Does anyone else enjoy browsing thru Wikicamp locations reviews?
It highlights the differences in peoples expectations of what a decent campsite should be.
Some glampers seem to have an aversion to a bit of dust, a few ants or a flock of birds waking them up in the morning.
Has anyone explained to them that they are out in the Aussie Bush?
It makes me wonder whether these people would be better off staying at a 5 star motel for the night or would they still find something else to whinge about?
KevinJ said
09:04 PM Jul 9, 2022
I rely on the reviews a lot:
If ALL the reviews are negative, then there may be substance in them.
If ALL the revies are positive, , then there probably is substance in them.
If there is a mix of reviews, I tend to believe the positive ones over the negatine ones.
Negative people tend to be negative on reviews.
Positive people tend to tell how it is rather than embellish it.
e.g. One review said that there were motor bike riders which was scary. I assumed it was a "one off" and we had a great stop over, no bikes. Another said the road in was bad but it turned out to be fine.
Take your experiences and weigh them up with what you read in reviews. Another persons "doom and gloom" may be "tame" to you.
yobarr said
09:15 PM Jul 9, 2022
86GTS wrote:
Does anyone else enjoy browsing thru Wikicamp locations reviews?
It highlights the differences in peoples expectations of what a decent campsite should be.
Some glampers seem to have an aversion to a bit of dust, a few ants or a flock of birds waking them up in the morning.
Has anyone explained to them that they are out in the Aussie Bush?
It makes me wonder whether these people would be better off staying at a 5 star motel for the night or would they still find something else to whinge about?
Like you Roy I sometimes wonder at peoples' expectations of free camps. Some reviews have warnings such as 'No van access' and '4wd only' or 'No room to turn around' when any vehicle with a competent driver could easily get in and out. Mind you, this means that a lot of good spots are deserted because of negative reviews, so that's good! Oh, and don't the precious ones complain about 'Long drops' on some sites being 'dirty,. Really? Getting disturbed by wild life surely is part of the fun? The ones that really annoy me are those who park behind outback hotels, use showers and toilets, top up water tanks under cover of darkness, then sneak away in the early hours without spending any money in the business. Low lifes who act outside the spirit of things, spoiling it for others.. Cheers
dabbler said
10:26 PM Jul 9, 2022
I read them for information not shown in the site description but treat the opinion side of any review with a fair degree of doubt.
Mobi Condo said
10:32 PM Jul 9, 2022
Wikicamps is a favourite software of mine. It is after all a "Wiki" set up or quick or very general etc.
However I really enjoy the reviews as they give my social calmness level meter a good working over from time to time. Having made a few comments, seriously only a few, on reviews I like to be on the positive commentary side or life. Individual's opinions are just that. We do wonder re the more general user of the software as some do seem to be ill prepared to take on the vagaries of of out glorious outback and remote spots.
I once put on a factual warning about a spot and got "told" by those wanting to see through rose coloured glasses that I was spoiling their own experience. I think it was really the Pub manager just up the way from the otherwise delightful spot protecting their business prospects should others take the warning.
Anyway we take it with a pinch of salt and look at the photos as well. they tell us more than anything.
Only recently have I joined it the forum and found that interesting.
I dared to add to a place name as well because the Australian survey maps as per Ozi explorer back ground maps with horizontal data going back 40 - 50 years now had an historical name for the same spot and I added it. that drew some strange responses!
86GTS said
04:26 AM Jul 10, 2022
If we read about a REALLY popular spot we stay away from it. A few other expectations of people are sites as flat as a billiard tables & lush grassed sites in the dry Outback. One review that we read said that the site was ''soft under foot''. What does that actually mean? The FEES section is interesting also. At some camps where a donation is asked for some people put FREE. Wikicamps is a good resource & at times extremely entertaining.
Ivan 01 said
09:25 AM Jul 10, 2022
KevinJ wrote:
I rely on the reviews a lot:
If ALL the reviews are negative, then there may be substance in them.
If ALL the revies are positive, , then there probably is substance in them.
If there is a mix of reviews, I tend to believe the positive ones over the negatine ones.
Negative people tend to be negative on reviews.
Positive people tend to tell how it is rather than embellish it.
e.g. One review said that there were motor bike riders which was scary. I assumed it was a "one off" and we had a great stop over, no bikes. Another said the road in was bad but it turned out to be fine.
Take your experiences and weigh them up with what you read in reviews. Another persons "doom and gloom" may be "tame" to you.
I am not back on the road at the moment but I use Wiki Camps almost exclusively and my thoughts on the reviews are pretty much allied to Kevins views above.
I think some of the worst or conflicting might be the word, reports I have had have come from other travellers you may come across while travelling.
I was recommended a caravan park once that, in my observation, was terrible. Filthy toilets, dodgy electrical poles, unmaintained grounds etc etc.
When I mentioned the people to the manager he said *ah yeah we used to get on the booze every afternoon* He was sad to see them leave.
I was sad I paid my booking for three nights on their recommendation.
Moose2 said
12:38 PM Jul 10, 2022
I certainly treat the reviews with bit of scepticism. Once pulled into one remote spot where one reviewer claimed it no longer existed...and they'd posted that a couple of days previously. Must have been expecting big flashing sign.
Pradokakadudavid said
05:54 PM Jul 10, 2022
I joined wiki camps a few years ago when I was a newbie and I think I paid about $10 for the membership.
Does anyone know if this membership has to be renewed and another fee paid each each to retain your membership?
I still have access to the site but have never had to pay more than the first joining fee.
Thanks.
David
yobarr said
06:26 PM Jul 10, 2022
Pradokakadudavid wrote:
I joined wiki camps a few years ago when I was a newbie and I think I paid about $10 for the membership.
Does anyone know if this membership has to be renewed and another fee paid each each to retain your membership?
I still have access to the site but have never had to pay more than the first joining fee.
Thanks.
David
One-off fee for life, as far as I can determine, and I seem to remember updates being automatic? Cheers
Keith P said
06:33 PM Jul 10, 2022
I/We use it quite a lot.
reviews for some places can be mixed....but just look at the trend of them overall and make up our minds. Saw one a while back gave both a negative and positive on the same day....but trend was mostly positive ...so just went "grinch for sure "on the negative one.
Had it for a few years now....and had a few updates over that time....but I reckon its pretty good value....and sometimes provides a good chuckle as well.
Cheers Keith
Valkie said
09:15 PM Jul 10, 2022
I tend to read the reviews and look at the pictures.
I have seen some of tge places on tge reviews and have tended to agree with the positive and sometimes the negative reviews depending on the sites.
I think they are a good indicator, really bad reviews from several people generally means tgere are problems.
One bad review among several good ones generally means the poster is the problem.
Ger08 said
10:12 PM Jul 10, 2022
We look at the reviews cautiously and really look for trends ie a site is getting more positive reviews than negative. One of my pet hates with WikiCamps is the photos that people put up that are totally unrelated to the actual site. Pics of sunsets, animals etc
Pradokakadudavid said
12:03 AM Jul 11, 2022
Thanks Yobarr.
Pradokakadudavid said
12:05 AM Jul 11, 2022
Thanks Yobbar
tea spoon said
10:01 AM Jul 13, 2022
i tried to join BUT the site kept saying my bankcard is not ok use another one it said ......i dont know why ....so they miss out on me .....i sent a email they said its not handled by them they farm it out ......totally stupid payment system
-- Edited by tea spoon on Wednesday 13th of July 2022 10:02:42 AM
Are We Lost said
11:52 AM Jul 13, 2022
Which site? Which platform are you trying to get it for? You can't get it direct from Wikicamps. It gets charged to your Google account, or Microsoft account (or Apple account?).
If you don't have the account for that platform then you can't buy it. They don't sell directly.
Mike Harding said
12:33 PM Jul 13, 2022
I often find the reviews a fascinating insight into people's psychology and what many who are unfamiliar with the bush seek and expect from it.
One of my favourites is people who complain that a bush toilet in the middle of nowhere does not have toilet paper; do they think there is an army of cleaners who travel Australia on a daily basis ensuring every bush toilet has paper? And if a bush toilet not having paper is such a significant matter to them that they go on-line to write a review about it how do they ever cope with all the other daily issues which most of us encounter?
Then there are the people who are clearly offended if you have the audacity to in any way negatively review "their" campsite. I currently have a review I wrote a few months back which described the site as "A poor campsite" and so on, currently the supporters of my review are winning by a 5 to 4 margin and I am following the race with interest :)
However, there is a special place in hell reserved for the reviewers who state "The track has a couple of potholes" but when you arrive you discover only a lifted Landcruiser with a winch, mud tyres, chains and a support crew would stand a chance of travelling it!
And I agree with a previous poster about the photographs: I don't want to see your caravan or car or dog or wife or budgie - I want photographs of the damn campsite and entry points.
Over the years I have come to the opinion that the Wikicamps reviews are useful but not very.
Aussie1 said
11:33 PM Jul 13, 2022
At least the camp review comments are not as pathetic as the "dribble" in the General Chat section of Wikicamps! Some in there need to get a life.
86GTS said
04:23 AM Jul 14, 2022
Aussie1 wrote:
At least the camp review comments are not as pathetic as the "dribble" in the General Chat section of Wikicamps! Some in there need to get a life.
Never been to that section luckily. One discussion group is plenty for me.
Onedodger said
01:23 PM Jul 14, 2022
I use wikicamps a lot and contribute often. One must sort the chaf from the wheat by reading the reviews and looking at the pics. This can give a somewhat clearer idea. Then I also have a look at the site using the listed co-ordinates on Google earth.
Does anyone else enjoy browsing thru Wikicamp locations reviews?
It highlights the differences in peoples expectations of what a decent campsite should be.
Some glampers seem to have an aversion to a bit of dust, a few ants or a flock of birds waking them up in the morning.
Has anyone explained to them that they are out in the Aussie Bush?
It makes me wonder whether these people would be better off staying at a 5 star motel for the night or would they still find something else to whinge about?
I rely on the reviews a lot:
If ALL the reviews are negative, then there may be substance in them.
If ALL the revies are positive, , then there probably is substance in them.
If there is a mix of reviews, I tend to believe the positive ones over the negatine ones.
Negative people tend to be negative on reviews.
Positive people tend to tell how it is rather than embellish it.
e.g. One review said that there were motor bike riders which was scary. I assumed it was a "one off" and we had a great stop over, no bikes. Another said the road in was bad but it turned out to be fine.
Take your experiences and weigh them up with what you read in reviews. Another persons "doom and gloom" may be "tame" to you.
Like you Roy I sometimes wonder at peoples' expectations of free camps. Some reviews have warnings such as 'No van access' and '4wd only' or 'No room to turn around' when any vehicle with a competent driver could easily get in and out. Mind you, this means that a lot of good spots are deserted because of negative reviews, so that's good! Oh, and don't the precious ones complain about 'Long drops' on some sites being 'dirty,. Really? Getting disturbed by wild life surely is part of the fun? The ones that really annoy me are those who park behind outback hotels, use showers and toilets, top up water tanks under cover of darkness, then sneak away in the early hours without spending any money in the business. Low lifes who act outside the spirit of things, spoiling it for others.. Cheers
Wikicamps is a favourite software of mine. It is after all a "Wiki" set up or quick or very general etc.
However I really enjoy the reviews as they give my social calmness level meter a good working over from time to time. Having made a few comments, seriously only a few, on reviews I like to be on the positive commentary side or life. Individual's opinions are just that. We do wonder re the more general user of the software as some do seem to be ill prepared to take on the vagaries of of out glorious outback and remote spots.
I once put on a factual warning about a spot and got "told" by those wanting to see through rose coloured glasses that I was spoiling their own experience. I think it was really the Pub manager just up the way from the otherwise delightful spot protecting their business prospects should others take the warning.
Anyway we take it with a pinch of salt and look at the photos as well. they tell us more than anything.
Only recently have I joined it the forum and found that interesting.
I dared to add to a place name as well because the Australian survey maps as per Ozi explorer back ground maps with horizontal data going back 40 - 50 years now had an historical name for the same spot and I added it. that drew some strange responses!
If we read about a REALLY popular spot we stay away from it.
A few other expectations of people are sites as flat as a billiard tables & lush grassed sites in the dry Outback.
One review that we read said that the site was ''soft under foot''. What does that actually mean?
The FEES section is interesting also.
At some camps where a donation is asked for some people put FREE.
Wikicamps is a good resource & at times extremely entertaining.
I am not back on the road at the moment but I use Wiki Camps almost exclusively and my thoughts on the reviews are pretty much allied to Kevins views above.
I think some of the worst or conflicting might be the word, reports I have had have come from other travellers you may come across while travelling.
I was recommended a caravan park once that, in my observation, was terrible. Filthy toilets, dodgy electrical poles, unmaintained grounds etc etc.
When I mentioned the people to the manager he said *ah yeah we used to get on the booze every afternoon* He was sad to see them leave.
I was sad I paid my booking for three nights on their recommendation.
I joined wiki camps a few years ago when I was a newbie and I think I paid about $10 for the membership.
Does anyone know if this membership has to be renewed and another fee paid each each to retain your membership?
I still have access to the site but have never had to pay more than the first joining fee.
Thanks.
David
One-off fee for life, as far as I can determine, and I seem to remember updates being automatic? Cheers
reviews for some places can be mixed....but just look at the trend of them overall and make up our minds. Saw one a while back gave both a negative and positive on the same day....but trend was mostly positive ...so just went "grinch for sure "on the negative one.
Had it for a few years now....and had a few updates over that time....but I reckon its pretty good value....and sometimes provides a good chuckle as well.
Cheers Keith
Thanks Yobarr.
i tried to join BUT the site kept saying my bankcard is not ok use another one it said ......i dont know why ....so they miss out on me .....i sent a email they said its not handled by them they farm it out ......totally stupid payment system
-- Edited by tea spoon on Wednesday 13th of July 2022 10:02:42 AM
If you don't have the account for that platform then you can't buy it. They don't sell directly.
I often find the reviews a fascinating insight into people's psychology and what many who are unfamiliar with the bush seek and expect from it.
One of my favourites is people who complain that a bush toilet in the middle of nowhere does not have toilet paper; do they think there is an army of cleaners who travel Australia on a daily basis ensuring every bush toilet has paper? And if a bush toilet not having paper is such a significant matter to them that they go on-line to write a review about it how do they ever cope with all the other daily issues which most of us encounter?
Then there are the people who are clearly offended if you have the audacity to in any way negatively review "their" campsite. I currently have a review I wrote a few months back which described the site as "A poor campsite" and so on, currently the supporters of my review are winning by a 5 to 4 margin and I am following the race with interest :)
However, there is a special place in hell reserved for the reviewers who state "The track has a couple of potholes" but when you arrive you discover only a lifted Landcruiser with a winch, mud tyres, chains and a support crew would stand a chance of travelling it!
And I agree with a previous poster about the photographs: I don't want to see your caravan or car or dog or wife or budgie - I want photographs of the damn campsite and entry points.
Over the years I have come to the opinion that the Wikicamps reviews are useful but not very.
Never been to that section luckily. One discussion group is plenty for me.