Bush Camping

Um, yes, it's a problem trying to find some space. Enjoy it when you can get it. I once returned to my camper and found the steps blocked by a tent ....... unbelievable !!

Cheers
Jim

Jeff
If you can’t handle that then don’t camp in victoria, those buggers want to camp right on top of you, not surprising their covid has been so bad , no idea of personal space.

Hi Jeff, I do understand your problem. Judy and I set up camp in the middle of nowhere (Roof top tent). Low and behold on returning to our camp a 5th wheeler had set up beside us with his awing over our little camp stove and table. Not saying anything we just moved our little kitchen to the other side of the ute. After doing so, the big rig chap came and said hello stating that he thought we may want some company. Being polite, I stated that in a 200acre paddock, and camped right down the back, I tried to avoid people for the solitude of the birds and animals NOT humans. He walked away not impressed, and made sure my nights sleeep was hell. Television and radio, let alone their boring sh..less conversation.

I feel your pain!
Its been a problem in caravan parks too for a while. You are given a site and when you get to it there are several sites all around you occupied.
The reception seem to think that all campers want to be in a group.
I put it down initially to the park wanting to rest some sites (grass) and spread the usage on the popular sites near the amenities.
But, now not sure.

bill

Find a spot that's only accessible by 4wd with reasonable difficulty. Guaranteed to weed out all but the hardcore. Usually they make good company anyway.
In caravan parks find the most exposed site on a slope. Works all the time. We use stretchers with adjustable legs, so always sleep level. We also use maxtraxs to level the vehicle.

Mid 2018, we camped at Minnamoolka gravel pad(good freebie with strong Telstra signal, except for Khaki Burr & “close campers”), about 70kms north of The Lynd, on way to Mareeba, to meet with family before going fossicking at “Kondaparinga”, on the Hodgkinson River.

Just after dark, ol’ mate nudges his HJ60 up towards our camp, no more than 3 or 4M away. Must say they were very quiet all night, & politely said good morning as they left. We weren’t too worried as we had all the southern end of the pad for any private nature excursions.



Bob

Just wait till they pull up beside you and then put some heavy metal on at full volume, that will soon get them moving.

If they are young folk, try putting on Perry Como.

I'm sure you can find something to drive them away ;=))

If it's not a fire ban time I light a VERY smokey fire making sure the smoke goes in the right direction,
If that doesn't give enough hint I turn the stereo up loud and then have to raise my voice to be heard above this.

But I do find having the Genni out and exposed sometimes is enough of a hint, even the Euros don't want to be too close to them.
Sometimes I even have to start it up and turn the eco cycle off.

Yeah! People are often thoughtless, which is why I bush camp most of the time.
Can't understand why people get upset when you tell them "F--- Off", though.
Must be over-sensitive.....

.
As they pull in next to me I welcome them and ask if they play loud music.
When they say no, I grin and say "We do!!"
They usually discover a better camp spot a bit further away. lol

Hi Jeff,

Nothing new about this I’m afraid. Back in 2004, whilst doing a “half lap”, we were camped at Windjana Gorge, big open almost empty camp ground. We picked the furthest corner away from the entrance, and went for a walk through the gorge. On our return, we found a “wiz bang” had camped within 2 metres of our camp fire box bbq. The rest of the campground was almost empty. Whilst they were not “noisy” as such, every time they opened and closed their sliding door, Wiz Bang.

Macca.

The same thing happens in shopping centre car parks. You can go out of your way to find a place in the boonies where you don't have to worry about a car door hitting the side of your car only to come back and find someone parked right next to you, even though there's vacant spots everywhere around you.

We were camped at Cobbold Gorge last August in the unpowered area and when we returned from our tour we found a bloke had set up his tent 30 cm from the rear of our camper while he had half a footy field to choose from.
He was so close we could hear his lilo creaking everytime he moved at night.

Being tolerant goes a long way, I understand completely about people wanting space and some solitude, I for one certainly enjoy the peacefulness of the camping experience but remember when I started I felt a bit more at ease if I knew there was someone close by.
Maybe they should talk more about etiquette on some of the 4WD shows to help those starting out know what is acceptable.
To often we see images of caravan parks where people are packed as close as possible.

Cheers Walter

Yep, I was camped in a 5 Acre reserve one time, all by myself. Next thing a camper rocked up and pitched the tent within 2 metres of my camper trailer.

I thought at the time it may have been a security thing, they were a very young couple!

Having a ute with a canvas canopy and the odd well timed maniacal cackle seems to work most times :)

Regards

p.s. If I get desperate, walking around babbling "Head on a stick" will nearly always provide the desired result.

I have had several examples. Camping at Kalumbaru, people so close could not open the door on drivers side of campervan. Friends had someone set up under the bed of their Ultimate!
Actually same people with tour group set up within 1 metre of our camper trailer at El Questro. the bloke had Alzheimer's so we let it be.
At Wynjana Gorge I set early fire to have coals for cooking at 6 or so, then bloke in Landcruiser comes and wants to add fuel to the fire. I said OK after I stop cooking. Not good enough so drove away in huff.
Then backpackers come (after ranger had left so they didn't pay) and want to take over fire, so OK after cooking. Then they started singing and playing guitar. I went out at 10PM and told them to either shut up or move to the generator area where noise is more tolerated. They shut up. They then left early in the morning to avoid paying.

Just hang your bagpipes from the end of the awning.

unfortunately that's just how it is. Until the borders open up and the bali brigade can get back to being bogans far away from here you'll just have to grin and bear it .

G'day All

Due to work commitments and some stupid covid restrictions it's been a while since I've managed to get away for some remote travelling/camping - and boy do I like my personnel space !!

After reading some of the stories in this post about people encroaching on the personnel space of others when they are trying to get away from it all is probably a good thing for me - coz I have no doubt I would have been locked up for assault should those who not heeded my polite advice to move a bit further away !

I will have an educated guess that the majority of these culprits are inner city slickers who rarely venture two kilometres further from their local coffee shop or perhaps sixty k's on a weekend to visit their favourite boutique winery on a Sunday !

I understand that they probably can't get to their normal overseas holiday destination due to travel restrictions and good on them for getting away but what they are doing is very wrong - but they don't realize it and they might need some subtle hints !

So I think I have come up with a couple options without any violence should this problem occur on my next trip where I would like to be alone and enjoy the peace, quiet, tranquillity and the wildlife of this big brown beautiful land.


Option 1 - Get a t-shirt made with a pic of Ivan Milat on the front ( you know the one with him holding two guns cross armed ) and befriend the new very close camp neighbours and tell them Ivan was the best man at my wedding and he was was hero because Australia has too many backpackers ! Bit of a John Jarrett Wolfe Creek laugh thrown in as well.

Option 2 - Wear a turban and a fake Bin Laden style beard along with a thobe whilst constantly playing A Call to Prayer out loud non stop on the stereo along with shouting Allah is great whilst waving a machete in the air saying death to all infidels !

What do ya reckon ?

Which option do you think will best give me my personal space back that I look for when I head bush next ?


Happy safe and enjoyable wide open space filled camping

Cheers
Gazz

I can top all your storeys.
This happened in the nineteen ninetys at Winjarna Gorge. We where camped in our camper trailer when about 5pm a backpacker wandered up and got real friendly and started talking to us. He just wouldn't leave. We started cooking dinner thinking he would take the hint but no. We ended up feeding him and went to bed. In the morning there he was sleeping under our awning! He packed up and left quickly. We went for the walk and came back in the arvo and he was doing the same thing at a camp not to far away from us and we watched him set up under their awning! We where totally flabbergasted! And the next night he did it again at another camp! We twigged that he had no cooking facility's and no car and was just bludging his way around! Amazing but he got away with it!

Having camped from my early formative years all the way up till the present with my children, there was always an unwritten code of conduct between campers that I have tried to instil in my kids. Is it just me, or is it the younger generation who seem to be most likely to breach these ‘rules’ we have lived by for so long? I have found the ones who tend to bend these social etiquettes of camping, look like they’ve only discovered it later in life. Our favourite family campsite is now starting to be overrun with young people more intent on 4WDriving than the actual camping. Not that I have an issue with 4WD’s, or them discovering camping, just wondering if it is simply that they have never had the opportunity to learn and understand camping like those who have done it all their lives?

Our last big trip included a visit to Lorella Springs. While there, we wanted to tick off a bucket list item and go and camp right out on the coast. So we drive out there, get to the end of the track and start looking for a spot. We came across a nice area but unfortunately the two best shady spots were taken. One by two camper trailers and two cars. The other (best by far) spot had a number of chairs and a table set up and a pile of firewood. So we assumed they were out for the day and coming back later.

We were three vehicles so we left two there and explored the surrounding area for a good spot but to no avail. We also walked all around the area but couldn't find anything better. We waved to the people who were setup in the two campers, said G' day, How ya goin' etc etc.

So in the end we reluctantly settled for a very exposed spot, and set up our camp, gazing wistfully at the perfect little shady spot with the chairs just across from us.

Later that day, the chair people still hadn't returned. And then - can you guess what's coming? The people from the camper trailers wander over to the chairs and start the fire!! I was gobsmacked!! They watched us hunt around for somewhere to camp but never once said "Oh sorry, we'll move our chairs for you" No. Instead they made sure they had the two best spots and to hell with anyone else.

If you're reading this and it sounds familiar, if you were those people, then I truly hope you had many flats and blown fuses on the way home. And sand fly bites. And got bogged. And booked for speeding. And anything else that ruined your day like you ruined ours.

G/Day Jeff

You started something with this LOL!, .. Just to add some more, years ago my Father loved to camp on his own, and decided to go down to the Abercrombie river NSW for a week. A tarp thrown over a fence ,or whatever , a open fire, and a kerosene hurricane lantern , and he was happy as! To everyone surprise he came back three days early", it was to crowded" he reckoned, another guy had the same idea and camped on the other side of the hill 500yds away LOL!.


Cheers Axle.

G'day Jeff, I get the feeling that some people, especially those new to camping, feel somewhat insecure and feel the need to camp close to others. Take it as a compliment (Haha) that they looked upon you as a seasoned camper.