We stayed at freecamp at Bulladela last year and that town caters for free campers,and that towns small shopping benefits big time according to one lady we spoke to in the coffee shop,she said we would not be here without the caravaners,my brother is camped at longreach at there freecamp with 150 vans,can you imagine the impact that has as on the local business in town.
yet we have a situation where freecamping is being discourage by silly councils and motor home clubs with there ridiculous ideas regarding sink and shower water putting pressure on people...
Small town want grey nomads because younger people don't want to go there , One of the reason some council don't want free camping their town is so popular with younger people with kids who are cashed up and spend big time , And if the town is full of grey nomads there is no room for the big spenders . So if us grey nomads want to free camp we must leave the coastline and big city and go bush . If we want to visit big city and the coastline be prepared to pay .
Park "outside" of popular areas. and drive in.
IF you're that way inclined.
A lot of us go other way thank you.
Whinging about the fuel costs to do so.
Park IN popular areas and pay. Simple.
You can't blame them (owners) from charging max.
They ARE a business.
And Pretty much ALL should be self sufficient nowadays,
If not staying in parks. even just occasionally.
Extra 60 ltr tank under. Not extra weight (Apart from weight of tank).
Just tsansfering water and it's weight.
From one tank to another.
And we all carry a $100 tut. Don't we.
All WITH women on board anyway. $3\350 does it, Basically.
Tent.Tut. Shower head and tank under.
Another $350 for Instant Supply HWS.
(worth every cent, believe me).
Seen some innovative ways that small town folks can make money or see how much tourists spend money. I'm not talking about overnight roadside stops but where you feel safe enough to leave your van for a day trip or two.
1. All the receipts in shops (chemist, IGA, bakery, butchers etc.) were put in a box to see how much was being spent (not petrol).
2. Local store delivering ice, milk (even cool pops!!)
3. Local woodman delivering firewood.
4. Local supermarket taking phone orders.
Surprised there is not more free (or cheap) camping behind older struggling pubs.
Camping on the Coastline from about Sydney right up to the top is quite expensive. What would be $25-30 elsewhere is $40-50 on the coast - and that's off-season. We use the odd card or three to get deals - Pension, two franchise groups, say 4 pay for three, get 7th night free in another park etc.
A free campsite near me closed down recently after a short trial. The free-campers just left too much rubbish and the location was appallingly bad. Was almost like the local council wanted it to fail.
What I was getting at there should be a lot more towns dong this Texas is another example, theres free hot showers in town for the Travellers ,Iam not talking about the Gold Coast,there's one hell of a lot more towns that can be doing this,seen the vans on the road Huge money on wheels,if there sensible enough to make a bit of ground available...
this is big dollars for little business thats struggling to stay a float ...
Texas was a place I had in mind when I made my first reply. We spent money in the local grocery, the pub and the rabbit museum. When I got home I asked my mum what are Akubra hats made from? Her reply, rabbits, which was something I didn't know pre my Texas visit.
RonD spot on mate. We've stopped at Bulladelah and in the morning shopped at the IGA in principle. Same with Texas last week. Currently staying at a camp near Bundaberg ( no names) the caretaker says backpackets arrive late and leave early not paying $10 a night. Toilet paper goes missing etc. Sad to hear.. but good on those small towns and we thank you.
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Be nice... if I wanted my school teacher here I would have invited him...
More and more grey nomads not putting money into local shops just taking and not giving in return , North Queensland towns finding more and more have supplies brought in large towns at woolworths and Coles and stock up their freezers , Home Hill one example great Comfort stop but very little spent in town , When we are on the road we don't carry any frozen food buy free and find great local Butchers .
Whoever invented the term FREE CAMP needs shooting these small town camps are DONATION CAMPS. There's a difference. Agree a lot of travellers put nothing into these small towns.
That's why quite a few are closing down. We recently stayed at Dululu near Mt Morgan, donated $5 for a shower. The only business in town to spend money at is the Hotel.
Unfortunately it's closed due to being partially burnt down. Which leads to question: Is the camp doing anything for the town & its residents? NOT REALLY.
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Cheers Keith & Judy
Don't take life too seriously, it never ends well.
Trip Reports posted on feathersandphotos.com.au Go to Forums then Trip Reports.
RonD spot on mate. We've stopped at Bulladelah and in the morning shopped at the IGA in principle. Same with Texas last week. Currently staying at a camp near Bundaberg ( no names) the caretaker says backpackets arrive late and leave early not paying $10 a night. Toilet paper goes missing etc. Sad to hear.. but good on those small towns and we thank you.
Backpackers are the enemy of all sorts of van parks. Coming in at night, using toilets & showers, washing dishes & clothes and cooking.
Whoever invented the term FREE CAMP needs shooting these small town camps are DONATION CAMPS. There's a difference. Agree a lot of travellers put nothing into these small towns.
This was gone over lots of times.
It puts us ALL on the back foot before we start.
Scroungers. Freeloaders. Gipsys, etc.
Something for nothing bums in some eyes.
I've always called it Bush Camping. or OFF road camping.
That's a fairly modern term. Which does Nobody any good.
The sooner it removes itself from our vocabulary. The better.
In my eyes.
RonD spot on mate. We've stopped at Bulladelah and in the morning shopped at the IGA in principle. Same with Texas last week. Currently staying at a camp near Bundaberg ( no names) the caretaker says backpackets arrive late and leave early not paying $10 a night. Toilet paper goes missing etc. Sad to hear.. but good on those small towns and we thank you.
Backpackers are the enemy of all sorts of van parks. Coming in at night, using toilets & showers, washing dishes & clothes and cooking.
The same thing goes for quite a few older folk too, staying overnight in no camping zones, stealing toilet rolls from caravan park amenities, not donating at small community donation camps, the list goes on & on. Not all backpackers do the wrong thing.
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Cheers Keith & Judy
Don't take life too seriously, it never ends well.
Trip Reports posted on feathersandphotos.com.au Go to Forums then Trip Reports.
There should be a limit on how long Gipsys can stay in a free camp .
Lots of free camps have time limits. However gipsys tend not to take notice. From memory, in the 1950-60s there were all sorts of rules in NSW to curb gipsys. Haven't seen real Gypsies (Romanians?) since i was a kid.
