‘Free and budget camping is the way of the future’

Published: January 7, 2020
Free camping debate divides grey nomads

Free and budget campsites are being hailed as the way of the future by a top tourism chief.

With self-contained caravans and motorhomes now dominating the recreational vehicle market, Southern Queensland Country Tourism chief executive officer, Peter Homan, says Outback towns have to listen to what travellers want. And, he says, that has to mean looking at low or no-cost camping, dump points, and more spacious campsites.

“Eight years ago it was difficult to purchase an Australian-made recreational vehicle with onboard toilets and showers, now the majority of the market is fully self-contained,” he told the North Queensland Register. “It’s a disrupter in the market councils have to provide these things or risk losing visitors … if you’re not an RV-friendly town, those visitors will simply go onto the next town.”

Mr Homan told the Register that forward-thinking Queensland councils and campsite operators were responding to market needs.

“We can look at many Outback councils in Queensland and see they are responding well, providing these sites, which are very busy,” he said. “There are angry caravan park owners out there but it’s not the councils that have changed the market, the market has already changed and councils are simply responding.”

Mr Homan said there was room for caravan parks to change their models, perhaps by providing bigger spaces suitable to larger vehicles or by providing more cabins to tap into a different market.

“One in 13 Australian households own a recreational vehicle and current Tourism Research Australia figures put the national annual spend at $7.9 billion and 13 million trips,” he said. “We know in southern Queensland self-drive tourists spend money on eating out, fuel, mechanical repairs and servicing, healthcare and tourism experiences.”

  • Do you think the next decade will see the rise or fall of free and budget camping in Outback Australia? Comment below.
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Mr Homan said about caravan parks “providing more cabins to tap into a different market”.

Yeh! That’s the way to do it. Take business away from Motels, they don’t complain like caravan parks about free camps or similar.

Just provide some space for us with self contained vans etc.

Doug, everyone has to adapt and no-one is immune. No business is a protected species; you move with market or prepare to be bypassed and perish. A comment in an obscure Nomad article is certainly not going to mould the market place, change happens on its own

When recently traveling for six months we varied our camping between free camps, low cost camps and caravan parks. When we were looking for parks we opted out of the parks with large playgrounds as we had no need for them.
We particularly enjoyed free camping alongside the Murray, we made a point of buying from some of the small towns that had free camping.

Let common sense prevail and allow those who travel to decide. It’s a no brainer that low cost and free camping is what people want. This is because caravan parks are 1) too expensive 2) not adaptive 3) greedy and 4) do not provide what the freedom traveller seeks. We do not want jumping castles and kids running wildly around. We want space, peace and quiet and like minded people.
I’m sure the future will be more receptive to freedom campers because they will support a whole town as opposed to a greedy caravan park.
I know the violins will he out saying “oh we pay rates, garbage etc etc but so does every business in town and I’d rather spend my money on something I want. And it is 100% correct that we will drive past towns which do not cater to us. Eg Rockhampton. Yet we spent money in Bundaberg, Gladstone, Mackay, Townsville, Atherton and Cooktown. It was a great trip.

We have been on the road for 3 years and happy to stay in nice parks and have found the little towns have offered us 2 nights 3rd free $52 . Love it . If we have to we can free camp but so far haven’t done much . We have been lucky the two pups are excepted in most parks . Our only issue has been school holidays the east cost don’t allow us so we can’t help out with the grandies .i feel most parks accomodate and are RV friendly .

Times are a changing….! Free camping and low cost parks with limited facilities will grow all around the country. A lot of regional towns are adopting this as it’s a win win.. Caravan parks will finally realise this…well…some maybe…?
The big parks on the east coast will do ok as they cater for the holiday maker who wants all the frills.
For me it’s not a holiday…it’s my lifestyle and I like the wide open spaces, back roads, and bush country.
All the best for 2020 Cheers.

Maybe caravan parks should use a basic pay as you go price. $20 for a pad, extra $5 for electricity, extra $5 for a shower etc depends on what you want.

If we are fully self-contained why are we paying for facilities? Our beef is lack of large sites, suitable for caravan, as unpowered. Fully solar system but when we ask for unpowered we usually cannot get the van on site. End up paying for power we won’t use or moving on. Our choice will usually be cheap sites ($5 per night) and use of public toilets. The toilets are free to day trippers anyway.

Where are these sites for $5 a night ?

That was my instantaneous question too Barry! Mostly we are paying $10, $15 sometimes up to $20 per night, not always with power. I can’t think of anywhere for $5

Monto QLD

As the market changes those willing to cater for the market will have to adapt.
There are many more options for travellers now. There are still a few small van parks in small towns and regional areas that are still offering a basic pad at sensible price. E.g. 5 10 15 bucks a night. Those van parks in more populated areas wanting 30 40 60 70 a night well that is the best way to make people just drive on to the next town

RV friendly towns are the only towns we will stay and spend our money in. We will not stay in towns where they are catering for a Caravan Park that is trying to force travellers into, caravan parks to us are like Blacksmiths, we just don’t need them anymore. Daz

Unfortunately some caravan parks will eventually go by the wayside like video stores did.

Technology beat them.

Our van is set up to free camp indefinitely.

We spend plenty of money in towns nearby.

Eg. Neil Turner weir near Mitchell.

Been going there for years.

Yes it is not that we are too tight or on a buget, it is that we are tired of being RIPPED OFF.We seem to get less and less at caravan parks and with everybody being self sufficent I dont know why we are paying so much for a site you are flat getting on.We plan our trips to only camp where there are free or low cost camps and support that town, So who misses out the towns with stupid councils and greedy caravan parks.Cheers Stevo

We have travelled Tassie and there are many towns with signs welcoming RVs. We shopped where we were welcome. Some supermarkets had parking at the back so we could stock up. We will not give our money where we dont feel welcome. Maybe time to go outback and spend there. The coronavirus will change things. Happy travelling folks.

Hi there, we are thinking of selling our house and venturing around in a RV. We would like the positives and negatives if any one would like to let us know. Could you also let us know on average what it costs a week to be in one, thats not living too extravagant 🙂

Caravan parks are not needed in the modern world of RV travel with solar, Lithium Batteries and technology news don’t need them like we don’t need the Milkman and the video store and many other things in the modern world. We travel all over Australia and never use Caravan Parks only free or low cost donation camps, very happy to donate.

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