The Half Lap

larrylong · Newbie

The Half Lap

jbrinks · Senior Member

I would not free camp near Port Augusta . I would even consider not staying there . I have heard of a lot of people having problems there. The bypass of Adelaide could be from Murray Bridge turning right and going through the Barossa Valley and up towards Clare or Burra

Ozzie_Traveller · Senior Member

G'day Larry

In years past - when we used CPs - we stayed at the Shoreline Top Tourist place ... rated 3-1/2 stars and I found it to be those 3-1/2 stars [unlike make other CPs]

There also is the Motorhome Park out behind the power station too

Phil

Grubbygypsy · Senior Member

The sports club have a $7 camp. I haven't stayed there (PA) this time yet, but I take with a pinch of salt what lots of people say about hearing bad things about towns (let's be honest, due to indigenous problems) so not staying. Coming from the NT, I've heard it regarding most of the towns and I've stayed in many and they are fine. It's a shame, because towns can suffer because people have a built up fear because they've heard bad things.
If you've got wikicamps, there's a camp called behind the waterline or something. That's possibly the one Phil is talking about.

-- Edited by Grubbygypsy on Sunday 29th of January 2017 09:56:04 AM

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

jbrinks wrote:
I would not free camp near Port Augusta . I would even consider not staying there . I have heard of a lot of people having problems there.

What a lot of rot.....

Cheers,

Peter

rockylizard · Guru

Peter_n_Margaret wrote:
jbrinks wrote:
I would not free camp near Port Augusta . I would even consider not staying there . I have heard of a lot of people having problems there.
What a lot of rot.....
Cheers,
Peter

Gday...

I agree Peter. I have stayed in and near Port Augusta a few times - never a problem.

Spent a week there at a the Shoreline van park in 2012 without issue.

It does interest me the varied experiences travellers seem to encounter at various places. Perhaps I have just been lucky or at the right time.

Cheers - John

gooba53 · Guru

We stayed st Shorline CP for a week due to waiting on car part. I walked into town most days without any trouble at all.

We lived at Sunbury when we did the Centre.

We stayed at:

Nyah harness racing club

Martins Bend near Berri

Free Camp - ooraroo

Shorline CP Port Augusta

Lake Heart free camp

Stuarts Range CP Coober Pedy

Free camp creek bed Tarcoonyinna Creek

free camp Curtain Springs

Kings Creek Station

G'Day mate CP Alice Springs

etc etc

Dianne

-- Edited by gooba53 on Sunday 29th of January 2017 10:38:00 AM

jules47 · The Happy Helper

Peter_n_Margaret wrote:
jbrinks wrote:
I would not free camp near Port Augusta . I would even consider not staying there . I have heard of a lot of people having problems there.
What a lot of rot.....

Cheers,
Peter

Agree completely Peter - have stayed in Port Augusta heaps of times, at both caravan parks, but would prefer to stay at the Sports Club RV camp - I have heard theya re going to extend it - great idea. Never had an issue with Port Augusta at all - and have stayed several days at a time, gone out at night, walked through the town - no worries.

You do wonder why some people travel, if they are worried by people who live in a town. Tennant Creek is another one lots of people won't go to - it is a nice little town - good supermarket, people are friendly.

jbrinks · Senior Member

Port Augusta as a town is fine and I wouldn't have a problem walking around etc just know two sets of people at different times who had their tyres slashed at the RV park last year when they stayed overnight . Not a nice way to start of on a holiday.

rockylizard · Guru

jbrinks wrote:
Port Augusta as a town is fine and I wouldn't have a problem walking around etc just know two sets of people at different times who had their tyres slashed at the RV park last year when they stayed overnight . Not a nice way to start of on a holiday.

Gday...

Smiley Sad face.jpg

Not good to hear ... but based on that incident (statistically speaking) no-one would ever stay in any major town/city.

Cheers - John

msg · Guru

The sports club park is great. Stayed for several days. Never had or heard of problems. Food is good also.

Steve11 · Senior Member

Do you believe everything you read or hear....nope. Port Augusta is fine mate, just take the normal precautions you would anywhere else. as to your route, try google maps , pretty easy and simple directions. you can go via Murray Bridge to Gawler but that will take you via the hills. its easy getting through Adelaide though.

cheers

steve.

Happy Camper · Senior Member

Hi Larrylong, - I go up to the NT most winters to escape Vic's winter. We go up from Geelong through St Arnaud/Ouyen to Mildura staying the first night at Baronga C/Park.

The second night we stay at Burra C/Park. (There's a fruit fly stop just outside Renmark). Our next stop is Port Augusta which we have found fine with no problems. We stay at the Shoreline C/Park which isn't that flash but well run, clean and reasonably priced. Only hassle we have had is with noise from interstate freight trains shunting carriages during the night. We fill up with enough good water to get us to Coober Pedy with safety. Our first stop is Spuds Road House, Pimba to top up with diesel and buy smoko. Spuds Road House is a free camp with flushing toilets. Next stop is Coober Pedy to top up with diesel and have lunch. We fill up with water across from the Shell Service Centre which is reverse osmosis treated bore water ( top water). Our next stop is Glendambo SA where we fill up with diesel and book into the C/Park. Glendambo has a Café with reasonable meals, a Hotel, also has flushing toilets for passing traffic but the water supply is highly mineralised and not drinkable however the C/Park has tank water for a cuppa and a dump point for paying caravanners. If you prefer to free camp there is Lake Hart or Bon Bon (which has a long drop toilet).

Our next stop is Marla SA where we stay at the C/Park at the side of the service centre which has flushing toilets but the water is very average due to mineralization & wouldn't recommend drinking it. There's flushing toilets and a dump point separate from the service centre for passing traffic. Good meals can be obtained from Hotel/Café.

(There's good free camping allowed on the SA/Nt boarder which has long drop toilets).

Erldundra NT is our next stop for smoko and to top up with diesel. From here you can turn off to Yalara / Kings Canyon or go onto Alice Springs. I've stayed at most of the C/Parks at Alice and found G/Day Mate to be my best choice. The Big 4 is a great park but they cater for tourist buses that rise at 5am and are extremely noisy.

We choose to stay at C/Parks as the free camping areas don't have much shade and you have to arrive early to get a spot. The sun can get very hot without shade.

Hope this is some help with your planning. Cheers, John

-- Edited by Happy Camper on Monday 30th of January 2017 08:06:18 AM

wendyv · Guru

You can avoid Adelaide by going via Mildura. That's our usual route from Melbourne to go north or west. Plenty of choice for places with caravan parks - Mildura, Renmark, Morgan, Burra, Peterborough. We have stayed a few times at the Port Augusta Caravan Park - adequate. Another option is Spear Creek Station to the east of Port Augusta.

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Port Augusta I'm pretty sure we stopped over at the parking area in service station on western side of town . Stopped and stayed there twice now ..

Lancelot Link · Senior Member

Bypass Adelaide, turn off at Murray Bridge and follow the road signs to Gawler. Theres some great country through there and you could easily spend a month seeing the sights and tasting the wine and tasting the food and enjoying the little out of the way places, If staying at Murray Bridge go to Avoca Dell Caravan Park, quiet, well out of the way and reasonable price. This time of year midweek only!

-- Edited by Lancelot Link on Monday 30th of January 2017 01:05:19 AM

PeterD · Guru

This would be my route.

There is a good park just after you come over Horrocks Pass take the old Port Augusta road and a couple of kilometres down it is Spear Creek CP. You have a choece of powered sites on grass, powered sites in the bush or remote unpowered camping. It's a bit out of PA but still within commuting range of town and the Pichi Richi Railway. Don't forget the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden if you are interested in the Australian inland plants.

Hylife · Guru

First question is how much time is on your hands to do the half lap? It can be done in 3 months but you do need to keep moving regularly if you want to see all the tourist spots.

I just did it in 11 weeks, 22,500km and wasn't rushed but I could easily do the same trip and take 2 years. There are some absolutely wonderful places along that half that I could stop at for a few weeks at a time.

Ballarat north to bypass Adelaide? Use this map.

goo.gl/maps/HHGWouVrT4w

First good stop at Hopetoun around the lake. Free to stop and camp, gold coin donation to use the showers, $20 if you want power. Fish in the lake and fire bins provided, BYO wood.
Fill up at Pinaroo, cheapest fuel in Australia.
Next stop on the Goyder Line just north of Melrose lovely free camping spot with a trickling creek. Can drive over the old concrete causeway as only a couple of inches deep. BYO wood.
Next stop is simply a stock up shop as you pass through Pt Augusta because of the SA border tax where they take all your fresh fruit and vegies if the check station is open just before Pinaroo.
If you have the WikiCamps app on you phone or tablet download all the offline maps before you leave home because there a dozens and dozens of wonderful free camp spots all the way up the Stuart Hwy to Darwin, indeed there are thousands all around this great land.

-- Edited by Hylife on Monday 30th of January 2017 05:09:22 PM