Booking sites in advance during tourist season?
Submitted: Saturday, Aug 14, 2010 at 16:22
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Ayita5
Hi again,
Firstly, many thanks to everyone who gave their time to help with my hf/sat/spot question. I really appreciate your info.
Next stage of my planning - making a rough itinerary.
The first stage of our journey will be the western half of Oz, over 8 months. We will be leaving
Adelaide at the beginning of March to return by the beginning of November. (After staying home for Christmas, we'll then be taking off East).
Unavoidably, we'll be travelling the way of the crowds, up to Alice,
Darwin, across to
Broome, all they way down, Nullabor, and home to
Adelaide. I'm hoping that by reaching Alice around April,
Darwin in May, etc, etc, we might be a little bit ahead of the majority of tourists??
The plan is to mostly
free camp, though I'm sure there will be times along the way we'll stay in a caravan
park, even if just so we can leave the van to do a day trip. I'd like to remain as flexible as possible with the itinerary, however I'm worried that travelling to these
places in these months might be crazy busy? I'd rather not have to book ahead anywhere but not sure whether or not it is a necessity at this time of year.
Any feedback on your experiences would be most valuable.
Cheers,
Skye
Reply By: Wayne (NSW) - Saturday, Aug 14, 2010 at 16:37
Saturday, Aug 14, 2010 at 16:37
Skye,
Going on past experience booking ahead for an overnight stay or an underpowered site is a waste of times as most will not take the booking and even if they do when you arrive they don't know any thing about the booking.
If you front up any time before 4PM you will most likely get a site.
Wayne
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Ayita5 - Saturday, Aug 14, 2010 at 18:02
Saturday, Aug 14, 2010 at 18:02
Thanks for the info Wayne. I'm kind of glad actually that it's a waste of time. Gives me a good excuse to not stick to a schedule. :) Thank you.
Skye
FollowupID:
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Reply By: On Patrol & TONI - Saturday, Aug 14, 2010 at 17:00
Saturday, Aug 14, 2010 at 17:00
Hi Skye & Wayne
I will follow this post with interest as Renate & I are doing a similar trip, leaving
Sydney around the end of March 2011 and heading west via the
Flinders Ranges, then along the Southern Coast, the Bight to
Albany and
Perth and then heading north to
Broome &
Darwin eventually, then home via The Isa etc back to
Sydney. Who knows we might see you & the family on the way as we will be travelling in the opposite direction.
I was thinking along similar lines as to the occasional need to use Caravan Pks and possibly leaving the van for a few days while doing the rougher stuff.
Cheers Colin.
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Ayita5 - Saturday, Aug 14, 2010 at 17:06
Saturday, Aug 14, 2010 at 17:06
We might bump into you then Colin. :)
Since we're going in opposite directions, we'll have to let each other know of any "must-sees" along the way.
Happy planning!
Skye
FollowupID:
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Reply By: Motherhen - Saturday, Aug 14, 2010 at 17:48
Saturday, Aug 14, 2010 at 17:48
Hi Skye
The only time we have ever booked was the CP in
Melbourne prior to our day crossing on the Spirit of Tasmania. We like to see the CP first, and ensure we can fit our rig in (manoeuvring with an F250 in a tight spot can be difficult). We travel in an unplanned manner, so are never sure of time frames. If we think it will be hard getting a place, we find somewhere nearby to
bush camp the night before and get in during the morning. Some parks are full by early afternoon. Even if powered sites are booked out, most CPs have an area for unpowered somewhere up the back (suits us) which usually has plenty of room, and often a powered site will become available the next day if you need it. We
bush camp by preference, but when staying in towns to see the sites, it is not cost or time effective to commute long distances from the bush each day.
Motherhen
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Ayita5 - Saturday, Aug 14, 2010 at 18:01
Saturday, Aug 14, 2010 at 18:01
Hi Motherhen,
Unpowered site suits us fine too, since we're mainly used to
camping we don't rely on power at all.
Bush camping the night before to get there early in the morning is a good tip to remember, thank you.
Skye
FollowupID:
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Reply By: Member - Graham H (QLD) - Saturday, Aug 14, 2010 at 17:51
Saturday, Aug 14, 2010 at 17:51
It is almost essential to book in
places like Alice,
Darwin,
Kununurra,
Exmouth,
Denham, Bussleton and definitely
Broome.
Stay away from
Cable beach Caravan
Park. Most disorganized office I have ever seen.
Smaller
places along the way are usually Ok but doesnt hurt to ring a day or so ahead as it can get very busy as we found out last year.
However by working a bit ahead all the time we always managed to get into a
park every night.
Some
places didnt have room for our 25ft van so we had to try another place.
Eighty mile Beach is always busy and hard to get a powered site due to all the regulars who come up from the south for the winter every year.
Carnarvon and
Geraldton are also busy in the season.
Wouldnt do to take the previous advice and rock up at 4pm in
Broome.
The vans start lining up out in the street at 7 am waiting on people to leave and hope a site MAY be free.
Not all will agree but thats how we found it on a 13 month trip and we spent from late June until November in the west and enjoyed every minute of it.
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Follow Up By: Ayita5 - Saturday, Aug 14, 2010 at 18:06
Saturday, Aug 14, 2010 at 18:06
Thank you for the detailed info Graham. Good to know that phoning a few days ahead is usually sufficient. Our van is only 17ft so maybe a little easier to find a site. I'll remember those tips, many thanks.
Skye
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Follow Up By: Member - Fred B (NT) - Saturday, Aug 14, 2010 at 19:13
Saturday, Aug 14, 2010 at 19:13
I would never stay at 80 mile beach anyway... it's much nicer and friendlier at Port Stephens.....
regards
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Follow Up By: Ayita5 - Saturday, Aug 14, 2010 at 19:26
Saturday, Aug 14, 2010 at 19:26
Thanks Fred, I'll make a note of that one.
Skye
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Follow Up By: Member - Graham H (QLD) - Saturday, Aug 14, 2010 at 19:45
Saturday, Aug 14, 2010 at 19:45
We must have missed that place.
Where is it in relation to 80 mile beach.
The Port Stephens we stayed at is in NSW
Cant find one in WA on Wikipedia
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Follow Up By: Member - Fred B (NT) - Saturday, Aug 14, 2010 at 22:12
Saturday, Aug 14, 2010 at 22:12
OOOOppps! Big mistake... sorry... Must have had some brain fade there...
I meant
Port Smith... sorry guys..
Port Smith Caravan park is 22km off the Great Northern Highway, and the turn off is approx 110km south of
Roebuck Plains Road House or approx 173 north of Sandfire Road House.
Image Could Not Be Found
A really beautiful and sheltered spot. Access to
lagoon or beaches for fishing.
regards
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Follow Up By: Ayita5 - Saturday, Aug 14, 2010 at 22:15
Saturday, Aug 14, 2010 at 22:15
Must be why I couldn't find it on any of my maps! :)
Thanks Fred, will be sure to check it out.
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Follow Up By: Member - Graham H (QLD) - Sunday, Aug 15, 2010 at 08:37
Sunday, Aug 15, 2010 at 08:37
Yes but its a long way to
Port Hedland from there if you want to do it in two hops whereas 80 mile is almost halfway.
Also the Sandflies at
Port Smith eat the big people on
the spot and carry the small ones away for later.
LOL
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Follow Up By: Ayita5 - Sunday, Aug 15, 2010 at 09:46
Sunday, Aug 15, 2010 at 09:46
oh dear, and I'd be providing them with a feast of three small ones!
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Follow Up By: Member - Fred B (NT) - Sunday, Aug 15, 2010 at 09:47
Sunday, Aug 15, 2010 at 09:47
Sorry Graham, BUT...
what a lot of cods wallop.... Nobody in their right mind would want to even try and stay in
Port hedland (even if you could find a place to stay there).. it is the most obnoxious town I have ever been to.
We never had any problem with sand flies or anything else for that matter, nor did any one else that I talked to. Some had been there for 8 weeks.
Port Smith is a hidden treasure and I would go back there anytime.
regards
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Follow Up By: Member - Graham H (QLD) - Sunday, Aug 15, 2010 at 09:55
Sunday, Aug 15, 2010 at 09:55
I agree about Hedland but it is a starting off point to replenish and head for
Newman etc.
I am repeating what our friends and others who have stayed at
Port Smith have said about the flies ( in posts on here as
well).
It possibly depends on the time you go there but our friends had the bites to prove it..
Coming from the Territory you would be used to flies but us Easterners are a bit more juicy for them LOL
I was more referring to the much longer distance to Hedland when 80 mile splits it into two reasonable days and is a
nice beach.
Everywhere is how you find it I guess but I got sick of flies for lunch up your way I know that.. ROFL
Cheers
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Follow Up By: Motherhen - Sunday, Aug 15, 2010 at 12:19
Sunday, Aug 15, 2010 at 12:19
My daughter worked in the
Pilbara with a mobile fast food group a few years ago. They stayed in cabins at CPs as they moved around following events.
Cooke Point at Pt Hedland was her favourite.
Mh
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Reply By: Joe Grace Doomadgee - Saturday, Aug 14, 2010 at 18:36
Saturday, Aug 14, 2010 at 18:36
what roads are you planning on going on, plan for it being wet in April as it is the tail end of the wet and can still be some big rains around, also if ther is rain all rivers ect will fill quickly as they are already wet from the summer rains ending.....
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Follow Up By: Ayita5 - Saturday, Aug 14, 2010 at 19:00
Saturday, Aug 14, 2010 at 19:00
Haven't got that far in my planning yet but any advice would be much appreciated! We can't really go off the main roads as our van is an old one. If we do any rougher roads it will be day trips in the 4wd while we leave the van somewhere. Ideally, I know, we'd probably leave it a little later in the year but I want to use as much of the time we have before needing to come back.
Cheers,
Skye
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Follow Up By: Joe Grace Doomadgee - Saturday, Aug 14, 2010 at 19:31
Saturday, Aug 14, 2010 at 19:31
you will be fine if sticking to main roads, as you get closer to
Darwin you will find it busy, if you get accom/
camping spot further out and do day runs to
Darwin you will be better off, if you plan on doing
Kakadu and
Darwin do
the loop from
Pine Creek in to
Kakadu across to
Darwin,
Litchfield and back past
Pine Creek, big triangle and you dont go over the same roads twice .... see more for mile ....
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Follow Up By: Joe Grace Doomadgee - Saturday, Aug 14, 2010 at 19:34
Saturday, Aug 14, 2010 at 19:34
oh and the plan to be "ahead" of the other tourists ....... everyone seems to have the same plan for next year ...... you may just be part of the "first wave" but it will still be an adventure to remember..
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Follow Up By: Ayita5 - Saturday, Aug 14, 2010 at 19:50
Saturday, Aug 14, 2010 at 19:50
lol, nevermind, "first wave" it will have to be. :) Hopefully this trip is just the first of many anyway - what we miss this time around (and I know there'll be plenty) we'll make time for in the future.
Thanks for the great info re Darwin/
Kakadu, etc.
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Reply By: Member - Oldbaz. NSW. - Sunday, Aug 15, 2010 at 10:13
Sunday, Aug 15, 2010 at 10:13
Hello Skye, I wouldnt be concerned about booking at that time of year, except
Broome, if in school holidays. We find it restricts your freedom. As you are
independant you can always
camp free, in the event you cant get a spot in a
caravan
park. If you google..Caravan
Park Reviews, you will find some good info,
& the Camps 5 book is invaluable. Research your itinerary
well, & note the
places
you wish to visit, but keep the timing flexible...you will have a ball.......oldbaz.
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Oldbaz. NSW. - Sunday, Aug 15, 2010 at 10:29
Sunday, Aug 15, 2010 at 10:29
Skye, you may like to go to GoSeeAustralia.com.au, Select the trip planner menu
on the left. If you enter your start & finish place you can print a map showing
directions & distances, times etc. Dont go too far at once...maybe your plan for
one day at a time.......oldbaz.
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Follow Up By: Ayita5 - Sunday, Aug 15, 2010 at 10:48
Sunday, Aug 15, 2010 at 10:48
Thanks oldbaz, I will check out that site. A trip planner link is right up my alley. :)
We bought Camps 5 a few weeks ago after hearing everyone recommend it so highly. I'm sure it will prove to be invaluable.
Taking it easy and remaining flexible is the plan, glad to hear that it's totally doable. I've looked at rough distances and it seems that we may not have to travel more than around 400km per week to get home in time, which would be great. Hopefully that way we can just move on a couple of hours down the road at a time, once every few days.
Thanks for your input,
Skye
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Follow Up By: Motherhen - Sunday, Aug 15, 2010 at 12:25
Sunday, Aug 15, 2010 at 12:25
Hi Skye
For WA and NT the Jan Holland Priceless Campsites and Rest Areas, although a few years old, are still available from ExplorOz
shop, and are far more comprehensive than Camps 5. She gives detailed descriptions and directions, as
well as the best tourism information we found. Whilst in WA and NT theses books were our tour guide. Just a few
places she had listed as OK for
camping are now day area only - but these changes also happen to Camps 5 listings too.
When going into a national
park or approaching a town where we think
camping space for our long rig may be hard to find, i as alway on the look out for a 'fall back' spot to spend the night it if need be. We have never needed these.
Mh
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Follow Up By: Ayita5 - Sunday, Aug 15, 2010 at 13:11
Sunday, Aug 15, 2010 at 13:11
Thanks very much Motherhen, I will certainly grab one of those from the EO
shop - especially since the first 8 months of our trip will be NT and WA!
Did you purchase a national parks pass for WA? I've read somewhere that if you get one of these that covers all the national
park fees in WA?
Thank you for the info
Skye
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Follow Up By: Motherhen - Sunday, Aug 15, 2010 at 14:38
Sunday, Aug 15, 2010 at 14:38
There are three small books in the set Skye; one for NT and one each for SW and NW of WA. Worth buying as a set.
Yes, we get an annual all parks pass (or a holiday pass which covers a specified four week period if on a shorter holiday), which covers most parks, but not
Monkey Mia (near
Shark Bay), or tree Top Walk near Walpole in the SW. Even if we don't come out in front, it is easier than finding the right change for honesty boxes.
Camping fees are not covered, so these still have to be paid separately; either by honesty box, or collected by Rangers. Link will take you to which parks you need to pay entrance for and all costs.
WA Park Passes
Mh
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Follow Up By: Ayita5 - Sunday, Aug 15, 2010 at 15:18
Sunday, Aug 15, 2010 at 15:18
Thanks very much for the link Mh. The EO
shop only has two of the three books, but I'm sure I'll come across the other on ebay or something. Annual pass definitely seems the easy way to go.
Ta, Skye
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Follow Up By: Motherhen - Sunday, Aug 15, 2010 at 15:26
Sunday, Aug 15, 2010 at 15:26
Darn - which one don't they have? They are also usually stocked by other outlets where camps books can be purchased. Good luck in your search - such useful little books.
Mh
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Follow Up By: Ayita5 - Sunday, Aug 15, 2010 at 16:17
Sunday, Aug 15, 2010 at 16:17
Oh, just found it in EO
shop after all. They don't have the south WA one listed separately, but they have it listed as a set with other South West books. So looks like I'll have an abundance of reading to do! :)
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Follow Up By: Motherhen - Sunday, Aug 15, 2010 at 16:27
Sunday, Aug 15, 2010 at 16:27
That is odd. I see what you mean. I bought the three as a set from here. Write to them and ask if they'd do it that way, rather than having to buy a heap of SW books you may not want. Listing it the way they have also makes it very hard to find, as it doesn't come up in a search for
camping books. If not, the NT and NW are the most important ones for touring anyway.
Mh
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Follow Up By: Ayita5 - Sunday, Aug 15, 2010 at 16:47
Sunday, Aug 15, 2010 at 16:47
Good idea Mh, I'll send an email asking if I can buy the 3 as a set since one of their most wonderful members has recommended it! :) If not, I'll probably just get them all anyway!
I've looked them up elsewhere and they certainly have been recommended as invaluable little books. Thanks for bringing them to my attention - there's so much out there it's impossible to know without a few 'real people' recommendations.
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