Well Hello,Im Rod from Ipswich

rredbeak · Senior Member

Well Hello,Im Rod from Ipswich

pauline · Guru

We have often camped on our own, have never had a problem, but it is we not I on my own, don't know that I would want to go there on my own...........being a woman that is just my thoughts.

rredbeak · Senior Member

everything in life has that gut feeling.

Sheba · Guru

Good to see you here too, finally rredbeak. Welcome to the other newbies as well.

Cheers,

Sheba.

Elle on Wheels · Guru

Hey rredbeak good to see you on the forum and it sounds like oyu have a lot of experience to share. I am a soontobe solo traveller setting out around March and am now just getting things together and practicing. Like you I will be mostly free camping and staying at parks only through necessity. Look forward to lots of good stories and advice from you. And don't worry about cross dressing, most of the forum members leapt out of the closet years ago.

rockylizard · Guru

jeannette wrote:
----SNIP---- I would worry about security, have you had any issues with hooligans coming to your camp and causing trouble.
Regards
Jeannette and Rick

Gday...

Firstly - a big welcome rredbeak.

And Jeannette & Rick - I have been travelling full-time for a bit over 2 years and I free camp as much as I can. I have also been a camper/traveller for the past 50 years before becoming a nomad.

Security has never been a problem. Conversely, last week I was in the Mungindi Van Park (QLD/NSW border) and the night before a tow vehicle was broken into (by smashing two side windows) and a laptop and wallet were stolen - at 3am.

The couple were woken by the noise, disturbed the perpetrators and called police.

I really have always felt safer either in the bush or at most freecamps rather than in any town or 'settled' environment where the nutters are.

Cheers and happy camping

John

rredbeak · Senior Member

Hi Sheba and TY,its good to see where ppl have gone LOL.

Elle,in my opinion in your case,instead of buying a big van and car id buy a swishbang.Thats a toyota style courier van where the side door is huge and it slides on a track to close it.
OR a Bus thats been modified for camping,But you NEED security screens along the side windows plus fron n back for nights.

Being a Single traveller id opt for the swishbang,and being alone you'll use incredibly small amounts of power.Very cheap,very Little security screen needed and MOST importantly you DONT need to get out to get into a van if you ever rock up late for a campsite.

Hi John,Everyones got situations of damage. In our case weve never sufferred and god i hope i dont have to.

Cheers Rod

Elle on Wheels · Guru

Thanks Rod - I have just bought a great little Viscount and am currently on my first small trip - a tuition weekend and then a week in a city van park. Couldn't be happier. I originally wanted a coaster or similar because I had one before however listened to the advice of many people on here who pointed out practicality and flexibility issues. Plus I already have a reasonably ok towing vehicle. Like all solo women travellers I have considered security issues and strategies but will not be intimidated into making a less than satisfactory choice. When I finally go on the road full time I will make a point of choosing popular camp sites for the first few months til I get used to things. Everything takes time.

cheers

RALPHRALPH · Senior Member

try not to run over any wombats smile biggrin

rredbeak · Senior Member

Elle,
i have a reading problem as in i CAN read n write but long type paragraphs my eyes wander and i lose track. I read your top post and as much as i could i THOUGHT you were still in the buying phase. Apologies Elle.

But its still ALL good.Try a freecamp [ANY] cause they vary from free power /hot showers down to a MASSIVE dirt paddock with nothing,only yourself and dirt [no tables/toilets mostly in top half WA]. If you can honestly say YES i could stay here then youd be happy with nearly all of them.

I know a Lady SOLO traveller who only has a small 2 door vw car and a swag.thats it. she ONLY freecamps and arrives during daylight then after dark she carries her swag 100M away from the car,She often stays alone. Dont know her from a bar of soap BUT we kept [by chance] seeing her pull in to the camp we were already in OR we'd pull in to find her there. the three of us followed eachother by chance half way around oz,even saw her in IGA stores etc. So theres a LOT of Singles out there.

Best ive ever seen was a japanese couple on a double bicycle,riding into the servo we were fuelling at she kept yelling in japanese at him. I smilled and ask if they were ok ,she said "He no like pedal" ROFLLLLLLLLLLL. theyre probably still out there abusing each other,teaching our wild ****atoos how to swear in japanese..

Cheers Rod

Boroma577 · Guru

rredbeak wrote:

Best ive ever seen was a japanese couple on a double bicycle,riding into the servo we were fuelling at she kept yelling in japanese at him. I smilled and ask if they were ok ,she said "He no like pedal" ROFLLLLLLLLLLL. theyre probably still out there abusing each other,teaching our wild ****atoos how to swear in japanese..

Cheers Rod

That's a great story Rod, you've not told me that one before.....LOVE it.

Cheers B

sandsmere · Guru

good to see you here Rod .

I've read some of your stuff on the " other place ' . Enjoyed it all . Looking forward to some more .

Esmeralda · Guru

Hello to all the recent arrivals to the Forum - just had my first freecamping experience at Greens Lake and enjoyed it immensely. I learnt a few things (and met some terrific people) and will do it again.

Cheers, Helen

Boroma577 · Guru

Esmeralda wrote:
just had my first freecamping experience at Greens Lake and enjoyed it immensely. I learnt a few things (and met some terrific people) and will do it again.
Cheers, Helen

Good stuff Helen.....maybe we will see you in a free camp sometime.

rredbeak · Senior Member

Boroma,another good one was in the top half of WA.fuelling the car i heard a airplane VERY low. Next thing a giro copter ultralight pulls in the servo driveway with his propeller fornt n back. He drove up to the bowser ,filled up then taxied out to the highway manually started spinning the overhead heli prop then took off in a great cloud of dust n noise.

BUT im not the opnly one who sees these things. Someone else put in your experiences,the forum would enjoy it im sure.

Hi S&S ,TY and its good here. Im STILL at the old one and enjoy it too but getting older n greyer i thought id fit in here.

Esmeralda,its really good you had a enjoyable experience without it costing you something. Sadly these freebies are becoming rare in our greedy world ,many decades to go but we'll see the end of freecamps as we know them..

Ive seen us caught between freecamps at sunset so we camped in a guys driveway [outback driveways can be many k's long] but pulled off to one side.No visitations so i assume he doesnt know or doesnt mind and we left mid morning the next day.

Elle on Wheels · Guru

Hey Rod great stories and hope I come across that woman in her VW one day - sounds amazing. As I said I will be spending the next few months getting my act together and then heading off in April - most likely north for a few months before coming back down in maybe August and heading East.

Am looking forward to lots of free camping and meeting people on the road.

rredbeak · Senior Member

in fairness and honesty. i freecamp cause i have to.its either cp or petrol. but weve been doing it easily 20 years now and i could sleep just about anywhere.

maybe if i win lotto [you need a ticket to win i think ROFL] then we will stay in the best cp's etc etc.

biggest scare i ever got was a dingo seemingly right outside my van window. howling etc. my wife and i froze in fear. but as i said youre safe,just dont open the door.

we had a bbq at the supplied one and its probably scratching for food.