Just wondering if anyone knows how busy the caravan parks and free camps may be are on the way to Alice Springs at this time of year. We have never done any touring before . Would we need to pre book sites ?? All new to us.
-- Edited by TrevnGlen on Tuesday 27th of June 2017 11:19:54 PM
Welcome to the forum TevnGlen,
New to touring, may I suggest you start by getting the Wikicamps App you will find it most useful for finding overnight camps and CPs as well as other useful stuff for touring. It will also provide you with uptodate comments by travellers on the various camps and CPs including photos.
Generally any good overnight camp is likely to fill up fast each afternoon especially "in season" so dont leave it too late to pull over for the night. Also it is best to book CPs a day to 2 before arrive if possible and to let the CP know what size of rig you have if large so that you know they will be able to accommodate you. Older CPs can sometimes have small sites, I have had this problem a couple of times.
I would guess you will travel through Cooper Pedy so will need a caravan park there. Its an interesting place to spend a couple days but it could cost you as it did with me, wife had to buy an expensive opal, so many to choose from!!
Anyway after you get you first trip under you belt you will get the hang of it.
Happy travells
heading north from Port Augusta, I would look at following locations.
1) Pimba donation camp - Opposite Spud Roadhouse - has toilets and showers - Get there before 1400 to ensure a spot
2) Lake Hart - about 1/2 way between Pimba and Glendambo - no facilities but nice outlook over Lake Hart - never stayed here but suggest getting there early
3) Glendambo Roadhouse - old Caravan Park - facilities but very old and rundown when we were there last year - used to stay quite a bit. Should be ok
4) Bon Bon rest area (I think) - not pretty but has toilets - about 100km north of Glendambo on way to Coober Pedy. Big area so should be ok. Is in Camps book
5) Coober Pedy - shouldn't need to book, but get there early/mid afternoon. Stay a couple of days for look around town, and Breakaways reserve at sunset.
6) Not many rest areas north to the border from here. None with facilities apart from SA/NY border. Get there early as very busy. Other one that is not bad but no facilities is Agnes Creek
7) Caravan parks available at Cadney Park and Marla. Both are ok but not anything special.
8) over border Kulgera has basic caravan park at pub. Can be interesting to stay for 2nights if you have 4wd to go to Lambert Centre, the geographic centre of Australia. 120 km dirt road and 13 km of basic 4wd track (ok though)
9) Reasonable CP at Erldunda Roadhouse
10) Couple of rest areas look nice at Finke River (RH side going north between Erldunda and Stuarts well), and one I can't remember name of a bit closer to Alice Springs (LH side going north)
11) Free camp/caravan park at Stuarts Well - nice little spot, we always stop at for morning smoko. Worth a look to stop.
I wouldn't see any need to book except at Alice Springs, especially if you are on road early, and stop early afternoon. Enjoy the trip, this is one of our favourite highways to travel, if a bit boring for 100kms south and north of Coober Pedy. Becomes very interesting north of the border.
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Regards Ian
Chaos, mayhem, confusion. Good my job here is done
Most roadhouses are 200-350kms apart. Suggest you top up fuel at each of them. It also gives you a break, toilet stop, ice cream. The highway is quite mesmerising.
This is the mid year school holiday period so I strongly suggest you book ahead to get into a decent caravan park in Alice Springs. Our preference is the McDonnell Ranges CP - but it is among the more expensive. But it is just south of the main town, through the Gap, and not being right in town is an advantage there, to our mind. It has good security too. There's another park or two in that area as well that I have heard ok reports about.
If you are sidetracking to Yulara, would also need to book ahead at CP there.
Been a year or two since I last galloped that direction (and back) didnt find the need to book though we were booked in at Alice... made the mistake of camping (read tent) at one of the roadside parking bays.... arrived on dusk, got all set up just over the fence, cooked tea and went for a walk... huge mistake, never stop at or near them again. No toilets, just a picnic table or two.... Kleenex flowers everywhere in the dark. I wont tell you about cleaning the tent next morning... there was unlimited distance to walk and unlimited rocks to cover the damage, but (and we saw them next morning) walking about 10 feet past the fence face the other way and let go..... nearly made the news by chucking rocks at them.... nearly.
Plenty of clean, off the bitumen flat places to park, we had a truck and motor home... and left no traces....
Thanks RustyD....That's a good tip about fuel.. we have a long range tank installed.. But you never know.. things can change at the blink of an eye. thanks for that.
-- Edited by TrevnGlen on Wednesday 28th of June 2017 10:42:46 PM
I know it's been 5 days since your last reply. We have just got home. With Lake Hart. Good spot. We stayed there a few weeks ago but it does fill up very fast if you want to stay in the proper rest area. A lot of people don't and I don't think the local land owner is very happy as a chappy was there replacing a post that had been removed and the road side edge had been graded up but lots of campers drove over that to camp for the night. With regards to caravan parks in Alice Springs. Yes they too fill up but when all caravan parks are full the showgrounds gets opened up for camping. We were there for their June long week-end and desert rally and were advised to go to the showgrounds. $30 a night for a powered site. The office is at the showgrounds but if you arrive after 4pm just go in and find a site and pay the next morning. The good shower block is around the other side of the ring away from the front gate. If there's a NO Camping sign at the showgrounds it'll mean there is room at a caravan park. (We stayed at the showgrounds a couple nights, then took some days to do the Hermannsberg/gorges loop and went to go back to the showgrounds to find the No camping sign up). We also camped at the Hermannsburg Mission $10 per night donation with toilet and shower, no power, but have your shower early afternoon if you want it hot. By the by - the road from Hermannsburg around to Tyler Pass lookout and around to the gorges is now fully sealed even though the maps you get at the information office still says dirt for that 43klms. At Coober Pedy we stayed at the Oasis Caravan park as we wanted to see the Breakaways and the park runs a sunset tour to the Breakaways. We also did the day tour to the Painted Desert which we really enjoyed. The free camp at Coober Pedy had quite a few vans in it whilst we were there also. It's a big area. Enjoy your trip. Cheers,
-- Edited by Gaylehere on Monday 3rd of July 2017 10:05:21 PM
Wow .. thanks for such a good report of what we can do on our trip. and to all the others that have given info on the trip. We are so thankful to all that have contributed and will take all into account. cheers. and happy travels
