Barn Hill

You will find this in a lot of CP.s..Some people think that as they have been going to a place for a while they have more rights and privileges than others.Just inform them that you are paying the same amount of money they are for your site.This is common at Karumba for one.Just stand up & tell them what you think of them,dont spare your feelings as they have no consideration for any one else.More often than not people are OK but this sort of thing does happen. Regards,Mick.

Hi Ma and Pa,
I understand where you are coming from. We spent one night the 3 years ago, but will never go back. While we didnt experience anything really unpleasant - just unco-operative and territorial - the place had a very cliquey feel to it, mainly because the same folk go there year after year and have come to regard it as their own space. Witness the cute fences and little vege patches - and "mind where you walk, you shouldn't use the laundry now" etc etc. The "craft" scene put us right off - not that we wanted to be involved but because it indicated a rather closed minded approach that we try to avoid if we can.

Fortunately there are enough other great spots to go to.

Cheers,

Val

Have read a great deal of wonderful information over several years but this is my first post. I guess that is because it's such an important topic which I believe needs to be addressed. We are currently in Broome and planned to head to Barn Hill for at least one night. We are also middle aged and on our second loop of this great land and have been put off by this territorial behaviour in a few places on our travels. It's such a shame and is a topic of conversation amongst many of the travellers we talk to. We certainly won't be heading in. Thanks for the warning. Parks and other establishments will lose business thanks to the honest and open conversations that sites like this encourage.

Hi ma and pa I see that nothing has changed.. we were there a couple of years ago just loved the place but for the regular clicky community, I did get invited to one Happy hour while the BOSS was fishing but once in the circle I was totally left out so just got up and left !!!! not sure they were even aware that I had gone?? Why do these people think that they own a place just because they holiday there every year ???? we all have a lot to give, they just might find that we are very nice people.....

Cheers Ros.

Ma & Pa

Could you perhaps reiterate a little more as to the problems encountered ? as we were intending to spend some time there next year.

Was it just the "cliqueness" or something more ominous ?

Only we have heard many glowing reports about the place apart from a few negative issues regarding power availability and older ablutions etc.

Hi ma and pa

And I thought it was because we were from Queensland or under 60. My wife and I were there a few years back and once we had a look around, moved on to another campsite. The reception we got was not great but as some replies have mentioned it is quite common. We have been touring this country for our holidays for many years now and in fact our first trip was to Lawn Hill in 89 ( in our early 20s at this stage ) and we have had this type of reception regularly. One year while at Lake Eyre our friends who were touring with us even had a comment made to them about what right they have to be there with their children. I must be wrong but I thought it illegal to leave your 5,7 and 9 yr olds at home without supervision. At Isisford this year we were even approached by a "fellow camper" and told that we could not camp there because we weren't self sufficient. I politely gave my reply and continued looking for a camp. Not wanting to generalise but many of the long term grey nomads are under the impression that touring this country is a right that is theirs and theirs alone. After saying that we have also have been made very welcome by many of them. It really just depends on where you are, but just remember that this is "our " country and we all have a right to experience the way we want. This may seem like a rant but could not agree more with what you have said.

Glenmac

Different things annoy different people.

Even apparently harmless stuff like trying to read a sentence written in "SMS speak" can be really annoying to some.

Mmmm, think this isn't restricted to Barn Hill. We stayed there about 3 years ago, but only for 1 night, so didn't have time to sus out how friendly the locals were. But we enjoyed the night we stayed, and had our own drinks at sunset down at the beach, not with the locals, but only coz we wanted to take in the stunning sunset.
But I don't think Barn Hill is to blame; I've experienced similar atmosphere at campsites from north of the 26th, right thru to Broome caravan parks. There are people who do the same thing year after year, meet their same mates at all these locations, and form a clique. At Broome, we watched with amusement over a week as regulars trickled in for their 3-month stay, set up with overdone comforts and potted palms around their caravan, and met up with their regular mates, ignoring anyone they didn't recognise.
If they don't want to mix with us, I don't care! If they do, that's nice, but I come to the NW to experience the NW, not Perth regulars.
If I run into you on the road, Ma and Pa, I'll invite you for a sunset drink!
cheers
Gerry

Ma and Pa
We stayed there for a week in June and we found the same cliques. It was very much a them and us mentality.

We stayed in the unpowered area where you can cacoon yourself away from the long term stayers in the powered sites. A lot more of us "middle-aged" people were over there and we met some nice people. We did get to feel unwelcome when we asked about the bowling green and when asking questions at the kiosk. Some people we know went to the dinner one night trying to mingle and were shunned to the point of embarrassment, they left the next day.

Stick to the unpowered area if you can and leave the others to themselves.
They did have a great system for the washing machines though and that was a book where you put in your timeslot - worked really well while we were there.

It was rumoured the owners were getting fed up with some of the regulars. Hopefully they will get to read this.

We will stay there again, but on the cliff face.

I was up there a few years ago and didn't find any issues there however we were up the northern end which looked a lot more "temporary" then the people set up at the southern end of the park.
It is something I have experienced though. I would roll in to a park with the Mrs and at the age of 25 a lot of the nomads seemed to have their noses out of joint, I put it down to being a much younger age and possibly jealous that they have had to work and wait all their lives to do the same trip or that I wasn't pulling a van behind me.
In saying that, we have also met some complete strangers who turned out to be really nice people and who we have maintained contact with for a period of time.
I don't think it is limited to Barn Hill. The place itself was awsome, best sunsets ever.
I've settled for ignoring people like that, places like Barn Hill are too nice to pass up just because a few w@nkers think they own the place.
Tim

Hi there Ma and Pa,

We have just returned from a trip to the territory and north QLD. We found the same thing at Balgal beach (Free camp) it's quite small and very clicky to boot. I did notice while on the road though especially in the very odd caravan parks we stayed in that there seems to be a set of thinking that the bigger and more expensive the caravan you own gives those a sense of superiority. So Silly I reckon. But it seems to be the way at least in my experience. Fortunatly we didn't stay in caravan parks often at all and met some great ppl who were just out their enjoying themselves.

Andrea

We only stay in parks when we have to, we love the free parks along the way, we have met the nicest people that way, to us its the only way, however u have to go to the CP every now and again. Its interesting to hear everyones experiences, I wont be taking this issue personal anymore.. thanks people's.
Ma and Pa Smith

It's a sad thing, the way some travellers react to others around them, but I must say,
on the whole, we have encountered many more friendly folk than whingers. But we
have had the "Down the nose" types that look upon our basic C/t with disdain & then
can be seen lookin out their windows at us incessantly, we ignore them as we are
never inside ,except to sleep or in crook weather. Our candlelit dinners amuse them
no end. Then there are the scared ones who come upon you bush camped & want to
camp on top of you..usually discouraged when I tell them I am about to kick the
gennie into gear. Most are receptive to a suggestion of moving away 50 metres &
come back for a beer. The blustery, noisy whingers usually go to water when stood up
to anyway, but that is a last resort. We travel for enjoyment & very little really
annoys us for long...blow em a kiss & have another beer...I say.:)))))
....oldbaz.

Well, a lot of us have cleared a lot of waste matter off our livers! Barn Hill is certainly the most unwelcoming experience we've ever had, though there are a few not far behind.

At the other extreme though - On our recent 10 week trip up through western NSW and Qld we met some top people. On a couple of occasions we'd set up for the night in free camps well back from the road. Had the whole place to ourselves, then along comes another rig. The "intruders" checked out the options, then approached us - would they disturb us if they set up over there, a few hundred metres away? No of course not! They set up and we spent a very pleasant evening together. Such courtesy costs nothing and far outweighs the negative experiences.

John

We stayed there a couple of years ago & i would certainly not return. The "regulars" were most annoyed that we would dare take our children to upset their perfect world.