I need an overall view/opinion as to where people free camp in general. The reason I ask is this; we tend to go off the CAW Bible and websites like 'Caravancaravan' to look for free camps/rest areas. When we go to park up at night, we only use the ones that the books designate as 'overnight stops' but this proves VERY difficult at times. We don't want to abuse any privileges but wondered what other people do?
All too often, there is nowhere near a town that is listed as an overnight rest area. Take for example, Esperance in WA where we are now. There are several CP's which charge heavily and NO rest areas that are classified as overnight rest areas. The nearest is at Mungilup Rest Area which is 100kms away from Esperance. If we want to look around the Esperance area, we don't want to travel 200kms each day/night to get there. We often hear of people 'free camping' 100%. How? We want to do the right thing, and as I say, only go off what the books and websites tell us but what do other people do? Do they stop by the roadside anyway, do they park in suburban streets, do they stay in day use areas only? Please tell us as this is frustrating. We don't want to break the law but the irony is that if I had a family sedan instead of a MH, then I could park it in a street anywhere! We don't want to 'camp' overnight (i.e. get table and chairs and awning out), we just want somewhere to close the curtains and go to sleep.
Please help us with your ideas folks as staying in CP's is costing us a fortune!
I understand what you are saying. I have a MH similar to your Mercedes, only mine is an Iveco. I park anywhere it suits me. Shopping center car parks, truck stops, side of the road in Melbourne. I try not to look conspicuous and only sleep. I don't cook, shower etc, I find road side stops for that.
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Retired Airline Pilot and Electrician..
I'm not old, I've just been young a long time....Ken
Since light travels faster than sound, some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
We didnt stay at Esperance because of that Wirroff, and there is quite a few places like that, north of Perth going up the coast. We cant be inconspicuous with our rig, but maybe you guys could be.
Broome and Exmouth come to mind... nowhere to camp except caravan parks for a caravan. Sometimes you have to just bite the bullet if you really want to see these places, but don't stay long!
Down the end of the road in industrial areas is usually a safe bet for overnight stopping and if needed you can go back the next night or so..
Cheers Bob, I hadn't thought of that....I suppose I get frustrated because no-one would bat an eyelid if I was having a sleep in my sedan on a suburban street but apparently we're doing wrong by being in a MH....
Certainly industrial areas are a good idea as after 6pm, there is no-one around. I'll check that one out.
Hervey Bay (our home town) is very much like this. As its a holiday town they only want people staying in their caravan parks and thus the nearest 'free overnighter' is at Tiaro 55km away!
Industrial areas that are developed have one drawback, Security patrols. These are frequent, servicing the buildings in the area, but having said that, I've never been challenged. Only once ever did I receive a knock on the door. It was in a beach parking lot at Glenelg Beach outside Adelaide. It was a Council Inspector around 9 p.m. I was asked to move on or the fine was $200.00... I moved on...
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Retired Airline Pilot and Electrician..
I'm not old, I've just been young a long time....Ken
Since light travels faster than sound, some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
Council Rangers cannot make you move if you tell them you are tired and need rest OR you tell them you think you may be over the limit (regardless if you have had a beer or not).
If you were to get pulled up and breath tested and you told the police the Council ranger directed you to drive it would cost him his job..
They can return later if they have nothing else to do but it unlikely as they also have a personal life to live as well..
I've got a mate who travels full time in converted S.A. bus towing a Suzuki Vitara..he's now done the big lap at least 8 times over the past 15 years..perhaps you've seen him on the road....anyway he catches up with me each time he passes near where I happen to be....he originally had a problem many years ago with CP's not accepting his rig due to its size....he's an ex Interstate Truck driver...and is not easily intimidated...he told me he once parked his rig in CP driveway and went to sleep when they refused his rig...he said he simply transferred his problems to them.......
After so many years now and never staying in a CP he has worked out many ruses....he carries a piece of paper stating he has stopped for the night due to driver fatigue and demands the Council Inspector sign it if he wants him to move....they never have and leave he tells me.......another states he has just had some drinks for his partners birthday celebration and does not feel he is in a position to drive....they don't sign that one either....the only time was on Eyre Peninsula in a certain country town Council area..he was sleeping and had a very beligerant Council bloke tell him to move on....and stated he would definately be back to book/fine him in the morning.....he went and turned the Council sign inwards to the park area and took a photo of it next morning...when the Inspector duely arrived to give paperwork my mate pointed out he had not seen the sign because obviously someone had turned it round and he had taken a photo to prove it and would dispute any fine........the Inspector told him to leave without a fine...
Now I'm not advocating folk should follow these examples and my mate and his partner are scrupulously clean in the way they leave a stay area...but after 15 years he has had to think outside the square to combat this 'victimless crime' as he calls it....on his last trip through, he said it was getting more difficult dealing with 'authorities/speed bumps' and he never really goes near the coastal areas now and stays inland.....now in his 70's he's always been a larrikin and I think he sees beating 'them' as a challenge......he fishes, and red claws, and yabbies etc his way round Australia and says he has never regretted hitting the road all those years ago....
I'll get some more updates from him and his larrikin ways next time I see....Hoo Roo
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'Without Going, You Get No Where'.
' Aspire to Inspire before you Expire'
Where Gold be....is where Gold be......old Cornish saying......
The older we get the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.......
As a rule,Try and keep about 10km away from camps...this seems to shut them up (its often the cp's that will pot you for free camping...if you are to close to them)....Another great place to park in in RSL CLUB carparks...especially if you have had a meal or a few drinks with them...most of them are just to happy for you to sleep there....We did have a night when a Security guard stopped to talk with us...It never worried him if we slept in the industrial area..infact We think he kept an eye on us all night anyway....
Lastly...if possible, Its cheap insurance to pull up near other campervans/caravans etc....much safer (We did have a time in NZ where a caravan park would not let us stay because we travel with our pets but he did direct us to a small bay just out of town...When we got there...there were a few other campers pulled over for the night...ha...by the morning there was something like 20 units using the area.)
just on that...20units @ approx $30-nite = approx $600 per nite lost revenue because they wern't Pet friendly....how dumb is that ??? (not saying that they all had pets)
Cheers
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The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything. They just make the most of everything they have.
As a rule,Try and keep about 10km away from camps...this seems to shut them up (its often the cp's that will pot you for free camping...if you are to close to them)....Another great place to park in in RSL CLUB carparks...especially if you have had a meal or a few drinks with them...most of them are just to happy for you to sleep there....We did have a night when a Security guard stopped to talk with us...It never worried him if we slept in the industrial area..infact We think he kept an eye on us all night anyway....
Lastly...if possible, Its cheap insurance to pull up near other campervans/caravans etc....much safer (We did have a time in NZ where a caravan park would not let us stay because we travel with our pets but he did direct us to a small bay just out of town...When we got there...there were a few other campers pulled over for the night...ha...by the morning there was something like 20 units using the area.)
just on that...20units @ approx $30-nite = approx $600 per nite lost revenue because they wern't Pet friendly....how dumb is that ??? (not saying that they all had pets)
Cheers
I like the one about RSL Car Parks. I'm a life member of the RSL, so I'll take that one on board...
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Retired Airline Pilot and Electrician..
I'm not old, I've just been young a long time....Ken
Since light travels faster than sound, some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
In my early years as a solo with a self converted campervan, I've camped in the recessed entrance of cemeteries after hours when the gates are closed and the staff have all gone home (neighbours were very quiet), in an RSL carpark (Cairns or Townsville, can't recall now), the main street of Alice Springs in a parking space with no after hours parking restrictions, in a suburb in a street outside a large home with a high brick wall, a few bush locations well off the road and out of sight etc (also did this when tenting).
Once when tenting was woken up with heavy footfalls outside the tent, put my head out and found I was surrounded by cattle making their way down to the road verge at night to feed on the grass there, I must have been in their usual path. Packed up and left, I did not want to be stomped on overnight, lol.
Also parked across the road from a roadhouse overnight a couple of times when parking up late after they had closed.
We have stayed in the car parks of bowling clubs and golf clubs.
They don't have a problem with that, but we always try and have a meal or a drink in the club.
Lookout's are not a bad spot neither, usually they are just far enough out of sight and nobody has yet bothered us.
Around the back of woollies or coles stores but be careful not to obstruct delivery access.
we have been back from the big loop for about 2months now, the place we had the most trouble was Broome there is no where you can free camp and if you do you can get yours wheels clamped. we ended up driving out of town to where there was a information sign and plenty of parking, there is no toilets but it was good just for sleeping and we went back into broome next day. You really need to do you homework especially for queensland as a lot of the free camps get full and you cant get in ,a plan B is always good merry xmas and happy travels
Hi sandyr - one of the tricks with free camps (especially popular ones-like most in QLD during the winter months) is to plan to get in early - 2 - 2:30 - that way you get to choose your spot usually, and not trying to fit in somewhere.
To all travellers -the most important thing is - make sure you are enjoying your journey, not worrying about doing it all in a hurry - take your time, work out a plan whereby you travel maybe 200k in a day, look at the campspots within that range, and aim for that - life is a journey, not a destination!
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jules "Love is good for the human being!!" (Ben, aged 10)
I don't consider that sleeping in my vehicle is "camping", so if there is no sign which specifically bans "overnight parking", then I park the HiAce and crawl into bed when I'm tired. I've parked behind airports, in front of cemeteries (still hoping to see a ghost) and in carparks at shopping centres and industrial areas. If there's a security guard that makes me safer. As for cooking, I can make myself a cuppa and some lunch in the van and have often done so in shopping centre carparks in the middle of the day when I need a break. I prefer my own coffee and it's a hell of a lot cheaper than the cafe. And they can't complain if I've just bought the jar of coffee at the shopping centre! Well, I wouldn't listen if they did
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Cheers, Marianna.
The more I learn about people, the more I like my dogs (Mark Twain)
I often look for a pub in a small town if driving from one area to another.
Make yourself known to the publican and ask if you can camp close by for the night. Buy a drink first LOL.
Most are happy to have you around and more so if you buy a meal and have a treat as well.
The other day I stopped at Grong Grong at the pub and was made welcome.
Meals were off but when I told them that I had come prepared to purchase a meal to help the town, they asked me what I wanted.
There was another couple also camping there so they got 3 meals and we stayed in the pub with their aircon till after the cricket finished and they just cleaned up around us and chatted as they went.
The only other patron was the local drunk and they hunted him out early.
Many small towns are happy to have you if they know who you are and you appear civil.
I have also stopped at bowls clubs, Aldi, Hardly Normal, Bunnings etc as well as Supermarkets, but normally just overnight arrive just on 5 and make yourself known to management and leave after a short time to do your shopping.
Shopping centers in QLD often have shade sails and they come in handy when there are hail stone forecasted. I have used them several times to protect me and the solar panels from a hail storm
Regards
Brian
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11 Mtr house Boat based at Mannum hoping to travel up the Murray as far as I can get then drift back again
Stayed at a little town named Sedan a couple of years back. In South Australia near Swan Reach. Very small town lot of historic buildings. Stayed at the Pub in the rear yard. Power and water only $5.00 a nite. Usual deal with this type of accommodation, buy a couple of beers and a meal or two and everyone is happy...
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Retired Airline Pilot and Electrician..
I'm not old, I've just been young a long time....Ken
Since light travels faster than sound, some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
. As for cooking, I can make myself a cuppa and some lunch in the van and have often done so in shopping centre carparks in the middle of the day when I need a break. I prefer my own coffee and it's a hell of a lot cheaper than the cafe. And they can't complain if I've just bought the jar of coffee at the shopping centre! Well, I wouldn't listen if they did
