Neil Turner Weir, donation camping, at Mitchell Qld is very popular at the moment. Plenty of room, mainly level sites and space for 100's of campers. First time here and very impressed with this campground and town facilities. Will camp again on way back South when weather warms up a few degrees.
Peter_n_Margaret said
04:58 PM Jul 1, 2025
The best way to destroy a good free camp is to advertise it.
Cheers,
Peter
Rodsvan said
03:26 AM Jul 2, 2025
I appreciate your good intentions Dicko . In a selfish way I agree with Peter. We used to go to a terrific place for 2 weeks every year and it was very quiet & peaceful with hardly any other caravans and only 100m from the beach. Then word must have gotten out and suddenly it was constantly packed full of vans. It was so hard to get a site that we stopped going there.
Possum3 said
10:43 AM Jul 3, 2025
It's a very popular campspot already, it is regularly filled with long stay campers.
Dick0 said
11:53 AM Jul 3, 2025
Not me "advertising" the site. It is on WikiCamps for all to see.
And it is not a free camp. It is a donation camp. It may be free to those that do not donate.
And what a selfish attitude by some to your Grey Nomad associates on this forum.
Ineedabiggerboat said
01:14 PM Jul 3, 2025
Onya Dick0
Tony Bev said
01:23 PM Jul 3, 2025
Dick0 wrote:
Neil Turner Weir, donation camping, at Mitchell Qld is very popular at the moment. Plenty of room, mainly level sites and space for 100's of campers. First time here and very impressed with this campground and town facilities. Will camp again on way back South when weather warms up a few degrees.
Thanks for that info, Richard
Burt65 said
02:12 PM Jul 23, 2025
I'm stuck in the middle of this...
I have to agree with Peter, as I have witness first hand, great location being closed down because of the many little vans, pooping behind the bush and leaving flying toilet paper...
I also have to agree with Dick0. If nobody would share locations, we would be all worse off, especially when you first start to travel around Australia..
I think the real problem, it is a lack of proper education and selfish attitude from the younger generation.. But, and this is a big but, I have also witness bad selfish attitude from grey nomads as well. So in that department we are even...
Lost of Australian also struggle with the concept of "Self Contained".
The cage size is still the same, but the mice have tripled in the past decade...
Dick0 said
06:30 PM Jul 23, 2025
Burt65 wrote:
I'm stuck in the middle of this...
I have to agree with Peter, as I have witness first hand, great location being closed down because of the many little vans, pooping behind the bush and leaving flying toilet paper...
I also have to agree with Dick0. If nobody would share locations, we would be all worse off, especially when you first start to travel around Australia..
I think the real problem, it is a lack of proper education and selfish attitude from the younger generation.. But, and this is a big but, I have also witness bad selfish attitude from grey nomads as well. So in that department we are even...
Lost of Australian also struggle with the concept of "Self Contained".
The cage size is still the same, but the mice have tripled in the past decade...
The following quote is the Sticky by the Webmaster on 13 March, 2009 for this part of the Forum.
This is for those that have not read it.
It's all about helping your Grey Nomad associates.
"In these difficult financial times, a good free campsite is a godsend for many travelers. If you come across one, please let us know about it. It may be best to create a new post for each campsite, provide a general idea of the region/area in the topic line and then put details about the camp including how to get there in the post itself".
Make of it what you want.
Burt65 said
09:18 AM Jul 25, 2025
Dick0 wrote:The following quote is the Sticky by the Webmaster on 13 March, 2009 for this part of the Forum.
This is for those that have not read it.
It's all about helping your Grey Nomad associates.
"In these difficult financial times, a good free campsite is a godsend for many travelers. If you come across one, please let us know about it. It may be best to create a new post for each campsite, provide a general idea of the region/area in the topic line and then put details about the camp including how to get there in the post itself".
Make of it what you want.
I can only repeat myself. 16 years ago, (the actual age of your quotation), things were a lot different from now.. Plus, let's be honest, you are not going to be able to add a new campsite here, that it hasn't been listed on Wikicamp or another format before, and for the past 5 years at least..
Let me ask you a question. When was the last time you did find or have been to a "new" campsite that nobody knew about it and you were the only one there? I have been free camp for a very long time, here and overseas, with the occasional showground stop for maintenance jobs on the vehicles.. Since Covid, it has become very hard to find a "new" free camp that hasn't been listed or visited before. I guess that's why now some people have second thoughts about sharing the free camps they know about..
Like I said, I'm stuck in the middle of this as, I would love to share some of my free camp sites, but then I think, "hell no. I'm not going to let them destroy another beautiful place with **** and rubbish all over!"
If you have been in the game long enough, you do know what I'm talking about. You have to make a choice between sharing to help others, or not sharing to protect the environment from others. In my experience, a good 70% of travellers are an environment disaster on wheels.. They have no respect for anything.. They have no understanding of their surroundings..
To me, is not about being selfish, it is actually about caring... We all have different priorities...
Likewise, you can make of it, as you wish..
Dick0 said
12:35 PM Jul 25, 2025
Your comments and opinions may be best directed to the Forum Webmaster, who initiated the quoted Sticky.
Burt65 said
06:26 PM Jul 25, 2025
Dick0 wrote:
Your comments and opinions may be best directed to the Forum Webmaster, who initiated the quoted Sticky.
Off topic...
Dick0 said
02:46 PM Aug 28, 2025
I have heard that the Council has now declared this site "Free" due to the donation box being regularly damaged and raided. I will be there next week so will check out this claim.
Possum3 said
11:32 AM Sep 2, 2025
Dick0 wrote:
I have heard that the Council has now declared this site "Free" due to the donation box being regularly damaged and raided. I will be there next week so will check out this claim.
We were there 3 weeks ago, the donation box was intact. We genuinely forgot to put donation in box - so we went to the Council Office in Barcaldine and told them and made donation which was receipted by the desk clerk.
Dick0 said
04:04 PM Sep 2, 2025
Had a walk through the camp area which is quite extensive. Did not see any signs regarding camping duration restrictions, signs indicating that camping is by donation and did not see a designated donation collection box.
I will make enquiries at the visitors centre.
Dick0 said
02:25 PM Sep 3, 2025
Visitor Information Office advised today...
No restriction on duration of camping.
Neil Turner Weir campground is FREE.
Nobody knows if or where there is a donation box. It's not where it used to be.
The VIO does not collect donations.
Spend your money in town retailers and/or at the Spa Pool complex.
Have a nice stay.
There you have it folks.
Dick0 said
01:29 PM Sep 5, 2025
Visitor Information Office advised today...
No restriction on duration of camping.
Neil Turner Weir campground is FREE.
Nobody knows if or where there is a donation box. It's not where it used to be.
The VIO does not collect donations.
Spend your money in town retailers and/or at the Spa Pool complex.
Have a nice stay.
There you have it folks.
Update:
Council Office advised site is a FREE camp but donations of any amount are welcome.
Neil Turner Weir, donation camping, at Mitchell Qld is very popular at the moment. Plenty of room, mainly level sites and space for 100's of campers. First time here and very impressed with this campground and town facilities. Will camp again on way back South when weather warms up a few degrees.
Cheers,
Peter
Not me "advertising" the site. It is on WikiCamps for all to see.
And it is not a free camp. It is a donation camp. It may be free to those that do not donate.
And what a selfish attitude by some to your Grey Nomad associates on this forum.
Thanks for that info, Richard
I'm stuck in the middle of this...
I have to agree with Peter, as I have witness first hand, great location being closed down because of the many little vans, pooping behind the bush and leaving flying toilet paper...
I also have to agree with Dick0. If nobody would share locations, we would be all worse off, especially when you first start to travel around Australia..
I think the real problem, it is a lack of proper education and selfish attitude from the younger generation.. But, and this is a big but, I have also witness bad selfish attitude from grey nomads as well. So in that department we are even...
Lost of Australian also struggle with the concept of "Self Contained".
The cage size is still the same, but the mice have tripled in the past decade...
The following quote is the Sticky by the Webmaster on 13 March, 2009 for this part of the Forum.
This is for those that have not read it.
It's all about helping your Grey Nomad associates.
"In these difficult financial times, a good free campsite is a godsend for many travelers. If you come across one, please let us know about it. It may be best to create a new post for each campsite, provide a general idea of the region/area in the topic line and then put details about the camp including how to get there in the post itself".
Make of it what you want.
I can only repeat myself. 16 years ago, (the actual age of your quotation), things were a lot different from now.. Plus, let's be honest, you are not going to be able to add a new campsite here, that it hasn't been listed on Wikicamp or another format before, and for the past 5 years at least..
Let me ask you a question. When was the last time you did find or have been to a "new" campsite that nobody knew about it and you were the only one there? I have been free camp for a very long time, here and overseas, with the occasional showground stop for maintenance jobs on the vehicles.. Since Covid, it has become very hard to find a "new" free camp that hasn't been listed or visited before. I guess that's why now some people have second thoughts about sharing the free camps they know about..
Like I said, I'm stuck in the middle of this as, I would love to share some of my free camp sites, but then I think, "hell no. I'm not going to let them destroy another beautiful place with **** and rubbish all over!"
If you have been in the game long enough, you do know what I'm talking about. You have to make a choice between sharing to help others, or not sharing to protect the environment from others. In my experience, a good 70% of travellers are an environment disaster on wheels.. They have no respect for anything.. They have no understanding of their surroundings..
To me, is not about being selfish, it is actually about caring... We all have different priorities...
Likewise, you can make of it, as you wish..
Your comments and opinions may be best directed to the Forum Webmaster, who initiated the quoted Sticky.
Off topic...
I have heard that the Council has now declared this site "Free" due to the donation box being regularly damaged and raided. I will be there next week so will check out this claim.
We were there 3 weeks ago, the donation box was intact. We genuinely forgot to put donation in box - so we went to the Council Office in Barcaldine and told them and made donation which was receipted by the desk clerk.
Had a walk through the camp area which is quite extensive. Did not see any signs regarding camping duration restrictions, signs indicating that camping is by donation and did not see a designated donation collection box.
I will make enquiries at the visitors centre.
Visitor Information Office advised today...
No restriction on duration of camping.
Neil Turner Weir campground is FREE.
Nobody knows if or where there is a donation box. It's not where it used to be.
The VIO does not collect donations.
Spend your money in town retailers and/or at the Spa Pool complex.
Have a nice stay.
There you have it folks.
Visitor Information Office advised today...
No restriction on duration of camping.
Neil Turner Weir campground is FREE.
Nobody knows if or where there is a donation box. It's not where it used to be.
The VIO does not collect donations.
Spend your money in town retailers and/or at the Spa Pool complex.
Have a nice stay.
There you have it folks.
Update:
Council Office advised site is a FREE camp but donations of any amount are welcome.
Donation box is at main sign near amenities.