New World Record for Early Packing and Leaving

Russ.

A few years back we were in Boulia and it was well after midnight when a group of ten or so vehicles (some with campers) turned up and proceeded to set-up camp and prepare dinner. They made no attempt to keep the volume down and consequently woke up the entire camp.

You just have to wonder about some of the people you meet while travelling.

Regards

I don't have an earlier time than that record, but you onto my pet hate!!!!!
I think that most CP's have a curfew time in the evening, in most cases 10:00 which is usually followed by the residents and sometimes enforced when broken by the management.
Again, in most cases the curfew operates till 7:00. A reasonable time for rising and making the noises that go with the beginning of the day.
But do you ever see that enforced by management???? I don't think so!!!!
The result, .... selfish people getting up at crazy hours in the morning and disturbing all the residents around them. They need to get a life and think of others. [And I bet they would be first to complain if a few campers were having a quiet chat in the camp kitchen after the evening curfew]

You should have given them a trophy - perhaps a can of WD40?!

Hi All

We were camping up at Teewah Beach several years ago, it was the Easter Break, and all the campers had settled in with their tents ect, it was fairly packed out, anyway it was about 11-30 pm and nice and quite, when all of a sudden this 4wd came driving up the track looking for a camp site using a hand held spotlight he finds a small area on the side of an embankment, and decides to put his tent up on the side of a hill, they make a hell of a racket, their kids are yelling out and running around the place ect, then the adults decide to have a few drinks after they set up camp, now we all thought good at last things will settle down, by this time it's close to 1-00am, NO, the kids started to pester them about some thing, all you could here is please please you said you would do it, and then all of a sudden there was this god allmighty flash and then BOOM, they started setting off STAR BURSTS right next to the camps, this went on for about 30 minutes, and then all was quite, about 6-30am in the morning they packed up and left.
and I thought thank god for that.

Cheers

You will not believe this but July 2000 we were in the same park & having a quite ale or six and listening to the local radio station on the squak box but not really loud. This guy comes into our camp and asks "could you turn the radio down.?" Fair enough after all it was 2015hrs!!! About 15mins later he is back. "Can you keep the volume of conversation down a few decibells. We are trying to sleep"Well, I didn't think we were to noisy. But we all must consider others. Anyway about an hour later & no further visits from our neighbour we all turned in. We were all woken at sparrows fart by, "Left hand down George. No go forward. Other lock" Then the best of all. BEEP...BEEP....BEEEP...BEEP. raised voices and usual mixture of instructions about reversing up to their caravan. The vehicle, a 62 Series white coloured cruiser driven by....you guessed it...our visitor from the previous night. So I got up & went over and asked him "I see you are all off for a early start" He replied, "Yes. Make the most of the day and pull into the next park around 3 or 3:30 ish" I said, "Could you do me a favour. Leave your ignition on and the vehicle parked in reverse please?" He said, "Why?" I said, "Because I am sure everyone in the park would be really impressed by your reverse alarm. I think they should be standard on all four wheel drives. What a handy peice of equipment. Why don't you write to Toyota Australia recommending that they fit them as standard equipment?" He didn't know whether I was pulling his leg or fair dinkum. Anyway about 0830hrs we packed up and headed off into the day and blow me down...who do we catch up to? Yep, me old Toyota beeping mate and his other two cronies black smoke puring out of the old patrols & l/cruiser....sitting on 70 to 80k/pH in a derestricted zone!!! Holding all the truckies & traffic up. So we booked into a caravan park down the track not to long after passing Snale, Turtle & wet week. Who drives in behind us....FFS the 3 Amigos....Thank goodness we were well away from them & on an unpowered site. End of the story begins the next morning. I set the watch for five and put the kettle on & have to go and observe the big pack up. Heading over to where the 3 Amigos are camped I here the familiar..BEEP>>>>DA>>>BEEP. Followed shortly after by raised voices. I hear this booming voice say. "I have put up with you B*****ds since quarter to five & enough is enough.'''If you won't turn the F****n thing off I will." Apparently this rather large man reached into the cruiser turned off the motor and threw the keys away!!! I didn't bother to watch further but I thought well it takes all types.

About four years ago, the wife, daughter and I went on an off-road long weekend in the Vic High country. Day two we arrived at Woods Point and set up camp at the about 1.km outside town.

About 9.30 pm while sitting around the camp fire enjoying a red wine we see a parade of five cars arriving, they proceed to drive around and around the camp site deciding on the best spot to set up camp and with only two people in the place there was plenty of room.

They decided that we knew what we were doing and must have camped in the best spot so they moved in next to us. This had to be seen to be believed. First they made a circle with their cars all facing in towards the centre and put all the cars headlights on full beam (two of them had driving lights), all cars were left idling so they wouldn't flatten the batteries, then they started to unload the tents, all five of them still in the plastic wrapping, the large dome type with 10 flexible poles and about a hundred guy ropes.

At about midnight all five tents were partially erect so out came the blow up mattresses with 5 el cheapo compressors which drowned out the noise of the 5 cars idling. We got to sleep at about 3.00 am. but our neighbours were still going trying to start a fire.

We left about 10 am. the next day just as this group were washing their cars in the Jamieson river with soap.

In the last 2 1/2 years of being on the road we have manage to pull in to camps late set up, get into bed and not wake anyone up. Often people would wake up the next morning surprised to see us having not heard us during the night. I must confess though....... One early start we had was to catch the boat back from Tassie. As we had an early set we packed up as much as we could the night before so not to wake people in the morning. All was going well until I set off the car alarm. What a bugger, all that effort wasted. It did wake our neighbours who had slept in and were catching the boat also. Ours was accidental but I do know what you mean with people not caring who they wake up or annoy. We met a couple in Renmark who said they have F.... off music (heavy metal played very loud). If someone camps near them they play it really loud so they move on, except for one couple. This couple camped so close their tent ropes were under the van, so they started the music. The old guy starts complaining about the music. His wife replies with "Well at least their enjoying themselves". How unlucky could you be.

Josh

Hi Russ,
I can empathise with you.

A few months ago when we were staying at Karijini N Pk in WA at Dales Gorge campground a group of campers left around 4AM having taken at least an hour to pack up. They slammed car doors many, many times and must surely have woken every occupant of the campground.
It was unbelievable and so inconsiderate!

Cheers,
Heather

Hi All
You probably heard of the bloke who was going around OZ and said that to pack all the things he needed he would have had to have a 4 ton truck.
The one thing he regreted packing was his welder to weld up all the wizbang doors that opened and closed 6 times a night when parked next to him.
Regards
Ted

OK, so you wouldn't be too impressed with the Year 6 students we take to Winton each year if we happen to camp in the place you do? We arrive in two big buses, put up our tents and are then fed. By all means flee to another site when you see us coming because we will start packing up after our first night at 5:30 am and it won't be quiet.

We don't see this as too much of problem because all of you old grey nomad type guys are in vans, it's the middle of winter and all your doors are closed. On top of that you are not usually there for the one night and can sleep on after we leave at 7:30 am. Are we talking grumpy old men and women?

On top of that our kids are considerate of others and if some happen to have a bit of a nightmare and call out in their sleep I will get up to help them in this time of crisis. After all, they're only 11 years old away from home and family for 9 days and definitely out of their comfort zone. If there moment of distress bothers you we can't do much about it.

What I'm saying is that if you are on a schedule and need to leave early the next day then that's what you have to do. You do it as considerately as possible and that's what it's like when you travel through most of Australia. There will always be early leavers and late arrivals and if you can't handle the pyschology of that then maybe you shouldn't be on the road.

Alternatively, bush camp as far away from civilisation as possible then you won't have to worry.

I'll be blunt. I've travelled a lot and my own major gripe is the lack of tolerance and consideration from a small proportion of the grey nomads - especially those from the south! I live with it because they have the same right to travel this vast brown land that I do. What I'm saying is 'Get Over It'. - it's going to happen again or get yourself back home.

No Holden4, I will not get over it. Some people are just down right rude and inconsiderate. Ask any man what it is like putting up with a sleep deprived wife, and you will know what these people are talking about.

Oh I am not even a grey nomad, but gee I can't wait until I am so that I can get out and explore this great country of ours. All the while being considerate of my fellow man and not thinking that I am more important then anyone else.

Late arrival for this one, but can relate to all the scenarios previously mentioned above.
Here is my pet hate in camp.
The bloke who gets up at sparra's fart, and immediately kicks over the shiny new 4x4, and leaves the motor running for half an hour or longer, while he's packing up, brushing his teeth, cleaning the windscreen, checking the hitch for the umpteenth time etc. etc. and finally departs with much fuss.
Aaaaaarrrrgggghhhhh!!!!!!!!!

Hi Russ & Sue, we must be the lucky one's as we haven't had too many problems in that department except coming back over the Nullabor last year after the Birdsville Races, a free camp area about 85kms East of Norseman, at daybreak a couple of 4WD utes pulled in letting all in sundry know they are coming and unloaded a couple of dirt bikes and started racing on the dry lake bed that we were all camped on the edge of. Needless to say we had an early start that morning, breaky in Norseman, it was too noisy to even be bothered to get up and make breakfast.

Reading this thread one wonders why we have been so lucky, BTW I'm not a heavy sleeper either and we are on the road quite often.

Cheers

Deanna

HI
This reminds me of a poem in a book that i have called CARAVAN BLISS and other verses by R G[bob] Magor that captures this issue brilliantly,but due to copy right issue as outlined in the book i will not reproduce here.
The book may still be available through the author/poet and the contact no in the book is 08 8558 2036. His works of bush poetry are great if it is of interest to you, and some travellors may have heard him as he use to perform around various caravan parks etc in central aust,not sure if he still does,and i have no connection with him.
thanks
Russell