Camping near Croc's

Gday,
Its quite simple really.......DONT!

If your going to.........Don't leave anything around to attract them
Don't go down to the water via the same path regularly.
Fetch water with a bucket with a rope on it.
Don't sleep on the ground.

Crocs will walk inland for miles, but the closer to the water the higher the chance of having a visitor.

ASK THE LOCALS.........

Cheers

Make sure you can run faster than you mate!

Hope this helps.

Noel K.

Hi wato35,
I camped in a small dome tent with no fly when up at the cape with no problems at all. However I did not camp at Port Stewart because the camp ground was close to the water and they were big corc's around.
Don't walk across creek crossing first and keep the camp clean. you could put out fishing line with bells on it around the camp so any thing that comes within range will let you know.
The last person to die from a croc attack was at the Jardine ferry crossing that I know of, and they were swimming in the river.
Don't let this worry you as you will never enjoy your stay while you have this on your mind. More of a chance to be in a car accident than be eaten by a croc.
Andy

Crocs will respond to repeated events.
Problem is you have no idea what the last lot of campers at your spot did.

At Honeymoon Beach (where the locals will tell you it is fine to swim and there is no problem with crocs) I have seen croc tracks within 3M of our motorhome and on a different occasion, within 1.5M of a family in a tent camped 30M from the water.

Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 Motorhome

I have only heard of one person being grabbed from a tent http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2004/s1218062.htm

All other attacks I think have been people in or near the water. There was one bloke near Cook town that got taken when he moved into a camping spot near the river. The bloke that was leaving showed him where he had had some luck with the crab pots. New bloke went to set some pots at the same places but a croc had noticed a pattern from the previous few days and old mate was in the wrong place at the wrong time.


the points i got from the article:

"... there's still more chance of being killed getting to the Cape, than being taken by a croc."
and
"The Parks Service says would-be adventurers can travel safely in croc country as long as they follow a few rules – camp a good distance away from water, don't throw food scraps into the water and leave the dog, a croc's favourite meal, at home."

Up this way most established camping spots are in safe areas, if crocs have been spotted in the warning signs will be white as well as the normal yellow ones.

I always sleep on the ground, swag or tent. There is a big croc or 2 that sit at the crossing at Kalpowar in Lakefield NP but well away from any camping grounds.

Jardines full of them but camps are well away from the river mostly. Depends on where you will be.

So have a chat to the local and they will keep you safe...

Gday,
I love the old saying you have a better chance of getting hit by a car than getting eaten by a croc............
So does that mean it's safer to swim across Adelaide river than to walk across Mitchel St?

When in a tent we stayed well away and kept a clean, unattractive (we hoped to crocs) camp site.

But my wife did not object to getting a roof top tent. Wonder why!! Ask your partner?? You may get the same response then all the troubles go away.

Phil

On the subject of walking creeks before driving across.................

Some advise walking creeks first but when you arrive there is a croc warning sign! What the ......??

I put that question to Matt Trezise, a Ranger who has spent his life on the Cape.

Matt said that he would not walk across any creek on the Cape.
Good enough for me!

So don't come complaining to me if you get taken. LOL

Hi Wato, This is good enough reason to obey the signs. This chap was 50 meters away across the river in Lakefield NP at Old Faithfull camp. Evidently a bloke was taken here a couple of years ago retrieving his snagged pot. They found his watch and shorts on the bank. We estimated just over 5 meters and a bit bigger than the one we saw at 12 Mile Lagoon. They were there one minute and not a sight or sound the next. Most camps we saw in Lakefield NP are elevated for good reason.

Cheers,

Mike

I'm far more wary of camping near forum magpies!

Slightly OT, but in 2012 we were fortunate enough to go on a private 4WD safari from South Africa up through Botswana and parts of Namibia ... what an adventure that was. 3 vehicles doing our own thing.

Anyway, we hired Hi-Luxs with roof top tents so were safe and sound above all the critters, but lots of people there sleep on the ground in pup tents. Apparently as long as you keep it well zipped up the beasties just look upon it as another rock. If you leave a leg hanging out that's another matter.

We did however hear of a group who were camped in this fashion near where we camped in the Central Kalahari Reserve. A pride of lions dropped in for a visit and stayed most of the day lolling around in the shade with some of them leaning up against the tents. From what we heard the people spent a few very nervous hours looking at the lumps bulging inwards. It all ended well, but shows how crazy things happen.

If it wasn't for the animals and the fact that nearly every tree was covered in thorns, we could have been travelling through the bush in Oz. Apart from the sunsets which are always magnificent due to the constant dust in the atmosphere.

A roof top tent, very comfortable, very safe, most of the time to high for the mossies and other bities, and snakes and mice cannot climb ladders. I get a great nights sleep every night knowing nothing is going to get me.

Evening.
I assume from the thread, your talking about Cape York, I have travelled the Cape since the mid eighties, and still have all my limbs. If traveling the tele, you can walk the crossings without to much fear, crocs prefer the dark, dank water with a supply of food. Running clear water and lack of food does not hold a lot of interest for salties, on the coast, tidal creeks do hold an attraction as they have two slack periods at least twice a day, plenty of food and somewhere to lay up. As mentioned previously, on the coast do camp min 50 mts from water, never leave scraps lying around, etc. humans are not high on crocs food chain, particularly if there is fish and such available. They need to conserve energy, and cannot afford to waste it chasing hard to get prey. They are oppotunistic feeders, so don't offer them the oppotunity. There are always exceptions to the rule, as in everyday life. Lakefield does carry a healthy population of crocs, because it carries a healthy population of food. Look around you when you pull up, does it look like there is an abundance of food, the type of watercourse, for example the Hahn River, sandy sloping banks, not good, vertical banks ok. The media and the " a mates mate was at so an so and saw ....." , only creates more misleading information on a very controversial subject.
Cheers and drive safe.
Tony F8

My husband went fishing on the Pentecost with friends from Kununurra. Three salties known to the locals watched and the fishermen watched with mutual respect. At night the tents were set up on the ute trays.

Motherhen

I lived in the Kimberly (Koolan Island) for 11 years and the NT (Groote Eylandt) for another 11. When we camped we slept on the ground with our croc proof mosquito nets. If in a place where crocs are known to be around (like up tidal creeks), we slept on the high ground but generally we slept on the beaches.
On our trip up to the cape in 2006 we used our tent without fear, had a great time even in Lakefield and Cape Melville.
If you are worried, camp alongside others for safety in numbers.

Have a great trip.

Mal