The State of Free Camping
WORDS BY GLENN MARSHALL, PHOTOGRAPHY BY GLENN MARSHALL YARRIAMBIACK TOURISM ASSOCIATION, KELLIE STEPHENSON, MCKINLAY SHIRE COUNCIL AND CARAVAN & MOTORHOME
We certainly are the lucky country when it comes to being able to take advantage of freedom camps all over Australia. The seeds of change, however, have been sown and we are now waiting to see the outcome.
Some councils are closing free campsites; the Victorian Government is going to add fees to a lot of free campsites and the mood in some regions has even started to swing towards being anti-RV. That’s a sad situation for responsible travellers who love freedom camping.
Firstly, let’s look at the terms ‘freecamping’ and ‘freedom camping’. There seems to be some confusion about meaning: is ‘freedom camping’ about being able to stay anywhere completely free of charge, or is it about having the freedom to choose either paid or unpaid campsites? Some people regard “freedom camping” as being anything that isn’t a caravan park, including budget campgrounds.
For the purposes of this article we’ll look upon a free camp as being a campground or rural site with no fees, and a freedom camp as being any budget camping area other than a commercial caravan park. ‘Freedom camping’ is the freedom to choose your own camping spot, paid or unpaid.
Freedom campsites come with a wide range of facilities. Some come with toilets (pit toilets or flush) and access to fresh water; some don’t. Some have access to timed power meters. Often, a dump point is provided, but where it is not, RVs may need to be self-contained and take away all black and grey waste with them. Some freedom campsites allow grey water to seep away.
We have spoken to five individuals who are involved in freedom camping. They are people who help run our free camps, ensure they stay open, and enjoy camping themselves. We asked them for their thoughts on freedom camping.
THE NOMADS
Kellie and Corey Stephenson and their young son Zac have chosen the nomadic lifestyle, leaving their home to be on the road fulltime since October 2013. They freecamp as often as possible.
“We try to ‘freedom camp’ more than ‘pay camp’,” Kellie says. “We love the freedom, and the open spaces.”
Kellie believes that freedom camping is very important for budget-conscious travellers, especially families. “Caravan parks can get quite costly with children’s rates,” she points out. “Freedom camping also allows the whole family to experience the pleasure of getting in touch with nature in the great outdoors.”
The Stephensons’ outlook on freedom camps is basic: since they’re free, their expectations are simple. They take the opportunity to help their four-year-old son learn to love the lifestyle. Kellie explains, “For us, it’s especially about teaching Zac some basic life skills, like how to care for his country by camping respectfully.”
They find locating freedom camps quite easy. Like many of us, the Stephensons use the Camps Australia Wide book to help them plan their next steps. “WikiCamps app is also useful,” Kellie points out, “if you are in a phone service area. We love chatting to other travellers and getting advice from them about where they have been and which sites they recommend.”
Corey and Kellie have found that many freedom camps are supported by different organisations, including councils, national parks, Apex, Lions and sporting clubs. They think that freedom camping has the support of a majority of locals, as long as travellers follow one easy rule: “Do the right thing and respect the area.”
The Stephensons have stayed at freedom camps where a small fee was payable, often in the form of an honesty box, and especially when there were facilities available. They’re happy to contribute, knowing that the fees are used for taking care of those areas – rubbish collection, cleaning, maintenance, upgrading facilities, roads/entrances and so on.
And what do the Stephensons see changing in the near future? “I can see more free camps closing or charging fees for maintenance. Somebody has to pay for them,” Kellie reasons. She does, however, think that free camps will always exist. “This country is so large that for the safety of travellers it’s important. However, if these places aren’t used properly and looked after by those using them, I can see every reason for them to close.”
THE CARETAKER
Bert Hallam is the caretaker of the Mallee Bush Retreat complex on Lake Lascelles in Hopetoun, Victoria. The Mallee Bush Retreat includes a farmyard setting of buildings that provide reasonable accommodation, as well as powered sites for vans, but there is also free camping on the east side of the lake.
A member of the DSE Committee of Management for Lake Lascelles and Lake Corrong, Bert says he was roped in as Caretaker because of his interest in making people feel welcome to use their facilities and camping areas. He has supported the idea of free camping since the 1990s.
Bert’s attitude towards the importance of freedom campsites is refreshing. “Many holiday-makers are spending a lot of money on being self-sufficient caravanners and mobile home owners,” he says. “They don’t need power and many are pensioners looking for a longer holiday. Some big rigs need more room than Parks provide.”
Although not getting to travel himself as often as he would like, Bert does try and get away a couple of times a year. “I have been away with a group of farmers wanting a break, and just wanting to camp free, as well as taking my family on more sophisticated holidays,” he tells me. “There is a place for both types of holidays.”
From experience, Bert is of the opinion that there aren’t enough free camps. His approach is to ask at a Pub if they know of any free camping areas near the towns. He likes to camp under the stars and have a bit of freedom.
As a member of the DSE Committee, Bert knows he has the support of the Hopetoun locals, including the council. This support is critical in a small town like Hopetoun, he tells me, and with a council-run caravan park close to Lake Lascelles this is proof that all camping types can co-exist to the benefit of the entire district.
The Lake Lascelles camping area does have a donation box. “The area is maintained by volunteers,” he explains. “We feel that the caravanners will support our local shops, and by making camping more affordable we are inviting people to stay and support our town. I guess it would be nice for some recognition and appreciation of what we have to offer.”
Overall, Bert has a positive attitude towards freedom camping and is adamant that they are here to stay. He points out that although there is the odd person who messes up or leaves rubbish behind, 90% of people who use free camping do the right thing. “I would expect that in the near future, more free camping will be developed to meet the needs of our retirees with self-sufficient means. Rather than expecting them to pay over $200 a week for a site they should be able to camp for, say, $20 per person. They’ve worked hard all of their life, why not?” A very refreshing viewpoint!
Bert’s passion is one of the reasons that Hopetoun is enjoying the fruits of tourism that Lake Lascelles, Lake Corrong and freedom camping opportunities has brought.
THE COUNCIL MEMBER
Jade Lyons, a member of the McKinlay Shire Council, is based in Julia Creek in outback western Queensland. As the Community Services Team Leader, one of Jade’s responsibilities is to employ and liaise with the camp host for the freedom campsite at Julia Creek.
“Free camps are very important,” she says, “especially in a small town like Julia Creek. We have only one caravan park, and it’s often at capacity during our peak season of April to September.”
She points out that free camping is another form of holidaying and not everyone needs full facilities every night. When talking to different travellers, she has found that people want to have that off-the-beaten-track experience and feels that free camps are perfect for that. “Our community wants to accommodate all styles of travellers to ensure they have a positive experience. We find that word of mouth travels far and our campsite attracts an extra 1600 people per year to the town that we wouldn’t normally capture through paid accommodation.”
Jade likes to get away and enjoy freedom camping herself. She says that she and her partner head out with friends about every other weekend to explore and catch barramundi. They like to have their own space and just pull into a caravan park every now and then to do washing and have a real shower.
When looking at prospective camp hosts, Jade looks for someone with a positive attitude – some who is a free camper themselves with a passion for tourism. “And,” she adds, “Someone with an optimistic outlook on life who can interact with a variety of people.” She likes to find hidden talents in her camp hosts: “Musicians, poets, star gazing, or knowledge of hobbies like bird watching. Anything that could potentially add entertainment value.”
Having the support of the Julia Creek locals is extremely important, and Jade and the McKinlay Shire Council know that their community is very much all for free campers and tourist in general. “2013 was a hard year for our community,” Julia tells me. “We were severely drought-affected. Visitors brought extra income to our local businesses and they have reported to us that they would not have got through 2013 without that support.”
To continue to foster the relationship between the community and visitors, the council is holding a familiarisation session for local businesses. “We plan to keep them informed about common visitor questions so they know the accurate responses,” says Jade. “There are a number of benefits that freedom camping brings to Julia Creek and the McKinlay shire. Our aim is to get visitors to stay an extra night which could mean a haircut, extra groceries or a meal at the pub. We are always looking at strategies to improve the site and extend visitor stays.”
With the Shire attracting a large number of RVers each year, communication between councils in regard to free and freedom camping is critical. Jade says that the outback councils are a close-knit community, and their information centre staff regularly discusses the positives and negatives of free camping. “We chat about what we are doing to control any issues and make sure visitors have a positive experience. We are all involved in the Overlander’s Way committee and understand that everyone benefits if we can get visitors to travel our route.”
Although Julia Creek is supportive and positive, Jade admits that there are challenges in maintaining the freedom campsite in Julia Creek. “Campers that are not self-contained are camping in the area, and doing things to damage the local ecosystems and environment,” she says. “We are hoping that having a person on the ground will help alleviate this problem. We just want visitors to respect the site for the benefit of all users.”
Although visitors to the peaceful campground have indicated they would be happy to donate a small fee to camp there, it will still be free in 2014, but a donation box will be established. Funds raised will be put back into maintaining the site, and the town is hoping for great ideas for further improvements from the comments section of a feedback form.
What of the future? Jade believes that more councils will accept that freedom camping is a growing market and will set aside designated areas for camping. “I don’t think you can pigeon-hole people into a way of life,” she says. “People want to go on an adventure and we need to adapt to accommodate them. I can understand in larger centres how commercial operators could be missing out but for small rural areas I think it is a necessity.”
THE CAMP HOST
Joe Jenkinson has just finished up as an unpaid volunteer camp host at the Home Hill Showground in northern Queensland. As a CMCA member, he was asked by his chapter to take up the role.
An Aboriginal Trust had leased the showgrounds, but they hadn’t been used it for many years so the local Shire Council issued a permit to allow self-contained RVers to stay for up to four nights in succession for $10 per person per night.
“I think many towns around the country need these campsites to survive and many Grey Nomads would not be able to travel as much or for as long without these low cost camps. We have always used free camps and sports grounds etc. as much as we could,” says Joe.
The Home Hill Showground has the support of the local businesses, since campers have spent a large amount of money in their stores. The council has also appreciated the campers staying in their Shire. In the future, Joe would love to see more sites like the showgrounds available throughout Australia, but feels that for this to happen, there needs to be a united voice to speak for nomads on the road. “It is going to need a very strong lobby to governments,” he explains. “I think there is going to be an even bigger lobby from the commercial camping grounds and caravan parks to have them blocked – but many of them cannot accommodate the size and number of the RV’s that are travelling to venues.”
All our experts agree that the support of local councils is imperative for freedom camping to continue to grow. The also feel that it is up to us to help the cause, by following the rules, being respectful of others and leaving the freedom campsite in a better shape than when we arrived. If RVers don’t help the cause, access to freedom camps will be lost: it’s a case of look after them or lose them!
WHAT ADVICE DO THE EXPERTS OFFER FOR FREEDOM CAMPERS?
Kellie says: “Be prepared and be respectful. Anything you take to the camp, take away with you when you leave. If we, as freedom campers, don’t look after these areas they won’t stay around”.
Bert offers: “Please make sure you leave the site clean and tidy. If you happen to come across someone else’s mess, clean it up. We are only volunteers: remember that it only takes one person to make a toilet dirty. Please do not criticise – we are doing the best we can with the spare time available.”
Jade’s advice is: “Make sure you follow the rules. They are there for a reason and it makes for a better experience for all users. Respect the area and the local council should not have a problem and will embrace free campers.”
And a final word from Joe: “Be appreciative that most of the work is done by volunteers and if power is part of the facilities, be careful with air conditioner use.”
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Will we continue to see freedom camping being supported by local councils, community groups, and volunteers, or will irresponsible campers ruin it for everyone? Let us know your thoughts on the future of freedom camping by logging onto our Facebook page at:
