Just got home from our first free camping trip of two weeks. What a life it is !!!! Set up right and go where you please. Eberspacher diesel heater was fantastic. After three very cold nights and mornings we only used 1.5 litres in three days. 200w solar panel fixed to roof and 105w battery was very adequate. Joolca en-suite was great and the Hottap hot water service was good after I fixed the leaking connections. We stayed at free cams at Nyah, Merbein and Underbool. All were great spots. All in all a great start to free camping. Off again in November. One last thing. Please take your rubbish with you. My wife filled a bag with rubbish at Merbein. See you at free camps. Col
The camp at Underbool is not free. A lot of people like to make it free though.
We stayed 1 night at Underbool a couple of months ago. Their was no power and the toilets/showers were like a pig sty. From what we were told the locals have football training and a party after.
Okay you nitpickers it wasn't free but for a hot long shower it was worth $6. I don't mind paying a few bucks for good facilities and it was clean. As I said also that my wife picked up a bag of rubbish at Merbein left by some idiot 'free camper'. Swings and roundabouts guys.
The old Underbool Recreation Reserve campsite that Phillipn is talking about has been closed for over 3 years & camping banned. The Travelers Rest that's sandwiched between the highway & railway line is a great facility.
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Cheers Keith
Our land abounds in Nature's gifts, of beauty rich & rare. We'll be out there enjoying it somewhere, camped by ourselves much of the time.
Free camping is a great way to go, Col. For the amenities you get at these cheap sites it's as good as free in comparison to CP's and usually good open spaces.
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Cheers, Richard (Dick0)
"Home is where the Den is parked, Designer Orchid Special towed by Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited"
"4x250W solar panels, Epever 80A charger and 3x135Ah Voltax Prismatic LiFePO4 Batteries".
The old Underbool Recreation Reserve campsite that Phillipn is talking about has been closed for over 3 years & camping banned. The Travelers Rest that's sandwiched between the highway & railway line is a great facility.
DD site is in Camps 8, check it out. I spoke to the guy looking after the grounds, and was told that was ok to stay. I put the camp fee in the box outside the shower block.
Their was another van their, they found the site as described in camps 8. Site 337 Victoria. Site has not been deleted from list.
You must have stayed at Site 336.
-- Edited by Phillipn on Sunday 21st of August 2016 03:29:05 PM
I am happy to see that you enjoyed yourself, and hope you have many more good trips in the future
I agree about the rubbish in some of the free camps. Left by persons unknown, who are probably not worth knowing
I clean up wherever I am stopping overnight, which is mostly official free camps, or just a roadside bay. I mainly do it for a bit of exercise, and find that the pickup stick I have, is good therapy for my hands
A bit off topic but... Re the camps which ask for a donation
I am not an experienced traveller, and have obviously not been everywhere. The only (asking for a donation) camp, I have been to is Kimba in SA. Both the wife and I always stop there when passing We both give an over the top donation, in appreciation of what this small town has supplied
Thanks for the positives guys. Free camping is the way to go and also to support local communities. Donations for offering clean well cared for sites is no problem for me.
The old Underbool Recreation Reserve campsite that Phillipn is talking about has been closed for over 3 years & camping banned. The Travelers Rest that's sandwiched between the highway & railway line is a great facility.
DD site is in Camps 8, check it out. I spoke to the guy looking after the grounds, and was told that was ok to stay. I put the camp fee in the box outside the shower block.
Their was another van their, they found the site as described in camps 8. Site 337 Victoria. Site has not been deleted from list.
You must have stayed at Site 336.
-- Edited by Phillipn on Sunday 21st of August 2016 03:29:05 PM
The only legal place to stay in Underbool is the Travelers Rest on the Mallee Hwy. We spend at least a month of every year in the area. The Footy Club venue might be listed on some camping forums/books but it is totally dead now that the better location has been up & running for the past 3 years. That's where the original poster of this thread stayed.
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Cheers Keith
Our land abounds in Nature's gifts, of beauty rich & rare. We'll be out there enjoying it somewhere, camped by ourselves much of the time.
The old Underbool Recreation Reserve campsite that Phillipn is talking about has been closed for over 3 years & camping banned. The Travelers Rest that's sandwiched between the highway & railway line is a great facility.
DD site is in Camps 8, check it out. I spoke to the guy looking after the grounds, and was told that was ok to stay. I put the camp fee in the box outside the shower block.
Their was another van their, they found the site as described in camps 8. Site 337 Victoria. Site has not been deleted from list.
You must have stayed at Site 336.
-- Edited by Phillipn on Sunday 21st of August 2016 03:29:05 PM
The only legal place to stay in Underbool is the Travelers Rest on the Mallee Hwy. We spend at least a month of every year in the area. The Footy Club venue might be listed on some camping forums/books but it is totally dead now that the better location has been up & running for the past 3 years. That's where the original poster of this thread stayed.
Lost, strayed or stolen, or dead as you say. We had a nice quite night away from the highway and rail line.
Here's some more images of the excellent Underbool Travelers Rest. Goodness knows why anyone would want to stay at the derelict footy club site when this is available?
Hi Colin glad you enjoyed your free camping trip.
We enjoyed your and Di's company and the single malt at sundowners at Merbien with you guys.
Peter n Celia
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Greet everyone as a friend, its up to them to prove you wrong.
Here's some more images of the excellent Underbool Travelers Rest. Goodness knows why anyone would want to stay at the derelict footy club site when this is available?
Their was nothing wrong with the buildings at the sports ground, it was just the mess that some pigs had made in the toilet block. otherwise the area was neat and well presented.
