Has anyone stopped for the night at the main gate of the Aboriginal Community Centre [it says free overnight camping] at Head of Bight Whale Watching Interpretive Centre [Oak Valley Aboriginal Community]. We have a 2wd motorhome that is no good on corrugated roads, so is it suitable on the road going in.
Colin
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Avan Ovation M7 with Fiat Ducato 3 Lire diesel engine, 2 x 160watt rooftop solar panels, 3 x 100a/h batteries, self contained with separate toilet [SOG NO CHEMICALS], and shower, 100 litre fresh water tank and 100 litre grey water tank
We dont mind paying to go in the centre, but we want to do whale watching as well ?
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Avan Ovation M7 with Fiat Ducato 3 Lire diesel engine, 2 x 160watt rooftop solar panels, 3 x 100a/h batteries, self contained with separate toilet [SOG NO CHEMICALS], and shower, 100 litre fresh water tank and 100 litre grey water tank
We were there a week or so ago. Eight whales with their babies. The best place to spot them as not in a boat to disturb them.
The camp near the gate is ok for two wheel drive etc.
Well worth the trip in. Only a few km.
We didn't stay at the free camp there, but drove into the whale watching towing our van. The road was a good gravel road, no real corrugations and no problem for 2wd at all. It was well worth the entry cost when we went, lots of whales and calves.
-- Edited by Meredith on Monday 4th of September 2017 09:08:30 PM
We were there 12 months ago. A van parked at the entrance. Paid our money and saw a mother and her calf swimming around. Lucky eh.
Funny enough weeks earlier near Augusta we spotted a very energetic whale 250 metres from the beach...what a display.
Same at the 12 Apostles. Refused to pay for a natural view of a natural part of the coast. 12 km further west a view of a cove and some history was just as good...cost nothing.
Admittedly some places are worth forking out for. Alice Springs Desert Park for example.
I'm just making a point about commercialism. If there's a market it will survive but not due to many spent dollars from us. I'm grumpy today :)
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Be nice... if I wanted my school teacher here I would have invited him...
Was there five weeks ago, no problem camping overnight at the main gate - heaps of room, flat and level. It's 9km down to the centre, road is pretty smooth. No camping down at the centre but a fair amount of space available for motorhome/caravan parking while you're down on the observation platforms. Definitely a must-see.
We stayed there last New Years Eve. Bitumen all the way in, there are no amenities, so make sure you have enough water and need to take your rubbish out with you. We parked next to the building to get the afternoon shade on the van. Had a quiet night. Would definitely stay there again.
I stayed there about a month ago. There had been heavy rain but the site had kept firm and was level. Make sure you get there early to get a site next to the building as it can be windy there....no bushes or trees nearby. The site is about 1km from the highway so there is little or no traffic noise. The only thing that spoilt my stay was that two vans of backpackers used the side of the building for a toilet during the night. The next day I couldn't leave their mess there for others so had to go round and bury their offerings. I bet they wouldn't do that in their own country! There are good (flush) toilets down at the viewing area but the gate is closed during the night. There were 9 whales there on the day I visited. I had hoped to be able to go back the next morning (being camped there) and I asked but they wanted to be paid again. IMO it would be a lot fairer if the pass was for 24 hours (from arrival) as people are dropping in on their way east or west and often arrive just before closing or in my case quite late and also its not exactly cheap.
@rockylizard
The tourist pamphlet I got in Ceduna before going there said that free camping was allowed at the gate with no amenities. It's written at the bottom under all the other info.
Despite the problem with the fellow campers I'd much prefer to stay there than at any nearby roadhouses which are just as windy and you pay for it. I did notice a few other campsites just west of Nullabor roadhouse on the left, which look ok and have some bush for windbreaks plus tracks to get a bit off the road. (maybe not ok with heavy rain though!)
We saw about 20 mothers and babies .... amazing and so near to the shore, then drove on to the Nullabor Roadhouse, which was clean and well managed, well worth the $30...
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Avan Ovation M7 with Fiat Ducato 3 Lire diesel engine, 2 x 160watt rooftop solar panels, 3 x 100a/h batteries, self contained with separate toilet [SOG NO CHEMICALS], and shower, 100 litre fresh water tank and 100 litre grey water tank
