UNFRIENDLY BOWEN;

KFT · Guru

RE: UNFRIENDLY BOWEN;

wauri · Veteran Member

To be a little fair to Bowen though, it is a town based heavily on backpacker labour for the tomato and capsicum picking and various other fruits and vegetables.
I would imagine that the random camping and subsequent mess in the various hidden spots would be a constant and also the subject of numerous complaints to the local council.

Being able to free camp these days is a privilege and it gets abused especially when it is attempted in fully urban areas.

brickies · Guru

Guthalungra is about 50 klm north of Bowen is a free camp .

Delta18 · Guru

Nothing to do with the fact a councillor (Mayor) owns the caravan park?

PeterD · Guru

justcruisin01 wrote:
Why would you support their town???????????????????,

Many of us don't. That was the first town that those who like to free camp spread the word around to bypass. We still have that on the list. My first experience of the town was 1999 when a group of 4 of us was touring Qld. We were not booking ahead but arriving early on spec. We walked into the Bowen tourist info centre. I somehow made a comment about free camping and then received a few minute tirade from the volunteer about free camping and the spongers who do it. We then went back over to the rest area for morning tea, I mentioned the incident to some of the others over there. The response I got from them was that most of those involved in tourism there were like that, that's why so many of them just have a a quick cuppa leak on them and keep going. None of them spend anything in town, they even carefully manage their fuel so they don't get caught having to top up there.

I urge all of you who are in favour of or or do some freedom camping to pass through the area quickly and spend nothing in the area.

aussietraveller · Guru

We spent 4 nights in Bowen at the caravan park on the highway just south of Bowen and have got to say we found the town and people very friendly and the caravan park very reasonably priced.

The wall murals on buildings in town are great and it's worth talking to the locals about their experience when the blockbuster movie Australia was made in their town.

I would not hesitate to stop in Bowen if in the area again

brickies · Guru

Some people arrive in a town with a $5 note and a clean pair of under pants and don't change either , Bowen is a great town often stay there if you want to stay by the sea it will always cost , If you don't want to pay spend the day there and move onto to a free camp out of town like people do in Townsville .