No wonder we Free Camp

Delta18 · Guru

No wonder we Free Camp

Happy Camper · Senior Member

I'm with you on the river gum tree theory.

I'm sick of being treated like a cash cow and have just set up with solar power making my rig independent.

I bet that c/park is the first to trot along to the local council complaining about lost trade to free camping spots when the peak periods are over.

I'm aware that business have to charge a fair price to survive & I don't have a problem with that but "greed will not succeed" because word of mouth will bring them undone.

Cheers - John

shekon · Guru

Totally agree Delta. I do not mind paying at all for a good CP, however I have just paid the most so far and certainly will not go back again.

$38pn for single, low season, nice spot but nothing special. Henty Bay CP, just 10mins from Portland. Would have been better to turn the other way and actually go into Portland.

Now in a great spot, $10pn, power, although no water to MH, there is water to be had from the rain water tanks available, fantastic facilities, great spot in the bush. Brucknell Scout Camp.

This spot is just great and all monies go back to the Scout association to add improvements to the area. If I can get the internet to connect to my IPad will add some pics later.

Cloak · Guru

For $38 a day I expect a car wash and meals.

BTW Gilwell Park scout camp in Gembrook Vic used to have a similar arrangement. Stunning Victorian forests and streams.

I've camped there a few times years ago and it was stunning.

You are becoming quite a travel font Sharon, well done.

Cheers

Roving-Dutchy · Guru

I don't understand why all the complaints about caravan park prices, if you don't wish to pay the price charged you find somewhere else to stay.
Evidently the price is set at what some people are willing to pay so the market dictates the price, this applies to everything we buy in a our society.
If you are providing a product and the price is higher than people are willing to pay you go out of business.
There doesn't seem to be a any rational reason to compare what we pay for a product in Bali to what we pay here as their pay rates for a worker are very likely $10 a day, compared to the minimum $16 per hour in Australia.
Cheers
David

Bryan · Guru

Good post Neil. Makes you wonder.

dING · Senior Member

Seems to me some Peeps

Just got more money than sense

dING · Senior Member

I will never stop in a CP again

Till they start lobbying for free

Camps as hard as they did to

Abolish then a pack of greedy mongrels

Most of em --- Yup I know there are

Exceptions -- But as they say if ya

Sleep with dogs ya wake up with fleas

And I am sure that they pay there share

To the Assc lobbying for no free camping

hako · Guru

We're currently at Killarney in the Killarney View caravan park - $26.10 per night for the 2 of us and not a single thing I can complain about. Great grassy spot for our van, plenty of shade, horses 10ft away to feed apples etc, spotless toilets with hot showers and no smells, park half full of friendly overnighters, friendly and obliging owners, pits for fires, good water, a secure park with a good feeling.
You simply go with what feels good - currently we want comfort....next week we may want to 'rough' it and free camp .with handtowel washes and dinner by candlelight.
Please don't write-off caravan parks.

Spook · Senior Member

hako wrote:
We're currently at Killarney in the Killarney View caravan park - $26.10 per night for the 2 of us and not a single thing I can complain about. Great grassy spot for our van, plenty of shade, horses 10ft away to feed apples etc, spotless toilets with hot showers and no smells, park half full of friendly overnighters, friendly and obliging owners, pits for fires, good water, a secure park with a good feeling.
You simply go with what feels good - currently we want comfort....next week we may want to 'rough' it and free camp .with handtowel washes and dinner by candlelight.
Please don't write-off caravan parks.

Already have. Sorry but I will not be forced into concentration camps when there is so much of our beautiful country to enjoy

Radar · Guru

Hi All

I am like Hako, we have a choice, some times it's 2 star other times million stars.

We care caravaning on the South Coast of NSW. Bulli was $25 a night in a CP could night fault it. Now at Berry showground a bit more relaxed $24 a night. The first week we were away it was roadside stops, front yards and back yards.

Yes CP can be a bit of problem but I need water to drink, wash, do the washing and to wash the car, caravan.

CP are very handy for all that.

Which ever way you do it enjoy. Cheers

The Phantom · Guru

Spook wrote:
hako wrote:
We're currently at Killarney in the Killarney View caravan park - $26.10 per night for the 2 of us and not a single thing I can complain about. Great grassy spot for our van, plenty of shade, horses 10ft away to feed apples etc, spotless toilets with hot showers and no smells, park half full of friendly overnighters, friendly and obliging owners, pits for fires, good water, a secure park with a good feeling.
You simply go with what feels good - currently we want comfort....next week we may want to 'rough' it and free camp .with handtowel washes and dinner by candlelight.
Please don't write-off caravan parks.
Already have. Sorry but I will not be forced into concentration camps when there is so much of our beautiful country to enjoy

How can you be forced into staying at a caravan park? You drive the car, you make the choice.

The Phantom

Delta18 · Guru

hako wrote:
We're currently at Killarney in the Killarney View caravan park - $26.10 per night for the 2 of us and not a single thing I can complain about. Great grassy spot for our van, plenty of shade, horses 10ft away to feed apples etc, spotless toilets with hot showers and no smells, park half full of friendly overnighters, friendly and obliging owners, pits for fires, good water, a secure park with a good feeling.
You simply go with what feels good - currently we want comfort....next week we may want to 'rough' it and free camp .with handtowel washes and dinner by candlelight.
Please don't write-off caravan parks.

I certainly wouldn't write van parks off, they have their place and if they are reasonably priced people will use them, when they want to,

The park you mention is certainly well priced and I would use it if needed, but at $123 per night - no way. In the case of that park I would be surprised if you could book only one night over Easter anyway.

peterblack · Senior Member

I have stayed in caravan parks some I liked some I didn't
personally I like a nice quiet place in bush by creek
when my boys were young I had not much cash so most time it was bush camping
or cheap places near beach etc
just enjoy wat u do

Woolly · Senior Member

I free camp as well as stay in parks, no one is forcing me too it is my choice. In regards to pricing it comes down to supply and demand, obviously they are still getting the customers at those prices, if they won't they wouldn't be charging it. In reality it is no different to me, I give discounts for golf cart hire during the quieter times to attract customers, no way in the world I would do it during the holiday season because the carts are always booked out anyway.

brian · Guru

I don't know why you guys are all complaining about caravan parks.

If it wasn't for them, there would be no space left in the free camps for the rest of us.

Seriously though, there are some people who would never dream of going to a bush camp, using a drop toilet, cooking on an open fire, swimming in a lake or river etc., and I'm personally glad that they feel that way.

Mr B2 · Senior Member

Totally agree Brian,

I dont like crowds, CP's, Give me a quiet place far removed from any one, Peace and quiet,

I rocked up to a caravan park on the Murray years ago at 11-00 PM, 3000 people with radios on different stations, It was lit up like Luna Park, I was joining a group I was in at the time,

I near turned around and drove the 400 Kays back home again, But never again,

I went to Bali, $880-00 for two weeks, All inclusive, Including the plane fares, The get paid $40-00 per month,

But if you move out of the tourist area's, Its all relevant, Cheap to live,

arthur · Veteran Member

Delta18 wrote:
Is it any wonder when you can holiday in a resort room in Bali cheaper than a tent site on the East Coast of Oz.

Managing a van park must be hell on earth. I don't know if van parks over charge. Try getting a hotel/motel anywhere during a peak holiday season, including Bali; which I don't think is really very cheap as its promoted when you factor in all the incidentals. I rather spend the airfares, innoculations etc on something here in Australia. I've heard of people coming back to Australia, getting off the plane and kissing the ground! If something goes wrong for me in Australia I know it can be fixed. I just don't need the hassle of getting on a plane. Just my 50c worth. Cheers Arthur

-- Edited by arthur on Sunday 23rd of March 2014 01:52:22 PM

pawsoz · Senior Member

...and one can often find a pub room, complete with their sheets, use of shower/bathroom and power in one's room cheaper than a unpowered site for 1 person.....too many cup owners are seeing all travellers as open wallets! Annie

littledick · Senior Member

One of the dearest ones I know just topped the list of most popular. confuse

As said, the prices will remain as long as they are patronised, mainly by the weekend families. hmm

Dick.

Kantiki · Senior Member

We have just sold our house so we are in a cp in Armidale for several months while we build the new one. I recently complained about the closure of Dumaresqe Dam as I much prefer free camping with a beautiful view. However the park we are in is lovely. Terrific staff, lots of trees and guess what, $120 per week with a powered ensuite site as we will be here fore several months. Metered power which we pay monthly. Nothing to complain about here.

Dunmowin · Guru

This debate is timely and relevant. We must stop talking about FREE camping, and start referring to our way of life as FREEDOM CAMPING. We have the freedom to choose whether we stay in a caravan park, a low cost/budget site, a pay by donation site, or a free site. This is our choice. We are not freeloaders looking for free accommodation, we are freedom campers, choosing to live out our alternative lifestyle.

KFT · Guru

Dunmowin I have to agree with your comment

Too many of the detractors of our way of life only see the word "free" and straight away they are thinking freeloaders/gypsies/bludgers and it gets worse than that in some places.

I always refer to us as Bush Campers because we wont camp in towns it is always in the bush. We do have freedom of choice in Australia so really I suppose we are

freedom(of choice) campers.

just my sunday rant

End

frank

rockylizard · Guru

Dunmowin wrote:
This debate is timely and relevant. We must stop talking about FREE camping, and start referring to our way of life as FREEDOM CAMPING. We have the freedom to choose whether we stay in a caravan park, a low cost/budget site, a pay by donation site, or a free site. This is our choice. We are not freeloaders looking for free accommodation, we are freedom campers, choosing to live out our alternative lifestyle.

Gday...

My sentiments entirely .... been banging on about it for at least five years.

There is no such thing as a "free" camp - SOMEONE has had to pay for it.

These places don't just materialise ... and the rubbish, cleaning etc doesn't get done by fairies or little elves.

Cheers - John

Dunmowin · Guru

Thanks Rock & KFT for your vote of confidence! I will continue to push the button long and hard, but it is up to all of us (grey nomads, travellers, tourists, back-packers - what ever "hashtag" you choose,) to keep banging the drum. We have to lose the free camp word from our vocab, and start calling it FREEDOM, ALTERNATE OR BUSHCAMPERS.

I am currently writing a submission to a caravanning magazine based on Freedom Camping north of Perth, and have already had one article accepted (coming up in May Edition) where I talk about freedom camping in the Great Southern. This particular mag is on the band wagon, so it is working. To change our language, we need to get it out there. Write to editors of magazine who refer to free camping, correct anyone you speak with who call it free camping. Keep banging the drum.

(Apologies to Delta18 - I have Hijacked your thread! (PS, keep away from those gum trees beside the river wink - OMG, we all know why they are called Widow Makers!)

The dog lady · Guru

I started taking my son bush camping when he was 9, and he has just turned 40 (where did it go?). It was always called "bush camping" with no mention of cost. I don't know when that changed, but to me "free camping" evokes the picture of camping at a rest stop to be near "civilisation". Bush camping on the other hand is (to me anyway) camping somewhere far from civilisation in order to enjoy nature. I must admit that 30 years ago there were not many of us out there so maybe that has caused the changes. But I doubt whether anyone will ever "police" true bush camping. They'd have to find me first biggrin

aussietraveller · Guru

Although we don't use alternative camp sites I have on numerous occasions turned around and told the people at the park I am not as dumb as I look I do not support extreme rip offs by Caravan park owners there are plenty of alternative options I also pass the word around about parks that think daylight robbery is ok.

Vic41 · Guru

I just did a poll on the term Free Camp to see what others opinions are on the term among others.

You can make a post also for comment on your preferred name too if not listed.

In general I prefer to camp outside caravan parks if possible unless I have a reason to use a cp.

-- Edited by Vic41 on Sunday 30th of March 2014 11:20:46 PM

03_troopy · Guru

Free diving = diving without the use of airtanks
Free climbing = climbing unaided without the use of climbing equipment
Free falling = falling without the aid of anything to inhibit your fall
FREE CAMPING = CAMPING WITHOUT ALL THE MOD CONS YOU FIND IN CARAVAN PARKS OR CAMPING GROUNDS
It's got nothing to do with free loading, or free lunch......................

Vic41 · Guru

03_troopy wrote:
Free diving = diving without the use of airtanks
Free climbing = climbing unaided without the use of climbing equipment
Free falling = falling without the aid of anything to inhibit your fall
FREE CAMPING = CAMPING WITHOUT ALL THE MOD CONS YOU FIND IN CARAVAN PARKS OR CAMPING GROUNDS
It's got nothing to do with free loading, or free lunch......................

Sounds good to me Troopy, I notice that if you google Free Camping it brings up numerous sites in Australia which quote Free Camping while Freedom Camping seems to be a term mainly used in NZ, although they also use Free Camping as well.

Free Camping seems to be the most widely used in the Australian community.

Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.