Freedom camping in Oz
Mate, she’s a long road finding the perfect campsite in Australia these days, writes
amenities apart from those I put in ... We really felt like explorers as some places had seen no traffic for a long time.’’
But while it might have been basic, their camper was still more or less self sufficient. Allsop had installed a battery under the seat,which they used to power two lights, they carried a small fridgefreezer and somehow turned a sunwarmed black plastic bag into a shower.
Returning home, the couple had an eight-year flirtation with boating before returning to caravanning. Allsop had begun freelancing for RV magazines when they set out on their third Australian tour in 2001, this time in a custom-built Roadstar caravan with low-power features which allowed them to stay offroad for a week without having to recharge their batteries. They had such a good time that they simply kept going (they’ve only just settled down after 17 years of spending six months on the road). Denyse retired from medicine to help Allsop write, take photos and shoot video and he says they ‘‘did very well’’. The couple enjoyed a mixture of freedom camping at staying at caravan parks.
‘‘Solitude, having a quiet beach or tropical forest to ourselves was wonderful and yet staying overnight sometimes in a van park was also good. The happy hours, community barbecues and companionship of other campers was very welcome.’’
These days, however, Allsop wonders whether freedom camping in Australia has changed irrevocably - for the worse. The couple have had several bad experiences in freedom campsites near towns where ‘‘youths have run rampant on drugs and alcohol.
‘‘Nowadays we always make sure there are other campers there and try to get an off-road site by about midday, as they tend to become full by around 2pm.’’
Some popular sites are crowded with more than 200 vehicles during high season and they are usually packed in like proverbial sardines.
‘‘You are parked as close as or closer to your neighbour than in a van park and on a dusty site. You also have no control over noisy neighbours. Apart from the cost, is it worth it?’’