cheap places to camp

Submitted: Thursday, Nov 02, 2006 at 22:05
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There seems to be a lack of places to stay that are cheap. I am curious as to whether there are plenty of places where you can camp, that wont cost an arm and a leg. caravan parks are expensive, charging 20 or more dollars a night, on a long trip thats expensive, especially if you just want somewhere legal to stop park and sleep. What have some of you guys done in the past? I know you cant stop at rest areas on the highways, where else do you go? untill you get to the national parks, are you stuck with expensive caravan parks? Of course there will some times when I will use caravan parks so I can clean up and use the facilities. One of the first places I want to go to is the sunshine coast for a bit of surfing, so i guess Ill have to pick one of the caravan parks.

cheers
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Reply By: rheno - Thursday, Nov 02, 2006 at 22:14

Thursday, Nov 02, 2006 at 22:14
hello long john
a good way to find many cheap and even free camp spots are in a book called camps australia wide #3 (but sosts bout $40)the ultimate guide for the bugdet conscious traveller. we used it on a trip from darwin to perth only paid to stay at 4 places, even then they were very cheap. would highly recomend it to everyone who travels, has detalied info about every spot like scenery and how long you can stay for.

See www.campsaustraliawide.com
AnswerID: 202706

Reply By: longJohn - Thursday, Nov 02, 2006 at 22:23

Thursday, Nov 02, 2006 at 22:23
Thanks! thats exactly what I need. I think ill buy one:)
AnswerID: 202711

Follow Up By: rheno - Thursday, Nov 02, 2006 at 22:31

Thursday, Nov 02, 2006 at 22:31
Theres cheaper books too that are written only about individual states there called "the free camping in the _ _ _ _ _(what ever state). for $16.50

See www.free-camping-australia.com
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Reply By: Motherhen - Thursday, Nov 02, 2006 at 23:26

Thursday, Nov 02, 2006 at 23:26
We have always found plenty of spots we like. Watch for old gravel pits, tracks into bush, and tracks along rivers. It's a wide open land, with plenty of scope for enjoying peace and solitude and the bush.

We prefer to start looking for something really good soon after lunch - like a beautiful lake with a mountain range reflecting in it. As the days goes on, we get less and less selective, and if it gets dark, we stop regardless.

I haven't been along the Qld coast, but probably would be hard. Camps 3 can be purchased fron the ExplorOz Adventure Shop and will be your best guide.

Otherwise, it depends where you are going. Camps 3 was invaluable to us in Tasmania, where just pulling off the road is not an option, but there are a lot of designated free camp sites. Also we found it hard to find anywhere decent as we went from SA to Vic roughtly along the coastline, and if it wasn't for Camps 3, we wouldn't have known about the Saw Pit camp. A very pleasant free campsite in the forest, plenty of room to spread out away from other campers, fairly new pit toilets, nice bushwalk to a lookout over the coast plains and ocean (Whaler's lookout).

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Follow Up By: slave - Friday, Nov 03, 2006 at 14:02

Friday, Nov 03, 2006 at 14:02
The Saw Pit is really nice isn't it ?
Never camped there but only because t's too close to home but have gone for a quick BBQ lunch/tea. Good BBQ's and open fire places and kids enjoy exploring the saw pit.

Mrs S
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Follow Up By: Member - Dunworkin (WA) - Friday, Nov 03, 2006 at 14:19

Friday, Nov 03, 2006 at 14:19
Hi Motherhen, our best free camp was at Nallan Lake just Nth of Cue, it was a clear night, the moon had just set at 2.30am, I wanted to see the stars after the moon had set (Hey we are retired, we can stay up all night if we want) The lake was like glass and the stars were so bright and they reflected into it, the most awesome sight, you can't get sights like that in any town or CP, and OH for the sounds of the bush, can't beat it.

Cheers

D&B


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Reply By: cackles - Friday, Nov 03, 2006 at 08:52

Friday, Nov 03, 2006 at 08:52
we have just finished a trip to SA and back using "camps 3" and it was the bible. As navigator I would have the book open to the map and everytime we passed a camp would read about it.
We found some great camps in beautiful spots, also found some pretty dodgy ones particularly south of goondiwindi. After a while you can start to pick the good ones from the write up and icons.
A solid investment.

cackles
AnswerID: 202759

Follow Up By: Motherhen - Friday, Nov 03, 2006 at 14:39

Friday, Nov 03, 2006 at 14:39
SA is generally good for finding camp spots; haven't travelled in NSW much at all. We found in SA they leave the old roads when they make new ones (in WA they block them off). Many places had an old road running roughly parallel to the new one, with patches fairly well screened with trees. On a highway it may have been a bit noisy, but on a lesser road, traffic stopped at night, and they were beaut level clean bush camp sites. In the centre, just pulling off the road a bit was easy and quiet enough.

Along the Stuart Highway, after we broke the tow bar, it was dark by the time i got back to caravan, so we just pulled off the road as soon as we could. It was a flattish spot with scrub, with tracks where others had done the same. The only real annoying noise was because we were fairly near a grid, which clattered each time a road train went over it; the trucks themselves weren't too bad. We were told of a good spot just out of Glenambo, but were not willing to risk the kangaroos at night to get there. On my way back to the caravan, i noticed caravaners had already stopped in the small rest areas close to the highway.

With Camps 3, i think they have tried to find somewhere in all areas, so where good spots are abundant, they list the best, but where they are hard to find, it may just be a small rest area fairly close to the road. Sometimes we have looked and driven on, finding the spot quite unsuitable. I too keep notes in the book of whether we found them good or indifferent.

Since having Camps 3 we have stopped in listed spots more often as it is easy. Instead of looking, then going back to investigate a track, we have sometimes said if we don't fall into a huge gravel pit or something wonderful, we will stop at the next listed stop.

I know travelling from Geelong to Melbourne, there is a spot listed. I considered it for the last night before Melbourne when travelling to Melbourne for the Tassie ferry (we were booked into Ashley Gardens, but needed to pick up a battery from the other side of Melbourne, so wanted to get there early). Thank goodness we didn't rely on that. I never saw it, and it was a multi lane busy noisy freeway/highway.

While in Tasmania, i spoke to people who were planning to use it when getting back from the day ferry crossing. I suggested they either stay at Ashley Gardens or leave town another way. Someone said it is still there - just alongside one of the servos. Not a good overnight spot and somewhat impossible to find.

Picture is our last night before Melbourne at a small and secluded beach near Anglesea.
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Reply By: Darian (SA) - Friday, Nov 03, 2006 at 08:52

Friday, Nov 03, 2006 at 08:52
Yep as mentioned above - Camps Australia Wide is the go - worth every cent - they must be selling hoards of them - The RAA here is SA said it is their biggest seller re books. In the outback, the formula changes from that of main coastal highways - its not hard to find plenty of bush camping spots adjacent to the roads !
AnswerID: 202760

Reply By: Redback - Friday, Nov 03, 2006 at 09:34

Friday, Nov 03, 2006 at 09:34
This is what we do and it's all free

Any State Forest in NSW

These are a few we use
Bendethra Valley Deau National Park
Morton NP
Yadbora SF
Belangalo State Forest
Watagans SF
Bulladelah SF
Mendooren Camp Free camp behind the Police station
Nundle SF
Styx River SF
Newnes SF Don't camp at Bungleboori
Sunny Corner SF
Croocket Creek Girad State Forest
Vic High Country, basicly anywhere

get the book free camping in Aust
AnswerID: 202767

Follow Up By: Redback - Friday, Nov 03, 2006 at 09:41

Friday, Nov 03, 2006 at 09:41
Oh i forgot

Any of the old Ghan stations on the Oodnadatta are free
The clay pans outsde Oodnadatta
Also Birdsville on the river and in the dunes outsde Birdsville
the Simpson
Dalhousie
Purnie Bore
The Dig tree $11
Inaminka on the Common $5
Wanaaring $10

Heaps of places if you research

Baz.
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Reply By: looking_4_BJ42 - Friday, Nov 03, 2006 at 11:02

Friday, Nov 03, 2006 at 11:02
Victoria!!!
AnswerID: 202781

Reply By: Member - Jack - Friday, Nov 03, 2006 at 11:09

Friday, Nov 03, 2006 at 11:09
You may also get some good info in the Dirty Weekends in S E Qld book.

I have just finished an around Oz trip, and had "Camps Australia Wide", which is very detailed and worth having. But we abandoned it in the end because *everyone* has it and they all gravitate to the places listed in the book.

The "Free Camps " series of books we found to be more useful, as we only use Caravan Parks for the washing and recharging of batteries,prefering to bush camp whenever possible.

Enjoy your trip.

Jack
The hurrieder I go, the behinder I get. (Lewis Carroll-Alice In Wonderland)

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