Just about to travel to Broome from Port Douglas qld.Going solo in caravan.Intending to go via Mt Isa,Cloncurry & 3 ways.I hear lots of free camps are very busy & some van parks booked out.Any advice on do"s & don'ts would be very much appreciated.I have been told to avoid overnite in Kunnanurra,Fitzroy crossing & halls creek.True or false.
Just about to travel to Broome from Port Douglas qld.Going solo in caravan.Intending to go via Mt Isa,Cloncurry & 3 ways.I hear lots of free camps are very busy & some van parks booked out.Any advice on do"s & don'ts would be very much appreciated.I have been told to avoid overnite in Kunnanurra,Fitzroy crossing & halls creek.True or false.
Thanks Ian
Don't know whether you're planning to simply drive to Broome, or whether you wish to stop and 'visit' the many towns on the way? Mt Garnet BP is great free camp with good food etc. From here you can go directly to Hughenden, andc on to the Flinders Highway to Mt Isa etc, but I chose to head West. Mt Surprise is worth a stop. Georgetown has $7/day van park and lots to explore, lots of history in Croydon, but only one pub left from a peak of 64. Worth a look. Normanton is dead but Karumba is a great little spot to visit. Didn't camp up that way because of the ants that can disable your car. Head South to Mt Isa, with camping available at Burke and Wills Roadhouse although it was full when I was there. Worthwhile going via Cloncurry, and at Mt Isa there is a free camp near the Irish Club. Town is nothing like it was when I worked here in 1977. Mostly FIFO now, so little heart. Great free camp near lagoon at Camooweal, with lots of birds if you like that stuff! Great free camp 14km before 3 ways, back from road and quiet. Lots of free and low cost camps and caravan parks on way to Katherine. Vic River roadhouse has caravan park, but plenty of roadside stops if you want. Kununarra has cheap and safe van park but locals are a bit feral, so I didn't do too much walking around town! Halfway between Halls Creek (No,No!) and Fitzroy Crossing (No No!) is Larrawa Station, a 500,000 acre working cattle station where you can park in a paddock with water and amenities block for $10/ night. Great if you want to relax, with cows and wild pigs for company, although a couple of kms away. Amy comes round each evening on a quad bike to pick up rent money, and I believe that you can join the station staff for the evening meal, held outside the homestead in a big covered area. Highly recommended. Fitzroy Crossing is a real eye opener, nothing like it was when I was here 40 year ago. Groups of 'Indigenous persons' sit round under trees drinking, and the BP servo does a roaring trade with an endless line of locals getting huge serves of chips and fried chicken. We won't ask where the money comes from.Unregistered cars drive around town, usually on wrong side of road but often on footpath, and have no windows and sometimes have doors missing. Van park there is a definite 'No No' but there is a free camp 80ks West at Ellendale Station. Toilet, but nothing else. There are a few camp sites on way to Broome, all OK for a night. Broome, however, was a disappointment for me, being nothing like it was when I briefly lived there in 1981. It has lost all of its character, and is way too commercial now, with tourists everywhere! Anyway, that's a bit of a guide for you. There are many roads that have only one lane of bitumen, but the verges are all compacted metal so you don't even need to slow down when you move off the bitumen. Don't worry about finding somewhere to camp as there are literally hundreds of suitable spots along the way.. Enjoy the trip! Cheers
-- Edited by yobarr on Friday 17th of June 2022 10:18:26 PM
Fill up in Broome then drive up to James Price Point. At the very very low tide you can see dinosaur foot prints out on the last rock. Tide come back in quickly so be careful.
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Just about to travel to Broome from Port Douglas qld.Going solo in caravan.Intending to go via Mt Isa,Cloncurry & 3 ways.I hear lots of free camps are very busy & some van parks booked out.Any advice on do"s & don'ts would be very much appreciated.I have been told to avoid overnite in Kunnanurra,Fitzroy crossing & halls creek.True or false.
Thanks Ian
Don't know whether you're planning to simply drive to Broome, or whether you wish to stop and 'visit' the many towns on the way? Mt Garnet BP is great free camp with good food etc. From here you can go directly to Hughenden, andc on to the Flinders Highway to Mt Isa etc, but I chose to head West. Mt Surprise is worth a stop. Georgetown has $7/day van park and lots to explore, lots of history in Croydon, but only one pub left from a peak of 64. Worth a look. Normanton is dead but Karumba is a great little spot to visit. Didn't camp up that way because of the ants that can disable your car. Head South to Mt Isa, with camping available at Burke and Wills Roadhouse although it was full when I was there. Worthwhile going via Cloncurry, and at Mt Isa there is a free camp near the Irish Club. Town is nothing like it was when I worked here in 1977. Mostly FIFO now, so little heart. Great free camp near lagoon at Camooweal, with lots of birds if you like that stuff! Great free camp 14km before 3 ways, back from road and quiet. Lots of free and low cost camps and caravan parks on way to Katherine. Vic River roadhouse has caravan park, but plenty of roadside stops if you want. Kununarra has cheap and safe van park but locals are a bit feral, so I didn't do too much walking around town! Halfway between Halls Creek (No,No!) and Fitzroy Crossing (No No!) is Larrawa Station, a 500,000 acre working cattle station where you can park in a paddock with water and amenities block for $10/ night. Great if you want to relax, with cows and wild pigs for company, although a couple of kms away. Amy comes round each evening on a quad bike to pick up rent money, and I believe that you can join the station staff for the evening meal, held outside the homestead in a big covered area. Highly recommended. Fitzroy Crossing is a real eye opener, nothing like it was when I was here 40 year ago. Groups of 'Indigenous persons' sit round under trees drinking, and the BP servo does a roaring trade with an endless line of locals getting huge serves of chips and fried chicken. We won't ask where the money comes from.Unregistered cars drive around town, usually on wrong side of road but often on footpath, and have no windows and sometimes have doors missing. Van park there is a definite 'No No' but there is a free camp 80ks West at Ellendale Station. Toilet, but nothing else. There are a few camp sites on way to Broome, all OK for a night. Broome, however, was a disappointment for me, being nothing like it was when I briefly lived there in 1981. It has lost all of its character, and is way too commercial now, with tourists everywhere! Anyway, that's a bit of a guide for you. There are many roads that have only one lane of bitumen, but the verges are all compacted metal so you don't even need to slow down when you move off the bitumen. Don't worry about finding somewhere to camp as there are literally hundreds of suitable spots along the way.. Enjoy the trip! Cheers
-- Edited by yobarr on Friday 17th of June 2022 10:18:26 PM
A great report Yobarr.
Have you been sitting next to Peter an Margaret to give a report like that one.
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Just about to travel to Broome from Port Douglas qld.Going solo in caravan.Intending to go via Mt Isa,Cloncurry & 3 ways.I hear lots of free camps are very busy & some van parks booked out.Any advice on do"s & don'ts would be very much appreciated.I have been told to avoid overnite in Kunnanurra,Fitzroy crossing & halls creek.True or false.
Thanks Ian
Don't know whether you're planning to simply drive to Broome, or whether you wish to stop and 'visit' the many towns on the way? Mt Garnet BP is great free camp with good food etc. From here you can go directly to Hughenden, andc on to the Flinders Highway to Mt Isa etc, but I chose to head West. Mt Surprise is worth a stop. Georgetown has $7/day van park and lots to explore, lots of history in Croydon, but only one pub left from a peak of 64. Worth a look. Normanton is dead but Karumba is a great little spot to visit. Didn't camp up that way because of the ants that can disable your car. Head South to Mt Isa, with camping available at Burke and Wills Roadhouse although it was full when I was there. Worthwhile going via Cloncurry, and at Mt Isa there is a free camp near the Irish Club. Town is nothing like it was when I worked here in 1977. Mostly FIFO now, so little heart. Great free camp near lagoon at Camooweal, with lots of birds if you like that stuff! Great free camp 14km before 3 ways, back from road and quiet. Lots of free and low cost camps and caravan parks on way to Katherine. Vic River roadhouse has caravan park, but plenty of roadside stops if you want. Kununarra has cheap and safe van park but locals are a bit feral, so I didn't do too much walking around town! Halfway between Halls Creek (No,No!) and Fitzroy Crossing (No No!) is Larrawa Station, a 500,000 acre working cattle station where you can park in a paddock with water and amenities block for $10/ night. Great if you want to relax, with cows and wild pigs for company, although a couple of kms away. Amy comes round each evening on a quad bike to pick up rent money, and I believe that you can join the station staff for the evening meal, held outside the homestead in a big covered area. Highly recommended. Fitzroy Crossing is a real eye opener, nothing like it was when I was here 40 year ago. Groups of 'Indigenous persons' sit round under trees drinking, and the BP servo does a roaring trade with an endless line of locals getting huge serves of chips and fried chicken. We won't ask where the money comes from.Unregistered cars drive around town, usually on wrong side of road but often on footpath, and have no windows and sometimes have doors missing. Van park there is a definite 'No No' but there is a free camp 80ks West at Ellendale Station. Toilet, but nothing else. There are a few camp sites on way to Broome, all OK for a night. Broome, however, was a disappointment for me, being nothing like it was when I briefly lived there in 1981. It has lost all of its character, and is way too commercial now, with tourists everywhere! Anyway, that's a bit of a guide for you. There are many roads that have only one lane of bitumen, but the verges are all compacted metal so you don't even need to slow down when you move off the bitumen. Don't worry about finding somewhere to camp as there are literally hundreds of suitable spots along the way.. Enjoy the trip! Cheers
-- Edited by yobarr on Friday 17th of June 2022 10:18:26 PM
Go to Fitzroy Crossing & Halls Creek & judge for yourself. Never avoid places - whether it be towns roads or whatever, on the say so of others. Some folk get unlucky, some folk are happy to spread persistent advice without direct experience. I prefer Fitzroy Crossing of the two, but haven't ever had any problem in either. Get a feel for the place yourself during the day & simply move on if you don't feel comfortable.
Until the last time I was in Kununurra it had been little more than a place to pass through. Last we were stuck there for 3 weeks waiting on some car parts. We discovered so much in the area thanks to very welcoming & warm locals - seeing far more than most tourists get to see. We intend to return for a longer period when we can.
My recommendation for a caravan park in Kununurra is the Hidden Valley CP, on the outskirts of town & right next to the small Mirima National Park - you can walk into it from the caravan park, taking yourself to 'another world' in just a few steps.
Far too many places to suggest between Port Douglas & Broome, but a couple of short detours which come to mind.
At 3 Ways go south to stay overnight at the Devils Marbles - I'm guessing about 80kms each way.
In Katherine I like the caravan park at Manbulloo Homestead - about 12 or 13kms out of town on the road to Broome.
I would never visit Katherine without return visits to camp at Edith Falls - about 50kms north of Katherine. Wonderful spot -easy access with caravan.
Katherine Gorge, if you have never been is a must.
Camping & walking at Keep River NP just before the the NT border is lovely.
Bungles are like nowhere else.
Broome - needs time to see past it's glitzy touristified exterior (some similarities to Port Douglas) - but there is a *lot* to enjoy one you do, especially f yo are able to do a few nights free camping here & there - get out of town & discover the Dampier Peninsula. Pender Bay, James Price Point, Bully's Camp etc - if you have a 4wd - take a tent. Broome Gateway CP - approx 12kms before you get to Broome, is cheaper than in town, has loads of room & great facilities, & you can safely leave your van there if you don't want to take it up the peninsula (advisable as most of the wonderful places on the Peninsula are not easily accessed by caravan even with the main Cape Leveque road having been sealed.
Go to Fitzroy Crossing & Halls Creek & judge for yourself. Never avoid places - whether it be towns roads or whatever, on the say so of others. Some folk get unlucky, some folk are happy to spread persistent advice without direct experience. I prefer Fitzroy Crossing of the two, but haven't ever had any problem in either. Get a feel for the place yourself during the day & simply move on if you don't feel comfortable.
Until the last time I was in Kununurra it had been little more than a place to pass through. Last we were stuck there for 3 weeks waiting on some car parts. We discovered so much in the area thanks to very welcoming & warm locals - seeing far more than most tourists get to see. We intend to return for a longer period when we can.
My recommendation for a caravan park in Kununurra is the Hidden Valley CP, on the outskirts of town & right next to the small Mirima National Park - you can walk into it from the caravan park, taking yourself to 'another world' in just a few steps.
Far too many places to suggest between Port Douglas & Broome, but a couple of short detours which come to mind.
At 3 Ways go south to stay overnight at the Devils Marbles - I'm guessing about 80kms each way. In Katherine I like the caravan park at Manbulloo Homestead - about 12 or 13kms out of town on the road to Broome. I would never visit Katherine without return visits to camp at Edith Falls - about 50kms north of Katherine. Wonderful spot -easy access with caravan. Katherine Gorge, if you have never been is a must. Camping & walking at Keep River NP just before the the NT border is lovely. Bungles are like nowhere else.
Broome - needs time to see past it's glitzy touristified exterior (some similarities to Port Douglas) - but there is a *lot* to enjoy one you do, especially f yo are able to do a few nights free camping here & there - get out of town & discover the Dampier Peninsula. Pender Bay, James Price Point, Bully's Camp etc - if you have a 4wd - take a tent. Broome Gateway CP - approx 12kms before you get to Broome, is cheaper than in town, has loads of room & great facilities, & you can safely leave your van there if you don't want to take it up the peninsula (advisable as most of the wonderful places on the Peninsula are not easily accessed by caravan even with the main Cape Leveque road having been sealed.
Hi Cuppa. Wondering how long since you've been up to Fitzroy Crossing etc as it seemed to me to be completely different when I was there. My post was brief because I was not sure what the OP's plans are so didn't go into too much detail, but I would strongly suggest that people not stop at Fitzroy Crossing. Locals are feral. Halls Creek is marginally better, but half a day there was more than enough. No way known would I camp anywhere near either of these towns, particularly with Larrawa station halfway between them and Elladale station West of Fitzroy. Could I say that it's good to see you enjoyed your visit but it's a whole different world now. Cheers
just use caution when you are in these places. Kununurra was fine(staying in caravan park).there for 4 days, not an issue, lots of campers in the park. The locals hang around the park and the local IGA. We had no issues with 3 kids walking around town.
Halls and Fitzroy crossing we passed thru got supplies from one of the small supermarkets and fuel, no issue, again use common sense.Some travellers did tell us they got fuel stolen from the back of their caravan while refueling.
We stayed in gravel pits at least 100km from these towns, not one issue.
The only time we had trouble with our indigenous folks was in Darwin at the markets, the begging was at another level I have never seen traveling around the world.Rude, demanding, pushing us around(kids)...
Lucky for us lots and lots of people were there(after lockdown) so we slipped away from them.
Good luck in your travels and enjoy your time out there!.
