Camping across the Northern Territory is about to get more expensive … and you’ll soon have to book ahead to get a site, as well.
The NT Government has just announced that, starting from July 1, the cost of staying at many Territory campsites will rise by $3.40 per night. Further increases will come into effect in 2022 and 2023.
‘Category A’ campsites with decent facilities like showers and toilets — such as Wangi Falls, Florence Falls and Finke Gorge — will increase from $6.60 to $10 for adults.
At more basic ‘Category B’ campsites with fewer facilities — such as Walker Creek, Karlu Karlu and Trephina Gorge — fees for adults will slightly increase from $3.30 to $4.
It was recently announced that from July next year, an entry fee will also be introduced to some NT parks for interstate and international visitors
The other big news announced today is that a new online booking system for campsites is on its way.
According to the ABC, the Government says the new system will ‘streamline bookings and offer more certainty for visitors’ as well as increase safety within parks via data collection. The new system will be monitored by rangers and authorised campground hosts to ensure compliance with bookings. It is not known exactly when the online booking system will come into effect.
The Government has also said it will introduce fees for people taking multi-day hikes. From July 1, anyone wishing to walk the Jatbula Trail, Larapinta Trail or Litchfield’s Tabletop Track will pay $25 a night … and they’ll have to pay for camping, too!
Do they want to deter visitors ?
We are self contained why do we have to pay to stay . Governments are making it to expensive to travel around Australia , they will be pricing it out of reach for most people soon , where is or right to free camping around Australia.
These places are a long way to travel to.
To be hit with 25 for a hike then camping on top many projects will choose other destinations
Online booking in National Parks? Arrive at your booked site to find someone already setup. No rangers around to resolve, free loader gets away with it.
Just easy money for them for doing nothing. You won’t get me there.
this is absolutely absurd we have paid taxes to the federal government our entire lives and Now We can’t enjoy these wonderful places with our paying, So sick of the GREED in this Country. they make an area and tire to flit 400 vans in it what a joke ,Look at the poor hiker go for a walk for a week and it cost you $210, for that I could fly return to Victoria and visit the High Country and have Change
Rich mans activity now!, not to mention, as a cyclist who only rightly carries a sat. phone, and not a useless mobile phone, and no computer, online booking is out for me. Why don’t the gov. just ban paper across the board, everything on line instead., and when the oldies of today are dead, you wont need it anymore.
the Nt national parks are paid for with federal funds so why should interstate visitors pay and not the locals
There are entry fees, camping fees & permits required in all states national parks not just the NT – while some parks within each state may not charge a fee for a specific park most do. The cost is becoming prohibitive especially NSW with $190 All-Parks annual pass ($152 seniors) compared to the US$80 (AU$103) annual pass in USA which we have used on several trips. NSW also applies discounts for locals. We need an All-State annual pass in Australia not leaving it to each state to maintain iconic national parks as it is not federally funded. See Parks Australia website for the few Commonwealth parks they fund @ https://parksaustralia.gov.au/about/