Sapphire Reserve QLD

herbie · Guru

Sapphire Reserve QLD

Big Gorilla · Guru

Don't recall a free camp at Sapphire although admittedly it's been probably 3 years since I was there. Seem to recall a small CP behind a store !!

herbie · Guru

Was located on Rifle Range Rd. Opposite general store was 48hr stop.

I have never stopped there I always camp at the RSL camp.

landy · Guru

Pity its great a great litle camp very popular.We stayed there for a couple of days this year and last year. you can sieve saphires out of the river right beside the camp although the the river was dry this July.
Landy

diesel · Member

Too many travellers have been ignoring the 48 hour limit and unfortunately it has added to the argument put forward by the caravan park owners here in Sapphire to close the site.

I am a local resident and along with others here in the community I rely on tourists for part of my income. It is generally only those who stay in the free camp that spend a few dollars with us at the Sunday markets. The closure of the site will have a negative effect on all the market stall holders and also most other businesses in the area.

The actions of the inconsiderate few have buggered it for the majority.

diesel

Bugsy · Veteran Member

Overstaying time limits is a problem but it is only a problem when it is not policed and who is to blame for that.

Recently I traveled on a safari with 23 other rigs and we went through the gem fields but because of one of the over zealous CP owners, who shall remain nameless, on another site called all freedom campers "scumbags" and when the responses got too hot for him he removed his posts.I and many others chose to camp in another town because of his attitude.

Diesel, I believe this particular gentleman has done your town a lot of harm and maybe the locals should whisper loudly in his ear. I know of at least three sites on the web where currently this matter is being discussed and it will no doubt spread like wildfire.

As Herbie says the CP owner may have the right to protect their vested interests but the way some of them go about it gets up my nose and the closure will not just effect the CPs but all business in town.

-- Edited by Bugsy on Saturday 28th of September 2013 04:21:16 PM

landy · Guru

Diesel, If my memory serves me correctly, for a small fee, you can obtain a fossickers pass (from the milk bar ) to bush camp very close to the town. Maybe some of the stall holders could look at promoting some of these spots for the tourist traffic. Maybe even publicise the idea in the next camps book.
Landy

-- Edited by landy on Saturday 28th of September 2013 06:30:52 PM

herbie · Guru

These people who over stay at these places are every decent travellers worst enemy...No one can condone a caravan park owner from trying to protect his vested interest.

So next time these over stayers return to an area that had a free/low payed camp and it is not there anymore for them to prop will I bet be the first to whinge why it has disappeared... In the end we all pay for this selfish behaviour local business/travellers and the wider community.

neilnruth · Guru

Welcome to the forum from us diesel. Hope you hang around to enjoy this forum.

diesel · Member

Bugsy wrote:
Overstaying time limits is a problem but it is only a problem when it is not policed and who is to blame for that.

Recently I traveled on a safari with 23 other rigs and we went through the gem fields but because of one of the over zealous CP owners, who shall remain nameless, on another site called all freedom campers "scumbags" and when the responses got too hot for him he removed his posts.I and many others chose to camp in another town because of his attitude.

Diesel, I believe this particular gentleman has done your town a lot of harm and maybe the locals should whisper loudly in his ear. I know of at least three sites on the web where currently this matter is being discussed and it will no doubt spread like wildfire.

As Herbie says the CP owner may have the right to protect their vested interests but the way some of them go about it gets up my nose and the closure will not just effect the CPs but all business in town.

-- Edited by Bugsy on Saturday 28th of September 2013 04:21:16 PM

We have gone through a lot of changes on the gemfields in recent times Bugsy - with progress we have attracted people from all walks of life which is good for the community, but the downside is the baggage they bring to the area in the way of their not so desirable attitudes.

Most of us chose to live here due to the lay-back lifestyle based on not just good healthy country living, but trust in your fellow man to do the right thing. Anybody who stepped out of line was usually shown the error of his ways by being introduced to an "attitude adjuster" - also known as a pick handle. Those days are behind us now and unfortunately we have an element of society among us who put greed above all else.

diesel

diesel · Member

neilnruth wrote:
Welcome to the forum from us diesel. Hope you hang around to enjoy this forum.

Thanks for the welcome neilnruth.

diesel

diesel · Member

landy wrote:
Diesel, If my memory serves me correctly, for a small fee, you can obtain a fossickers pass (from the milk bar ) to bush camp very close to the town. Maybe some of the stall holders could look at promoting some of these spots for the tourist traffic. Maybe even publicise the idea in the next camps book.
Landy

-- Edited by landy on Saturday 28th of September 2013 06:30:52 PM

G'day Landy,

Your memory isn't too far off the mark there mate. For a small fee one can obtain a fossicker's permit (available from various outlets such as the Trading Post), but this does not give the holder the right to camp on any of the designated fossicking areas - they are a fossicking permit only.

A camping permit is required to camp in areas like Big Bessie, Graves Hill and also the Sapphire designated area provided that the camp is outside of a 1 km radius of the Post Office. These permits are also available from the Sapphire Trading Post and are quite cheap - the last I heard they were only around $3.00 per night.

As a market stall holder I have the "gift of the gab" and usually point tourists in the right direction of a good cheap camp spot if they express the desire to hang around for a while, but don't want to pay CP fees.

diesel

Boroma577 · Guru

There used to be a free camp not far from Sapphire at Rubyvale, just past the service station. Diesel, can you confirm that this is still the case please??

landy · Guru

Diesel would I be right in assuming this will disadvantage the Trading Post much more than the super market, which I would imagine gets most of the custom from the caravan park.
May I also ask if the caravan park and supermarket are owned by the same people?
Landy

-- Edited by landy on Monday 30th of September 2013 02:08:05 PM

diesel · Member

Boroma577 wrote:
There used to be a free camp not far from Sapphire at Rubyvale, just past the service station. Diesel, can you confirm that this is still the case please??

There is no free camp at Rubyvale and I cannot ever recall one being there in the past 23 years. I have seen a few rigs bush camped at times along the far end of Goanna Flats Rd in the Middle Ridge designated fossicking area and also on the northern side of Rubyvale along the Capella Road, but rarely anywhere else in the area.

For a lot of years travellers & fossickers would pull up and camp just about anywhere they liked around the gemfields, but the mines dept officers police it fairly thoroughly these days and rightly so. No permit = hefty fine.

diesel

Boroma577 · Guru

Thanks diesel. We were there late last year and there were caravans etc parked in the area to which I referred and I thought there were also signs....maybe not!! I'll see if we have any photos.

herbie · Guru

I find camping at the Willows is a much nicer area to camp.

Boroma577 · Guru

herbie wrote:
I find camping at the Willows is a much nicer area to camp.

And this is where Herbie??

Sheba · Guru

Boroma577 wrote:
herbie wrote:
I find camping at the Willows is a much nicer area to camp.
And this is where Herbie??

Google it Boroma. It's not too far from Sapphire and Rubyvale, but a little south.
Chers,
Sheba.

rockylizard · Guru

Gday...

This site will work hopefully - http://goo.gl/maps/k4rxg

The Willows Caravan Park is not a bad place to be (stayed there back in June this year) ... but I am not sure there are any 'free-camps' at the Willow Gemfields.

Willing to be proven wrong though.

[edit: grammatical error corrected hmm ]

cheers - John

-- Edited by rockylizard on Monday 30th of September 2013 03:52:30 PM

diesel · Member

Boroma,

The Willows is approximately 50 kms from Sapphire. To get there, you go back to the Anakie crossroads (intersection of Capricorn Highway and Anakie/Sapphire Road) then head west on the Capricorn H/way for approximately 25 kms or so and then swing left at the sign pointing to The Willows.

gps coordinates: 23d39'46.84"S x 147d30'41.96"E

Rockylizard was correct in saying that there are no free camps at The Willows, but there is another spot before you get to The Willows called Glenalva where bush camping is allowed under the permit system although I would doubt whether anybody camping there would bother to obtain a permit. To access the Glenalva designated fossicking area turn left off the Capricorn H/way into Southernwood Rd.

gps coordinates: 23d38'35.79"S x 147d34'11.80"E

Glenalva is known for top quality green and yellow sapphires in shallow surface wash - easy digging.

diesel

-- Edited by diesel on Tuesday 1st of October 2013 06:57:39 AM

-- Edited by diesel on Tuesday 1st of October 2013 06:58:10 AM

Boroma577 · Guru

Sheba wrote:

Google it Boroma. It's not too far from Sapphire and Rubyvale, but a little south.
Chers,
Sheba.

I tried that Sheba and could only find a Willows Road which turned into Rutland Road and then Glenlee Road, which ultimately comes out on the Dawson Dev Road, so I am none the wiser.

If someone can kindly give me something more to go on, it would be very much appreciated.

diesel · Member

landy wrote:
Diesel would I be right in assuming this will disadvantage the Trading Post much more than the super market, which I would imagine gets most of the custom from the caravan park.
May I also ask if the caravan park and supermarket are owned by the same people?
Landy

-- Edited by landy on Monday 30th of September 2013 02:08:05 PM

G'day Landy,

Both the shop at the Blue Gem C/P and the Sapphire Trading Post could only be classed as convenience stores - the C/P shop business being mainly park clientele plus take away food for the same as well as a lot of locals and the Trading Post relying on some business from the locals and a lot of take away tucker with the free campers.

The business that would suffer the most from closure of the free camp will definitely be the Trading Post.

The C/P and the Trading Post are owned by different people.

diesel

Boroma577 · Guru

THANK YOU diesel and Rockylizard (John), your help is greatly appreciated.

I am not particularly interested in fossicking generally, but would happily observe if I were to see someone else doing so.

Do I still need a permit to camp under those circumstances??

-- Edited by Boroma577 on Tuesday 1st of October 2013 08:45:19 AM