On a recent trip in south WA, these were a couple of my free camping experiences.First was one at Yornaning, about 1km off the South West Highway near Cuballing.Next to a dam, good clean toilets, male and female, chemical type on platforms. No drinking or other facilities available.Water from dam was ok for washing but not drinking, some tannin colour.Only three other vans there besides me and plenty of space and shade.Dogs ok on leads.No camping fees and a very peaceful place.
Next was a bush camp near Jerimup on the south coast Highway east of Ravensthorpe, free but no facilities at all.While I roughed it there, his Majesty Yeo11 was living in luxury at Ravensthorpe Caravan Park, trying out his new pressure cooker no less.The bush camp was ok for a night.Only myself and two other campervans there.Yeo11 and I met up at Ravensthorpe later the next day.
Next was a free camp in the town of Borden, one was the carpark opposite the main store and had modern flushing toilets including disabled toilet.Big wheat depot behind it so could have been a bit noisy, so Yeo and I moved our campervans to a second location in town around the oval and near the bowling club, corrugated male and female flushing toilets close by at the rear of an old hall.Ok for a night and no fees.A couple of others parked there too.
While at Bluff Knoll Yeo and I decided to spend the night at a DEC Ranger camp in the Stirling Ranges not too far away, so headed there.About $5 or $8 a night each vehicle I think it was. No showers but good flushing toilets and water for washing or tank water for drinking if boiled, no other facilities.A number of people there but still room for others.Yeo parked in the sun for his solar panels and I parked in a nice shady spot, not needing the sun.
Then the scary one, after Yeo and I went our own ways and I was returning from Denmark, I stopped at an overnight rest stop on the Albany Highway north of Kojanup, picnic tables, shade and rubbish bins only nearest the roadway, no other facilities.There was a huge bush area with tracks at the rear of the main area with cleared camping spots off the bush tracks at various points.As I was the only one there, I thought it was best not to be seen from the road, so drove a good way in where I was not visible from the highway and parked the campervan for a quick getaway with a couple of escape routes through parts of the bush if needed in an emergency in a nice quiet spot.Then I went for a walk further along the track.In one camping spot there was discarded clothing including underwear which I thought was a bit strange.Further along the track was a disused gravel pit and just near it was a bumper bar for a car (plastic type) which appeared to be in excellent condition and and not damaged.Just near that were two long mounds of gravel in the shape of graves I have seen in country cemeteries, one adult size and one alongside it small adult or child size.
By now it was getting dark and I was feeling a bit uneasy, remembering the movie Wolf Creek with John Jarrad in it.Back to the campervan and went to bed, however around midnight I was woken by a loud metallic bang at the rear of the campervan, there was no metal or rubbish bins near where I was camped.Lay there listening for a bit, couldnt hear any further noises but wasntgoing outside to investigate, so crawled through the middle of my two front seats , started the vehicle and drove out of the camping area, my pop top roof still up.When I drove onto the highway I found a suitable spot to pull over and secured the roof of the van then continued at slow speed (night/roos etc) to Williams, where I stopped in a lay by opposite the road house where I slept the rest of the night until dawn and the road house opened.In retrospect, I wonder if the clang I heard may have been an animal under my van colliding with the exhaust pipe, but I certainly wasnt hanging around to find out.Later I reported the two mounds I saw to Crimestoppers in case they wanted to check them out.
-- Edited by Vic on Tuesday 22nd of November 2011 06:18:41 PM
Happywanderer said
06:20 PM Nov 22, 2011
That was very compulsive reading Vic, especially the last bit. I would have been s...t scared too but wouldn't have settled down for the night. I would have moved on as soon as I saw those mounds and other bits, perhaps reported it in the next town etc. Have you heard anything from Crimestoppers yet? Very scary.
JRH said
06:24 PM Nov 22, 2011
Wouldn't have been getting out to check on the noise either Vic, you did the right thing and moved on. Any news on the two mounds???
Gerty Dancer said
06:27 PM Nov 22, 2011
Ooooh! Scary! You were very very brave to stay after seeing those 2 mounds Vic, that would have been our cue to go.
Vic said
07:31 PM Nov 22, 2011
I did send Crimestoppers and email from their site with the details and my contact details in case they have trouble finding the spot, but heard nothing back from them, I doubt I will, but I have passed it on so have done my bit.
I see there is a sequel to Wolf Creek coming up, so will have to see that when it is released. John Jarrad was so convincing in the movie as the physco if I was a backpacker I would never go backpacking again, lol !
If you haven't seen it, suggest you get it out on DVD, it may be scary but is a good warning why you should be wary when on the road, and it is based on a true story.......
JRH said
07:35 PM Nov 22, 2011
Vic wrote:
I did send Crimestoppers and email from their site with the details and my contact details in case they have trouble finding the spot, but heard nothing back from them, I doubt I will, but I have passed it on so have done my bit.
I see there is a sequel to Wolf Creek coming up, so will have to see that when it is released. John Jarrad was so convincing in the movie as the physco if I was a backpacker I would never go backpacking again, lol !
If you haven't seen it, suggest you get it out on DVD, it may be scary but is a good warning why you should be wary when on the road, and it is based on a true story.......
Was a good movie Vic and as you say John Jarod did a marvelous job, if the sequel is only half as good as the first one then I will be a very happy camper. Mind you the movie does make you think about safety when you are out and about but I doubt anyone wouldwant to have a go at an old fart like me HeyLOLOLOL.
Vic said
09:27 PM Nov 22, 2011
Don't you believe it John, there are a certain element in our society many of whom live in the area where I was that have no respect for age and see old farts as easy targets.
Now I can think of a few nubile females that I wouldn't mind being raped by though, not likely to happen though, but a man must have his dreams
Happywanderer said
09:31 PM Nov 22, 2011
Dream on Vic. lol
Vic said
09:53 PM Nov 22, 2011
Happywanderer wrote:
Dream on Vic. lol
I leave my van door unlocked in hope Marj, but all in my head these days, lol
Happywanderer said
10:02 PM Nov 22, 2011
Oh, thats what I've been doing wrong. I lock my doors.!!!!
Vic said
10:45 PM Nov 22, 2011
Happywanderer wrote:
Oh, thats what I've been doing wrong. I lock my doors.!!!!
That's it Marj, Myrtle would be very angry that you keep locking her up at night, how else do you expect her to spread her wings....hmmmm or should that be wheels, lol
ChiChi1 said
01:00 AM Nov 23, 2011
Maybe because free camping is so scarce. Just did a quick calc for camping in QLD using CAW6.
Criteria was : "Dogs" "Free" "Quite or at least not listed as noisy" Not asking a lot. Of the 935 listings for QLD only 160 fit the criteria. About 17% If I included Toilets, showers and water then there would have been many less.
My impression was most of these were west, hardly any on coast. Dams were the best places. Free camping is a real luxury. Still, I suppose you could spend a year visiting them all.
Cupie said
08:19 AM Nov 23, 2011
I have been sorely tempted to respond to each of the many great posts that we got to this thread but I decided to hold off and let the discussion flow. Now that the topic is falling off the first page, I thought that it was the right time to comment.
What have I got from this exercise?
Well, it came as no surprise that many of you are very much committed to 'Free camping/Bush camping' or what ever you may choose to call it. Which in itself raises the first point.
What should staying at sites other than caravan parks be called?
Indeed it may have been the lack of definitive description that had led me to a long held, but incorrect understanding of the practice.
In my travels I had only observed those people who were staying in roadside camps, or roadside rest areas. I was not attracted to them except maybe as overnighters & then off to my destination in a Caravan Park somewhere.
I see now that these roadside rest areas are probably often used by 'freedom campers' in the same way as I would, perhaps as a stop over when en route to their next camp in the bush, or to a CP to recharge, wash clothes, fill up with water & supplies or the like. I understand that there are many who have developed a level of self sufficiency & knowledge that reduces or even eliminates this necessity to visit C Ps.
Of course the saving of the ever increasing expense of 'luxury' caravan parks with their unwanted facilities and often crowded state can not be ignored even though some roadside rest areas may likewise be overcrowded from time to time. On the other hand CP s usual order, location & security is much valued by many.
I am convinced that a camping bible like the oft quoted Camps 6 is essential. I'll get myself one with pictures before the next trip. The never used reference that I have in my library is Bush Camps and Rest Areas Around Australia by Anna Fisher-Smedley. It was published in 1994 & my copy is the 1998 second edition, the year I retired & stated caravanning. Perhaps I should have been more attentive to it. Out of the library & into the van for it! I'll look round for a more recent revision too.
On its inside cover is the very apt poem by Rhyanna Smedley ..
"WAYSIDE WANDERER
Traveller, come and go as you please,
To this wayside stop, beneath the trees.
Rest, eat and sleep a while,
But behind you, leave not a pile
Of banana peel, tin and glass,
And other rubbish amongst the grass,
To make this once pretty place
Greet others with strong distaste.
So, let not it be said, nor others dismayed,
That it was pretty here, until you stayed."
Love it! Aught to be posted at all camps.
Caravan Parks or Freedom Camping? ... as many have said or implied .. Each to his own. Viva la difference. Great to have the choice.
Thanks for your input .. To answer my own question 'what have I got out of this exercise?' .... maybe you have opened up another facet of caravanning for us.
-- Edited by Cupie on Wednesday 23rd of November 2011 08:23:10 AM
Gerty Dancer said
10:27 AM Nov 23, 2011
Goodonya Cupie. I think I feel the same... those crowded roadside rest stops are very off-putting, so hadnt really given a lot of consideration to "bush" camping. I still want to know what on earth people do all day though?
Vic said
11:04 AM Nov 23, 2011
Nice post Cupie, sorry If I strayed a bit with my posts, it is an interesting subject.
I like a combination of both, but there is something peaceful and tranquil about bush camping that you can't get in a caravan park (but not every bush/free camp/road stop). One of the reasons I like travelling the Nullabor which some find boring, but I don't. You are just so far removed from the rat race and the hustle and bustle of city and town life it is a nice change.
I try to confine our travels to non holiday periods (being retired) and find that both free/low cost camping and caravan parks are much nicer to stay at during those times and not so crowded. However this is not always possible for longer trips. Cost plays a big part too for people, no everyone can afford to stay at caravan parks every night, particularly those full time on the road and on low incomes.
I try to be as flexible as I can on my trips and not be too dogmatic about where and when I will stay/stop within reason, although this is not always possible for those on a tight schedule and having to return by a certain date etc. One of the unwritten rules I broke while away on my last trip was if travelling solo (or a couple on their own) is think twice about staying at a rest area/stop overnight if nobody else is there (safety in numbers). However sometimes if you are feeling tired or a bit off or it is getting towards night sometimes I take a risk, but am aware of any possible consequences.
Some good examples of mixing caravan parks with free/bush camps/rest stops or mainly doing free camps are our GN solo's, especially those on the road full time, they are amazing and an inspiration to us all.
Whatever our choices of RV lifestyle, we have to be happy with what we do and if we have a partner who may have a different view or need to what we would like to do RV wise, then there has to be a compromise. My on road RV lifestyle in my younger days was a lot different from what it is now.
Happy travels to everyone whatever they choose to do.
-- Edited by Vic on Wednesday 23rd of November 2011 11:06:08 AM
Ron and Shirley said
01:37 PM Nov 23, 2011
Gerty Dancer wrote:I still want to know what on earth people do all day though?
We seem to fill in the days very well whilst bush camped.Whenever we setup camp, never at a roadside stop, we try to be near water and always stay for a minimum of three nights.
Our daily routine, not strictly in order, seems to be:-
First thing, take the dog for his toilet walk.
Breakfast
General housework around the van and vehicle.
If near a town with a good bakery a trip to get some nice fresh goodies, and maybe a newspaper/supplies and look around.
Back at camp Morning tea and sample those goodies, read the paper.
Take the dog for his daily 2 to 3 km walk.
Collect some firewood.
Lunch
Maybe go exploring/sightseeing nearby in the vehicle.
Take the dog for another walk (1-2Km).
Get the fire going, collect water and heat for the shower.
Just relax watch the birds, read, etc.
Afternoon tea time
Relax some more, maybe plan route to next campsite.
Brush and comb the dog looking for ticks and fleas.
Start preparing the evening meal.
Have a shower.
Happy hour
Evening meal.
Sit around the fire talking whilst watching the stars begin to shine.
Take the dog for his last toilet walk.
Bed.
Of course as well as the above there has to be time to chat to fellow campers, maybe have a swim, try to catch some fish, have a snooze, plus day trips to points of interest, sometimes some 4WD tracks (not for Shirley) to explore.
pauline said
01:54 PM Nov 23, 2011
Sounds good to me..............
rockylizard said
05:02 PM Nov 23, 2011
Gday...
As others would know, there are many places in Camps6 (and 4 and 5 quite probably) that are a good compromise between bush camping and van park camping.
I am currently in one such place - Ariah Park NSW. (See my report in Free/Budget Camps section of this forum).
Cheers
John
glassies said
09:24 AM Nov 24, 2011
I love free camping when we used to travel years go in the outback ,we never camped in a c/van park unless we needed some home comforts a nice hot shower ,(we still had a camp shower) but there is something about a normal shower that is just bliss.
We also had washing to do ,not that i didnt mind doing it by hand but yes i agree with all those that favour free camping ide rather the silence along a river bank,or camped under a big shady tree ,than all those vans here there and everywhere.
True i can understand that you would meet a lot of people in the van parks but you tend to do the same in free camps and even so not free camps gees about 12 years ago when i last travelled with my previous partner we went with a convoy of people from sth west rocks, crescent head area, and all pulled up along the side of the road and camped ,thats what the outback was like then
Im not so sure how it is now and if people can still do that,but the places we went there was just nothing there,i remember we had a break down in one of the friends landrover ,we purchased the part in st george, drove just out of town fixed the car all camped on the side of the road ,next day got a few klms ahead and part broke again so we had to return to st george with that part and get another,but yes we did this in many places just pulled off the road in that gorgeous red dirt of ours lit a fire and set up our camps spots ,was one of the best times of my life
free camping is the go i say
JRH said
05:23 PM Nov 24, 2011
You are so right Della.
Vic said
05:52 PM Nov 24, 2011
I think it boils down to whether you find free camping to your liking, novices who may only have had one or two free camps and struck obnoxioux or noisy neighbours etc who don't give a rats about anyone else, or overcrowded free camps may be put off by the experience. All I can say is give it a go and try a few, preferably not during the holiday/school holiday periods if possible and then see how you feel.
I know of people who would not even comtemplate an RV holiday whether in a caravan park or otherwise, unless it is motel/5 star accomodation with everything laid on they are not interested. If they can afford it then good luck to them, but whether you can or not, I would not have missed the experience for quids, it is just a whole new way of life and looking at things and very satisfying in the main.
JRH said
05:59 PM Nov 24, 2011
Vic wrote:
I think it boils down to whether you find free camping to your liking, novices who may only have had one or two free camps and struck obnoxioux or noisy neighbours etc who don't give a rats about anyone else, or overcrowded free camps may be put off by the experience. All I can say is give it a go and try a few, preferably not during the holiday/school holiday periods if possible and then see how you feel.
I know of people who would not even comtemplate an RV holiday whether in a caravan park or otherwise, unless it is motel/5 star accomodation with everything laid on they are not interested. If they can afford it then good luck to them, but whether you can or not, I would not have missed the experience for quids, it is just a whole new way of life and looking at things and very satisfying in the main.
Much prefer the bush to towns and cities, one meets a much nicer type of person in the bush, more down to earth and the bush is far more tranquil than the towns and cities.
5 star accomodation in motels and hotels is all very well but a lot of the people you meet there have their nose so far up in the air they will never see the ground again.
Vic said
06:06 PM Nov 24, 2011
JRH wrote:
5 star accomodation in motels and hotels is all very well but a lot of the people you meet there have their nose so far up in the air they will never see the ground again.
Ummmm........I was thinking their noses were that far up somewhere else John that they could not smell the air or the roses, lol
JRH said
06:18 PM Nov 24, 2011
Vic wrote:
JRH wrote:
5 star accomodation in motels and hotels is all very well but a lot of the people you meet there have their nose so far up in the air they will never see the ground again.
Ummmm........I was thinking their noses were that far up somewhere else John that they could not smell the air or the roses, lol
Your'e correct there Vic, I thought about that but decided to be polite for a change.LOL
rockylizard said
06:51 PM Nov 24, 2011
JRH wrote:
----SNIPP ----
5 star accomodation in motels and hotels is all very well but---SNIP---
Gday...
This is definitely a personal opinion. I really CANNOT enjoy any sort of holiday or break staying in any motel, let alone 5-star ones.
A legacy of having to travel this country (and overseas) in the course of my work who paid the bills and booked motels and restaurants for me at the firm's expense.
Anytime I stay in a motel I feel like I am back at work
Ahhhh - retirement has been SOOOO good
Cheers
John
JRH said
06:58 PM Nov 24, 2011
rockylizard wrote:
JRH wrote:
----SNIPP ----
5 star accomodation in motels and hotels is all very well but---SNIP---
Gday...
This is definitely a personal opinion. I really CANNOT enjoy any sort of holiday or break staying in any motel, let alone 5-star ones.
A legacy of having to travel this country (and overseas) in the course of my work who paid the bills and booked motels and restaurants for me at the firm's expense.
Anytime I stay in a motel I feel like I am back at work
Ahhhh - retirement has been SOOOO good
Cheers
John
John you are far better off free camping or even going to a caravan park, it is far more tranquil and conducive to relaxation, after all that is in my opinion what retirement is all about.
On a recent trip in south WA, these were a couple of my free camping experiences. First was one at Yornaning, about 1km off the South West Highway near Cuballing. Next to a dam, good clean toilets, male and female, chemical type on platforms. No drinking or other facilities available. Water from dam was ok for washing but not drinking, some tannin colour. Only three other vans there besides me and plenty of space and shade. Dogs ok on leads. No camping fees and a very peaceful place.
Next was a bush camp near Jerimup on the south coast Highway east of Ravensthorpe, free but no facilities at all. While I roughed it there, his Majesty Yeo11 was living in luxury at Ravensthorpe Caravan Park, trying out his new pressure cooker no less. The bush camp was ok for a night. Only myself and two other campervans there. Yeo11 and I met up at Ravensthorpe later the next day.
Next was a free camp in the town of Borden, one was the carpark opposite the main store and had modern flushing toilets including disabled toilet. Big wheat depot behind it so could have been a bit noisy, so Yeo and I moved our campervans to a second location in town around the oval and near the bowling club, corrugated male and female flushing toilets close by at the rear of an old hall. Ok for a night and no fees. A couple of others parked there too.
While at Bluff Knoll Yeo and I decided to spend the night at a DEC Ranger camp in the Stirling Ranges not too far away, so headed there. About $5 or $8 a night each vehicle I think it was. No showers but good flushing toilets and water for washing or tank water for drinking if boiled, no other facilities. A number of people there but still room for others. Yeo parked in the sun for his solar panels and I parked in a nice shady spot, not needing the sun.
Then the scary one, after Yeo and I went our own ways and I was returning from Denmark, I stopped at an overnight rest stop on the Albany Highway north of Kojanup, picnic tables, shade and rubbish bins only nearest the roadway, no other facilities. There was a huge bush area with tracks at the rear of the main area with cleared camping spots off the bush tracks at various points. As I was the only one there, I thought it was best not to be seen from the road, so drove a good way in where I was not visible from the highway and parked the campervan for a quick getaway with a couple of escape routes through parts of the bush if needed in an emergency in a nice quiet spot. Then I went for a walk further along the track. In one camping spot there was discarded clothing including underwear which I thought was a bit strange. Further along the track was a disused gravel pit and just near it was a bumper bar for a car (plastic type) which appeared to be in excellent condition and and not damaged. Just near that were two long mounds of gravel in the shape of graves I have seen in country cemeteries, one adult size and one alongside it small adult or child size.
By now it was getting dark and I was feeling a bit uneasy, remembering the movie Wolf Creek with John Jarrad in it. Back to the campervan and went to bed, however around midnight I was woken by a loud metallic bang at the rear of the campervan, there was no metal or rubbish bins near where I was camped. Lay there listening for a bit, couldnt hear any further noises but wasnt going outside to investigate, so crawled through the middle of my two front seats , started the vehicle and drove out of the camping area, my pop top roof still up. When I drove onto the highway I found a suitable spot to pull over and secured the roof of the van then continued at slow speed (night/roos etc) to Williams, where I stopped in a lay by opposite the road house where I slept the rest of the night until dawn and the road house opened. In retrospect, I wonder if the clang I heard may have been an animal under my van colliding with the exhaust pipe, but I certainly wasnt hanging around to find out. Later I reported the two mounds I saw to Crimestoppers in case they wanted to check them out.
-- Edited by Vic on Tuesday 22nd of November 2011 06:18:41 PM
Have you heard anything from Crimestoppers yet? Very scary.
Wouldn't have been getting out to check on the noise either Vic, you did the right thing and moved on. Any news on the two mounds???
I did send Crimestoppers and email from their site with the details and my contact details in case they have trouble finding the spot, but heard nothing back from them, I doubt I will, but I have passed it on so have done my bit.
I see there is a sequel to Wolf Creek coming up, so will have to see that when it is released. John Jarrad was so convincing in the movie as the physco if I was a backpacker I would never go backpacking again, lol !
If you haven't seen it, suggest you get it out on DVD, it may be scary but is a good warning why you should be wary when on the road, and it is based on a true story.......
Was a good movie Vic and as you say John Jarod did a marvelous job, if the sequel is only half as good as the first one then I will be a very happy camper. Mind you the movie does make you think about safety when you are out and about but I doubt anyone wouldwant to have a go at an old fart like me HeyLOLOLOL.
Don't you believe it John, there are a certain element in our society many of whom live in the area where I was that have no respect for age and see old farts as easy targets.
Now I can think of a few nubile females that I wouldn't mind being raped by though, not likely to happen though, but a man must have his dreams
I leave my van door unlocked in hope Marj, but all in my head these days, lol
That's it Marj, Myrtle would be very angry that you keep locking her up at night, how else do you expect her to spread her wings....hmmmm or should that be wheels, lol
Criteria was : "Dogs" "Free" "Quite or at least not listed as noisy" Not asking a lot. Of the 935 listings for QLD only 160 fit the criteria. About 17% If I included Toilets, showers and water then there would have been many less.
My impression was most of these were west, hardly any on coast. Dams were the best places. Free camping is a real luxury. Still, I suppose you could spend a year visiting them all.
I have been sorely tempted to respond to each of the many great posts that we got to this thread but I decided to hold off and let the discussion flow. Now that the topic is falling off the first page, I thought that it was the right time to comment.
What have I got from this exercise?
Well, it came as no surprise that many of you are very much committed to 'Free camping/Bush camping' or what ever you may choose to call it. Which in itself raises the first point.
What should staying at sites other than caravan parks be called?
Indeed it may have been the lack of definitive description that had led me to a long held, but incorrect understanding of the practice.
In my travels I had only observed those people who were staying in roadside camps, or roadside rest areas. I was not attracted to them except maybe as overnighters & then off to my destination in a Caravan Park somewhere.
I see now that these roadside rest areas are probably often used by 'freedom campers' in the same way as I would, perhaps as a stop over when en route to their next camp in the bush, or to a CP to recharge, wash clothes, fill up with water & supplies or the like. I understand that there are many who have developed a level of self sufficiency & knowledge that reduces or even eliminates this necessity to visit C Ps.
Of course the saving of the ever increasing expense of 'luxury' caravan parks with their unwanted facilities and often crowded state can not be ignored even though some roadside rest areas may likewise be overcrowded from time to time. On the other hand CP s usual order, location & security is much valued by many.
I am convinced that a camping bible like the oft quoted Camps 6 is essential. I'll get myself one with pictures before the next trip. The never used reference that I have in my library is Bush Camps and Rest Areas Around Australia by Anna Fisher-Smedley. It was published in 1994 & my copy is the 1998 second edition, the year I retired & stated caravanning. Perhaps I should have been more attentive to it. Out of the library & into the van for it! I'll look round for a more recent revision too.
On its inside cover is the very apt poem by Rhyanna Smedley ..
"WAYSIDE WANDERER
Traveller, come and go as you please,
To this wayside stop, beneath the trees.
Rest, eat and sleep a while,
But behind you, leave not a pile
Of banana peel, tin and glass,
And other rubbish amongst the grass,
To make this once pretty place
Greet others with strong distaste.
So, let not it be said, nor others dismayed,
That it was pretty here, until you stayed."
Love it! Aught to be posted at all camps.
Caravan Parks or Freedom Camping? ... as many have said or implied .. Each to his own. Viva la difference. Great to have the choice.
Thanks for your input .. To answer my own question 'what have I got out of this exercise?' .... maybe you have opened up another facet of caravanning for us.
-- Edited by Cupie on Wednesday 23rd of November 2011 08:23:10 AM
I still want to know what on earth people do all day though?
Nice post Cupie, sorry If I strayed a bit with my posts, it is an interesting subject.
I like a combination of both, but there is something peaceful and tranquil about bush camping that you can't get in a caravan park (but not every bush/free camp/road stop). One of the reasons I like travelling the Nullabor which some find boring, but I don't. You are just so far removed from the rat race and the hustle and bustle of city and town life it is a nice change.
I try to confine our travels to non holiday periods (being retired) and find that both free/low cost camping and caravan parks are much nicer to stay at during those times and not so crowded. However this is not always possible for longer trips. Cost plays a big part too for people, no everyone can afford to stay at caravan parks every night, particularly those full time on the road and on low incomes.
I try to be as flexible as I can on my trips and not be too dogmatic about where and when I will stay/stop within reason, although this is not always possible for those on a tight schedule and having to return by a certain date etc. One of the unwritten rules I broke while away on my last trip was if travelling solo (or a couple on their own) is think twice about staying at a rest area/stop overnight if nobody else is there (safety in numbers). However sometimes if you are feeling tired or a bit off or it is getting towards night sometimes I take a risk, but am aware of any possible consequences.
Some good examples of mixing caravan parks with free/bush camps/rest stops or mainly doing free camps are our GN solo's, especially those on the road full time, they are amazing and an inspiration to us all.
Whatever our choices of RV lifestyle, we have to be happy with what we do and if we have a partner who may have a different view or need to what we would like to do RV wise, then there has to be a compromise. My on road RV lifestyle in my younger days was a lot different from what it is now.
Happy travels to everyone whatever they choose to do.
-- Edited by Vic on Wednesday 23rd of November 2011 11:06:08 AM
We seem to fill in the days very well whilst bush camped.Whenever we setup camp, never at a roadside stop, we try to be near water and always stay for a minimum of three nights.
Our daily routine, not strictly in order, seems to be:-
First thing, take the dog for his toilet walk.
Breakfast
General housework around the van and vehicle.
If near a town with a good bakery a trip to get some nice fresh goodies, and maybe a newspaper/supplies and look around.
Back at camp Morning tea and sample those goodies, read the paper.
Take the dog for his daily 2 to 3 km walk.
Collect some firewood.
Lunch
Maybe go exploring/sightseeing nearby in the vehicle.
Take the dog for another walk (1-2Km).
Get the fire going, collect water and heat for the shower.
Just relax watch the birds, read, etc.
Afternoon tea time
Relax some more, maybe plan route to next campsite.
Brush and comb the dog looking for ticks and fleas.
Start preparing the evening meal.
Have a shower.
Happy hour
Evening meal.
Sit around the fire talking whilst watching the stars begin to shine.
Take the dog for his last toilet walk.
Bed.
Of course as well as the above there has to be time to chat to fellow campers, maybe have a swim, try to catch some fish, have a snooze, plus day trips to points of interest, sometimes some 4WD tracks (not for Shirley) to explore.
Gday...
As others would know, there are many places in Camps6 (and 4 and 5 quite probably) that are a good compromise between bush camping and van park camping.
I am currently in one such place - Ariah Park NSW. (See my report in Free/Budget Camps section of this forum).
Cheers
John
a nice hot shower ,(we still had a camp shower) but there is something about a normal shower that is just bliss.
We also had washing to do ,not that i didnt mind doing it by hand but yes i agree with all those that favour free camping
ide rather the silence along a river bank,or camped under a big shady tree ,than all those vans here there and everywhere.
True i can understand that you would meet a lot of people in the van parks but you tend to do the same in free camps and even
so not free camps gees about 12 years ago when i last travelled with my previous partner we went with a convoy of people from
sth west rocks, crescent head area, and all pulled up along the side of the road and camped ,thats what the outback was like then
Im not so sure how it is now and if people can still do that,but the places we went there was just nothing there,i remember we had a break
down in one of the friends landrover ,we purchased the part in st george, drove just out of town fixed the car all camped on the side of the
road ,next day got a few klms ahead and part broke again so we had to return to st george with that part and get another,but yes we did this
in many places just pulled off the road in that gorgeous red dirt of ours lit a fire and set up our camps spots ,was one of the best times of my life
free camping is the go i say
You are so right Della.
I think it boils down to whether you find free camping to your liking, novices who may only have had one or two free camps and struck obnoxioux or noisy neighbours etc who don't give a rats about anyone else, or overcrowded free camps may be put off by the experience. All I can say is give it a go and try a few, preferably not during the holiday/school holiday periods if possible and then see how you feel.
I know of people who would not even comtemplate an RV holiday whether in a caravan park or otherwise, unless it is motel/5 star accomodation with everything laid on they are not interested. If they can afford it then good luck to them, but whether you can or not, I would not have missed the experience for quids, it is just a whole new way of life and looking at things and very satisfying in the main.
Much prefer the bush to towns and cities, one meets a much nicer type of person in the bush, more down to earth and the bush is far more tranquil than the towns and cities.
5 star accomodation in motels and hotels is all very well but a lot of the people you meet there have their nose so far up in the air they will never see the ground again.
Ummmm........I was thinking their noses were that far up somewhere else John that they could not smell the air or the roses, lol
Your'e correct there Vic, I thought about that but decided to be polite for a change.LOL
Gday...
This is definitely a personal opinion. I really CANNOT enjoy any sort of holiday or break staying in any motel, let alone 5-star ones.
A legacy of having to travel this country (and overseas) in the course of my work who paid the bills and booked motels and restaurants for me at the firm's expense.
Anytime I stay in a motel I feel like I am back at work
Ahhhh - retirement has been SOOOO good
Cheers
John
John you are far better off free camping or even going to a caravan park, it is far more tranquil and conducive to relaxation, after all that is in my opinion what retirement is all about.