When he was a child, grey nomad Phil Crockart remembers camping with his family at beachside caravan parks, which were always ‘as neat as a pin’.
After travelling across the country with his trusty home on wheels behind him, he cannot help but be struck by the different way travellers now seem to treat the great Australian bush.
And he wants things to change back again.
“We have to stop whining about the mess others leave behind and be part of what I consider the solution rather than part of the problem,” he said. “I am talking about the filth some folks, grey nomads included, leave behind at free camps and even caravan parks.”
Phil recalls stopping at the Baxter free camp on the Nullarbor recently to find the bins full, and rubbish including toilet paper strewn all over the place. He and his wife Pam spend 10 minutes cleaning up the area, and invited a few of the other camper to assist.
“I was promptly told where to go, and what to do when I arrived!” he said. “The common feedback was ‘why should we clean up after others’?”
Phil fears councils simply won’t keep free camps open if they continue to be abused like this.
“Baxter is a magnificent example of the Australian bush,” he said. “Why do some folks turn it into a tip?”
Phil says the problem can even extend to caravan parks. While staying at Port Lincoln in South Australia, he was shocked by the behaviour of some guests.
“One older couple pulled up in their nice looking van, opened the door and emptied rubbish, old fishing gear and two dogs from their van,” he said. “The mess built daily as further items were used then tossed out the van … the dogs left their droppings anywhere they pleased and the vanners did little to modify that behaviour or attempt to pick up the mess.”
When eventually confronted by the park owners, the offenders were quickly evicted.
“A mess was left behind to which the park owners cleaned up,” said Phil. “I asked what happens next and, evidently the renters will get a bill for the cleanup.”
Phil says enough is enough, and he has issued a call for action.
“I propose that each time we see a mess in a free camp we spend 10 minutes cleaning the area,” he said. “If enough grey nomads did that, we would not need to dodge toilet paper etc when we walk around the place.”
· Are you a litter picker-upper? Email us here to share your rubbish experiences.
