An Idea On Free Camping.

Old Crofter · Senior Member

RE: An Idea On Free Camping.

bill12 · Guru

I had a run in with a greedy c/van park owner , yesterday. I was in the car park at Amity pt jetty on Stradbroke is and had a knock on the door. Its was the c/van park owner saying she had complaints that I was free camping in the car park.I told her I was fishing, and asked if she owned the car park. She said no. I asked her how much a spot was- she said $34 a night for an unpowered site.I replied that I would fish as long as liked, and unless she owned the car park she could go to hell. Not bad , eh. I was staying at my sisters at Pt Lookout. Thats one c/van park I will Definately Not be recommending. Bill

beachball57 · Senior Member

i know that wwhen we go away on holidays wqe mostly stay in c'van parks at the moment because i am still setting us up to be able to free camp and once thats done most of our camping will,be free camping,,, if you stay i parks all the time it's not called camping i think anyway, sure have parks for those that like that sort of thing but why stop people from doing what they want,,,what gets under my goat is being told where i can stay and where i can't,,,i know c'van parks have to make money but why if i don't want t be crammed in with 100's of other people should i be made to do just that, i thought that this was a free country and we could stay where we liked as long as it wasn't in someones front yard !! why must we be regulated into doing what, for some of us, don't want to do,,
i don't know just my opinion anyway....

the rocket · Guru

bill12 wrote:
I had a run in with a greedy c/van park owner , yesterday. I was in the car park at Amity pt jetty on Stradbroke is and had a knock on the door. Its was the c/van park owner saying she had complaints that I was free camping in the car park.I told her I was fishing, and asked if she owned the car park. She said no. I asked her how much a spot was- she said $34 a night for an unpowered site.I replied that I would fish as long as liked, and unless she owned the car park she could go to hell. Not bad , eh. I was staying at my sisters at Pt Lookout. Thats one c/van park I will Definately Not be recommending. Bill
good onya for telling her to go to hell. So now we know that Stradbroke Island in Qld has their own "special police force" called the "caravan park owner". If someone really did complain to her then she should have directed them to the police. i will never stay there. Sounds like she was "touting for business". Go fishing for a few months and really get up her nose. Yeh. and set up the barbie in the carpark too.

spida · Guru

When you think about the hundreds of thousands of nomads now on the roads the CPs must be doing way more business than ever before. so should all be happy. To say nothing of the miners etc.....
I love free camping but it is not always practical being on my own, and like the luxury of a CP at times. Halls Gap atm - Top tourist discount so only $23 per night for a lovely green peaceful spot. Could stay for ages but.... just wanted to leave the van in a safe place and go exploring in what ever of the park is available with the fires further south.

gordon_adl · Senior Member

I really can't understand some of the remarks made towards cp's. The amazing level of animosity displayed is quite disgusting. 'freedom camping', war, money grubbing sods and other such venomous and vitriol language is off the charts. Seriously, there is no war, go to a war zone and see and smell the dead, then you'll really know what a war is. 'freedom camping', ffs, this not braveheart! We have more freedom than 90% of the world.

At times I'm quite disgusted by some of you. You're worse then a spoilt 2yr old sometimes. Comparing this issue to a war is a complete smear against those of us who actually have fought a war for our freedom so that we can actually afford a van and travel freely in this great country!

It's quite simply really, if you don't find a town or council willing to accommodate your needs, move on. You're either willing to pay for sites or you're not. Nobody at all in this country is putting a gun to your head and threatening you. Thinking you don't have a free choice is embarrassing to other gn's who move about this country in a polite manner and accept that the world is not perfect and you can't always get everything you want for free! Grow up and have a relearn of your manners and learn what freedom of choice really is. Remember to be thankful for what you have compared to many, and not even other countries, but australia too. Many people would be thankful to even own a half rotten van to sleep in, never mind a van and petrol money to travel.

Fark me some of you people piss me off sometimes with your self righteous bullsh*t sometimes!

Esperian · Senior Member

NeilandRaine wrote:
Ok talking to a mate today the subject of the war between caravan parks and free spots came up.
Now thinking as both a caravan park manager and a grey nomad I made the following sugestion and now I wonder what others think.
An area has both a caravan park and a free camp close by....... Blue Water north of Townsville comes to mind. What if the local chamber of comerce
decided that the only way you can free camp in the area is to first spend a night in the local caravan park. Lets say for one night in the caravan park you can stay a maximum
of three days in the local free camp. Probably put a maximum of six days in the free camp after two days in a park.
I am sure a lot will say this isnt a good idea but to me it is a lot of give and take. I have often heard the argument that free campers spend up in the towns they camp at
on meals, groceries etc. All this means is your spending a little more with a local trader.
What do you think?

I shall never have any damnable hiena mentality trader organisation telling me that I have to spend my money, or not, on any place chosen by them, whatever that would be, because his mafia would or would not force, or otherwise coerce, the Local Govrnement (chosen by People -which means also us) to do what they, bloody illigal monopolisers would want ME to do with MY mony.

brickies · Guru

In the past 15 years or so some rural communities have made some incentive to get traveller to visit there towns to spend some of there money in there town some started by using council owned caravan parks were they offered 2 free nights after you paid for the first night the reason they did this was because no one was visiting there area everyone wanted to be on the coast line or big cities . Now the traveller want these cheaper stops or free in the city has well, why would any local council on the coast or large city want to give free camping in an all ready over crowded area I think we need to look at the big picture , if you want free camping you need to go to unpopular areas which in most cases are nice places to be .

neilnruth · Guru

What a great Thread and debate you started NeilandRaine. This is what this forum is all about. Great discussion. Love it.

kesue · Senior Member

Totally agree with everything you have said, at the end of the day its all down to choices. If you want a small spot of prime land on the coast to put your caravan/camper then be prepared to pay for it. Because the person owning the park charges the going rate for the area doesn't make him a crook, 95% of people in that position would do the same thing. If your happy to set up back from the coast in smaller towns and have a cheaper cp. or free camp then that also is fine. We are very lucky in Australia to have the freedom of choice regarding camping/caravanning that we have. Keith

kesue · Senior Member

Totally agree with everything you have said gordon, at the end of the day its all down to choices. If you want a small spot of prime land on the coast to put your caravan/camper then be prepared to pay for it. Because the person owning the park charges the going rate for the area doesn't make him a crook, 95% of people in that position would do the same thing. If your happy to set up back from the coast in smaller towns and have a cheaper cp. or free camp then that also is fine. We are very lucky in Australia to have the freedom of choice regarding camping/caravanning that we have. Keith

pawsoz · Senior Member

What a great many CP owners seem to forget is that:
a) we who are on the road do actually communicate with each other!
b) many of the people who do stay in their establishments for a night or two here and there are freedom campers at other times, so alienating us is not a good idea.

If I need to do my washing or wish to really check out a town's facilities or maybe have a meal out or take in a band or something I will stay in a CP, same if I want to be on power for a longer period than usual....but I do not want to be jammed in like a sardine and I do want to be able to stay in the said establishment with my two furry 'sons', so just as in all the other ways that I choose to spend my money, offer me what I want at a reasonable fee and I will probably 'buy'.

They have to understand that there are going to be times when I will simply not want to be in a CP for any reason.

annie

herbie · Guru

DandS wrote:
Boothie wrote:
Thats no idea, it is a way to print money for some individual who is a money grubbing sod. Had the same sort of experience in motel in Ouyen the other night. On checkout, they found out we had used the double bed and single bed for two people in a double room. Why put two beds in a double with older people when there is a chance that they can't sleep in the same bed because of recent surgery, a medical condition or the simple fact that drive has given us both the S?#t$!
Cost us an extra $15 on a lousy motel room with beds that were uncomfortable in a substandard room that cost us $125. Over priced room for a two bit town that could not even provide us with decent meal! The motel also did not provide the chance of breakfast, apparently they do not provide breakfasts on weekends! $140 dollars very badly spent
Why is it that all these money grubbing sods suggest these things?
That stinks!!!!!!!!!!, I wonder what would have happened if they only had two single beds and you both used one. I damm sure they wouldn't give you $15.00 off.
Maybe when the motel starts to go bust, they should fight to have caravan parks shutdown so they can have a monopoly and a steady flow of people to rip off.
Im not anti CPs, and have probably travelled a lot less than some of you. I have met some great Cp operators, and have returned to them.
Then there are the others, (like the one that another GN metioned, elsewhere), who says he was called a "freeloader" and a "bludger", while freecamping.
What a terrific way to promote your business. Treat the free campers like they are sh#t and less than, shut down or restrict free camping, create a monopoly, and then expect us freeloaders and bludgers to flock to their park, spend money and expect us people to be grateful. I for one wouldnt.

-- Edited by DandS on Wednesday 20th of February 2013 01:19:06 AM

gordon_adl · Senior Member

I understand what you're saying, but don't forget this goes both ways. CP owners do communicate amonst each other too. Can you state for a proven fact that it's not a good idea to alienate?

As we've seen from pevious posts here directly from council members, many councils have taken into consideration the money gn's spend and have found it's not quite as powerful as they think.

Just to repeat, just because a cp charges whatever price they may, does not make them these evil people that are so written about on here.

pawsoz wrote:
What a great many CP owners seem to forget is that:
a) we who are on the road do actually communicate with each other!
b) many of the people who do stay in their establishments for a night or two here and there are freedom campers at other times, so alienating us is not a good idea.

If I need to do my washing or wish to really check out a town's facilities or maybe have a meal out or take in a band or something I will stay in a CP, same if I want to be on power for a longer period than usual....but I do not want to be jammed in like a sardine and I do want to be able to stay in the said establishment with my two furry 'sons', so just as in all the other ways that I choose to spend my money, offer me what I want at a reasonable fee and I will probably 'buy'.

They have to understand that there are going to be times when I will simply not want to be in a CP for any reason.

annie

herbie · Guru

DandS wrote:
Boothie wrote:
Thats no idea, it is a way to print money for some individual who is a money grubbing sod.Â Had the same sort of experience in motel in Ouyen the other night.Â On checkout, they found out we had used the double bed and single bed for two people in a double room.Â Why put two beds in a double with older people when there is a chance that they can't sleep in the same bed because of recent surgery, a medical condition or the simple fact that drive has given us both the S?#t$!
Cost us an extra $15 on a lousy motel room with beds that were uncomfortable in a substandard room that cost us $125.Â Over priced room for a two bit town that could not even provide us with decent meal!Â The motel also did not provide the chance of breakfast, apparently they do not provide breakfasts on weekends!Â $140 dollars very badly spent
Why is it that all these money grubbing sodsÂ suggestÂ these things?
That stinks!!!!!!!!!!, I wonder what would have happened if they only had two single beds andÂ you both used one. I damm sure they wouldn't give youÂ $15.00 off.
Maybe when the motel starts to go bust, they should fight to have caravan parks shutdown so they can have a monopoly and a steady flow of people to rip off.
Im not anti CPs, and have probably travelled a lot less than some of you. I have met some great Cp operators, and have returned to them.
ThenÂ there are the others, (like the one thatÂ another GN metioned, elsewhere), who says he wasÂ called a "freeloader" and a "bludger", while freecamping.Â
What a terrific way to promote your business.Â Treat the free campers likeÂ they are sh#t andÂ less than, shut down or restrictÂ free camping, create a monopoly, and thenÂ expect usÂ freeloaders and bludgers to flock to their park, spend moneyÂ andÂ expect us people to be grateful.Â Â I for one wouldnt.

-- E
dited by DandS on Wednesday 20th of February 2013 01:19:06 AM

Mate ring Fair Trading regarding this rip off i am sure they would love to hear about this goings on.You payed for the bl...y room not per bed in room.I know it is only $15 we are talking about here, but it is the fact of that motel doing that to a paying customer.No wonder we all want to just free park. We went through said town one boxing day on way to the Murry River ,the whole place was closed up. we pulled into the servo to fill up .. not open looked for a place to get food no nothing open.There were travellers every where wondering around , but not one person could spend in the town as nothing open.I bet the c/ park was rubbing his hands together though as a lot pulled in there over night and wait for servo to open next day. We were lucky we had our second tank full.

jetj · Guru

It was cold in November, so I can only imagine how cold it gets there Jon. I fell in love with the area, my first trip inland away from beaches. I need to get away more.

Esperian · Senior Member

vk6tnc wrote:
The argument that you cant
freedom camp because
theres a caravan park within
X-kilometres is akin to saying
you cant picnic in a park
because theres a cafe across
the road.

Quoted from www.imotorhome.com.au

How very true... This is exactly what I'd say, too :)

Esperian · Senior Member

biggles wrote:
.. I have to agree .. Blayney is a good spot .. great new vehicle wash point installed at northern end of town .. very handy dumpsite just down the road from the IGA .. A tyrepower store that is the only place I will go for tyres because of attitude and value .. but has one drawback .. it gets B****y cold ..

Jon

-- Edited by biggles on Wednesday 20th of February 2013 04:03:29 PM

Hi Biggles. I'll be a bit off topic, but I just wanted to say, "thank you for your music". I just got a few of your songs on the usb stick and I love it...

brickies · Guru

Gordon thank you for your balanced point of view , I also free camp from time to time and use caravan park were it suits I must be unlucky have yet to met these caravan park owner we all hear about on this forum , I also would not of outlaid the money for tug and caravan if I could not afford to pay site fees when required . Mybe the state government should start charging higher rego for RV so they can make more free camps for us to use , but one thing for sure you wont get free camps in built up area the rest of Australia don't and should not have to give us a free ride if you cant support yourself on the road don't spend all your money on a tug and caravan expect the rest of Australia to pay your way

jetj · Guru

I'm not sure what it has to do with how much you spend on your mode of rving. My rates pay for a free camp near a railway station in Sydney. I don't think I'm paying anyone's way. We have MH's etc using all the businesses, supermarkets, in the area etc. I don't think they are bludging on anyone.

ken thomas · Guru

We dont expect the rest of Aust to pay our way and give us a free ride, but it is our choise to travel and a lot of towns rely on nomads
Most of us have paid taxes for 45 + years and why shouldn't we get something back
Maybe the pensioners should go overseas and get a boat back and will be treated better.
If you have a great bank balance fine but obviously not everybody is in your position
Chill out
Ken

brickies · Guru

Where about in Sydney is there a free camp in Sydney near a railway station will use that one

Jack Mac · Senior Member

Big Gorilla wrote:
One Council Officer from a small town here in Tasmania I spoke to about the subject of Caravan Parks and Free Camping and the money we spend in towns remarked that we really spend very little for the benefit of the Town. Food and groceries are purchased from Woolworths and Coles and petrol/diesel is purchased from Woolworths and Coles Service Stations. That money spent doesn't benefit the Town to any great extent, it benefits the conglomerates such as the two major Supermarkets... Yes I know these Supermarkets/service stations employ local staff but I didn't bother to pursue the argument...

That seems a strange thing for a "council officer" to say especially if he has any influence in the workings of the council. Why in their planning would they approve an application that apparently has "no benefit to the town"? i.e don't believe it.The actual employment of people in contributes exponentially to the economy of the town.

There are many businesses in small and large communities that are not owned by occupants of the particular community but the mere fact of their existence contributes to the economy of the community.

If said officer's view is the reality then why do small communities bend over backwards to encourage business into their area?

Every dollar you spend is a dollar that someone else isn't getting.

cheers

jack

gordon_adl · Senior Member

That is, quite honestly, such an ignorant statement. Your pension is getting something back. The Bitumen you drive on is getting something back. The police protection you receive, the right you have to even buy a caravan and drive it is the 'something' you get back. The healthcare, whilst admittedly not great, is still better than 90% of the world, is something you get back.

ken thomas wrote:

Most of us have paid taxes for 45 + years and why shouldn't we get something back

rockylizard · Guru

brickies wrote:
Where about in Sydney is there a free camp in Sydney near a railway station will use that one

Gday...

Try this place - http://www.wanderest.com.au/page/MTg3Mw/Stay.html

It is a short walk to th Richmond Railway station which will take you into Sydney etc

cheers - John

Jack Mac · Senior Member

gordon_adl wrote:

That is, quite honestly, such an ignorant statement. Your pension is getting something back. The Bitumen you drive on is getting something back. The police protection you receive, the right you have to even buy a caravan and drive it is the 'something' you get back. The healthcare, whilst admittedly not great, is still better than 90% of the world, is something you get back.
ken thomas wrote
Most of us have paid taxes for 45 + years and why shouldn't we get something back

Taxes are our way (albeit with some reluctantly) of contributing to society and all its ills and benefits. To suggest that somehow that we are entitled to more than the going rate and the world owes us a living is absurd. Those of us who are on a pension are reaping the "rewards" of a life time of work, but just as our taxes paid the pensions of our mothers/fathers, our children's taxes are now paying for our benefits. To suggest that any government put away our taxes into a special fund to pay our taxes is ludicrous. The taxes of subsequent generations pay for the benefits of previous generations.
Taxes are what you pay to contribute to a civilised and progressive society.
I will agree that we have worked and are entitled to our "bit" and although I too worked for 45 plus years and still do part time I wouldn't suggest for a minute that i worked as hard physically as my father or grandfather or suffered someof the atrocious conditions under which they worked.
Surely we should be aiming to make things better for our children and future generations. Surely the fact that we all, in most cases have a means of getting out and about in our own style of recreation vehicle would suggest that we can aspire to a life that our parents wouldn't have dreamt about.
to paraphrase JFK "Think not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country"
In a nutshell we are entitled to what the government of the day is willing to pay/afford or deem appropriate.
There endeth the lesson

paying those taxes.

Happywanderer · The Master

Considering Ken Thomas is not even on a pension I find some of the above statements quite offensive.
Where did he say that the govt should put away our taxes in to a special fund. I couldn't find it.
He does say he doesn't expect the rest of Australia to pay our way or give us a free ride.

jetj · Guru

brickies wrote:
Where about in Sydney is there a free camp in Sydney near a railway station will use that one

Richmond Wanderest, lots of people here use it free for 3 days unless you want power then you pay $10 for power and $4 to join the club. Dump point, showers, walking distance to station and all the shops. Bringing lots of RVs to the district.

brickies · Guru

Well I don't think Richmond is Sydney and also the camp is provived by a club not a council who you pay your rate to

Boothie · Senior Member

I thought this thread was about a suggestion made by a grey nomad who, and I repeat, who manages a caravan park, that we should be forced into staying at a caravan park to allow us to free camp. I still see this as money grubbing and totally unethical. So I would suggest that instead of attacking the words used in this debate, attack the idea behind the debate. Seriously, the idea is tantamount to having a printing press for an individual and not for the benefit of the communities visited. I also take affront at the fact that a generalisation was made about wanting something back. As a soon to be totally self funded retiree, I will still be able to afford health insurance, I will never be able to get a pension from the government I will still pay tax for the next 10 years, I will still have to pay all my bills at premium rates for another 10 years and I would suggest that I have worked for the past 37 years to achieve this.

So as far as vitriolic comments goes, given the content of some of the replies, money grubbing in this instance is far from vitriol, rather a fact. And childish behaviour often stems from a lack of comprehension and a realistion of the intent of the written word in the context of the argument.