If you want to see Australia don't be influenced by where you can or can't stop. So many people say I won't go to that town because there are no free camps.
We stop at every town and village to have a look around, sometimes for an hour some times for a few days of more, if we need something we buy it regardless. If camp spots dictated where we stop we would miss half of this great country.
At the moment it is bloody cold in NSW and has been very wet, so we are staying at Caravan Parks.
The caravan park owner get a lot of flax from some section of this forum , If a town does not have free camping it always the caravan parks that are the reason , It most cases it the local that complain to the local council , I use both free and caravan parks , We need both we use caravan park for washing , when we need power , when we want a long shower and when we visit big townships , We never free camp in a town has most town have there bad people who can cause you trouble , If we can't afford to do this we stay home .
We are with Brickies and N&R we go where we want if there is a free camp along he way we use to our advantage stay a couple of days move on to next what ever it is free, low cost, showground or caravan park.
We were having a free camp down near Victorian border earlier this year when another couple pulled in to rest the night said hello told us about how they enjoy a council camp ground further north on the coast, next day after lunch we thought why not, we will swing down that road and have a look, we had night to spare, so we stayed not 1 but 3 nights and wished we had not had a reuion to go to further up the line as we could of stayed there a lot longer, it was so welcoming.
My point I suppose is, we are flexable where we choice to stay, spend money. It all about balance. Life is a fine balance.
Hope this helps and yes, enjoy your travels.
Ps. Sorry Chucker I missed you, we agree also.
-- Edited by Radar on Sunday 14th of August 2016 08:15:13 AM
I'm a balanced traveller too I do agree however that free/alternative camp spots seem friendlier than SOME CVP's. I have also met some very friendly and nice people in CVP's or similar.
Keep safe on the roads.
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DOUGChief One Feather (Losing feathers with age)
TUG.......2014 Holden LT Colorado Twin Cab Ute with Canopy
DEN....... 2014 "Chief" Arrow CV (with some changes)
The caravan park owner get a lot of flax from some section of this forum , If a town does not have free camping it always the caravan parks that are the reason , It most cases it the local that complain to the local council , I use both free and caravan parks , We need both we use caravan park for washing , when we need power , when we want a long shower and when we visit big townships , We never free camp in a town has most town have there bad people who can cause you trouble , If we can't afford to do this we stay home .
You are 100% correct that caravan park owners are against free and low cost camping.
One of the best examples of this is Murray Bridge, one of the park owners spends a lot of time and fuel checking out low cost campers at the showgrounds.
If he researched the reason why people chose low cost camping. He would have more cash flow and a full park if their fees were not so high.
I've been thinking of doing the Big Lap but after reading a lot of
forums and wiki camp comments , it seems to me that
Caravan Parks are running Australian Towns ??
I would like to 50/50 pay and free camp but not where
Caravan Park owners tell me to.
Is this true.??????
Hello Chucker
If I have interpreted your question correctly, you are asking if Caravan Parks are running Australian Towns, as this is what you have interpreted from reading forums and wiki camp comments
This is a very hard question for me to answer, I am sure that more experience travellers can give a more precise answer
We are all different, and by reading forums, and wiki camp type comments, we will all come to our own conclusions
To put thing into perspective, and this is only my opinion, so I could be wrong
I know good people who only use caravan parks
I also know good people who only stop at free camp
I also know good people who stay in both caravan parks, and free camps
I also know good people who had set out with good intentions, who had never completed the lap, due to forced overspending such as unforseen repair bills etc
There are many different roads to take, when you are doing the lap. In some places there are no caravan parks, and in other places there are no official free camps.
After you have completed the first lap, you will then know what suits your particular outlook
I therefore hope that you have a very enjoyable trip
Caravan park owners are simply business men/women - they offer a service and it is up to the customer to decide to take advantage of their service. Like any smart astute business man/woman, they need to check out the competition which may be showgrounds, scout camps or free camps. It's called smart business and personally I see nothing wrong with it at all.
I would not worry in the least about the politics of free camps or caravan parks - use whatever you feel is best for you at the time.
I use CVP's, Low Cost and Free/Alternative places to stay so I reckon I am a "Balanced Traveller". I haven't spilt my cup of tea going to a happy hour yet so yep, I'm balanced.
__________________
Live Life On Your Terms
DOUGChief One Feather (Losing feathers with age)
TUG.......2014 Holden LT Colorado Twin Cab Ute with Canopy
DEN....... 2014 "Chief" Arrow CV (with some changes)
Different strokes for different folks. Some travellers I know refuse to stay anywhere except in caravan parks, while others I know will rarely use them. Us... we do a bit of both, but mainly free or low cost as that is our preference. We don't need power, all we need is an occasional dump point and to top up our water tanks.
Bear in mind also that a lot of grey nomads are on pensions or limited incomes. Just because they own a nice van and a four wheel drive, doesn't mean they can afford $25 - $45 every night for accommodation.
As for caravan parks running some towns, it's definitely true. I also know of at least two towns though where the local Shire/Council has demonstrated the fact that a free/low cost camp does NOT impact significantly on the caravan park's level of clientele and that having a free camp DOES significantly increase the community's income.
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I've sailed would this island. Twice. I've motorbiked round and across it. Spent last 20+ yrs caravaning it mainly North south and East Coast. Once was enuff over the west. for me.
They all had one thing in common. I bloody loved it.
Caravan Parks. Public places. crown land. Back of pubs.
They all have their place.
. Just respect and don't go round saying "free"""" anything.
It gets everybody's backs up.
No matter how you do it, at whatever financial level. Plane. Hotel. M.Home or trailer. Just get out there and do it.
and you'll never regret.
A very few don't like it. but they'd be whinging Pom's and should piss off back where they came from hey.
Oh. I've seen around 4.56% of the place so far.. A loooong wat to go yet.
-- Edited by macka17 on Monday 15th of August 2016 07:27:59 PM
A few comments if I may having just completed the "lap", a short one of 13 weeks.
We stayed at CVP's about every 5th day maybe for 2 days or 3. Chill, washing etc.
Of course as we went further south down WA's coast fees got cheaper, so we stayed longer. Eg Heron Point. At Cervantes cvp was I think $21 for an unpowered site. So we stayed 4 nights. Had it been $44 as it was in Darwin we would have moved on after one night. Cvp makes $84 out of us, not $44. Cvp's please note. It also comes down to atmosphere, at Cervantes they have a great cafe, in town a good fish and chip shop and pub (if pub meals are your thing). And of course the Pinnacles attraction. A low cost tourist place not to be missed.
Other times freebies or cheapies were also good.
In defence of the park owners vans pull up, use the dump, toilets, showers, power, other facilities etc then move on. The cvp owner doesn't seem to make a high profit IMO but they entered that field of business.. But as pointed out, many if us can't afford to stay even every second night. We have a right to tour as cheaply as possible but we do create rubbish, use toilets and even create tyre tracks in soft ground that needs filling by council workers. So nothing is free really, someone has to pay.
So freebies or low cost camps have their place just as cvp's do. If van park owners try to eliminate freebies by local council lobbying....I would make it a pledge not to stay at that park.
Is that confusing?
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Be nice... if I wanted my school teacher here I would have invited him...
Caravan park owners are simply business men/women - they offer a service and it is up to the customer to decide to take advantage of their service. Like any smart astute business man/woman, they need to check out the competition which may be showgrounds, scout camps or free camps. It's called smart business and personally I see nothing wrong with it at all. I would not worry in the least about the politics of free camps or caravan parks - use whatever you feel is best for you at the time.
Good Luck.
OK, they are in business. If they can not meet the market, then they should get out of if.
It has been said before, grey nomads do not need all the added equipment that they put in parks like play grounds etc.
We are paying out money for stuff that we do not use.
When GM`s are charged for something they don`t want they go to free or low cost camps.
We have no issue with Caravan Parks. They serve their purpose for the travelling public.
But as the Travelling public, we also have the right to avail ourselves of any bush camp that we see fit.
We will support Caravan Parks mainly in the major or larger towns.
We never hear from the Caravan park owners stating that they took business away from the hotel and motel accommodation in there area by installing and promoting motel style accommodation via cabins.
There is one park , I think in Batesman Bay that only has 2 caravan sites. All other mode of accom. are via cabins, and yet their street signs still read caravan park. I had my 2 bobs worth of say to the owner re this so call caravan park.
Look, at the end of the day there is a market for all different modes of camping in this great land of ours.
We are now on our 6 month trip and we will support all style of camping as we need to.
Unfortunately. Any system tried would have to be on the Honesty system
Aad there are too many arseholes/dishonest people here for it to work.
(Whoops. Not HERE as such. IN AUSTralia meant.)
Basically an entrance gate to ALL parking (Overnighters) In and out of towns. Designated as such. with an honesty box. Say $10 a night?. Water, and (Maybe toilets/sinks supplied.Hopefully a dump point.
That'd give us cheap bedspot. councils the money to maintain such. and dispell all the animosity surrounding us because of a few pieces of s--t.
Dreaming.. I know. But it would be nice hey.
-- Edited by macka17 on Tuesday 16th of August 2016 04:49:14 PM
absolutely agree. an example is Ulladulla headland caravan park, they have removed the single camping rate and converted most unpowered sites to powered $$, have added lights which shine through your tent, and heaps of stuff for kids to play/swim. Clearly going for $$ but school hols is not that long esp as many parents cannot afford time/cost.
I love un powered sites as you are not boxed into a mini mt druitt like power sites are. NSW nat parks have also removed single rate AND put prices up.
As a child my father would drop me 3 brothers and mum off at beachside van park in tent for 6 weeks (visit on w/e) it was cheap, couldn't do that today.
Other dummy spit at van parks is something that started in vic years ago and has spread everywhere. 2.00PM check in.
I do agree however that free/alternative camp spots seem friendlier than SOME CVP's. I have also met some very friendly and nice people in CVP's or similar.
