Hi all , looking forward to starting our new life on the road but trying to keep cost down , eventually we are hoping to free camp as much as possible , but for now will have to visit caravan parks often. We are about to buy a 33' bus and heard that showgrounds offer a discount for buses, does anyone know if this is true.
I was counting on those $10 a night sites but after reading what some of you guys say I might be getting what I pay for, and we like anybody else would rather be somewhere nice.
Showground sites seem to be all about 14.00 a night. Not sure why they would discount for buses though. They are bigger than what a lot of us have. They are quite basic but do have showers and toilets.
I have only come across one park for less than $10 per night, and that was Quambatook in NW Vic. where they have the tractor pull every year. I should imagine that's about the only time there are campers jostling for space in the little rural village. They even have ensuites for $8 per night. I used my aircon so I gave them $10. The keys and fees are sorted at the pub. Not every town puts caravans and campers on show grounds. It's a great use of a community resource, but not every shire or council is up with this one. They only use these facilities at busy times usually, as an overflow area. The local show society would probably get most of the proceeds from the fees, and would maintain the amenities. Generally, if you choose a nominally priced caravan park, not 5 star with all the trimmings and fittings, you can expect to pay on average from $24 per night to $36. Of course in the high level tourist places like the Gold Coast, Cairns, Broome and a few others you'll pay more than $40 per night for a site. Free camping is the economical way to go, but you'll need to be self-sufficient with power and water supply. If you use van parks it does pay to join membership with Top Tourist, Family Parks, Oz Parks etc. Big 4 tend to cater to families with all the playgrounds, bells and whistles, therefore costing more. Many parks also accept Seniors Card giving about 10% discount. I hope you enjoy your stay on Grey Nomads. Safe and happy travels when you get going.
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20ft Roma caravan - Mercedes Benz Sprinter - SA-based at the moment. Transport has no borders.
Management makes the decisions, but is not affected by the decisions it makes.
Your "hearsay" about discounts for buses may be a misinterpretation. Showgrounds are generally cheaper than private caravan parks and (perhaps?) some are restricted to "self contained" (i.e. en-suite equipped) rigs. There seems to be a bit argy-bargy between some state governments, local governments and showground trusts over leases, zoning requirements etc, at present so the situation is probably a bit changeable.
a few places in the Kimberley do allow use of the showgrounds but only when the local c/parks are full, and be careful using c/parks with a bus, some will charge you for two sites. free camp as much as you can, you will enjoy it more.
Best to set up as soon as you can for bush camping.
Do it before you set out if you can.
If you are new to the travel bug then I suggest that you visit a large caravan park that is popular stay a couple of days and talk to every traveler that you can.
This way you will get a lot of info to digest.
Unfortunately $10 per night is almost a myth now. I can remember when that amount was for a caravan park of good quality but that's dating myself.
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I was tired yesterday and I'm tired today betcha I'm retired tomorrow. he he.
Hi, We have found a few inconsistancies in the Camps books, best to start looking for your free camp fairly early in the afternoon. Not knocking the book, it's great and we would be lost without it, but some sites are not friendly for a 24 foot caravan.
Also had an interesting thing happen when we purchased the Tom Tom POI Camps application. At the time we had a Camps 5 book and the site numbers were different, so we had to buy Camps 6 to match it up. The POI application is great though, it brings up all the closest Camp spots and how far to etc.
We have also found showground prices are on the increase. We stay at the Kenilworth showgrounds often and the price went from $9 to $12 in a short space of time, and Maryborough Qld showgrounds is now $18 a night. Still cheap I know but it seems to be a trend.
Boy are you in for a learning curve.
