Where do we have to book?
Submitted: Thursday, May 13, 2004 at 12:40
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Member - The MALS (QLD)
We are heading off on a 6 month trip around Aus in 6 weeks and 4 days (but who's counting!) and had planned to have only a basic plan ie approximate dates for certain
places. Suddenly we realise that we are not the only travellers at that time of the year and perhaps we should book certain
camp grounds/parks. We do not plan to be in major centres in school holidays but sometimes that isn't possible.
Question: In which towns is it necessary to book?
Cairns,
Cooktown,
Karumba,
Burketown,
Darwin, Kunnanara,
Broome? Any others?
Can you suggest the best parks to book in these
places?
Hope to see some of you on the road
The MALS
Reply By: GeeVee - Thursday, May 13, 2004 at 13:53
Thursday, May 13, 2004 at 13:53
I'm envious!
Some info: 1) August 4 years ago arrived in
Broome having come down the GRR. Could not book into a CP in advance, could not get a site anywhere when we arrived. Motel first night in
Broome, tent on lawn between two cabins for remaining 6 nights. Great place, but painful trying to get a CP site. Don't know if this is the norm or we just struck a busy time. Other forumites will have more up-to-date info. 2) Cool Waters CP in
Cairns (off Brinsmead Rd) is a good middle of the road park. Creek running through the back of it, good shady sites, bit quieter than some others. 3) Had to try three parks in Kunnunara before we got a site for a week. Busy but not fully booked.
Have a great time!
Regards,
Greg
AnswerID:
58449
Follow Up By: madcow - Friday, May 14, 2004 at 13:40
Friday, May 14, 2004 at 13:40
Cool Waters is a good park. Does anyone know if they still have the eel that lives in the creek that could be handfed?
FollowupID:
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Reply By: Lynn2 - Thursday, May 13, 2004 at 14:12
Thursday, May 13, 2004 at 14:12
Are you camping? Tent or caravan? Definitely, Definitely book in
Broome. We were there two years ago and you could not get into any park anywhere if you hadn't booked in advance. Fine along the
Gibb River Road when we were there, although we always set up by about 3 p.m. Bells and Manning Gorges on the GRR were great spots to
camp. At Bells, if you get there reasonably early, you take a tag for a private
camp spot. Later, you are in the general camping ground.
I believe that
Karumba is also hard to get a
camp space.
Darwin should be okay. Stayed in a motel in Kunnanara so can't comment.
Lynn
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Al & Mrs Al (Vic) - Thursday, May 13, 2004 at 15:53
Thursday, May 13, 2004 at 15:53
Hi MALS,
I agree with Lynn re
Broome, a friend of ours was up there this time last year, and didn't book into the CP in advance and ended up having to park the van in a car park somewhere over night....I've just finished enquiring/booking for our trip [4 weeks to go] and most
places told me that I should book now.[which i did ]...can't suggest any parks for you to book into, we belong to a couple of associations and used those...there are a few websites avail for you to
check places out eg Big4, TopTourist and Family Parks if that's the type of park you intend staying in...
cheers
Lyn
AnswerID:
58461
Follow Up By: Al & Mrs Al (Vic) - Thursday, May 13, 2004 at 15:54
Thursday, May 13, 2004 at 15:54
added to that you may find info on some of the smaller towns by surfing the net a little or your Motor Vehicle Association may have some info too...
cheers
FollowupID:
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Reply By: Member -Bob & Lex (Sydney) - Thursday, May 13, 2004 at 16:26
Thursday, May 13, 2004 at 16:26
Try this site link text
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Member - The MALS (QLD) - Thursday, May 13, 2004 at 16:50
Thursday, May 13, 2004 at 16:50
Thanks for that info - I am going to make a plan and book
Broome NOW. Will try to book the other
places too - don't fancy the night in a car park! Mal 2 would not be a happy MAL.
MAL1
FollowupID:
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Reply By: Wizzy - Thursday, May 13, 2004 at 17:06
Thursday, May 13, 2004 at 17:06
You'd also be very wise to book ahead, or at least
check site availability, if travelling the eastern seaboard between the
Gold Coast and
Cairns. Many parks fill up with southerners who migrate to sunny Queensland for the winter.
In fact, I travelled the Bruce Hwy yesterday and the migration has already begun!!
Dennis
Westport 18ft full van
Falcon AU
sedan
www.damor.net
AnswerID:
58466
Reply By: Willem - Thursday, May 13, 2004 at 18:29
Thursday, May 13, 2004 at 18:29
No you don't have to book. If a CP is full go and find a
bush camp. There are numerous books on the market about free camps. I do not stay in CP's if I can help it. Make your travels enjoyable and not bound by times, bookings and cluster camping with others!
The best place to park your van or 4by is in front of a
No Camping sign :-)
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Ruth D (QLD) - Thursday, May 13, 2004 at 19:28
Thursday, May 13, 2004 at 19:28
Willem - I agree with you wholeheartedly. Bush camps are best.
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Follow Up By: Lynn2 - Thursday, May 13, 2004 at 21:16
Thursday, May 13, 2004 at 21:16
In
Broome?????
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Follow Up By: Willem - Thursday, May 13, 2004 at 21:48
Thursday, May 13, 2004 at 21:48
Lynn2
Must admit I haven't been to
Broome for quite a while. But there used to be
camp spots up north from
Willie Creek and also down by Redbank Beach and also on the other side of the bay along the beach front. Used to be able to drive on to
Cable Beach and motor up the coast for quite a distance and cross
Willie Creek if the tide was out. Where there is a will, there is a way. I am not put off by convention. We camped in Sherbrook Forest one night in the Dandenongs,
Melbourne. Got told by a
Ranger to move and I replied if he could guarantee me accommodation I would. He left. These days I sleep in the truck so Shopping Centres are fair game if one is in a big town. Quarries, rubbish dumps, gravel pits. Some times I even ask permission to
camp near a
farm or on a station. Sometimes we even book in to a motel!!!
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Reply By: Member - The MALS (QLD) - Friday, May 14, 2004 at 10:23
Friday, May 14, 2004 at 10:23
Thanks everyone, I have booked into Roebuck CP in
Broome and have the number of a storage facility for the camper trailer while we travel (tenting style) to
Cape Leveque. It is $3.20 per day Phone:0891921354.
We agree with you Willem and Ruth that Bush camping is great but do need a hot shower and a washing machine every now and then. Also if we want to spend a few days in a town it's impossible to leave the camper set up in a shopping centre
carpark or outside the town in a
bush camp.
As for the hint to book East Coast accommodation, thanks, but we have comfy beds awaiting us as far as
Cairns so our real adventures don't start till we hit the
Atherton Tableland travelling West.
6 weeks and 3 days to go! No, I'm still not counting!
MAL 1
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Ruth D (QLD) - Friday, May 14, 2004 at 13:16
Friday, May 14, 2004 at 13:16
Hey MAL 1 & 2 - if you do get to leave the camper up in the shopping centre - could you take a photo please. LOLLOLLOL.
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Follow Up By: Member - Melissa - Sunday, May 16, 2004 at 14:16
Sunday, May 16, 2004 at 14:16
Hi Mal,
Hope you've booked
Cape Leveque also! Gets extremely busy during the high season. Also, just confirming Willem's reply above...there is some great coastal bush camping on the
Dampier Peninsular north of
Broome between Willy Ck and Point Coulomb. Once you've explored
Broome, restocked etc its well worth spending a few days up that way. Failing that, it makes a great day trip from
Broome.
:o) Melissa
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Reply By: Diesel 1 - Friday, May 14, 2004 at 19:55
Friday, May 14, 2004 at 19:55
G'day The Mals,
The invasion of southerners has really hit
Darwin over the past few weeks and it is reaching the point where it is hard to spot a Territorian on the roads. I would suggest that you try and book ahead if you want to get into one of the 'better' parks.
There are some fairly ordinary CP's on the outskirts which should definitely be avoided - they are Coolalinga CP, The Nook CP and Howard Springs CP - full of ferals, thieves, druggies and other undesireables. In fact, I have been lobbying the Defence Dept to use these 3
places as target practice during the next war games exercise up here - they wont reply for some reason.
The pick of the CP's would be The Palms or Lee Point CP - very tidy, good security and away from the riff raff.
Diesel 1
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Follow Up By: Member - Melissa - Sunday, May 16, 2004 at 14:18
Sunday, May 16, 2004 at 14:18
Can highly recommend Lee Pt CVP. My folks spend several months there every year when they were doing the
grey nomads thing and we used to visit them there regularly when we were living up that way.
:o) Melissa
FollowupID:
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Reply By: Member - The MALS (QLD) - Tuesday, May 18, 2004 at 09:43
Tuesday, May 18, 2004 at 09:43
Great info folks, looking into
Darwin and
Cape Leveque right now.
5 weeks and 6 days ie 41 sleeps. will definitely take that shopping centre photo Ruth!!.
AnswerID:
59040