Free Stay Camping
About
Here are some tips we have discovered as we travel around Australia trying to take full advantage of opportunities to be able to 'free stay'.
Do your research!
We definitely love a good free stay (some are definitely better than others).
As we currently have a Camper Trailer, we find it necessary to research the spot we are heading to mainly to ensure it is safe. We love using WikiCamps, as it has up-to-date reviews from fellow campers. We also save relevant posts from our fantastic Instagram tribe. They provide some many great recommendations.
Time your arrival!
We definitely love a good free stay (some are definitely better than others). We have found that in the high season of travelling inland of Australia and sometimes on the coastline, if you are heading towards a 'free stay', then you need to arrive there by around 2pm. If it is a really popular free stay destination, after this time the available spots become very limited.
Be prepared!
Free Stays may or may not have toilets. Doing your research beforehand will help. Of course, if you have a caravan with an ensuite then you are fine. However, like us, if you are in a camper trailer or non-ensuite van, then this will be important. We do travel with a portable toilet for these situations. However, many of the free stays seem to have at least one toilet available.