King Edward River free campground, not free anymore.

I forgot to add, that ive camped there many times in the past 20 years. The campground has always been kept clean by the campers themselves and the toilet was always useable. Not that smelly or flyblown.
In my cynical opinion its just another way for someone to cash in on the tourist of which most would be Australian travelers. I wouldn't be surprised if it was these tour companies that lobbied someone to install new toilets for their paying customers to use while traveling on to Mitchell Falls, as once the bus load had finished their business off they went to Mitchell falls.

We were there a few weeks ago. I think the person looking after the site is a volunteer and is doing a good job. When more campers arrived at the furthest camp ground he arranged for another toilet to be shifted to that area. We found the person concerned to be knowledgeable about the area and very helpful. Given the number of buses and other travellers going up to the falls, I think the increased work on the site is warranted.

I mean, if we want heavily used sites like this to have facilities that stop them becoming tips, it is fair enough that a charge is made. Let's face it, the fees are very low. Or we could just pay more taxes?

Some time soon I want to write a bit more extensively about our experiences with the WA parks, overnight camp sites and their volunteer system. Very briefly, we were impressed.

Gday,
Sadly its only going to get worse.
The more the population rises the more crowded places will become. Enjoy it while you can.

Cheers

Yes Michael, I was aware of the fees being introduced together with 'improvements' and a caretaker in peak season. I have it listed at $10 per person per night. Was that what you paid? Another caravanner told me that the wonderful 'second' campground where we stayed by the edge of the water had been allocated to tour groups. A shame, as it was a favourite campground of mine. We spend a few days and nights there in 2008, including visiting it again for another night on the way back from Kalumburu because we liked it so much.

Motherhen

Hi Everyone,

The camp ground at King Edward is run by DEC now called since 1 st July Dept of Parks and Wildlife.

As far as I can see no one is as you say 'cashing in' , I'd bet it's costing them more to run and install all the new facilities than they will get out of it for years. They also put in all those new gravelled parking areas near the art sites as the vehicle numbers were disturbing a lot of area and the wet was then ripping the loose ground up.
It's low cost to stay there after all.
The toilet was in the past useable and clean because DEC always used to send someone down to clean it every few days before they had a camp host there to do the job.
Yes I do agree larger areas are nicer so that people are not crammed in.
The present toilets ( that they were pumping out) are in fact a very temporary measure to cope with the numbers while they install more flash new ones. The numbers that use that area are now large and no it wouldn't have coped with the lack of toilets much longer, you only have to look at the Gibb River Crossing at the end of each dry season to see what is now happening to unattended areas. It's disgusting.
The blokes with logos are Parks & Wildlife employees / rangers. The campground hosts are sort of volunteers, they just get a small amount for food and do this job because they like being there or other similar places.
Michael, you are lucky the rangers didn't catch you camped at Surveyors as that is a no no and there are signs everywhere there saying NO camping and fines apply.
Part of this whole problem is everyone wants a spot to themselves but 85% of people then leave their mess behind, then complain when someone takes it on and tries to keep clean etc, therefore charges for the service.
I have said it before that while some of you are very clean many many others are not and that is only part of the problem.
I know for a fact those rangers spent weeks last wet season pulling and spraying all the nasty weeds and prickles brought in on campers swags, tents etc etc. Some of those seeds are viable for 7 years !
If no one takes on and controls this weed problem the whole North Kimberley is going to be wrecked. Never used to be nasty Starr bur etc up there, now there is heaps and the more uncared for places people camp, the more the weed problem spreads.
All around it's a no win situation, people want private camps, all on land others are paying rent or upkeep for but many still expect those camps to be for free. Then they go home and leave someone else to clean up the weed problem etc. Most people have no idea at all that they have even brought the weeds with them.
By the way as for the campers at KE subsidising the buses it's probably the other way around. While many of the tours do not camp at the King Edward it's all the same fund bucket and all those tour companies then take their many guests on up to the Mitchell where they also pay entry fees etc etc.
You also could have used those KE toilets for free if you had just been passing by on the way to Mitchell same as they did. It will be the money from the Mitchell that will be subsidising the KE camp ground improvements at present.
Also last but not least the money from the camping fees at both places also helps cover maintaining the Mitchell plateau track which is now graded a couple of times or more a season instead of once every second year as it was in the past.
cheers, Anne