped due to fatigue & it asks the person in authority to sign his name & occupation/badge number to the document stating he was the cause of you moving on so would be proven negligent if an accident ensued. Unluckily I can't remember the wording.
Cheers
Jon
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Home is where we hang our hats - Home now in Yamba NSW
I'm sure it was wombat who put up the original form. I have spoken to some who will park behind a high fence of a housing area if in town and can't find an official parking place. Where they are out of sight and not a nuisance to the homeowner and not a busy road.
The thing you have to remember is that if you are parked illegally, you probably will cop a fine, so common sense SHOULD prevail. Have a look around for any signs, make sure you are not in a public street if your bus (by the photos) is over a certain weight as it is illegal to park in a built up area for any longer than an hour over 4 tonne(I think)...some Councils have by laws regarding caravans etc parking in built up areas.
The form that has been mentioned is like a red flag to a bull with some council rangers, so be wary, it is ok to have, but be reasonable as well. You cannot park illegally and then flash a form to get out of it, that is wrong. Once again, if you use common sense, you won't have any issues at all, but please don't push the envelope as some tend to do. You are out there to enjoy yourself, not get grief from others and have to revisit the town to go to a Court hearing.
NOTE: The form above, will NOT BE SIGNED by any intelligent person, and they ARE NOT required by ANY law to abide by your wishes that they do so, so it probably will be a waste of time. So, they will just give you a bluey and move on...or send you one in the mail. You will not have any defence if you are parked illegally, it will just be up to the local Magistrate to decide your fate.
All you can do is take their name and inform them that you are resting and write it down in front of them. Then, when it comes to Court, you can bring it up in evidence, if you want it to go to Court....or just move on to save the grief.
Police will only act when someone else complains, and then they will take action to appease the complainant if action is deemed appropriate... They will take action if what you are doing is blatantly obvious....so 99% of the time, it will be the Council Rangers who annoy you and they know the law as well as most bush lawyers on forums.
-- Edited by Dunco on Wednesday 22nd of June 2011 10:56:03 AM
-- Edited by Dunco on Wednesday 22nd of June 2011 10:59:22 AM
The form mentioned was put up by me, {been travelling over 10 years and not had to use it so far) it was not as suggested here constructed by a bush lawyer, it was constructed by a lawyer friend of mine and he did say that if we were parked illegally then we would be booked, we would only use it if tired, once you are parked have a few beers and then tell them you are too drunk to drive, if they persits, call the police and ask for a breath test, but make sure you have drunk enough.
The form mentioned was put up by me, {been travelling over 10 years and not had to use it so far) it was not as suggested here constructed by a bush lawyer, it was constructed by a lawyer friend of mine and he did say that if we were parked illegally then we would be booked, we would only use it if tired, once you are parked have a few beers and then tell them you are too drunk to drive, if they persits, call the police and ask for a breath test, but make sure you have drunk enough.
Sorry Wombat, I did not mean that the person who made the form was a bush lawyer, I meant that in regards to comments on other forums around the place where people always tell you they are correct.. You know the ones, giving legal advice where they don't know anything
However, your lawyer friend should have known better than to pen such a form where it could well cause more dramas than not. As I said, it is not a form that any intelligent person would sign and they would not be required, by law, to do so. And you would still get booked and have to fight it at Court.
In regards to drinking, then you would still get booked if you were parked illegally as being drunk doesn't give you the right to park wherever you want... It would just mean that if you were given an opportunity to move your vehicle, then you couldn't as you would commit the offence of drink driving. So, back to my original advice....be aware of where you park and if it is illegal, then move on to another LEGAL spot .
We quite often use car parks at sports grounds and tennis courts etc on the edge of towns. Many have toilets and water as well, but only ones without no camping signs etc.
Many are hidden or partly so from the road and providing you keep it quite and clean up before you leave, we can't see a problem.
We have only ever been challenged once and that was by a member of a tennis club you had come down for a hit. After a friendly and very polite conversation he and his friend played a coulpe of sets and then joined us for a coffeee and a chat before they went home. All in all a pleasant outcome. Cheers, ozjohn.
-- Edited by ozjohn on Wednesday 22nd of June 2011 04:43:45 PM
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Retired Engineer, Ex Park Owner & Caravan Consultant. Holden 2.8 Colorado - Roma Elegance 17'6" Pop Top. Location: Mornington Peninsula Vic.
Quote: Sorry Wombat, I did not mean that the person who made the form was a bush lawyer, I meant that in regards to comments on other forums around the place where people always tell you they are correct.. You know the ones, giving legal advice where they don't know anything
Dunco, that is why I do not go to those other sites, and I do know what you mean by giving legel advice etc.
And I also agree with your info about, if you are parked illegally then you will get booked, (I don't mean you just anybody in general.)
It's all about good manners, respect and consideration. If you want to park near a lake, river, creek or beach, most places have a spot to squat overnight only. And that's the thing to keep in mind. You can't set up camp for days at a time in many places, whether it be council, national park or private property. Overnight camping is something else, and more acceptable on roadside parking bays, or similar. If you camp where trucks camp, on heavy traffic routes you may not get much sleep. The fact you have a bus will limit your access to some places because of length and weight. In most places you may get a warning, but the heavy hand may request you to move there and then. It varies from council, region and state to state. Take it easy and keep asking questions. It's the only way to learn. As one regular on this forum often says, "Common sense is not so common".
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20ft Roma caravan - Mercedes Benz Sprinter - SA-based at the moment. Transport has no borders.
Management makes the decisions, but is not affected by the decisions it makes.
I agree with Granny let common sence prevail. However. I have been told that if an official council sign stating "No Camping" is not displayed you cannot be fined. Im not about to test it tho
I too agree with all the other comments about showing common sense and consideration. Setting up camp in a residential street or in an area set aside for day use, especially boat trailer parking areas at boat ramps is NOT showing consideration. Overstaying a time limit in a rest area during busy times is also a lack of consideration as you could be denying a fellow traveller a spot.
I don't know what the legal position is regarding camping in rest areas set aside for trucks but keep in mind trucks have to take mandatory rest breaks and some consideration should be shown here too. I have heard truckies complaining of "grey nomads" spreading out in a truck rest area and denying space for large rigs such as B doubles and road trains. Some trucks such as refrigerated ones or those carrying livestock can be noisy too.
Last year I was talking to a caravanning couple who said they prefer the small gravel pits or "borrows" as they are usually solid and flat and make a good campsite. (according to them)
