Free camping in the south west of WA
Submitted: Sunday, Mar 25, 2012 at 20:42
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Gavin M2
My wife and I are planning to take our van out for a bit of
free camping next week. We thought we would check out and possibly stay at one or more of these sites listed in Camps6 near Collie and along the
Blackwood River:-
(180)
Wellington Dam Rest Area
(175)
Stockton Lake Recreation Area (“ticked” by Camps6)
(176)
Glen Mervyn Dam
(130)
Wrights Bridge
(129) Revelly Bridge
(128) Riverbend
Camp
Has anyone here visited any of these? Any recommendations/warnings?
We don't want to take any risks. If any of these are
well known to be frequented by local hoons or troublemakers we would prefer to know BEFORE we set up
camp!
Gavin
Reply By: westskip - Sunday, Mar 25, 2012 at 21:55
Sunday, Mar 25, 2012 at 21:55
Hi Gavin
Haven't been to all those spots but most should be okay as long as you've left by
Easter.
Potters Gorge at
Wellington Dam is a nice site but a bit small - Don't forget to visit "Gnomesville" on the Ferguson Valley Rd.
Wrights Bridge is pretty good and usually DEC leave firewood for campers.
Grimwade in from Balingup is a very nice spot witha smallish
dam. It's in the camps book.
Happy camping
John
AnswerID:
481391
Reply By: oz doc - Sunday, Mar 25, 2012 at 21:58
Sunday, Mar 25, 2012 at 21:58
Hi Gavin, I thinks Wrights is still closed after damaged by fire a while back. Last time I drove through
Wellington Dam rest area it was a construction site.
Glen Mervyn I think will be chokkas before
Easter and can be a favourite spot for noisy water craft.If you are thinking of these areas you may wish to consider Hoffman Mill also. cheers, doc.
AnswerID:
481392
Reply By: Bill BD - Monday, Mar 26, 2012 at 00:30
Monday, Mar 26, 2012 at 00:30
All good spots. As for hoons - they turn up where they do without rhyme or reason. I second a vote for Grimwade. It has a nice feel. They all get crowded at times.
AnswerID:
481403
Reply By: Gavin M2 - Monday, Mar 26, 2012 at 01:27
Monday, Mar 26, 2012 at 01:27
Thanks for the replies guys. We're relative newbies at
free camping so perhaps being a little over cautious regarding hoons after reading of a couple in the ES who were attacked by youths after unwittingly
parking in a known hoon hangout close to a town.
Stockton Lake Recreation Area gets a tick in Camps6 (175) but is located only 8 kms out of town. Some say they don't
free camp near towns because of the potential for trouble from local yahoos, hence the reason for my enquiry.
Gavin
AnswerID:
481405
Follow Up By: AlanTH - Monday, Mar 26, 2012 at 19:34
Monday, Mar 26, 2012 at 19:34
If you don't mind camping where's there's no water
views Gavin, the Dryandra forest is a nice quiet spot. We stayed there over the recent long weekend and it was very pleasant and not crowded.
Potters Gorge at
Wellington Dam always get a big crowd but if you can get there during the week it's nice.
We checked
Stockton but it was too busy for us and full of ski boats etc.
Didn't appear to be as much room at Wirghts Bridge as there used to be a few years ago but Grimwade as others have said is nice.
Plenty of good sites down south, just lots of others going to them as
well. Try Sues Bridge or Alexander Crossing as
well.
Enjoy yourselves.
AlanH.
FollowupID:
756823
Follow Up By: Gavin M2 - Monday, Mar 26, 2012 at 19:50
Monday, Mar 26, 2012 at 19:50
Thanks Alan. He, heh, funny thing is, we actually WANT company while
free camping (for security reasons). That said, we don't want it noisy and overcrowded either - that's why we are going mid-week and pre-
Easter. Sounds like we wont be alone and vulnerable anyway! We were planning on stopping one night at
Stockton to check it out (as it's recommended by Camps6) but we'll be there mid-week so, hopefully, no ski boats!
Is there a Camps6 reference for the Dryandra Forest
camp site you mentioned?
Gavin
FollowupID:
756824
Follow Up By: Gavin M2 - Monday, Mar 26, 2012 at 20:03
Monday, Mar 26, 2012 at 20:03
It's okay, I found it (237 - Dryandra). Are the roads to it sealed or at least usable by caravan?
Gavin
FollowupID:
756828
Follow Up By: AlanTH - Monday, Mar 26, 2012 at 20:04
Monday, Mar 26, 2012 at 20:04
Click on my reply above Gavin, where Dryandra is underlined, and it'll give you driving directions etc.
That will save me going out to the car and looking it up for you.....I'm feeling lazy today after a weekend being eaten by mozzies at Belvidere over on the coast just north of Bunbury.
Good luck.
AlanH.
FollowupID:
756829
Follow Up By: AlanTH - Monday, Mar 26, 2012 at 21:50
Monday, Mar 26, 2012 at 21:50
Not all sealed but in good condition. We took our small van in and others had larger vans and had no difficulty.
It's a nice spot with a commentary on a drive round the area which you listen to on 100fm.
No honesty box and no
ranger collecting fees but our club insisted on paying up!!!!!
AlanH.
FollowupID:
756842
Follow Up By: Member - Morry H (WA) - Monday, Mar 26, 2012 at 21:50
Monday, Mar 26, 2012 at 21:50
hi have stayed at
stockton ,have to keep a good
lookout for tiger snakes had one under chassis of van took 2hours by calm to get it out dog found it so be vigilant nice place to stay worked for me regards morry
FollowupID:
756843
Follow Up By: Gavin M2 - Tuesday, Mar 27, 2012 at 22:55
Tuesday, Mar 27, 2012 at 22:55
Thanks for the
feedback and heads-up re Tiger snakes Morry (yikes!).
Gavin
PS - Your dog looks similar to ours.
FollowupID:
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