We take the road less travelled
BULLARA STATION
SPEEDS POINT
CHILLI BEACH
STAY
CAMPING AREA
CAMPING AREA
Bush camping in the West
South Australia's beautiful coast
Iron Range National Park Cape York
A WORD OR TWO FROM
THE EDITOR Matt Bloomfield Another month has gone by and before you know it, you will be packing the car full of all your camping gear for the summer holidays. It’s a great time of year to go camping, especially to one of the many coastal campgrounds that this great country of ours has to offer. So, here at Live2Camp it’s our job to make it easy for you to find that perfect campsite, and you can sit back, relax and enjoy your camping holidays. How do we do it, I hear you ask? Well, by travelling this vast country and filming every bush and beach campground we can find. Make sure that before you head off on your Summer holiday, you head to our website, read our online magazine or head to our Youtube channel where you will find the perfect camping area for you. I know, I know, we haven’t filmed all the campgrounds in Australia yet. But don’t worry, we have plans to have the majority of bush and beach campgrounds in Australia filmed by the end of 2020.
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These plans include the filming of campgrounds in Victoria and Tasmania next year and then, to finish off, a three-month filming expedition in beautiful Western Australia. At the end of this, we will have nearly all the best campgrounds in Australia filmed and ready for you to view on our website. It is going to be a very exciting couple of years. In the meantime, sit back and enjoy the latest edition of Live2Camp Magazine where we feature some great campgrounds including Speeds Point in South Australia, Chilli Beach in Queensland and Katie Hart will bring you her experience of Bullara Station Stay in Western Australia. Not to mention my opinion on free camping as well as our regular features. Happy Camping.
issue 23
contents 02 A WORD OR TWO from the Editor
04 SPEEDS POINT CAMPING AREA Yanerbie/Streaky Bay South Australia
06 CHILLI BEACH CAMPING AREA Iron Range National Park - Cape York
08 THE NORTH BLINMAN HOTEL The Pub in the Scrub
10 BULLARA STATION STAY Bush camping which surpasses all expectations
12 TIP OF THE MONTH The washing solution
13 UPCOMING CAMPING SHOWS Only a few left until 2019
14 TO FREE CAMP OR NOT Matt asks the question
16 A WOMANS PERSPECTIVE South Austalia - a magical place
Woolshed Cave - South Australia
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Speeds Point Camping Area
You would be hard pressed to find views like this in a five-star hotel. We slept under a million stars with the gentle sounds of waves hitting the rocks right beside our camper. WORDS BY MATT BLOOMFIELD
I didn’t really have any
Tucked away on the coastline
easily drive our trusty Patrol
expectations before we
between Streaky Bay and
and camper into this amazing
headed off on our recent trip
Venus Bay, the Speeds Point
camp spot. In fact, you can
to South Australia. I don’t
Campground is a very small
drive much bigger caravans in
know why but I hadn’t given
and unassuming campground.
without any fuss.
South Australia much thought,
In fact, as we approached the
As we pulled out of the last
after all we had not long
campground along the sandy
turn, the campground opened
returned from filming the
track, I stopped our vehicle
up in front of us. To be honest,
Northern Territory where we
and walked the last 100
there wasn’t much to see. Just
found some of the most
metres into the campground.
an open area with a sign in
amazing campgrounds you
The track was small, sandy
the centre letting us know that
could imagine. Well, I have to
and windy and with the
in fact the area was a
say, South Australia is a bit of
camper trailer on the back I
designated campground. The
a dark horse. We discovered
was a little nervous I was
campground is small, with
during our three-week filming
going to get stuck and as it
sand dunes to the rear and
trip that South Australia has
was late in the day, I was not
the ocean to the front and it
some of the best beach
in the mood for a 50-point
is fair to say that it did not
camping you will find
turn! A short walk though
take long for us to find our
anywhere in Australia and one
confirmed that the track in
camp spot for the night. It
of our favourites was the
was in fact a lot better than
also helped that we had the
Speeds Point Campground.
first thought and I was able to
entire place to ourselves!I
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We parked up in an elevated
I could barely control my
camping area is very small
area in the front corner of the
excitement and quickly walked
but all of this gives the
campground and once we
the 100 metres or so to the
campground a feeling
were set up, I realised just how
end of the point where we
cosiness. And the
special this little campsite is.
had uninterrupted views up
views are amazing, you would
We were perched right on
and down the coastline. This
be hard pressed to find views
the edge of crystal-clear seas
was truly a special place to
like this in a five star hotel.
with views out to the horizon
call home for the night.
We slept under millions of stars
from our camper. It is not very
Yep, it is only a simple
that night with the gentle
often you get to camp this
campground, but this is what I
sounds of waves hitting the
close to the ocean, especially
love about it the most. It is raw
rocks right beside our camper.
without fear of flooding as we
camping surrounded by nature
If you enjoy beach camping in
were well and truly protected
at its best. There are no
its most simplest of forms, I
by the rocks the campground
facilities, but this did not
can’t recommend the Speeds
sits on top off. We felt like we
matter in the slightest and all
Point Campground enough. It
were the only people left on
this for $10 a car per night.
is truly a perfect camping spot
Earth in one of the most
Yes, that’s right per car! You
with million dollar views
beautiful places you could
can have fires and the
thrown in for free.
be.
Click here for the Speeds Point camping area video
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C H I L L I B E A C H
IRON RANGE NATIONAL PARK CAPE YORK
Words by Matt Bloomfield How could you not want to go to a campground called Chilli Beach! Pretty cool name. Well, that’s what I thought anyway. And even though it’s a bit out of the way when you're travelling around up at Cape York in Queensland, a few people had told me that we had to go to Chilli Beach, so, that was it, we were going to go and check it out. I did wonder; were there lots of chilli plants there or is it just really cold? So, I’m not going to lie. It's quite a long drive out to the coast where Chilli Beach campground is located but it is so very beautiful. You weave your way through the Kutini-Payamu (Iron Range) National Park and it is an absolutely stunning drive. I recommend you take your time doing this journey and really soak in all the sights. It really is worth having a look around. We unfortunately, did not have a lot of time so we drove directly there, it wasn’t long before we were pulling into the campground. 6 LIVE2CAMP
Also unfortunately, Chilli Beach is one of the many Queensland campgrounds that you have to book online before arriving at, which makes it a little tricky because you have no idea what the campsites look like before you arrive. That was of course until we went out there and filmed it for you. When we went though, we pre-booked a campsite that according to the map had ocean views and what could be better then a campsite right next to the beach at Chilli Beach! A sheltered site that protects you from gale force winds that is! Yep, the wind was coming straight off the water at full force towards our campsite. Apparently, this is quite common for Chilli Beach so be aware. Luckily for us we had some friends that were camping at Chilli Beach at the same time as us and they had booked a campsite at the back of the area which was protected by the large trees that are spread throughout. They were kind enough to share their rather large campsite with us. And, once out of the wind, we set up camp and wasted no time getting out and exploring the beach. There are no chilli plants, just to let you know and it wasn’t cold either and I still do not know how Chilli Beach got its name. But, what there is though, is a good number of large campsites spread out along the beach in amongst large rainforest type shrubs that are punctuated by large palm trees. And then, there’s the beach. It was low tide while we were there which meant the perfect white sand seemed to stretch out for ever. We were able to walk for miles out through rocks getting very close to the many birds that call ‘Old Man Rock’ home. We spent hours climbing the rocks that were spread across the beach and looking into the many rock pools. I can’t even remember how many photo’s we took looking back at the campground from the beach with the palm trees lining the each. It felt just like being in Fiji or somewhere similar but without the crowds. I know it is a bit of a drive out there and it doesn’t have a lot of facilities, only composting toilets, but it was like being on a tropical island without the crowds. I highly recommend you make the effort and head out to the Chilli Beach campground next time you’re up that way. Click here for the Chilli Beach camping area video
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THE NORTH BLINMAN HOTEL The Pub in the Scrub Words and Images by James Guerin You can’t beat driving into a small country town with no expectations at all, to suddenly find a fantastic country pub! That’s exactly what happened to me when I drove into the small country town of Blinham in South Australia. Tucked right down the end of the main street of the beautiful historic town is the even more historic North Blinman Hotel. The Hotel first open in 1869 and has been beautifully maintained with its bullnose veranda, open fireplaces and stone floored hallways, The Hotel offers everything a traveller needs including beer, great meals, hotel rooms, a beer garden and camping out the back. And as their website says ‘Ice cold beer and a hearty outback feed. Life’s simple pleasures’ Truly, what more could you want from an Outback Pub?
1 Mine Rd, Blinman SA Ph: (08) 8648 4867 www.northblinmanhotel.com.au 8 LIVE2CAMP
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Gordon & Barbara Campbell
BULLARA STATION STAY Words and Images by Katie Hart - www.hartsontour.com.au Sitting around the camp fire at sunset, wine and damper in hand, we are entertained by Damper John as he tells tales of a much-loved working cattle station. Charlie, the bustard bird, wanders around the group, eyeing everyone off, trying to score a few crumbs and Maggie, the joey, hops from campsite to campsite looking for a scratch behind the ears! It doesn’t take long for us to be smitten with Bullara Station. Within easy reach of both Exmouth and Coral Bay and set on a quarter of a million acres, you’ll find bush camping and accommodation that totally surpasses expectations. Bullara welcomes you with open arms and a hive of activity. Station staff on bikes are 10 LIVE2CAMP
directing people to campsites, sheep are wandering around saying hello to visitors, the station-owners’ children are tending to their horses, people in the homestead garden are drinking “proper” coffee and eating homemade scones (gluten free ones too!), while Edwina, one of the station owners, enthusiastically welcomes visitors to her home of 20+ years. Bullara has been family-owned and run for 3 generations, with Tim’s family coming here in the 1920’s. Hospitality, in its true sense of the word, abounds here, as does quirkiness! You’ll find a bottle tree next to the well-designed camp kitchen, where empty bottles of all shapes and sizes hang, left by visitors each year.
For more information visit: www.bullara-station.com.au
The donkey showers and toilets are some of the best we’ve come across open to the stars, trees are used for hanging towels and recycled materials are used to blend them with their surroundings and create a sense of fun. Soap and handtowels are even provided! Up-cycled quirky metal sculptures made by workers are dotted around the campground. The station even has access to the Exmouth
Gulf from their land. Just a 40-minute drive (4wd needed) takes you to the pristine waters of Gales Bay, protected from the prevailing south-westerly wind, where you can launch a tinnie or fish in the creeks. If you have never done a station stay before, put this one at the top of the list! If you have done many, you will not be disappointed. Tim and Edwina really “get it” and it truly is a gem!
LIVE2CAMP.COM.AU BUSH AND BEACH CAMPING DIRECTORY click on the links:
LIVE2CAMP'S
TIP OF THE MONTH Camp wash - the alrounder
Words by Lize Bloomfield
Shampoo, hand soap, dishwash liquid, laundry liquid. Ok, you probably won't take the laundry liquid if you're only on a short trip, but all the rest are necessities I would say. A few weeks ago while camping with a bunch of friends, I noticed one of the guys using a handpump wash with difference; called 'Camp Wash', this stuff is great and meant for all sorts of washing jobs like hair, body, clothes and dishes. And all in one! After a bit of research I found that there are a number of brands available mostly from camping stores but this one was from Aldi. Great find and worth giving a try.
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UPCOMING CAMPING SHOWS november 2018 GIPPSLAND GREAT OUTDOOR & 4X4 EXPO Dates: 16 - 18 November 2018 Venue: Sale Racecourse, Maffra-Sale Road, Sale, Victoria Website: www.expeditionaustralia.com.au
BENDIGO CARAVAN & CAMPING LEISUREFEST Dates: 23 - 25 November 2018 Venue: Bendigo Racecours, Heinz Street, Bendigo, Victoria Website: ww.expeditionaustralia.com.au
WATCH THIS SPACE FOR SHOWS COMING IN
2019
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TO FREE-CAMP
OR NOT TO FREE CAMP WORDS BY MATT BLOOMFIELD
Everyone loves something for free. I love getting something for free, and if I can camp the night somewhere for free then I'm literally a 'happy camper'. But, is free camping always the best way to camp? This is something that Lize and I discussed at length on our last trip through South Australia. Camping has been done really well in South Australia and there are lots of really good low cost camping areas available. So, do you really need to free camp or is it worth spending just a few dollars to camp in a really nice area. We set a rule for ourselves not too long ago in relation to free camping. The rule is that if it’s not a designated camping area, and by that I mean the local council or governing body have not specified that it is a camping area, then we will not camp there. But if it's a free camping area and there is signage saying that camping is permitted, then we will more than happily settle in there. Having said this though, in my experience travelling around the country, I have only come across a hand full of free campgrounds that I would really enjoy camping at. Where I felt like I was properly camping and not just pulling into a cleared area and also that I felt safe camping there. A large number of free campgrounds I have pulled into have felt, to me anyway, very crowded, overused and very dirty. On many occasions, it appeared that, despite the posted lengthof-stay rules, that people were living in the free campgrounds in caravans and I would watch them get up early in the morning, put on there work clothes and head of to work for the day. This does not make me feel as if I am really camping and it also does not make me feel really safe camping there as it seems that I am not camping amongst other like-minded campers. Not like when I camp in a National Park or similar and everyone is camping there so as to enjoy the natural environment. I am always a lot more careful of my possessions when camping in a free campground like this as well. So the question is; is it really worth it or should I just spend the 10 bucks or so to camp down the road. More times than not, the decision is quite clear. For example, in South Australia you can camp in beautiful campgrounds with waterfront views for just $10 per vehicle per night. It was only $5 per person for us because we were just the two of us, but for a family of four, even cheaper. While in South Australia, more often than not, we chose to spend the small amount of money to stay in these type of campgrounds as we not only felt they were better quality campgrounds but that we were also putting some money back into the local community which would assist in keeping campgrounds like this in the area open.
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Of course, I’ve heard the argument that if a town offers a free campground that the people who stay in the campground will head into town and spend money at the local shops. In my experience this is really just a theory and does not happen in reality. I have stayed at these free campgrounds and very often watch the people camping there remaining around their campsites for the duration of their stay. They generally stay at the types of campgrounds because they want to save some money and not spend it. I know this isn’t true for everyone, but it does seem to be the general rule. I have read a lot of articles lately in other camping type magazines that write about some small country towns looking into opening free campgrounds for travellers. The majority of these small towns have decided against opening free campgrounds because the cost of maintaining them far outweighed the benefits of the campground.
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In order to maintain the free campgrounds, the small local council would have to employ rangers to enforce the local bylaws as well as cleaners to keep any facilities clean. This is much too expensive for small councils so surely, it’s not too much to ask to pay a small amount to use these campgrounds so these kinds of workers can be employed by the councils. Also, don’t start me on the travellers that pull off the highway into truck stops or rest stops. I know that these are free, but I have no idea why you would want to sleep there for the night. Surely, they must be vey noisy. Not exactly the serenity camping should be. Anyway, I know everyone will have an opinion on this as everyone has different camping needs. But why not next time you are travelling and about to pull into a free campground, why not driver a little further and pay a few dollars. It might just keep a beautiful campground open.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA - A MAGICAL PLACE
A WOMAN'S PERSPECTIVE By Lize Bloomfield
South Australia. From the red desert in the North, to the blue waters of the great Australian bight in the South, this state has something for everyone. We recently travelled a fair chunk of South Australia and it was a truly amazing trip. Just some of the great things we experienced were Cameron Corner, the Strzelecki Desert, Flinders Ranges National Park and the Gawler Ranges National Park. Then there was the South Coast including Streaky and Venus Bays, Lincoln National Park and the Yorke Peninsula. And then onto Mount Remarkable National Park which proved that South Australia just keeps on giving! The South coast is truly spectacular with rugged rocky beaches and rough seas and there are lovely bays with greenery that
stretches from the farmland up above, all the way to the ocean. There is still much we haven't seen in South Australia, but that will have to wait for another trip! Just make sure you go and visit this amazing State as well.
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Q U E S T I O N S A N S W E R S QUESTION: 1st of all love your website, keep it up its great. I was wondering if you can tell me the camping fees at Black Rocks Campground I the Bundjalong N/P. I have just watched your video and it looks great.
ANSWER: The fees for Black Rocks campground are $24.00 per night which includes two people, extra adults are $12, children $6 and children under 4 are free. We love Black Rocks, it's one of our favourites. We hope you enjoy it too.
QUESTION:
and messages QUESTION: Hi there Is little yabbie Creek camping area suitable for taking our a caravan out there is the road suitable for a caravan Thanks for your time
ANSWER: Hi Julienne, Thanks for contacting us. The Little Yabbie Creek camping area is suitable for a caravan and there are bituman roads all the way to the campground.
Just watched your Black Rocks camping video. I'm off to camp at black rocks this week and wanted to know how close the nearest convience store is?
ANSWER: Hi, you may want to bring everything you need for the weekend as there really isn't anything around that area. Probably the closest places area Woombah approx 1 hour south along the motorway or Woodburn 50 mins north on the motorway.
If you have any questions or just want to send us a message, please send them to info@live2camp.com.au
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Corny Point South Australia
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THE MAGAZINE TEAM Editorial: Matt Bloomfield Lize Bloomfield Authors: Matt Bloomfield James Guerin
Photography: Lize Bloomfield Katie Hart Lize Bloomfield Katie Hart
Design: Lize Bloomfield
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