Gravel pits

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Don't know wether they are accepted but we have used them to camp in at times.

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Hi Andrew,
If by "pits" you mean a hole from gravel extraction then no, I have shunned them.
But if you mean abandoned road camps which are often flat gravelled areas then yes, I have used them to camp several times. They are a very acceptable location to me.
If you mean "is it acceptable to the authority for someone to stop overnight?" then I dunno but what is the could happen? Probably be advised a it's no-no or at worst be asked to move on. Never heard of it happening.

We use "pits" on a regular basis.
They can provide shelter from the wind and block the view and the noise from the road.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

Thanks. I fully agree with all above comments and realise there may be no definitive answer.
My main reason was not if legal or not (which by the letter of the law (trespass) they are not) and I have used many many times.
My question was that in answer to David and Michelle’s request to contribute more POI’s etc I note many gravel pits are not listed on ExploreOz and was curious as to why not.

Also, WIKI camps lists gravel sites/areas as camping areas with no facilities

Hi Andrew, only just noticed this post. Anywhere can be added as a Place provided the information is descriptive and accurate. If the area is a roadside bay its best to assign it as a “Rest Area” which uses the Pbay symbol and select from the Features list to show what amenities, limitations, access, restrictions etc as relevant which also add the icons. If uts an official 24hr rest area then you can put that in the name. If its literally a gravel pit with nothing more you would still treat it the same way as its a place to stop off the road. We just wouldn’t suggest using the Camp POI unless it was a designated camping area or had tracks leading back beyond the rest area away from the road. Eg. Along many Highways theres a Rest Area bay alongside the road (often with a bin) and some do have tracks leading beyond to areas suitable for an overnight stay away from roadside danger/noise. In that case youll put 2 markers - one for Rest Area, one for Free Camp. Being specific is important for filters and search and features to work correctly.

Im actually finalising a newsletter with more tips for adding/editing Places now.

I note in the latest 4wd24/7 YouTube video, in the “Off Grid” episode, that Graham Cahill and his fellow travellers camped in a number of “gravel pits” on the Savannah Way when transversing from QLD to NT.

Some of the views from these sites were quite spectacular.

Probably more of a function of being remote in scenic country rather than the fact they were gravel pits.

As far as I am concerned 'gravel pits' are fair game to use for overnight stops, & to list. That said (& accepting occasionally 'gravel pits' are very pleasant places to stop) mainly for us they are stops of last resort. ie. it's getting late in the day & we haven't found anything better.

As for listing 'special places' we find, which are not listed anywhere, we like Peter will not risk popularising them only to see them ruined by over-use. Often these are 'local knowledge' places, shared with us by locals. All too often we have seen wonderful spots rendered no longer wonderful (or closed off) as a result of public online listing.

I did add a listing to EO recently, & felt ok about doing so, as I discovered it was already listed on Wikicamps, although that was not how we found it, (& in fact was disappointed with my discovery).

Back in the day 'special camps' were shared among friends face to face, allowing for some discretion to be used as to whom the info was shared with. Whilst public listings are useful, I really feel they are a double edged sword.

One example which comes to mind is a camp on the Gregory River (which I expect a number of folk here will be familiar with as it is marked on EO, albeit not with a 'place icon') not the one down behind the pub where caravans congregate like a swarm of flies, but further south about 20kms (?) out of town. When we were told about it as a 'locals only' spot it was a bissfully gorgeous location. Not long after out first visit it became listed on Wikicamps & last time we visited it was chockers with wall to wall caravans, noise & rubbish. No doubt all in there thought it a great spot, but were oblivious to how it had once been a place of serene & peaceful beauty.