FACILITIES
The key difference between a caravan park and a
bush camp is facilities. Many bush camps have next
to nothing. No toilets, bins, water and certainly
no barbecues, swimming pools and dump points.
And as such, they may attract less travellers. To avoid overcrowding, many national parks
have allocated camping sites. This is great, as
campsites will only accommodate a specific
number of campers and it avoids the risk of
someone camping right on top of you.
Then there’s space. Caravan parks squeeze you
into a shoe-box-sized site, within close proximity
to other campers, so you share their television
shows, music preferences and other emissions.
Have you ever been popped next to a traveller
who is listening to horse racing? Ekk! And then there’s the beauty aspect. National parks
always seem to be engulfed in beautiful bushland
or magical seaside locations, so there’s always
plenty of visual appeal and walks to absorb the
natural beauty.
In contrast, national parks are managed for
conservation and recreation. They restrict the
number of visitors to reduce the impact on the
environment. High volumes of people are only
likely to scare off much of the wildlife that others
go to see, and then there are considerations such
as rubbish, human waste, and foot traffic over
delicate ecosystems.
34 \
Fees cover the cost of park management,
including the establishment of the facilities. In
some parks, gas barbecues are offered in lieu
of allowing campfires. At others, fire pits are
provided, although wood is normally required
to be brought into the park and not scavenged
around the camping areas.