Free Camping

4th November

As we often do on travel days, we stop at a major town en-route – in today’s case Carnarvon. We stock up groceries, petrol and water. Then rather than staying in town we usually continue down the road a bit and stay at a free road side camp.

There are two main benefits to this. The first one, obviously, is the fact that it’s free rather than staying at an expensive caravan park in town. The second reason is that it means we don’t have to unhitch our van so can get an earlier start back on the road in the morning.

We have been blown away with the facilities at the free road side camps throughout W.A. Most of the ones we have stayed at have had dump points for the caravan loo, long drop loos, rubbish bins, fire pits and picnic tables.

We have had campfires often thought the trip, but the kids seem to particularly love having one at free camps. When we arrive at a free camp they can’t wait to help Drew scavenge for wood and get the fire going. So most nights at free camps are spent around the fire. We usually have great star-gazing too since most of the rest areas are in the middle of nowhere.

 

Last night we were also treated to an awesome sunset and a brilliant moon rise over the bush.

 

W.A really looks after travellers. Not only with these well located, well provisioned free roadside stops. But most towns have parking areas near the shopping centres for cars towing vans. And it’s usually easy to find fresh water to fill the van tanks at the visitors centres or information shelters. It just makes travelling in this area even better than it already is!!