We have been going to national parks since cov19 restrictions ended in both states mainly on the coast in NSW before the border was shut and have just spent 30 days at inskip point QLD and now in Carnarvon Gorge MT Moffart NP and the ranger said bookings are up from 1000 persons to 6000 persons since restrictions were eased for same period as peviosly.
Everywhere we have been including rest areas have been full and nearly all caravan parks are full on the coast and that was in winter ,I wonder what summer and school holidays will be like any thoughts
Cheers
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John
2017 dmax lovells upgrade full CSM trade aluminium canopy,3.5 m quintrex tinny and rear boat loader mangrove jack aluminium trailer
You can get a 20% discount in NSW using your Seniors card - big hearted NSW we were in Tassie last year and I applied for a national parks pass on line used my seniors card and it cost us nothing.
I wonder how much of the pressure, in all camping areas, is a result of those not being able to travel over seas? Instead of a trip to Bali or the USA they are going camping. So is it a 'false' boom or will it remain the 'norm' for several years?
FWIW we find the 'book on line' for national parks a right PITA. Sure book say 80% of sites on line but hold 20% for first come first served. We RVed in the USA for approx 20 years and found NP's excellent but here it's hard to even see what is and isn't a NP. Daughter goes tenting and says she has to book months and months in advance to get a site in a NP. So what's the answer?
Just to let all you guys know, that about 3 years ago, NSW Government banned smoking in NSW National Parks. I am a smoker, and whom dearly looves a morning smoke, but have not attended a National park in NSW since the rule change, even just for a day out. Also We do have dog's, so we can't go to them if we want to camp, but we can ride our horses thru a park, if we wish. I think they should ban fuel burning motor vehicles, as breathing the exhaust from a vehicle would be more carcinogetic, -( spelling this word is the pits)
-- Edited by Bicyclecamper on Wednesday 16th of September 2020 02:41:12 PM
-- Edited by Bicyclecamper on Wednesday 16th of September 2020 02:52:41 PM
Bookings give people certainty. If you're working with kids in school, you want a guarantee your spot is available. Some NP are extremely popular, even ones not so close to civilisation. To set sites aside for people to just turn up, would mean sites going unused. I wouldn't drive nearly 1500km to Porcupine Gorge unless I was guaranteed a site.
We do national parks regularly, about this time last year Hill End NSW spent many minutes parked in Orange try to book in to Hill End, phone (govt end) would put us on hold then drop us off. So headed there any way, made a few more try s on the way, same result. Finally got there, parked at the front gate got a connection, auto response, no vacancies. There were only 2 other vans there, and 2 more arrived later. We checked I think 3 camp sites, one was empty. We went back to the fit one and stayed a couple of nights. No more than 6 vans and a tent, but no vacancies.
Makes booking/paying a bit risky, others report booking in QLD only to find unauthorized occupants in their site and no ranger to resolve the issue.
Happy to pay, but some obligation on govt to make it work properly.
Just to let all you guys know, that about 3 years ago, NSW Government banned smoking in NSW National Parks. I am a smoker, and whom dearly looves a morning smoke, but have not attended a National park in NSW since the rule change, even just for a day out. Also We do have dog's, so we can't go to them if we want to camp, but we can ride our horses thru a park, if we wish. I think they should ban fuel burning motor vehicles, as breathing the exhaust from a vehicle would be more carcinogetic, -( spelling this word is the pits)
-- Edited by Bicyclecamper on Wednesday 16th of September 2020 02:41:12 PM
-- Edited by Bicyclecamper on Wednesday 16th of September 2020 02:52:41 PM
The problem with SMOKERS is, you can't prevent or Police the occasional idiot that throws a lit butt on the ground, the fire danger is just too big a risk.
The reason, they stated was not for a fire danger matter, it was that didn't want non smokers breathing in cancer possibly causing smoke, but I have to put up with cancer causing cars when I ride thru them.
