OZ rules and laws

I suggest that you get Camps Aust Wide. It is extremely useful but not infallible. Vol 6 is the current one but I think vol 7 is due early next year.
You do not have to check ahead for national parks except in Queensland.

I had a machete once, however it was only used to display my superior Ninja skills around the campfire :-)

Seriously, get yourself a tomahawk or small axe.

Cheers
Alan

Hi Matthew

You could be charged with carrying an offensive weapon unless you have a valid reason for carrying a machete; self defence not included as a valid reason.

Advice has already been given regarding the best publication for finding somewhere to camp for a night or two. If you Google “You get a feel for finding good spots, and books such as Camps Australia Wide help” you will come up with advice on how to find your own spot. Camps Australia Wide can be purchased through the ExplorOz bookshop.

Fishing regulations and licence requirements vary from state to state. Google the following to find links for each state: "Recreational Fishing These links will also direct you to regulations including bag limits and closed seasons."

In a dry country prone to bushfires, fires cannot be lit on agricultural areas during summer, and each Shire will have different closed season which can vary according to seasonal conditions. There will also be complete fire ban and movement of vehicles off road days when conditions are bad. Some National Parks permit fires in designated fire rings whereas others do not. Most National Parks do not permit collection of wood within the park (natural habitats), but some do not allow you to bring wood into the park (disease bio-security). Google the following to will bring up a list of links to the bushfires information websites for each state: “For more information about fire safety and prohibited burning times in each state”

Hoping this helps you

Motherhen

Why would you want a machete? AU isnt the jungle, native plants are protected, and I'd highly doubt it would be any use at all for cutting aussie hardwood. Maybe you need it to whack all our deadly snakes and spiders and dingos and crocs that will be out to kill you :). I carry a small tomahawk as suggested above but use it 90% of the time for tent pegs and perhaps 10% for firewood cutting when fires are permitted or warranted. And I carry a chainsaw for track clearing in certain regions despite legalities.

Pat

"before camping in any national park but what are the rules for beaches, lakes and riverbeds".
I would suggest you never camp in a river bed. Even if there is no rain in your area, it could rain further up and you get flooded. Friends of ours had to help some people in the middle of the night as they had camped in a river bed after being told not to cause it flooded. Friends of ours had to pull their van out. 1 1/2 hrs later the river was about 1 1/2 mtrs deep. Camp on the bank but not in the river bed.

Josh

Machetes are a very useful tool if you know how to use them despite what some people have alluded to in their replies.

You can carry a machete legally with no issues provided you have a "lawful excuse", camping would be one. To assist in proving you are carrying it for a lawful reason, it would help not to store it under your seat or in the door pocket, that may be frowned upon and result in some "negative attention". Who needs a machete at their finger tips while they are driving? Crooks do. Just keep it in the back with the rest of your luggage and it's not an issue.
Tim

Hi Matthew and welcome to the site.

Australian hardwood, when it is dry enough to burn, can be extremely hard. Suggest get yourself a decent axe - Fiskars brand is good and comes with a case around the haed for safety while travelling.

There was a thread on here in the last week - 10 days regarding the law about access to riverbeds/waterways. It varies state by state (as do most things). Australia does not have the kind of access across agricultural/grazing land as you do in England.

Camping on beaches varies, and in many cases will not be possible unless you have a permit to drive on the beach - and on many beaches it is not permissable (and sometimes not possible) to drive.

Please be very careful when lighting fires, especially if its hot and/or windy. Aussie vegetation dries out very quickly and is very flammable, so just one spark can cause a bushfire. As Motherhen says, there are strict fire ban times when you must not light ANY fire (not even a gas BBQ). If you do have a fire please make sure that you put it out completely before you leave your campsite. Do another google search on how to safely put out a campfire.

Have a great trip,

Cheers,

Val

In West Aus you don't need a fishing licence to fish in the ocean. However you do need one to fish inland waters
wa fish zones

With chopping firewood, I have always found it handy to carry a bag of wood (if you can fit it in). Just remember whatever you are chopping or picking up is some critters home or a living tree.

wizzer

Hi Matthew,

All the above is very good advice and following that advice is the mark of a good bushman.

Respect for your environment, without going overboard, and respect for others, is a self preservation thing whereby if you come back to the same spot next week or next year it is unlikely to see where you have been. This also keeps the authorities from having to bring in new regulation, to stop us enjoying what the bush has to offer, because some fool has done the wrong thing.

A good little chainsaw, a good axe and a good attitude will work for you rather than against you. This is basic camping bushcraft. You seem to have the right attitude as you are asking advice.

Only people fed on too much Rambo mess with machete's. Makes one look like an idiot.

Most States have their own regulations but the basic ones apply across the board mainly.

Enjoy mate.
Cheers, Bruce.

I carry a machete when camping. Have done for years. I find I have more control over it, than an axe/tomahawk.
It is illegal, unless you have a valid excuse. ie camping.
All knives in NSW at least, are illegal without a valid excuse, including items such as leathermans type multitools.
Care must be taken when transporting any knife. I remember one bloke here got fined because he had a knife in his tackle box. He was not fishing, nor was he going out fishing. He just stored a rod and tackle box in his car for when he had the spare half hour to wet a line.

I have a stanely knife in my tool boxes both in the car and on the bike. Used them a few times. Both illegal as the excuse, "just in case" is not valid.

Many times it would be up to the officer that finds them, as to wether he wants to charge you or not.

will most likely be using an axe and a a machete as ive always found the knife to be easier when splitting smaller bits of wood for kindling and things. id imagine its fairly easy to get away with lugging a wood cutting axe around with a car full of camp gear but i wasn't sure if large knifs were a bit harder to justify. thanks for all the help with this one guys, will have to do a lot more research by the looks of things.