Hi , I was wondering if any of you seasoned travellers have experience any safety issues while travelling around and across Australia , we are planning our 1st big lap next year as Grey Nomads and be on the road for the next 2/3 years but have been told that we have to be very careful , there are places that may better to avoid etc. the latest we heard was around Broome and anywhere where you had to travel long distance between town with issues with some locals .
We will appreciate any comments, what do you do to keep and feel safe ? what precautions should we be taking?
At this stage we will start on our own and have planned to do free camp at least 50% of the time .
We have never felt unsafe when travelling, nor have we ever had any problems beyond a few noisy people in some places. We take normal safety precautions to avoid theft, such as keeping our car locked when not using it, keeping the caravan locked if we go to the amenities or if we are sleeping, and keeping valuables such as purses, computers, phones etc out of view in the car and caravan when they are unattended. With free camping we have a few times decided not to stay somewhere if there weren't other campers and there were signs it was used by locals for drinking parties etc, usually evidenced by piles of empties lying around and usually in camps close to towns. Personally I don't think there are any towns that you have to avoid, whoever told you to avoid Broome mustn't be one of the hundreds of caravanners who fill the place completely for months during the dry season. If I was to avoid it then it would be simply to avoid the peak time rush of tourists, not the locals!
A load of rubbish, the only ones who say its not safe out there are the ones who have never been out there. Broome is as safe as anywhere else. No problems from townspeople either, after all you're probably spending money there. A load of rubbish.
We free camp 95% of the time. Prefer to stop about 3 to 4 in the afternoon and get a feel for the place. If others are around, a quick G'day is usually sufficient to establish that the neighbours are not from the cast of Wolf Creek.
If on the lonesome, parked and pointed so you can leave quickly, seems to be a good idea. Takes moments to put the annex away and stabilizers up before bed and being ready to drive away contributes to my peace-of-mind. One advantage of the MH is that I can slip into the driver's seat without ever going outside.
But to the original question, in lots of years, we have never had to leave anywhere in the middle of the night or felt unsafe. Worst experience has been some foreign backpackers turning up well after dark and parking within touching distance of the driver's side window. Calmly explaining (education for the seriously ignorant) that such behaviour annoyed the locals set up a great fleeting relationship the next morning with some visitors from Germany.
Saying G'day to the neighbours has one useful flow on effect. I usually tell the neighbours that I might run a generator for a few minutes just before dark but I will definitely have it off before dark so as not to disturb anyone.
Iza
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Iza
Semi-permanent state of being Recreationally Outraged as a defence against boredom during lockdown.
Wouldnât stay in Elliott . That town scared even me . Either stay in town or 20ks out of town . Never had security issues. Can run into idiots in camping grounds . The CG in Broom is fine and nice place . Have to go out on rides etc to see whatâs around . Just stopping in CG is not exactly checking town out !!
We did our first "part lap" (up the centre, west, down then back to Adelaide) from mid May to end of October and had very similar thoughts.
We found that when free camping it was best to chat to others and get some idea from them what lays ahead. Asking where they stayed, any issues etc. This was very helpful to us as it gave us an insight as to what to expect in some areas.
When getting fuel or shopping, ask locals if there have been any issues in the area.
One thing to remember is that everybody has different ideas, thoughts and perspective. Listen to everybody, but pick and chose advise that will benefit you.
But most importantly, get out there and enjoy this great country of ours............
I can't wait to hook up for our next trip - to where ?? which way is the car facing ??
I /We have been to most corners of this most fantastic land we call Australia.90% of which we bush camp. Looking up into the night sky at the milky way, without a care in the world.
If you worry about every last detail, you will not enjoy as one should.
Your other half most likely would feel more uncomfortable then yourself, in most cases. At night, you will ask yourself. Did you here that. Yep, I would reply. Try guess What it could be.
99.999% of the time, you would expect a Native animal, or Stock grazing nearby. The other .001% is the bum that saw your camp and pulled up near you to be safe for the night.
Spoiling the night with his or her's snoring. all night long.
I always parkup with out vans outside lights facing away from the road. You can here Vehicles coming from miles away. If so, We kill the lights till they have pasted, till 8pm.There after you have it all to yourselves.
Why, because you do get the odd late traveller looking for somewhere to parkup.
We have an off road van that I can turn left or right over the shoulder of the road to reach our chosen spot for the night. Most times I rub out our tracks with a stiff broom, to keep them guessing.
Our camp fire is the only sign of life. This alone is like a beacon to some. As is the smell of my roast cooking in our trusty camp oven .
Yes they will double back. Moonlit nights are the worst.
I do have a long handled axe and shovel for tending the camp fire of course, you see. Because we are responsible happy campers.
Get out there and enjoy.
PS: You are more likely to run into a problem in larger towns / cities.
Wouldnât stay in Elliott . That town scared even me . Either stay in town or 20ks out of town . Never had security issues. Can run into idiots in camping grounds . The CG in Broom is fine and nice place . Have to go out on rides etc to see whatâs around . Just stopping in CG is not exactly checking town out !!
Elliot. Scary. Only place where the caretaker said keep your eye on everything. However I think that was more aimed at fueling up rather than staying. The scariest part turned out to be walking to the pool after dark to cool off and having frogs bounce off your legs, just like Mataranka at night.
Make sure that everything external on your van or car (bikes etc.) is chained and locked and that a small pair of bolt cutters or a stanley knife cannot remove when your are stopped shopping or sight seeing anywhere.
Never been worried when travelling, free camping, which we do probably p8% of the time. We are in a motorhome, if we did felel not right, jump in the front seat and drive away.
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jules "Love is good for the human being!!" (Ben, aged 10)
Never had anything stolen, either in parks or in overnight camps along the road. In parks we leave most of our "stuff" outside over night, eg chairs, table etc. and have had no issues. Heard a few arguments (in parks), but nothing major, and never seen menacing behaviour in free camps.
When we are in free camps for overnight stops, just make sure we close down and pack away before we settle for the night.
Other than that, lock car and van, and always feel fine.
Do have a large, heavy, fish priest with me in the van "just in case".
Just go and enjoy it, using sensible normal precautions as other mention.
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Regards Ian
Chaos, mayhem, confusion. Good my job here is done
Broom after staying at 80 mile Beach just down the road ( for WA ) can be a little different . Itâs the ( Broom) point of northern WA and often itâs flooded with visitors !! Not particularly Brooms fault itâs popular !! Being an old dairy farmer .. Found it humourous that the left roads where green !! Lol
I have written this a few times on this forum over the years.
I have camped on holidays over the years since about 1959 or so mostly in the earlier years in tents. But since 1976 in Swags, Camper Trailers, Caravan, Camper vans, and now an Avan Cruiseliner Camper Trailer.
Camped in UK, Europe, NZ, Australia, North America. Never had anything stolen, nor encountered any trouble. This includes lot's of Free Camping. Bears in North America are a bit of a worry but never met one.
Been wary of some campsites as others have said previously "If it doesn't feel right or look right, don't stay, move on"
Like others have said, at some free bush campsites might deem it necessary to have the rig parked readied for a quick exit if required. This could be in case of a bush fire (free camps and camp fires at night pose a risk in some circumstances) as well as the possibility of being bothered by people.
The bush fire scenario has happened twice, but luckily we did not need to evacuate. Noisy, Yahooing neighbours have been a problem about five times but never threatening. Just kept us awake.
Go out there and Enjoy "The Great Outdoors"
-- Edited by elliemike on Friday 8th of December 2017 12:17:46 PM
Thank you so much to all for your comments , it ease my mind - so nice to see all the replies and great feedbacks. Hope to meet some of you on the road .
G/day Mez,go for it,the better half and I have travelled to all corners of our beautiful land for many years bush camping in an Oztent and never had a problem,we feel safer in the bush than we do at home half the time,just get out there and enjoy
all night long.
. Because we are responsible happy campers.
