What towns are "Drive thru" for you.???

oldbobsbus · Guru

What towns are "Drive thru" for you.???

_wombat_ · Master (of Mischief)

all of them cos we like bush camping

oldbobsbus · Guru

We are bush campers too Wombat, but I could name a town or 3 that welcome you to park up for the night..

hako · Guru

We drive through any town that has traffic lights.

brian · Guru

I don't believe that you should just drive through RV unfriendly towns.

Most of the businesses in those towns have absolutely no idea of the potential market that they are missing out on due to their councils' attitudes to travellers who don't wish to be herded into the local caravan park.

If they are not enlightened about their losses, then they will remain ignorant of the facts and will therefore bring no pressure to bear on their elected representatives to change their ways, which in turn achieves nothing of benefit for them or for us.

So... Who's going to tell them?

You can bet your boots that it won't be the local caravan park operator who is likely on the council and feeding them only what information that he sees as being beneficial to his cause.

The rest of the councillors are most likely those same business folk who are both totally oblivious to their own lost income and getting their one sided input from the van park operator.

The best and possibly only way that these people will become better educated in this regard is for the travellers themselves to tell them why they are not spending their dollars in their establishments, and you can't do this if you just drive through.

So..Instead of driving through, stop, spend only a little and tell the businesses why they are not getting more of your cash.

A good spot to start is the visitor information centre, let them know that you would have stayed longer had they been more accommodating of your needs, they will pass it on to the powers that be PDQ if they hear it often enough. Negative feedback is a powerful tool.

I also make a point in the more friendly towns of telling those businesses that I spend money in that I am doing so because of their support for travellers. Positive feedback is also a very powerful tool.

wendyv · Guru

We mostly use caravan parks rather than free camp. Any town that does not have a half-way decent dog friendly caravan park becomes a drive through one for us.

Bobstar52 · Veteran Member

I had the dipleasure of staying in Horsham Vic so bad was the accomadation and price I wrote a letter to the mayor. Do shoot the store holders who employ your children, grandchildren, brothers, sisiters etc. Pen the mayor

woolman · Guru

We drive through any town that has traffic lights.
Denis

Ex balloon chaser and mercury measurer.

Toowoomba.

You won't drive through many in WA then.

Neil

-- Edited by woolman on Tuesday 19th of November 2013 11:51:03 AM

Rip and Rosie · Guru

Yass. NSW.

Despite the council installing a dump point recently, and a big rig parking area for vans/ MHs behind the main street, the caravan park is old and dirty, and the showground is grungy and yuk.

Drive another half hour down the Hume to the showgrounds at Jugiong, beautiful ! right on the river, clean toilets etc, pub and bakery across the road................ wonderful.

Another short hop up the Hume is Gunning- outside the local pool, on a lovely creek, showers and toilets, BBQ, pub across the road ........... what more can you ask.

Lorries · Veteran Member

Rip and Rosie wrote:
Yass. NSW.

Despite the council installing a dump point recently, and a big rig parking area for vans/ MHs behind the main street, the caravan park is old and dirty, and the showground is grungy and yuk.

Drive another half hour down the Hume to the showgrounds at Jugiong, beautiful ! right on the river, clean toilets etc, pub and bakery across the road................ wonderful.

Another short hop up the Hume is Gunning- outside the local pool, on a lovely creek, showers and toilets, BBQ, pub across the road ........... what more can you ask.

Jugiong now has a dump point - just been installed and opened about 10 days ago.

-- Edited by Lorries on Tuesday 19th of November 2013 05:25:35 PM

-- Edited by Lorries on Tuesday 19th of November 2013 05:26:56 PM

Gerty Dancer · Guru

Theres always drive-thru towns, as we seem to be "on a mission" to get to someplace specific.... but while "driving thru", we often make a note to return, or not. So far there hasn't been many non-return places except for cities eg Sydney, Wollongong, Brisbane, Melbourne. Hate the traffic.

countryroad · Senior Member

My brother and s i l have always stayed in c p however this time around they will sometimes free camp...not yet.

I have explained if you use free/cheap campsites apart from National Parks, spend some money in the town that has paid for you to have cheap/free space. It need only be the paper from the newsagent...

tell them, just make a comment so they know, they're not to know you only bought a paper, oh by the way, direct your comment to someone who possibly owns the business or is older, no youngster would care

They stock up before leaving and use big towns for everything which is fine if you're only using c p BUT if you're getting a bargain then someone else is paying for it.

I'll be having my 1st outing and will be using Jugiong Showgrounds, it's a bit further on from home. Going to Bright, Vic so I'll be looking for a couple more stops along the way. C P last night must be one not far from Bright.

Cheers

Robyn

GaryKelly · Guru

Being interested in photography, and hating big city traffic, I intend to park on the outskirts of big cities and become a day tripper using public transport. Because of my current medical condition, I see my doc in Sydney every 3 months or so and train it to Central overnight, arriving at 7am which gives me plenty of time to wander around the city snapping happily away for half a day. I couldn't imagine doing the Big Lap without photos of all the capitals in my portfolio.

Meanwhile, I agree with Brian's point. How are 'drive-thru' towns meant to become aware of what they're missing out on if they're not told?

brian · Guru

countryroad wrote:
"snip"

They stock up before leaving and use big towns for everything

Cheers

Robyn

Lots of people do this "stock up before leaving" trick, and from my experience, it is a total waste.

Why??

Most country locations often have far better fresh produce at prices not very dissimilar to what you pay where you live.

Their shops are often better manned and less congested.

You don't end up carting tonnes of canned and packaged product all over the country, only to get home with much of it untouched.

You spread your money around a bit, and believe me.. Regional areas do need your help.

You have an ideal opportunity when spending in these regional shops, to thank them and their townsfolkfor providing facilities for you as a traveller, and letting them know why you are patronizing their establishment.

If going bush where there are fewer shopping opportunities, we generally stock up at the last decent place before leaving civilization.

NeilandRaine · Guru

I never drive through a new town, heaven forbid we might miss an opp shop.
I travel to see Australia and by by passing a town means I have missed something, however small.
On the road we have nowhere to go and all the time to get there so why not stop. admittedly we have found one or two towns less friendly than others

KFT · Guru

we only stop in Dubbo long enough to catch up with family and then move on to the next town on our trip.

frank

03_troopy · Guru

Willcannia of a night time is a definite drive through for me.

pambaz · Senior Member

We like to see as much as we can and usually stop for a cuppa or lunch , buy something from the supermarket or check out the information centre in lots of towns. Sometimes we are only there for a quick drive around or an hour or so just to have a look.

One town we do drive through is Coffs Harbour for some reason we have never liked it .

If we stay outside a large city for a few days we catch public transport in to have a look. Perth, Melbourne! Brisbane all have good public transport? We live in Sydney.

Of course you can't stop at very town you pass through but some have that extra appeal that make you want to stop.

Dougwe · Chief one feather

Rip and Rosie wrote:
Yass. NSW.

Despite the council installing a dump point recently, and a big rig parking area for vans/ MHs behind the main street, the caravan park is old and dirty, and the showground is grungy and yuk.

Drive another half hour down the Hume to the showgrounds at Jugiong, beautiful ! right on the river, clean toilets etc, pub and bakery across the road................ wonderful.

Another short hop up the Hume is Gunning- outside the local pool, on a lovely creek, showers and toilets, BBQ, pub across the road ........... what more can you ask.

It's funny but good how people have different opinions Rosie, I stayed at Yass CVP about this time last year and thought it a nice little park with drive through sites and average price.

I strongly agree with the Gunning free camp though! I did a one night stand parked up along side that little creek a few months back, cold but nice, the gas heater came out early in the morning that stay.

As for a drive through town, "In June" Q'land would probably be my pick, although I was there in April, maybe more going for it in June.

-- Edited by Dougwe on Wednesday 20th of November 2013 06:09:32 AM

PeterInSa · Guru

Re [definitely keep going straight through Willcannia ]

I think there is another CP/Tourist Village opened up East of Willcannia, about 2Km east of the town turn right.

To me its probably adjacent to the river as well.

Peter

-- Edited by PeterInSa on Wednesday 20th of November 2013 02:10:13 PM

Golddetectornomad · Senior Member

Too true Troopy, definitely keep going straight through Willcannia ...and the steel covers over all the shop windows should be enough warning.....we made the mistake of stopping once for the night in the local Caravan Park in 2007..arrived at dusk......gee we were the only ones there..how good is this we thought?.....our little dog in our Van went bonkers all night as neighbourhood kids/juveniles were yelling out/screaming and walking through the "park" the whole night....no sleep for wife or myself either...stuck my head out and I saw juveniles with bows and arrows in the half light trying to shoot rabbits in the supposed park...to top it off next morning we let the dog out on his leash for a much needed pee and he screamed in pain...three corner jacks and other nasties/prickles in every foot..prickles all over the place.......the best thing about the Town is the road out, IMO....I don't make these points lightly...should not be, as Managers live in house at the entrance to Park where you pay your money and there was a complete lack of supervision/control/caring.....I wont bother mentioning the ablutions.....Hoo Roo

Gerty Dancer · Guru

Wilcannia is a sad place, seems that everybody's given up on it. We had lunch there at the golf club a few years ago and thought what a nice little town, beautiful river etc. Just after that the supermarket was burnt down and it seems things have got worse since.

Ontos45 · Guru

Barcaldine is our drive-through town. After having seen the original "tree of knowledge" and seeing the abortion they have now and promote, we just pass through. The shearers met at the pub not under the tree anyway. Stands to reason, pub sold wet stuff.

Peter

Rip and Rosie · Guru

Dougwe wrote:
.....................Q'land would probably be my pick, although I was there in April, maybe more going for it in June.

LOL, I agree Dougwe. It always surprises me how many Victorians drive though NSW just to get to Queensland, which, I know has attractions for some, butI don't understand it.

Cloak · Guru

We used to tease the kids when driving through Moe in Victoria. "Heads down and don't have eye contact with anyone" we'd say as we drove through.

My apologies to the nice folks there but it was just a bit of fun.

But back to the topic, no we don't have any drive through towns. To be completely honest we love them all, every town has an interesting history
we've discovered. Just recently we dropped in to the op shop in Orbost and bugger me if the local historian didn't work there. We had a ball learning about
the last 80 years of that town. We stayed in Marlo however. LOL

Cheers and enjoy.

wendyv · Guru

PeterInSa wrote:
Re [definitely keep going straight through Willcannia ]

I think there is another CP/Tourist Village opened up East of Willcannia, about 2Km east of the town turn right.
To me its probably adjacent to the river as well.

Peter

We stayed at Warrawong on the Darling, in July. It opened at Easter of this year. It is - as said - about 2-3 kms east of the town, on the northern side of the highway. It has big, grassed sites that overlook a billabong of the Darling, and absolutely brilliant amenities block. Also allows unpowered "bush" camping. A walk track goes to the river and right round the billabong - a great walk with dog. Not cheap, at $35 a night, for a powered site, but we thought it was worth the money.

-- Edited by PeterInSa on Wednesday 20th of November 2013 02:10:13 PM

CJC · Newbie

We don't just drive through any town as there is always something to see and do. However we draw the line at supporting towns like Mudgee who are not RV Friendly. Just an aside there has been mention of Dump Points at Yass and Jugiong I would just like to Point out that the Councils may have installed them but they were paid for by members of the Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia.

oldbobsbus · Guru

Most Dump Points are paid for by the CMCA but that unimportant..
If the town has a dump point thats a BIG Plus..

Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.