weeroona island

[budget]

hi guys and girls,
this is just a shout out to free campers visiting weeroona island sth australia.
i am very lucky to live at this beautiful address and encourage people to drop in on their way through highway #1 just out side on port pirie. lovely camp area,play ground,free bbq facilities and toilet area everything you need for a overnight stay.
now here comes the bombshell,it must be looked after! the islanders have had a guts full of caravaners abusing the area,stealing the toilet rolls,emptying their toilet waste into the septic,leaving the free bbq's dirty and stealing the water. we don't have a lot of water on the island and this is being drained off as well.
please,please respect the area as a move is already under way to close this down because of the abuse the place is getting.
kind regards paul

[jock]

Yeah! Good Post budget!
This is probably the reason why a lot of free camps are closing down. We've seen hundreds of examples of the same in our travels. The vast majority of the people on this forum are not (IMO) the culprits. Somehow the culprits should be tracked down and fined..I know it's probably near impossible but, looking back, I, personally could have reported many that I witnessed...e.g. stealing toilet paper, dumping rubbish down toilets, cutting down trees, camping in prohibited areas, having dogs in prohibited camping grounds etc. etc. etc.
I think if we all did our bit by dobbing them in, things might improve...then again, come to think of it, a couple of times that I did report problems, nothing was done.
Oh. Well !! Ce La Vie (I think)

Jock

[Frank & Brenda]

I was not even aware that there was a freecamp on Weeroona Island, we have stopped at the rest area on highway 1, which overlooks the island

We're in WA at the moment and have seen may areas that have been abused, I do not defend the abusers in any way, but some of the things mentioned can have an explanation eg,
Emptying toilet waste in the septic, porta potties have to be emptied somewhere and if one is used with nappysan it is safe for septic systems, it's better there than on the ground as I have seen at least a dozen times on our way here

Dogs in prohibited areas, we have just been to Lake Eyre with our dogs, it is a national park, and if anyone would have seen us they would have thought the same as you Jock, that we had dogs in a prohibited area, yet we had permission to have them there, both our dogs are companion dogs, and as such are allowed to be in there as in any public place

As for stealing the toilet paper, leaving the BBQ dirty and stealing the water, there is no explanation people are animals.

Maybe you could try to not supply toilet paper and let people supply their own, many places do it

have vandal proof taps, where you need a special handle to turn the tap on, or have a spring loaded handle that only supplies a down pressured amount of water so that one would have to stand there for a loooooong time to fill a Gerry can let alone a tank.

leaving the bbq dirty, sorry I've got nothing

[jock]

No disrespect Frank but I can understand a 'Guide Dog' exemption but what do you mean by "Companion Dogs" and why are they exempt from being in National Parks??? When you say you've got permission..What does that mean? Do you have a letter or a permit to allow you to have the dogs in these prohibited areas?? If so, does this apply all round Oz.?
I'm sure that there are many members who are pet owners and would be very interested in your reply....The only reason We don't have a pet is that We've always understood that you cant take them into the areas mentioned. Indeed, We have seen many signs banning dogs but still see people with them...and not just small ones....In WA there are quite a few places, particularly in the Esperence region which are clearly signposted at the beginning of access roads to N .Ps.." If you have a dog in your car, turn back now"

Jock

[Frank & Brenda]

A companion dog is a dog who keeps a person with a disability company and is trained to help in some way such as a guide dog or a hearing help dog, but can also be a dog who simply helps a patient through hard times such as when a person is depressed.

The patient must pass certain guidelines to be approved to be a person "in need" of a companion dog and needs a letter from a doctor/ specialist, the dogs also need to be accredited in some way, often trough the dog and cat board of certain states, and must also be trained and most certainly be picked up after, must be kept on a leash and the letter of approval must be carried with you (in the car) at all times when in a park

Our dogs are Brenda's companions when I'm at work and help her in times of need

Yes we had written permission from the department of environment, approved by the minister to take Kia and Jazz into 2 specific national/ conservation parks, now that we have that, we can start the process of asking to be able to take them into parks nationally, each case is decided on it's own merit and deals with anti discrimination law.

All that is not to say that some people do not take their dogs into parks illegally and if you do see a dog in a national park especially if not on a leash, take their number down and report them, anyone who has a letter will not bother if asked to produce it, that's why they have them.

[jock]

Thanks Frank. ..Very interesting. Sorry to go Off Topic Budget.

Jock