Free camps

Submitted: Wednesday, Sep 15, 2021 at 17:31
ThreadID: 142571 Views:5531 Replies:8 FollowUps:12
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I have just noticed free camps on indian ocean drive have a $20 per night charge which I consider outrageous. Any thoughts? Kman1
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Reply By: Michael H9 - Wednesday, Sep 15, 2021 at 19:50

Wednesday, Sep 15, 2021 at 19:50
Yeah, I hate it when free stuff costs $20 too. :-)
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Reply By: Gerard S - Wednesday, Sep 15, 2021 at 20:19

Wednesday, Sep 15, 2021 at 20:19
Shire of Irwin has introduced these charges. The sites involved have toilets, rubbish bins. I guess its user pays rather than the small local rate payer base subsidizing you. The time limit is also 72 hours.
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Follow Up By: kman1 - Thursday, Sep 16, 2021 at 11:15

Thursday, Sep 16, 2021 at 11:15
We use the site as an overnight stop ie arrive about 5pm leave 7.30am next morning in self contained caravan. For that we are charged $20... If there was an alternative rest stop in the area we would use it. Kman
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Follow Up By: AlbyNSW - Thursday, Sep 16, 2021 at 18:13

Thursday, Sep 16, 2021 at 18:13
Somebody has to pay for them to be there, may as well be the people who are using it.
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Follow Up By: Member - Soft-Trailer - Sunday, Sep 19, 2021 at 14:48

Sunday, Sep 19, 2021 at 14:48
kman1, but when you arrive at 5pm, it's probably a lot cleaner as there are serviced bins in the area and people have used them. If you went for the freebie, without amenities, it could quite possibly have you parking in a rubbish tip.
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Reply By: Nomadic Navara - Wednesday, Sep 15, 2021 at 23:13

Wednesday, Sep 15, 2021 at 23:13
It's called rationing.




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Reply By: John Baas - Thursday, Sep 16, 2021 at 01:44

Thursday, Sep 16, 2021 at 01:44
What was the source of the contention of a 'free camps' designation? Shire of Irwin...?. Am guessing Wiki travels but happy to be advised otherwise...
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Follow Up By: Nomadic Navara - Thursday, Sep 16, 2021 at 09:34

Thursday, Sep 16, 2021 at 09:34
By "Wiki travels," do you mean WikiCamps? WC generally show whether they are a free camp or paid for camp. If the entries are wrong, then the WC users should feel obliged to correct the error and correct it.


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Follow Up By: John Baas - Thursday, Sep 16, 2021 at 11:23

Thursday, Sep 16, 2021 at 11:23
Yes, meant Wikicamps, but meant it generically; ie, any open source info can be suspect... Was just asking but no response yet.
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Follow Up By: Member - Rowdy6032 (WA) - Thursday, Sep 16, 2021 at 13:15

Thursday, Sep 16, 2021 at 13:15
The camping sites referred to are known as the Coastal Nodes. They have always been free until Monday 22nd March, 2021 when the Shire of Irwin implemented paid camping with fees applied to all camping along Indian Ocean Drive within the Shire of Irwin. Visitors are now charged $20 per vehicle per night. I believe the facilities are very basic or nil.

Other Shires along the coast are about the same cost but with much better facilities.

If you are just travelling you can stay a bit further inland at the Eneabba Recreation Centre with a hot shower and toilet for $5 per person. Also $5 per person for fully self contained at the S Bend Caravan Park on a grassed site with no use of facilities.
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Reply By: Member - McLaren3030 - Thursday, Sep 16, 2021 at 09:00

Thursday, Sep 16, 2021 at 09:00
Unfortunately, the term “free” does not always mean no cost, it is also used to describe “off grid” as well. That is, not connected to or “free” from power or other services. IMHO, it should only be used to describe no cost, and not off grid.

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Follow Up By: Nomadic Navara - Thursday, Sep 16, 2021 at 09:43

Thursday, Sep 16, 2021 at 09:43
For some time now, many of us have been referring to these non-regimented style of camps as 'freedom camps.' This covers most of the eventualities, they can be anywhere from free up to around $30 or perhaps even more. A lot have dunnies and a few have showers. Some even include a few 15 A power points for travellers to hook into for a night or three. The term freedom covers the lot.
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Reply By: Michael ( Moss Vale NSW) - Thursday, Sep 16, 2021 at 12:28

Thursday, Sep 16, 2021 at 12:28
Wiki camps and Camps Australia Wide have free camp areas and low cost camping shown. How many times do you get to a free camp area that's either full or just disgusting ? Nice to have some options and $20 is a fair cost if the facilities are in good order. Costs for operators and Councils have moved on so I personally think that is fair. We free camp where possible and pay when we cant. If you travel daily, $20 wouldn't add much to fuel, food and servicing costs. Michael
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Reply By: Vernon B - Friday, Sep 17, 2021 at 14:06

Friday, Sep 17, 2021 at 14:06
The fact that they had the guts to tell it's free then they charge you $20 per night is totally outrageous.
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Follow Up By: Nomadic Navara - Friday, Sep 17, 2021 at 15:27

Friday, Sep 17, 2021 at 15:27
Who is the “they?” Was it the council or was the 'fact' gleaned from socially maintained guides? If it was the latter, then you should not get overexcited when they're wrong. Instead, you should do your civic duty and correct the information on that site and suck up your disappointment.

I do not think the local council would have promoted them as free campsites.


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Follow Up By: Member - McLaren3030 - Saturday, Sep 18, 2021 at 09:05

Saturday, Sep 18, 2021 at 09:05
See my response regarding the terminology “free”, it does not always mean “no cost”.

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Follow Up By: Nomadic Navara - Saturday, Sep 18, 2021 at 09:52

Saturday, Sep 18, 2021 at 09:52
' “free”, it does not always mean “no cost”. '

I look at things the other way around. Free does mean no cost. It is just that some people do not have a good command of the English language and use words incorrectly.
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Follow Up By: Bushranger1 - Saturday, Sep 18, 2021 at 11:06

Saturday, Sep 18, 2021 at 11:06
My Boss used to say,
"No such thing as free. You just want someone else to pay for it"
How true.

Cheers
Stu
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Reply By: Rod N - Saturday, Sep 18, 2021 at 11:40

Saturday, Sep 18, 2021 at 11:40
Which particular camps are you talking about? on Wikicamps the ones around Sandy Cape have all been annotated as $20 since at least Nov 2020.
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Follow Up By: Member - Rowdy6032 (WA) - Saturday, Sep 18, 2021 at 12:32

Saturday, Sep 18, 2021 at 12:32
Sandy Cape comes under the Shire of Dandaragan. The sites being discussed are around Cliff Head, south of Dongara, Shire of Irwin.
If I remember correctly the sites were shut for a time during the initial stages of Covid and when they opened the Shire initiated the fee.
Prior to that it was well known that a fee was going to be implemented and it was discussed at length on some sites. To my knowledge there has never been any attempt to hide the fact that there is a fee.
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