We have stayed in the Inglewood area twice now, once at Coolmunda Dam, when it was open for free camping a few years ago and recently just outside of Inglewood in a secluded camp spot. While at the dam we noticed several cars drive through every day and recognised those cars in town parked at one of the local pubs, when we went to town for water. Strange thing was these people were not camping at the dam, they drove in....drove through past all the campers looking at all and then went back out towards town on Tobacco Road or back towards Matilda's on the Inglewood to Warwick road. We also had someone hanging around camp at night time.
Our second recent camping trip included a similar experience, we were well away from the road, had farms houses more than 2km away, surrounded by bush and no one else around for miles, we were not within, but close to the state forest in a known but unknown camp spot where there had been nomads pulled in before due to the many remains of campfires surrounding where we camped, we were definitely not on private property, we were stopped there for one week total and from the second night onwards we were noticing our dog beginning to hear and see something and she began to bark and growl while watching something in the distance with her ears and hackled raised, this happened night and day, sometimes it may have been roo's but it didn't happen the first couple of days, it seemed to co-inside with the driving through of a local in a ute who we thought was collecting timber as we heard a chainsaw in the distance amongst the bush...from this point on, we began to notice a few noises around us at night with a possible glimpse of a light once or twice but were not sure at the time and early hours on the 7th morning I would swear I heard footsteps on the gravel outside of our vehicle but passed it off as an animal as there were some kangaroos and possums around from time to time.
But by the 7th night all went a little eerie when we had whoever it was venture almost into camp, we glimpsed a dull torch light about the size of a dolphin torch beam just away from camp which disappeared behind some scrubby trees and then we noticed someone with a headlamp on who was just between our trailer and ensuite tent, I would guess about 3 metres from the centre of camp, once they had been noticed they went amongst the tree line where the reflector of a torch was picked up in our spotlights which quickly disappeared, then we heard a commotion in the bush as though someone had run into a tree/branch, Hoping they had a brush with one of the many prickly pair trees infesting the area , but not knowing their intentions and fearing for our safety as no one knew where we were camped and we were right out of view of passing cars and farmhouses, we high tailed it out at 8:30pm and stopped in a spot were other nomads fequently stop up near Millmerran. You would think that if they wanted to just steal something, they would have nabbed it and gone...why hang around camp and venture closer every night...made us wonder what would have happened that night if we had have slept there again....we have made a decision never to return to Inglewood/Goondiwindi region...excluding Texas. It has definitely given us the Inglewood Jitters. We have been told by a fellow nomad that inglewood is one of the worste towns for gossip, paranoia and has the largest population of sticky beaks in QLD, although we know many small towns have them, we have lived in more than one...but Inglewood is by far the worste town for this that we have ever encountered. We have suspicions that the people from town seem to have a paranoia about camping and nomads in general. We have camped in many towns in secluded and unsecluded camp spots, some paying and some free campgrounds and some disused gravel pits etc and never had any issues such as the ones we experienced at Inglewood..No matter where we are, even if parked free, we always spend our fair share of money across a large amount of business in each town from buying groceries, fuel, scripts, take away and books on the history of the area and many other things and in fact ,by staying free, we spend more across several business in each town than we would staying at a caravan park with the park fees to payout on top...but guys Inglewood is crossed off our list of towns to visit and we will not be staying anywhere near, If you do visit and especially stay...please take care, we are not the only ones this has happened to.. Has anyone else had a similar experience at Inglewood.
That was a scary incident for you guys - love the name - might call you Waffle though, the rest is too long - if you don't mind.
Anyway - welcome to the forum - thanks for sharing - in many many years of camping and free camping more over the last ten years, we have only had one incident, where we left the camp we were in.
Two years ago in Kalgoorlie Free Camp, in town, part of a beautiful park, stayed there heaps of times, never had a problem. This time,, when we arrived there were two others parked up, and a group of indigenous - men, women and children - having a get together over the other side of the park, kids playing on swings, all talking, probably having a drink - but hey, why not! Not long after we arrived, three police vans turned up, and two mounted police came from the other side - after about an hour or so, they had rounded them up and, with a lot of swearing and muttering, the indigenous left the park.
Later that evening - 9.30 ish - we heard a group come back, fueled up, and not happy, they were just hanging around, but to be on the safe side, we jumped out of bed and drove off (starkers, I might add) - went further north and found a park for the night. But we will not go back to Kalgoorlie free camp, and I am not happy spending money in the town.
I do not blame the indigenous for our problem, they were having a good time, a family party in the park. Who asked the police to come and chase them off? Well, the Council building is next door, and I have been told the Council Manager's office is overlooking the park. Not accusing anybody, but somebody made the call to the police.
The indigenous get treated like second class citizens, and people wonder why they don't like us!
Sorry for the rant - we are full timers, and spend a lot of money in small towns.
Jules47 thanks for the reply, it's great to meet a fellow full time nomad. We have noticed the same that the indigenous Australians are treated roughly and wherever we go the indigenous people are always happy and polite. It is such a shame to see them treated so badly. I don't blame you for leaving, would have been a bit scary for you. We would have done the same thing and packed up and left. We are ensuring that if we stop in a secluded spot again, we are prepared and ready to move in a hurry if we have to just in case. Our experience was quite a creepy one, it was the motives of the ones sneaking around that was the real worry. We were terrified of what might have happened when we were asleep.
Waffleightis and Jules, I admirer you both for your tackfullness but, as one of you know we have been permanants in a caravan park for the last 18 years and have seen the whole picture. Even if I offend a couple of people I will tell you both and the whole gang that I have a water pistol filled with 50% detol, and 50% water sitting in an icecream container beside my recliner rocker, and since Feb 1999 have never used it. At 77 I hope I never will but, even though we will be 78 next year I reckon my happy days till the end are just as important as anybody elses. If that makes me a crook, I will send my appollogy imediately after my BIG BANG. I might also add that our Park manager told me this morning that a couple of those people came in last night and smashed the windows in a coup[le of cars and stole a hand bag. They then went to a fuel station and got caught on camera because they used the ladies credit cards. Also it seems they did the same last week at another park and got let out, and did it again this week. My only comment is, " Brake ins will go On & On & On & On & On until somebody finds a JUDGE with courage. Boy not sure if I have gone over the boundry or not, but time will tell.
Nigh, Nigh, that naughty boy.
P.S. In my first line I said we have been here for 18 years. Actually we came here for 2 nights and seem to have lost track of time, anybody else done that?
Aussie - no worries with me - I have no problem with colour or race or creed. Each to his own, but in the instance Waffle put forward, these were people sneaking around in the dark, close to and in their camp - that is a worry. In our instance, we felt vulnerable as we were close to the entrance, plus had car and trailer on the back.
We have completely lost time when we have stayed some places, just get up in the morning and decide it's too nice to leave today - tomorrow will do - love it!
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jules "Love is good for the human being!!" (Ben, aged 10)
We have completely lost time when we have stayed some places, just get up in the morning and decide it's too nice to leave today - tomorrow will do - love it!
I have been guilty of that too. Sometimes it's not "tomorrow", but next week will do.
Cheers, John.
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"My mind is made up. Please don't confuse me with facts."
Well we recently had to spend a night at the free camp in Inglewood, the tug was on the back of the RACQ truck and we actually didn't have any drama with "snoopers", found the local Police pretty good and the RACQ fellas on the ball, but am always wary when there are drive bys from non campers, always suss of them.......................I was once classified a Marksman, older now may need 2 attempts.............................. having lost a work vehicle to ratbags with matches in the Gundy area I do prefer to stay elsewhere..............
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Checking out the places I drove past a thousand times................