W.A Camping

basic rule is no camping anywhere near towns or tourist destinations/resorts coz they will have caravan parks and you cant camp within 16ks of them

grrrrrrrrrrrmdont get me started I thought to comit a crime there needs to be a victim but there are way to many places around WA where camping is illegal and sometimes there are huge fines like around monkey mia. I did a month around pilbara gascoyne and had to illegally camp at 80% of the spots I stayed. I have been busted once camping (read parking my camper overnight) at the Porongerup ranges

Hi Davoe,

We've camped plenty through the Pilbara and Gascoyne (and throughout the rest of WA) and never, ever had any problems whatsoever. Yes there is the rule about not camping within 16km (I always thought it was 40km's) of a CVP or town but that's the only limitation I've ever heard of. There are plenty of local councils that actively encourage campers and 4WDrivers (eg. Norseman) in a bid to earn a bit of the tourist $. There are a few (generally close to Perth) that officially ban camping in certain area's however I don't believe these bans are enforced much, particularly if you're not camping too close to town or at roadside rest areas (unless designated 24 hour stopping). We have camped north of Perth in a shire that officially forbids camping however when I rang the ranger to ask he personally told me that we could camp there, plenty do, and as long as we don't have a fire and are doing the right thing. He (with unofficial council nod of approval) will not issue a fine or ask us to move on. Certainly there are always plenty of campers there and we had no problems.

:o) Melissa

yea its ok if you are off the beaten track a bit or well out of towns but I get so mad being made to feel like a criminal coz you dont want to use the caravan park. Try finding a spot remotely close to Esperance not marked NO CAMPING fines apply

Hi guys,

So what happens when the van parks are full? I'll be heading to the Kimberlys in July/Aug/Sept and due to our flexible itenery we are unable to book. All my info points to these places being fully booked during their peak period.

Kind regards

Beatit,

There's always somewhere to go. Firstly, if you haven't already, get a copy of Ron & Viv Moon's Touring Guide to the Kimberley which is packed full of suggested campsites - NP's, free bush camps, station stays, roadhouses and CVP's. Outside of Broome, Derby, Cape Leveque and Kunanurra I don't think anyone books anywhere - probably not even possible. Also get a copy of a free camping guidebook. There are a few to chose from but IMHO Jan Hollands Priceless Campsites in the North of WA is the best. Both this and the Moon's book are available from the EO shop. We're heading across the GRR in May/Jun and these will be our bibles.

The aforementioned towns, especially Broome are packed out mid-year and you'll be lucky to get into a CVP without a booking. Not sure which direction you are going but if hitting Broome in Sept when people are starting to thin out you might get lucky. But don't panic, AFAIK Broome during peak season provides an overflow area (the rodeo grounds I think). Nothing too salubrious but better than nothing. Failing that, you can head north of Broome where you will find some lovely bush camping on the Dampier Peninsular. There are also some good bush campsites to be found south of Derby around the Fitzroy River. Can't offer too much info about camping around Kununurra as we've only stayed in CVP's there.

I understand that you aren't sticking to a strict itinery and this makes booking ahead hard but I would strongly suggest that as far as getting into a CVP in Broome or if you want to go up to Cape Leveque or Middle Lagoon that you try to set a date(s) and book ahead and the sooner the better. At the very least, try to ring ahead (even if its only a few days beforehand) and see if you can secure a site. You might get lucky. For our Kimberely trip this year our only booking will be Broome (mental note to myself - do this ASAP). Don't think we'll have the time to do the Dampier Peninsular this trip :-(

I probably should also add that if you are arriving in the north via the WA coastline, many of the more popular destinations (eg. Exmouth, Coral Bay, Karratha, 80 Mile Beach etc) will be packed so book ahead if you can. If you can't consult your free camping guide - there are plenty of bush campsites provided along or not far off the highway.

Enjoy your trip.

:o) Melissa

Thanks Melissa,

We're actually travelling from Brisbane (departing about 15/7) to Darwin then heading across from the north. Because we have 3 months we intend looking down all the side roads and doing a lot of bush camping. There will be 5 vehicles with trailers to add to the complexity.

Our group did a 2 month Cape trip a couple of years ago on the same basis - a bit of a lucky dip on camp sites but nothing we couldn't handle.

We are certainly planning to go to Broome but I imagine we'll be about 2 months into our trip give or take a week or two. We are planning to stay a week at Walcott Inlet and maybe we will (sat)phone to check from there.

Already have the Moon book but will also get the free camping guidebook.

The bride is looking forward to a Broome day spa, she reckons that she will be in serious need of a massage by then.

Kind regards

Mitchell

Thats the one. Couldn't remember the town name at the time of post. We found the facilities excellent, and were so surprised that it was free that we took a photo of their sign :))