Camping around New South Wales

275 Pages·2012·17.42 MB·English

by  Explore Australia Publishing

CONTENTS
Getting started with your ebook
Introduction
Central Coast and Hawkesbury
The Blue Mountains
Hunter Valley and Coast
Holiday Coast
Tropical North Coast
New England and the North-West
The Central West
Southern Highlands
The South Coast
Capital Country and the Snowys
Riverina and the Murray
The Outback
Atlas
Acknowledgements
Copyright Page
BEST CAMPSITES
Geehi Flats camping area (southern section) Kosciuszko National Park
(Capital Country and the Snowys)
Green Gully camping area
Oxley Wild Rivers National Park (New England and the North-West)
Homestead Creek camping area
Mutawintji National Park (The Outback)
Mungo Brush camping area
Myall Lakes National Park (Holiday Coast)
Polblue camping area (northern section) Barrington Tops National Park
(Hunter Valley and Coast) USEFUL CONTACTS
Crown Land – Department of Primary Industries
1300 052 637
www.crownland.nsw.gov.au
Emergency
Dial 000 for police, ambulance and fire brigade
Environment ACT
13 2281
www.environment.act.gov.au
Fisheries – Department of Primary Industries
1300 550 474
www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries
Fossicking – Department of Primary Industries
1300 736 122
www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/minerals
NSW Rural Fire Service
1800 679 737
www.rfs.nsw.gov.au
National Parks and Wildlife Service
1300 361 967
www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au
Roads and Traffic Authority
13 2213
www.rta.nsw.gov.au
State Forests of NSW Information Centre
1300 655 687
www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/forests
INTRODUCTION
WHY CAMP?
It’s the end of another sensational day in the outdoors. The sun slips towards the
horizon, and birds and wallabies come out to feed in the twilight. A campfire is
lit, and close friends and family gather around its glow to sink a sundowner,
cook a meal and share the adventures of the day – waves that were caught, fish
that got away, discoveries that were made.
The darkness deepens and the stars – much brighter away from the city
lights – twinkle and shine over possums, gliders, owls, frogs and other creatures
that begin to explore the night.
Around the campfire, senses are heightened so the meal tastes better, the
jokes seem funnier and the ties that bind are strengthened.
Camping refreshes the mind, revives the soul and reminds us of what is
special. Through it, we gain new experiences, visit parts of the world we
otherwise wouldn’t see, and relearn the importance of the simple things in life.
The incredibly comprehensive guide you hold in your hands is packed with
great ideas of where to take your next camping holiday or weekend away. An
experienced team of researchers has painstakingly scoured the country looking
for top camping spots and their facilities, so you can start planning that next
unforgettable excursion into the great outdoors.
WHERE TO GO?
Planning a trip is often the hardest part of camping. There are so many
questions! Do you keep going to the same places that you know and love, or do
you venture somewhere new? Will you go to a well-placed campground that has
hot showers, flushing toilets and firewood supplied, or slip off the beaten track to
an isolated, more rugged spot? Should you stay near the coast with its beaches,
lush forests and nearby facilities, or venture into Australia’s vast interior, where
sites are usually quieter, and the landscape so spacious and vastly different? Do
you need to camp in school holidays or public holidays when many campsites
are overflowing, or can you slip away mid-week or at other non-peak times?
It’s also worth considering what sort of a camping experience you want.
Driving to a campsite is the most common way to get there, but have you
considered hiking with a backpack? For a first hiking trip, it’s best to start with
an overnight walk over not too great a distance (no more than about ten
kilometres each way). Many campers love this form of isolated camping so
much, they disappear for weeks at a time on some of Australia’s legendary, long-
distance routes: the Larapinta Trail (Northern Territory), the Australian Alps
Walking Track (east coast), the Bibbulmun Track (Western Australia) or the
South Coast Track (Tasmania).
But if hiking isn’t your thing, what about a canoe or kayak camping trip, a
boat trip to an island, cross-country skiing or mountain-biking? All of these
activities can deliver you to some exceptional out-of-the-ordinary camping
experiences.
Whatever your method of transport, if your planned route takes you through
or on to Aboriginal land, make sure you start applying for permits with the
relevant Land Council well in advance, as it can take some time to have permits
approved.
WHAT TO TAKE
It is almost impossible to define what any single individual will need on a
camping trip – the amount and type of gear varies greatly with the style, length
and location of the trip. A tough, three-day hike in a remote and cold area will
require a vastly different list of essentials compared to a week spent with
children at a well-established caravan park in summer by the beach.
Even when camping in the same conditions, people will choose to bring
varying amounts and types of gear. Some campers (or ‘glampers’) bring along so
much tonnage that you wonder why they left home at all: fairy lights, gas
fridges, bikes, wine glasses, pillows and TVs. Others at the same campground
may have decided to ‘get back to basics’ and bring little more than a ‘hoochie’,
or mosquito net, and a billy.
Outdoor/camping shops will nearly always try to sell you more gear than
you actually need. It isn’t necessary to own the latest ‘must-have’ gizmo to have
a satisfactory, fun and safe camping trip. The best advice is to start simply, with
a few basic necessities, and to then add any extra items as you gain experience