Free camping across the nullabour

margjohnb · Veteran Member

Free camping across the nullabour

Dunmowin · Guru

Sounds like it could be the rest area just west of Frazer Range.

margjohnb · Veteran Member

Thanks for that.

Going towards Norseman is it on the left or the right of the highway do you know.

jrg · Senior Member

Harms Lake I thinks is what your looking for just passed Frazer range . On 22 Feb it was dry there are better sites close by about 5 ks passed that on the right , we stayed for 1st time at Newman Rocks which was great.I rember that DVD it would be 10/12yrs old.

margjohnb · Veteran Member

Thankyou for that. Harms Lake that would have been the place. It wouldn't be too nice if the lake was dry. Will think about Newmans Rock.

Thanks again.

margjohnb · Veteran Member

What are other really good free camps between Port Augusta and Norseman. We have got Camps 8 with pictures. Thought there may have been some that others had stayed at that are really good.

This is our first free camp trip and really looking forward to the experience that everyone seems to love.

-- Edited by margjohnb on Friday 3rd of March 2017 04:09:47 PM

goannaway · Veteran Member

Newmans good if no one is parked by the lake, you have a chance of wildlife at night, we have camped at Baxter, we park down the back away from the road, you could be alone so if you don't like that park near the road. jilah rockhole is another, Moonera Tank, also 81k peg and Cohen on the SA side

margjohnb · Veteran Member

Thanks, starting to get a bit excited at this new experience.

theberrys · Veteran Member

One of our favourites is Kimba very GN friendly mostly we have camped by the railway line and once or twice at the park behind the shops and I believe there is a further facility (some form of cost attached). There are many low cost camp sites on the Eyre Peninsular. One of the towns we always stay in is Ceduna and always for two days at the caravan park next to the pub to catch up on washing - groceries - fuel - meal at the pub - etc. This is one exception to our almost exclusive free or low cost camping stops. After Ceduna we have really not found anywhere to recommend until W of Nullabour Roadhouse when you will find an abundance of great sites all the way to Norseman. Spend as much time as you possibly can on this part of your trip and if possible sample the many great places to free camp and don't listen to anyone that says The Nullabour is boring. Newman Rock is a great spot 50 k's W of Balladonia turn right and travel about 1k in.

sandgrooper1 · Senior Member

Hi,

I still have that DVD which was filmed in 2005....the first ever by caravan and motorhome magazine....when I get a chance I will view it again an see if I can give you an answer.....wont be for a couple of weeks though.

Cheers AL

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Hardly any set up free camps.. The middle to west I found you could pull off the road nearly anywhere .. We pull up if wind direction was head on or when we had phone reception.. Looking out for towers is one way of knowing there is an off road or track up a head..

margjohnb · Veteran Member

Thankyou Tony you have been very helpful. Looking forward to heading off

margjohnb · Veteran Member

That will be great Al. I vaguely can remember they just pulled off and inland a bit. I didn't think it was a proper rest area. Roothy and Co. jumped in this lake or dam or whatever and had a swim to wash off the dust they said.

margjohnb · Veteran Member

All these hints are so helpful. Never thought of looking for telephone towers. We don't like to stop unless we have mobile coverage. Our family like to contact us.

Phil C · Guru

margjohnb wrote:
All these hints are so helpful. Never thought of looking for telephone towers. We don't like to stop unless we have mobile coverage. Our family like to contact us.

Hi margjohnb and welcome to the forum

If you have a smartphone there is an app called wikicamps. This app is about $10 and worth every cent. It shows free camps, caravan parks and dump points. We did the Nullarbor last year and there are oodles of free camps etc. Fuel as expected is expensive.

If you havnt got a smart phone you can buy the app for PC (I think for windows 10) or the camps Australia book is very useful.

Cheers

jules47 · The Happy Helper

At Minnippa is Pildappa Rock - a bit out of town, but worth the stay. Climb to the top and have endless vistas. (easy climb)

pomme · Senior Member

A great place to stop although not free but still quite cheap is Shelly beach in Ceduna, about two to three minutes from the center of town .
Lots of room and a walk over the sand dune to the beach,we stopped there going over and coming back, and most importantly quiet and clean.
Price in June was $32 per nite.
Pomme.

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

We stopped overnight in old town west of the harbour, just out of Ceduna.. .. There is parking area near the jetty..

pomme · Senior Member

"Denial bay" is that a possibility, lots of crabs of the end of that jetty yum, yum.
Pomme.

mike g g · Senior Member

Lots of great spots right across but watch out for confectti all the way across took us a while to work out what it was sadly it`s used toilet paper people have a aversion to taking there waste with them or digging a small hole ,from nullabor road house to fraser range is the worst.

PeterD · Guru

Harms lake is east of Fraser Range Homestead, not west. Here is a map of the area. Zoom in to take a closer look at the different camps.

JeffRae · Guru

margjohnb wrote:
All these hints are so helpful. Never thought of looking for telephone towers. We don't like to stop unless we have mobile coverage. Our family like to contact us.

The towers don't offer mobile coverage, they only carry signals east/west or vice/versa. Most of the towns have mobile coverage, but mostly Telstra

JeffRae · Guru

PeterD wrote:
Harms lake is east of Fraser Range Homestead, not west. Here is a map of the area. Zoom in to take a closer look at the different camps.

Thanks PeterD, always nice to have a few more places to stop

JeffRae

margjohnb · Veteran Member

Thankyou to eveyone who replied with their best camp spots. Amazing lot of people.

Margaret and John.

sandgrooper1 · Senior Member

Hi,

As promised I did view the DVD again, Newman Rocks is where they stayed over at for the night as indicated by other forumites, it is 150 km east of Norseman and about 1 km into the camp off the highway.

Cheers AL

margjohnb · Veteran Member

Thanks Al for that. Sorry for the late reply. Been off line for a while with computer problems.

margjohnb · Veteran Member

Can someone please tell me if the road into Newman Rock is okay for a Falcon sedan towing a van if the road happens to be wet

margjohnb · Veteran Member

Thanks Al for watching that DVD of Roothy. Do you know if the road is okay if it is wet for a falcon sedan towing a poptop.

sandgrooper1 · Senior Member

Hi John and Marg,

Yes I would consider the road in fine for a Falcon, like anything use common sense..... if it has been raining non stop probably better not to venture into the unknown....if you do, stick to the main track even if there is water as it will be much firmer. If you are trying to skirt around a big puddle, the edges may be very soft.
Generally if there is water sitting/pooling it means the ground is firmer under it....also be aware about going too close to large rock formations such as Newman Rocks after rain as the runoff may pool around the edges of the rock and cause the ground to be very soft, even if the rain was a few days earlier.

Cheers AL

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

On a Falcon yes easy . It's good road the whole way . A CB is handy to have . The trucks communicate if passing or turning off etc . For safety . There's enough roadhouses to stop at if off road camping is a concern .