Now a confession, when I was a young solo, I had a home made conversion Mitsubishi Express people mover van (really only a mattress in the back and a cooking set up, pots/pans, cutlery, dishes, food box etc across the back so I could stand at the rear of the van under the lift up tailgate for shelter and do my cooking, my clothes were stored in bags alongside my mattress on either side by the space made by the wheel well humps).
Anyway, after a long day's driving I pulled into the Cairns Esplanade Parking area just on dusk. I saw a girl with a VW camper cooking her meal there so parked a short distance away. I parked and climbed into the back of mine with the door shut and heard some loud thumping on the side of the vehicle, popped my head up through the sliding roof my vehicle had and saw a big Maori security guard who told me I couldn't camp there and to move on otherwise the police would be called. From where I was I could see the girl still cooking her meal, so assume the guard must have been on a promise, perhaps I was the wrong sex.
I didn't want any conflict or dealings with the police so moved on. I drove down the street facing the Esplanade until the parking lot was out of site and parked on the street outside a house with a high wall, climbed into the back of my vehicle and slept there for the rest of the night without incident (I had a lidded bucket for No 1's during the night, for later disposal at a toilet).
I was doing my around Oz trip on a shoe string (started from WA) between jobs so can relate to the position some of these backpackers find themselves, especially the responsible ones. If anyone has looked at the hire rates for vans and even just station wagons, they are horrendous and it is no wonder they try to do things on the cheap. See this link;
I do not condone those though, backpackers or some grey nomads or not so grey nomads or day trippers who do not do the right thing by the areas they travel through or the right thing by those who follow in their tracks later. There are some who don't give a stuff about anyone but themselves in that regard.
-- Edited by Duh on Saturday 4th of May 2013 12:32:01 PM
We hash over this same problem year after year regarding the camping shortages in place like Broome / Darwin/ Cairnes, and nothing has ever changed in regard to all this. These places advertise COME COME COME viait us, while the rest of the country shivers through another cold winter . The councils and the tourist industry must take some blame / resposibility for what is happing in thses places.Due to lack of places to park up once you reach these places. Maybe instead of spending $$$$ on incouraging people to visit also add ...But there is not a lot of places you can stay.!!! If they opened up the showgrounds to self contained RVs or some other little used areas with basic facilities and charge $ per night ,it would be a win win for them and for the traveller.How could these c/ van park opperators complain when they are full in what i have witnessed while staying in all the above places.Maybe the tourist industry in these places need to release press info regarding the lack of camping accomodation. It is not like after you have travelled all the kms to get to these places you drive through the main street and move on ,we all drive to these places to stay awhile. So until some thing is put in place,is this behaviour we find our self in when we arrive of no where to camp over in ,when we get there will continue for ever and a day and the fines people encounter will go into the local councils coffers, maybe they also should be looking at putting this money into more camping areas (even if it is only set aside for the busy season )
Weedy Pigeon said
09:41 PM May 4, 2013
The issue of using the showgrounds has come up repeatedly in the last few years Herbie. Most ratepayers I know would like to see a nominal charge for use of the showgrounds and facilities. We stayed at the Kingaroy showgrounds and it was quite OK and only $15/night [ -1c in a tent was the only draw back ]. It appears that the council here is basically ruled by the tourism business interests in the town and anything that might effect their take is a no no. These same tourism businesses though are keen for us ratepayers to subsidise them when times get tough. One of the better aspects of our showgrounds is that it has an excellent back entrance off of a fairly quiet street and plenty of room to allow vehicles towing vans time to negotiate the entrance. It beggars belief that the facility sits empty most of the year when it could be used by travellers. One drawback may be that our annual show is right in the middle of the tourist season and would be unavailable for quite a while. Apparently Mareeba is much more traveller friendly as I heard they had a special area set aside for RV's.
herbie said
10:00 PM May 4, 2013
Weedy Pigeon wrote:
The issue of using the showgrounds has come up repeatedly in the last few years Herbie. Most ratepayers I know would like to see a nominal charge for use of the showgrounds and facilities. We stayed at the Kingaroy showgrounds and it was quite OK and only $15/night [ -1c in a tent was the only draw back ]. It appears that the council here is basically ruled by the tourism business interests in the town and anything that might effect their take is a no no. These same tourism businesses though are keen for us ratepayers to subsidise them when times get tough. One of the better aspects of our showgrounds is that it has an excellent back entrance off of a fairly quiet street and plenty of room to allow vehicles towing vans time to negotiate the entrance. It beggars belief that the facility sits empty most of the year when it could be used by travellers. One drawback may be that our annual show is right in the middle of the tourist season and would be unavailable for quite a while. Apparently Mareeba is much more traveller friendly as I heard they had a special area set aside for RV's.
Thanks for your reply, yes they all sure want it all their own way,IF the showgrounds is being used for the show, it would only be used for aprox 2 weeks one would think...but gee there is a lot of unused land sitting around up that way that could be utilized in helping to over come this issue.I really get put off ever going back to these places because of this issue.I have family who live at Mission Beach on some acerage and they let people stay there for free if any of the family know them.
spida said
10:58 PM May 4, 2013
I would happily pay $5 -15 for showgound camping - just need a toilet really. I think they need some money just for the caretaker and it is usually a big vacant space most of the year, and has toilet /shower anyway. Bendigo is great - markets every Sunday - all your supplies come to you:)
Wombat 280 said
12:09 AM May 5, 2013
spida wrote:
I would happily pay $5 -15 for showgound camping - just need a toilet really. I think they need some money just for the caretaker and it is usually a big vacant space most of the year, and has toilet /shower anyway. Bendigo is great - markets every Sunday - all your supplies come to you:)
Agree Showgrounds are totally wasted spaces and councils should open them up for O/N camping even if the van park is not full . Lets face it the council has to fund the showground out of ratepayer funds so any self funding from the showground should be welcomed by all. I don't agree with long stay situations o/n or 2 days max.
We have a RV friendly council but it may need to be reviewed when they see campervans parked on the headlands and in the morning the gutters are full of human waste
herbie said
04:56 AM May 5, 2013
Wombat 280 wrote:
spida wrote:
I would happily pay $5 -15 for showgound camping - just need a toilet really. I think they need some money just for the caretaker and it is usually a big vacant space most of the year, and has toilet /shower anyway. Bendigo is great - markets every Sunday - all your supplies come to you:)
Agree Showgrounds are totally wasted spaces and councils should open them up for O/N camping even if the van park is not full . Lets face it the council has to fund the showground out of ratepayer funds so any self funding from the showground should be welcomed by all. I don't agree with long stay situations o/n or 2 days max.
We have a RV friendly council but it may need to be reviewed when they see campervans parked on the headlands and in the morning the gutters are full of human waste
Opening up the showgrounds or what ever free land the council (rate payers in reality) own would help stop this behaviour that you mention re the parking in the head land/ gutters full of human waste ,as they would be contained in one area. And if they persist to use these other non camping areas council should fine them and fine then heavy. Insome places o/s now if you do not abbay the countries regulations on camping spots if you are in a rented vehicle they charge your fine to that company and you have to pay it on top of all other rental charges. Maybe they need to bring that in here also. Or at least give it a try to see if it stamps this behaviour out.
NeilandRaine said
01:45 PM May 5, 2013
It is interesting to note the article in Weedies post was in Cairns. If ever a local council has been run by caravan parks Cairns is the one. Gordonvale had a great free camp. Closed by Cairns council. I was talking to people from Gordonvale at the caravan show last week and they loved the grey nomads. The Cairns showground however had camping for self contained vehicles, not sure if it still does.
Cloak said
02:13 PM May 5, 2013
Cairns is one of those Disneyland towns anyway.
No loss if you simply bypass it. Just drive on through to Cooktown IMO.
Interesting report WP.
Now a confession, when I was a young solo, I had a home made conversion Mitsubishi Express people mover van (really only a mattress in the back and a cooking set up, pots/pans, cutlery, dishes, food box etc across the back so I could stand at the rear of the van under the lift up tailgate for shelter and do my cooking, my clothes were stored in bags alongside my mattress on either side by the space made by the wheel well humps).
Anyway, after a long day's driving I pulled into the Cairns Esplanade Parking area just on dusk. I saw a girl with a VW camper cooking her meal there so parked a short distance away. I parked and climbed into the back of mine with the door shut and heard some loud thumping on the side of the vehicle, popped my head up through the sliding roof my vehicle had and saw a big Maori security guard who told me I couldn't camp there and to move on otherwise the police would be called. From where I was I could see the girl still cooking her meal, so assume the guard must have been on a promise, perhaps I was the wrong sex.
I didn't want any conflict or dealings with the police so moved on. I drove down the street facing the Esplanade until the parking lot was out of site and parked on the street outside a house with a high wall, climbed into the back of my vehicle and slept there for the rest of the night without incident (I had a lidded bucket for No 1's during the night, for later disposal at a toilet).
I was doing my around Oz trip on a shoe string (started from WA) between jobs so can relate to the position some of these backpackers find themselves, especially the responsible ones. If anyone has looked at the hire rates for vans and even just station wagons, they are horrendous and it is no wonder they try to do things on the cheap. See this link;
http://www.travellers-autobarn.com.au/
I do not condone those though, backpackers or some grey nomads or not so grey nomads or day trippers who do not do the right thing by the areas they travel through or the right thing by those who follow in their tracks later. There are some who don't give a stuff about anyone but themselves in that regard.
-- Edited by Duh on Saturday 4th of May 2013 12:32:01 PM
http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2013/05/04/241900_local-news.html
We hash over this same problem year after year regarding the camping shortages in place like Broome / Darwin/ Cairnes, and nothing has ever changed in regard to all this. These places advertise COME COME COME viait us, while the rest of the country shivers through another cold winter . The councils and the tourist industry must take some blame / resposibility for what is happing in thses places.Due to lack of places to park up once you reach these places. Maybe instead of spending $$$$ on incouraging people to visit also add ...But there is not a lot of places you can stay.!!! If they opened up the showgrounds to self contained RVs or some other little used areas with basic facilities and charge $ per night ,it would be a win win for them and for the traveller.How could these c/ van park opperators complain when they are full in what i have witnessed while staying in all the above places.Maybe the tourist industry in these places need to release press info regarding the lack of camping accomodation. It is not like after you have travelled all the kms to get to these places you drive through the main street and move on ,we all drive to these places to stay awhile. So until some thing is put in place,is this behaviour we find our self in when we arrive of no where to camp over in ,when we get there will continue for ever and a day and the fines people encounter will go into the local councils coffers, maybe they also should be looking at putting this money into more camping areas (even if it is only set aside for the busy season )
It appears that the council here is basically ruled by the tourism business interests in the town and anything that might effect their take is a no no.
These same tourism businesses though are keen for us ratepayers to subsidise them when times get tough.
One of the better aspects of our showgrounds is that it has an excellent back entrance off of a fairly quiet street and plenty of room to allow vehicles towing vans time to negotiate the entrance.
It beggars belief that the facility sits empty most of the year when it could be used by travellers.
One drawback may be that our annual show is right in the middle of the tourist season and would be unavailable for quite a while.
Apparently Mareeba is much more traveller friendly as I heard they had a special area set aside for RV's.
Thanks for your reply, yes they all sure want it all their own way,IF the showgrounds is being used for the show, it would only be used for aprox 2 weeks one would think...but gee there is a lot of unused land sitting around up that way that could be utilized in helping to over come this issue.I really get put off ever going back to these places because of this issue.I have family who live at Mission Beach on some acerage and they let people stay there for free if any of the family know them.
Agree Showgrounds are totally wasted spaces and councils should open them up for O/N camping even if the van park is not full . Lets face it the council has to fund the showground out of ratepayer funds so any self funding from the showground should be welcomed by all. I don't agree with long stay situations o/n or 2 days max.
We have a RV friendly council but it may need to be reviewed when they see campervans parked on the headlands and in the morning the gutters are full of human waste
Gordonvale had a great free camp. Closed by Cairns council. I was talking to people from Gordonvale at the caravan show last week and they loved the grey nomads.
The Cairns showground however had camping for self contained vehicles, not sure if it still does.
No loss if you simply bypass it. Just drive on through to Cooktown IMO.
Cheers