RV MAIL
THAT’S FREEDOM
I have been reading several letters to the editor
regarding free camping and caravan parks and
would like to add my bit.
As a travel writer for caravan magazines for 17
years until I retired early in 2017, Denyse and I
have stayed in a mixture of caravan parks and
‘free camps’ all over Australia, and some in NZ.
Our early trips around Australia from 1974 until
1988 were the best, as there were many free
camps and national-park sites that were not
crowded, and at that time, camping out was a
true adventure, as we did not have all the mods
and cons. A battery, lights, gas stove, a three-way
fridge and portable radio were the only things we
needed, plus a solar shower and portable toilet.
As caravans became larger, heavier and people
wanted more home comforts such as solar panels,
compressor fridges, air-cons, ensuites and other
‘necessities’, free camping areas became more
crowded. People saw the advantages of so called
‘free camping’.
However, national parks began to increase
prices, and many camping areas near water
applied camping fees and time limits, and these
sites became crowded.
More lately, we found some to be dust bowls,
with any decent sites gone by midday.
If we were writing a story (and I supplied all my
own pics plus a website video) on a town or area,
we would stay a week or more, to fully see the
place, and edit the pics and video. At these times
we would prefer the safety and convenience of
a good caravan park. We could leave the van all
day, or go out for dinner, even go away overnight,
such as to see the Horizontal Waterfalls, or Cape
Leveque. I would never leave our van offroad
overnight. We did hear stories of vans getting
broken into or things stolen.
My point is that a mixture of offroad free camping
is good, if you can get a nice spot; otherwise, we
would stay in van parks.
Tony Allsop
Via email
Tony Allsop and his wife, Denyse, wrote extensively
for me in my capacity as the managing editor of
another caravan magazine for many years. They
are among the most experienced caravanning
writers I’ve had the pleasure to know and, on a
personal level, it’s a pleasure to be publishing one
of their letters here. – Ed
Tony and Denyse’s old van and tow vehicle
in the remote Queensland town Boulia.
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