I would like to bring to everyone's attention the state of our
free camping sites. A fellow member of CMCA has given me permission to give you her report over the last six months and 14,000 k.
Free Camping Issues
We need to lift our game
Having been on the road now since early March I have travelled over 14,000 kms in Vic, NSW and Qld and am yet to return
home. I have mainly free camped and I have observed much. I have come to the conclusion that we are our own worst enemy and need to lift our game if we want our camping options to remain open. I will most likely be hung, drawn and quartered for saying what is to follow but it needs to be said and it needs to be read and heard or we suffer the consequences.
It is through ignorance that some things happen but it is also through our own lack of respect for our fellow traveller and the environment.
Some of the issues I have seen are:
1. People coming out in the morning and just emptying their overnight bucket outside the van/whizzbang, caravan or motorhome and yes camper trailers and tents as
well.
2. Councils having good intentions of doing the right thing by installing dump points at rest areas (and there is a tank and tap there) but the tank is empty (afterall it is dry season up north so no rain to replenish the tank anyway). The dump points are obviously a mess.
3. People using non maintained old
toilet blocks long since switched off in what used to be rest areas but now not maintained – how could they even think about it when you see the mess.
4. Dump points (CMCA/Kea sponsored one) that was putrid because someone had dismantled the tap etc (a search of the web said it had been like that since at least March this year and I was there end of July). I contacted CMCA to see if they could get it rectified. I had photos to prove both the mess and the ownership/sponsorship which NHQ requested.
5. Rest areas where it is obvious there is a shortage of water (just look around at the dry creek and dry grass) and the tanks are empty yet people continue to use the
toilets even though they will not flush (and yes some were motorhomes that would have had their own on board facilities – why would you not use your own in these circumstances?)
6. With point 5, the council came out later in the day and tried to clean the facilities but of course no water so a tanker came out and partly filled one tank – you then had people standing under the tap outside just letting the water run over their feet for no reason and not for a short while either. They were there when the tanker came in so should have known better. You then also had everyone filling up containers etc – the next town was only 10kms away – that water in the tanker was not for that purpose.
7. You then have the sad situation of one of the more popular
camp spots to be shut shortly because the sewerage system cannot cope due to the sheer overload on the facilities. One night there were up to 80 vehicles there of all shapes and kinds. Why is it that you will walk a long way to the facilities but yet you have your own on board. You cannot stay any longer than 3 nights anyway so you should have ample capacity (or near ample and about 8kms away is a
dump point).
8. There are donation boxes at many of these
places but I reckon that not much is collected and when it is donated I watched and photographed someone then promptly try to help themself to it.
9. You also see people get out an axe and chop down small trees etc for firewood when there is a sign that says “no fires” and yes these were motorhomers on their way back from the Sale Rally. I have since heard that this site is also on the closure list – can’t always blame the Caravan Park Lobbyists.
10. Why is it that campers take pets into National Parks and their
camp sites when there are lots of signs around that say no animals allowed.
11. Why is it that some campers do not clean up after their pets?
12.
Grey water disposal is an issue I don’t know the answer to, but it seems that few caravans and smaller vans have much holding capacity for
grey water and it goes straight onto the ground. Having said that Motorhomes are not immune either as they let their
grey water go on the bitumen at rest areas and there is not necessarily a drainage system in place for this.
13. Over flowing garbage
bins yet people still try to squeeze stuff in or leave it on the ground for the wild life to have a go at rather than taking it with you.
14. Staying in No Camping signed spots overnight.
I could probably go on and on with what I have observed but we are our own worst enemy at times and we will blame the Caravan Park Lobby for
camp spot closures but in actual fact it is us that is the cause in some instances (not all).
In my opinion there needs to be an education program amongst all RV’ers as to what is the correct camping procedures in a modern society (not how our mums and dads used to do it). Also what does self contained mean and if an area is for self contained vehicles only then you don’t go in unless you are. It is no good anymore that the non complying vehicles say, but we should be able to do what we want. You are either self contained or you are not.
It is no good saying, but that little bit of
grey water or that little bit of urine or
toilet paper will not hurt. No it will not BUT in ever increasing numbers it will and that is what we have – more and more people
free camping. To some people self contained means that that they bring everything with them (food, water, beds, chairs etc) but not that it means you take it all with you as
well.
We need Education. Care for your campsites or lose them.
Lorraine Smith CMCA N55008