The online booking system for national park camping used in most mainland states could be on its way to the Apple Isle.
Tasmania’s Liberal Government has committed to creating a Statewide Camping System for information and booking campsites in the state’s parks and reserves.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff said a new easy-to-use free app would be developed to provide a single source of information on campsites in parks and reserves.
“This will make it easier and simpler to plan camping trips and book campsites,” Mr Rockliff said. “It will also provide options if the first preference in an area is booked out will provide a seamless experience for visitors planning their camping holidays.”
However, the similar systems already in operation in states like Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales are certainly not universally popular among the grey nomad community.
Tasmaina's natural environment is said to be the 'jewel in the state’s crown', PIC: Tasmania Parks & Wildlife Service
Among the complaints are that the pre-pay and pre-booking system kills any spontaneity of travel; is impossible to use when internet connections are ‘patchy’ and leads to a surge in ‘ghost camping’ … that is empty, unused sites left by people who book well in advance and then simply fail to turn up when their plans change.
In Tasmania, many sites run by the Tasmania Parks & Wildlife Service – including highly popular ones like at the Bay of Fires Conservation Area – are free for campers and cannot be booked ahead.
Ultimately, those who have been ‘brought up’ on a first come, best dressed system argue that rigid booking systems detracts from the traditional camping experience.
No timeline has been set for when the new app would come into operation.
Premier Rockliff says Tasmania’s parks and natural environment are a competitive strength of Tasmania, and form the basis of the 2030 Visitor Economy Strategy.
He said a majority Liberal Government would invest heavily in parks to enhance the visitor experience.
“With more than 50% of our natural environment protected forever in parks and reserves, Tasmania’s world-class parks and globally significant natural environment is the jewel in our state’s crown,” he said. “From the rugged south-west wilderness through to the iconic Cradle Mountain, picture-perfect Bay of Fires and everywhere in between, our natural environment is something we are all so proud of.”
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Prebooking sites in any National Parks isn’t a good idea.
After paying for the site unseen you might arrive to find that your 23ft long caravan won’t fit on a two person hiking tent site.
Best to look then book.
Online bookings are great as you know you will have a site on arrival instead of travelling miles and then finding all stes are taken. Hopefully each site will have it size etc. Also a map of all sites like WA has.
Most online apps tend to be controlled by overseas interests that squeeze the last cent out of the service provider. The app provider floods the internet and social media with prominent ads that precede the service owners.
I assume, Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife will lose control of their booking app and it will end up being controlled by these overseas interests.
These leeches should be banned.
WA controls the booking system as do all government parks. There is never a commercial interest.
Totally agree. It would ruin the camping In Tasmania, I agree some strict rules for people leaving their mess around a campsit need to be addressed.
No.. because I have experienced how it can go wrong..arrive at a online booking station..to find it broken!!
Talk to the local Ranger who moans because HE spends most days removing camper who are not registered for the camping area..
But this is cape York..no mobile phone reception in this area..
When you do find reception.
You talk to someone in Brisbane..
Who has no idea of what camping areas are what..sad!!
Not a good idea. Having been to quite a few places around Tas it would be extremely difficult for anyone not familiar with the areas. An example would be a mainlander booking by looking at a map or google earth, then arriving at a site such as Stumpy’s Bay or Ransons Beach to be under trees and unable to access solar or a site so steep that the topside wheels have to be dug in 300mm and the lower side on 150mm ramps, both of which I have had to do. Many sites around Tas are like this, so would be almost impossible to book safely without looking first. The need to look first is essential, but then, most of these places have no phone or internet access, so the whole exercise can be pointless after booking and arriving at a useless, impossible position.
Leave it alone, first come first served. Rangers could better spend their time moving on some of the permanents.
Trouble with the current system is the locals move their vans and tents in 3 weeks before the holidays start, and rope off huge areas as well and only stay for a few days
Unless things have changed, Tasmania parks pass is for 2 months but we are there for 3 months, so not very convenient.
Just another reason to stay on the mainland
Have done all the national parks in Australia in decades of travel so no need to return
As most people quote book a site and find the vehicle won’t fit
We were camp host in WA for 5 years and found the booking system had many loop holes that people took advantage of locking other campers out of the camps, as they say “you need to be in the know”
Arrived on site on Cape York, read the blurb on the sign,, “Call this number to book a site?” What??? No mobile reception !! Set up camp thinking a ranger will come past, but nothing. Next day walking the beach I received one bar on my phone and made a call to Brisbane and booked and paid for the site,,, all done ?,,,, Not at all,,, Next day walking the beach I received a call from Nat Parks in Sydney informing me that I had to shift sites {I was the only one there ] I refused to shift, then the guy who had booked the site [with Sydney] appeared and told me to stay where I was as he was absolutely tired of Nat Parks and their stuff ups,,, we enjoyed the rest of our stay. [These Nat Parks people are not on the same planet as us ]
NO. NO. NO. Prebooking doesn’t work. If we book (and have to keep to a schedule!) arrive to find the site is terrible (not level; too small; bogan neighbours….the list goes on), what do we do? If we arrive to a fantastic spot & want to stop a few more days, what do we do? 95% of the time, there is no reception to extend/cancel.
Definitely not. Perhaps no internet when trying to book. Booked out but many sites empty due to people booking early, then not turning up. Would ruin the spontaneous part of the travel journey.
NO NO NO!!! Many valid reasons why NO have been posted here.
The upside is you’re assured of a spot when you arrive… Personally, I’m happy to book ahead. Plenty of non-booking options if you want a more spontaneous experience.
I travelled last in 2016.it was great, no booking required because there was always a spot, also the free camping was fairly plentiful. I can’t really comment on the pre booking situation, but it’s made me wonder what happens to someone who doesn’t book, and finds all spots are taken and no free camping available. Are you forced to just keep driving into the night otherwise you’ll get booked? It’s a lot different now to 2016 from what I read.
We don’t use any form of pre-booking campsites now. If the sites are all full we are happy to move on to a free camp site. I’m fed up a long time ago arguing with walk-ins who just dump down on a sight without booking or have no worries about screwing over others who have booked. Also, most Rangers have more to do than argue with the creations who are the problems.
I don’t like online bookings in Qld, Fraser island quite often says it’s fully booked, when you get there, many spots are not taken, many people doing ghost bookings (book and don’t turn up)
This stops genuine people from camping, were and when they want to.
I agree with all the similar comments. It just doesn’t work because of zero internet remotely; people book cheap site just in case they want to turn up (and don’t) and the difficultly planning to be at a destination 3000km away in a months’ time. The timing has to be perfect and then you have the issue of liking a place and wanting to stay in bit longer but can’t because I have pre-booked. That’s my 2 bobs worth.
NO NO NO NO
We have just spent 5 months in Tasmania and it was a joy to get away from the pathetic on line booking systems that have been imposed on us by most of the mainland states.
As grey nomads we do not have a schedule if we like somewhere we stay, if not we move on.
We were already planning our next trip to Tasmania but if they implement a booking systems for their parks we probably won’t bother.
Because of the booking systems implemented by other states we rarely stay in what should be our National Parks.
The systems rarely give an adequate size or description of the sites making it impossible to book with any assurance we will fit.
We have seen sites shown as 10m x 15m that are in fact 6m x 5m and will not take most dual axle caravans. We have also seen sites where the nice people from the state parks service have positioned a table and fire pit in the middle of the site making it impossible to get a caravan onto the site. And don’t get me started on the use of restrictive bollards in a number of parks that make it impossible to reverse a van onto a site.
If we can’t see a site we will not book it.
In WA the systems shows camp grounds are full but we know they are often half empty.
We have been nomads for over 20 years now but feel we are being forced to give up what is a fantastic lifestyle by people who have no idea of being a nomad.
We have for the most part stopped using so called National Parks. Each state runs different systems, charges different fees and has different agenda’s most of which involve increasing state revenue. I can not buy a parks pass for Australia that is valid all over our wonderful Nation so how can they be called National Parks.
So I say again.
NO NO NO NO
Nigel…exactly what I feel…..if Tassie introduces pre-book, I’ll stay away…
Bad idea.Why has the consultation phase only included the tourism industry.Local campers should have a say,it is our own state.Majority of Tas.beauracrats have never been camping makeing bad decisions for the local population.Have had experience in Victoria with booking system best sites booked out and nobody turned up 3 nights in a row.
Government will stuff it up like the Spirit saga and Hydro low dam level situation.So incompetent very sad.