Free camping in the south west of WA

Submitted: Sunday, Mar 25, 2012 at 20:42

ThreadID: 92775 Views:8103 Replies:4 FollowUps:7

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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

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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