Security of property on Cape York?

David,

I have been travelling this fair country for some time now. I have camped in tents but for the last 11 years have used a camper trailer.

In all the time I have been camping I have only ever had gear stolen once. That was in Port Lincoln. It was oportunistic and at the time everyone in the park believed it was locals. A number of campers were hit on the same night and all were camped near the edge of the park bordering on bushland. All the gear that was taken, mine and other peoples, was stuff that had been left out. I lost a tub of food that had been pushed under the edge of the camper on the side adjacent to the bushland.

When camped in out of the way places I have never had a problem and have not meat anyone who has. Cape Yorke is out of the way.

When you leave yor camp, leave it tidy and keep portable, "attractive" things out of sight.

Lastly if you can come up with a way of making a tent secure please let me know.

Duncs

What I do when leaving the CT unattended is do up the door's double zip and put a lock thru the 2 puller tabs, plus, on the inside zips, attach one of those screeching personal alarms so if the outside is breached, moving the zippers apart sets off the alarm. Of course if somebody carves a hole in the side of the canvas there's not a lot you can do, however a second alarm can be set as a booby trap concealed under an appealing piece of property so it goes off if the item is grabbed.
Back at home, as the CT is parked outside alongside the house, I have a security bar over the tow hitch, a Klampit on a wheel, and one of those screeching personal alarms attached to the
underside with its string going down to a tent peg in the ground close to the inside of the wheel.
cheers
T.R.

I have found the further or more remote area you travel to, the more likely that the company will be travellers just like yourself. I trust travellers like us and have been rewarded with having no security problems.

Hey Willow.......
n 20 years of travelling this amazing land I have never had a prob with bad Karma but I can generally sense it.
I lived in the far North for 4 years and always left the key to the car in the ignition where ever I was. I ended up driving that car to the tip after taking it around OZ. Check out the blue subaru on the profile pics.
I do get very worried sometimes where I am and I heard today that one of our ex employees had their car broken into last night. I think they were in Cairns (as backpackers). Nothing was taken because they wanted the whole car?????? I saw it and it was nothing special. I prob would have offered them 500 for it......
But you always have to be wary and do as previous posts have said....... Do not leave anything lying around that looks like its worth dollars..........
I personally chain everything up if I am worried but have only had to do it once and that was in Mosman in Sydney due to the previous year I had 2 fishing rods and my tackle box stolen. I have been going to the same place for over 10 years

Hi Willow,

There is more to theft that "loss," and the subsequent insurance claim, the other side is massive "inconvenience"

We are reltively new to caravaning and one of the first things I fitted was a $27 electonic locking safe pruchased from Bunnings. We bolted it through the marine ply that is the caravan floor. I was roundly told off by the forum when I mentioned my security concerns about opportunist theft and my solution... with answers like "don't carry what you cannot afford to lose."

on a lenthy trip, Once we at a place for a few days into the 3 litre of safe space, goes the wallet and her purse with all the licences, identity and credit cards, the mobile phones, the spare car keys, the spare caravan keys, medication prescriptions. Even if only my wallet went apart from the cash can you imagine stopping all the cards and having them reissued to your home address to be forwarded on to where you are.

Go the $27 safe I say !!!

SKI'er

Look (and smell) scary.

Of all the things that were knocked off on our trip to Cape York it was a load of undies that were out on the line at Seisa???? Why the undies were the only thing taken is a mystery but is still a constant source of amusing stories...

Mind you the same thing happened in Port Douglas but this time I suspect it was the backpackers knocking off the good clothes off the line... gives me the sh*ts when you can't even leave a load of clothes on a line at a van park without some low life coming along and pinching your gear!!

Hey David ,

Went up the cape in 04 , on our way around Australia.

Didnt ever feel like everything was going to get ripped off if we werent watching.

Stayed at Sesia van park for a while , some guys got lights and antennas lifted off their vehicles , when they reported it they were all returned the next day .

Some other places we stayed I think I slept with one eye open.

On the other hand have had my laptop lifted from a Coolangatta hotel room , with no break in ( key used ! ) so you are probably safer in the bush !

Glenn.

willow 2400,
Went up the Cape in 2002. Two nights in a row at Seisia Caravan Park some local tried to lift stuff from around our camp sites.
A word to the park boss and no more trouble. So the risk is there.
Cheers,
Bros.