6 tips to help you free camp around Australia

Australia can be an expensive place when it comes to accommodation and camping. If you’re living on the road or doing a road trip, freedom camping is the best way to keep your travel costs down. To some, free camping may seem a little daunting or even stressful at first but like starting anything new, it always gets easier with time and routine.

There are so many different varieties of free camping options, from roadside stops and carparks to campsites managed by councils or private land owners.  The only challenging side is being limited to certain facilities like water taps, showers, laundromats and even toilets at times.  This just means that you may need to find these things elsewhere. It may seem difficult at times but it just becomes a part of the adventure.

Now I know some of you may already be pros at this but for those that are new to it, we wanted to share some of our tips that we feel are helpful when it comes to mastering the art of free camping. Also, we hope it will answer some of the questions we've been receiving lately on Instagram!

Finding free camp spots

The only helpful tool you really need to use for camping or traveling in Australia, is the Wikicamps App on your phone or tablet! It’s an easy to use map service that has everything from free campsites, paid campsites, caravan parks, toilet & shower facilities and even points of interest to check out. You can filter ‘free camps’ or 'dog friendly areas' to help you find campsites to suit your needs. You can also read previous comments and ratings at certain spots (like carparks etc.) to see if other travellers have stayed overnight without problems.  It’s only $7.99 and you can actually download the maps for offline use. This means you can even use it when you don’t have reception! 

It’s all about your setup

When it comes to free camping, you’re going to want to have a decent set up for it. The more self-sufficient you are, the easier it’s going to be.  The biggest asset to free camping is having solar power.  Access to your own power allows you to travel to pretty much anywhere and for an unlimited amount of time (as long as you’ve got some decent sunshine!).  We carry 200W panels on the roof, which are easy to pull down for when we need power whilst staying in the one spot for a longer period of time. This powers our 12V fridge and allows us to charge anything from our laptop to camera batteries etc. Otherwise, if we’re on the move we rely on our alternator to charge our dual batteries whilst driving between destinations.

Depending on where you’re adventuring, sometimes you can be hours away from civilization so making sure you’re prepared by carrying enough water, food and extra fuel is important.  Everyone has different ways of camping, whether it be with a caravan, swag/tent, rooftop tent or sleeping in the back of the car.  Depending on what you have, you’ll want to find camping areas to suit your preferred setup. We decided to go for something that allows us to sleep in the back of the troopy as it’s a lot more stealth in built up areas and doesn’t look as obvious to the public.  Also having dark tinted windows and curtains is the best way to hide the idea that you’re sleeping inside.

How to Camp in built up areas, towns & cities

When it comes to staying overnight in some of these more popular areas, avoid drawing attention to yourself. Be respectful to those around you (especially locals) and to the environment by cleaning up after yourself and taking your rubbish with you.

If you’re like us and prefer not to pay $20-$40 a night (or up to $200 per week) in a caravan park then the best options are sometimes carparks, parks, beaches and some residential areas. Try to avoid places that have ‘no camping’ signs as police and rangers usually patrol them regularly. If you do decide to run the risk, make sure to be up early and move on quickly to avoid getting fines or upsetting locals.

Toilets & showers

We are incredibly lucky to have good quality public facilities in Australia. So when it comes to showering and toilets you can usually find one close by on the Wikicamps App. If you’re traveling along the coast you can shower at most of the main beaches and if you’re in colder states, you can sometimes even find free hot showers!

When we’re traveling through towns or cities without public showers, we usually head to the closest Aquatic or sports centre. Most of them allow you to pay between $2-$4 for a hot shower.  If they don’t allow it, you can just pay to swim in the pool, which allows you to have a swim and a hot shower afterwards!

If you’re camping away from civilization and public facilities, bathing in the ocean, fresh waterfalls or swimming holes are a great alternative. Some campsites might not have those options nearby so it’s also handy to have a portable shower with you. We carry a 12V shower that plugs into the car so we can still get clean in remote places if we need to. Otherwise the good old shower bags that you leave in the sun for the day are always a cheap option and do the job!

Security & Safety

We have always felt safe whilst free camping and haven’t come across any bad experiences on our travels so far but it’s still important to keep your wits about you. Australia is a big country and sometimes you can be far away from help so it’s a good idea to do your research on certain towns or places that could be risky and try to avoid them.  When traveling to remote areas with no reception, it’s a good idea to let someone know where you’re going and when you might be returning.

If you’re feeling unsure about free camping at first, aim to stay closer to other travellers, well lit carparks or busier areas until you gain more confidence.  In new surroundings, everyone is bound to experience a few sleepless nights in the beginning, it takes some time to get used to it! If you're staying in built up areas, avoid leaving any valuable things outside the car and lock everything up.  We have a lot of gear on our roof which we make sure is strapped down tight and difficult to undo. We also have a large storage box, which we can padlock shut if we need to. It's a bonus if you're traveling with your dog as they'll always be protective and alarm you if something or someone is hanging around the car. 

It’s always a good idea to have a basic first aid kit in the car. Unfortunately accidents do happen and you never know when it might come in handy. We also have a small fire extinguisher in the troopy incase of any fire emergencies, whether it be car related or camp fire related.  Australia is known for it’s dangerous wildlife, especially poisonous snakes so make sure you’re watching your step around the campsite. If you’re like us and you are travelling with a dog, it’s important to keep a close eye on them and not to let them wander off into bushes and shrubs where they can be bitten.

Always clean up after yourself

Due to the lack of care and respect for the environment a lot of free campsites around Australia are being closed down. Unfortunately some spots are being flooded with rubbish, broken glass and piles of used toilet paper.

For those who don’t know, Toilet paper does not break down in dry environments or in sand so if you need to go in these areas make sure you’re either burning it or taking it with you.

So that we can all continue to enjoy free camping, please make sure you’re taking the time to clean up after yourself, bin all your rubbish or take it with you until you can dispose of it. If you can’t bin it and you’re unsure of where to store it, try strapping it to your roof or we like to use our wheel bag (on the back spare tyre) as rubbish storage until we can bin it properly.

If you do find yourself setting up in an area that has been left untidy or littered with rubbish, just do your part and try to clean it up as best you can. It can be frustrating at times but at least you've done your best to help the environment and hopefully it encourages the next camper to leave it rubbish free.