Post by Mike Harding on Mar 24, 2024 12:17:19 GMT 10
I have spent the past five years living mostly in my caravan in the forests of Victoria and thought I'd start a thread to provide some hints and tips as each state has very different rules regarding bush camping.
Victoria is probably the most liberal state in regard to bush camping, there are very few places on public land which require payment for camping and they are mostly the tourist type places where city types go over Easter so they can tell their friends they "roughed it in the bush." I think most of the pay sites in National Parks are in places such as Wilson's Promontory and along The Great Ocean Road, most camp sites in other NPs are free, Wiki Camps will advise in this matter.
So: where can you set up your tent or caravan in the bush and not be troubled by anyone:
Victoria has a number of legal/formal land designations:
National Parks - camping is usually allowed but restrictions may apply.
State Parks - camping is usually allowed.
State Forests - camping is allowed.
Nature Conservation Reserves - camping is not allowed.
Flora and Fauna Reserves - camping is, generally, not allowed.
Historic areas - camping may be allowed.
Water (river) frontage - camping may be allowed.
How to tell the legal status of your proposed campsite? Oddly enough the Victorian government "Emergency app" is an excellent source of such information, its maps provide a good indication of land status:
Google Play
Even better is Map Share, but this is a large and complex programme most suited to a desktop computer but it will tell you *everything* about land in Victoria:
MapShare
Let's look at those different parks and forests in more detail:
National Parks (free sites): most NPs have designated campsites usually with toilets and tables and you may camp in these for up to 42 consecutive nights. Dogs, generators, firearms, drones, chain saws are prohibited, fires may, or may not, be allowed.
Some NPs or areas therein are designated as "Dispersed camping areas" (most of the Alpine NP is such). This means you may rough camp anywhere within that area. The tricky bit is discovering where these areas are, no one knows! That's not quite correct but if they do they're not telling. Certainly anyone you ask at Parks Victoria has no idea but, if you can find 'em you can camp there' The default position I adopt is to camp where I want in an NP and wait to be kicked out. The NP act actually states you should be given a chance to leave before being prosecuted so you're pretty safe. NB. The National Parks Act gives rangers considerable powers so if you are told to leave I suggest you do without argument.
State Parks - I'm hazy on the situation with SPs but I believe you can camp anywhere for 42 consecutive nights and in most, but not all, SPs the same dogs, firearms etc rules apply as in NPs, fires are generally allowed.
State Forests - I love SFs. In SFs you can do pretty much anything; camp where you like, use fallen timber for fires, firearms, dogs etc are permitted. Camping for a maximum of 28 consecutive nights is allowed. Under the SF act a ranger must have a "Good reason" to kick you out. However SF and NP rangers are chalk and cheese: the SF boys are usually locals who have spent their life in the bush and know what's what. The NP people seem to have degrees in ecology or similar, know the rules and think no one but them should be allowed in to the bush. The NP people will be the first against the wall when the revolution comes if I have any say!
Water Frontage - Despite, or perhaps because of, recent changes to the Land Act WF camping is currently a complete dog's breakfast legally. Most WF is under lease to farmers and, effectively, you cannot camp on it, those areas not under lease are open to camping. Map Share is the only sensible way to ascertain lease status. Much of the Murray River has WF available for camping as does some of the Goulburn River, there are other spots on smaller rivers designated as "Streamside Reserves" where you may camp. WF camping is governed by similar rules to State Forests.
Some things *should* go without saying but I'll say them anyway:
Do not use soap in waterways - ever.
Do not cut down standing timber.
Do not feed animals or leave waste food for them.
Do not camp within 20m of water.
Always bury toilet waste at least 200mm+ deep and 100m from waterways, including dry ones.
Burn or bury waste food.
Do not leave rubbish - if you can carry it in... you can carry it out.
And, please, simply take care of the bush.
Wiki Camps: WC has a lot of good information but not all of it is accurate: one thing which you should not rely upon is the land status given to campsites, this is determined by the author of the entry and most people have no idea at all. Be aware also many older maps are now incorrect regarding land status as many State Forests have been converted to Nature Conservation Reserves (National Parks by stealth).If this is important to you either check on Map Share or telephone the appropriate government department:
Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action - for State Forests.
Parks Victoria - for everything else.
This is a living document and I'll revise or add to it over time.
Comments and questions welcome.
Victoria is probably the most liberal state in regard to bush camping, there are very few places on public land which require payment for camping and they are mostly the tourist type places where city types go over Easter so they can tell their friends they "roughed it in the bush." I think most of the pay sites in National Parks are in places such as Wilson's Promontory and along The Great Ocean Road, most camp sites in other NPs are free, Wiki Camps will advise in this matter.
So: where can you set up your tent or caravan in the bush and not be troubled by anyone:
Victoria has a number of legal/formal land designations:
National Parks - camping is usually allowed but restrictions may apply.
State Parks - camping is usually allowed.
State Forests - camping is allowed.
Nature Conservation Reserves - camping is not allowed.
Flora and Fauna Reserves - camping is, generally, not allowed.
Historic areas - camping may be allowed.
Water (river) frontage - camping may be allowed.
How to tell the legal status of your proposed campsite? Oddly enough the Victorian government "Emergency app" is an excellent source of such information, its maps provide a good indication of land status:
Google Play
Even better is Map Share, but this is a large and complex programme most suited to a desktop computer but it will tell you *everything* about land in Victoria:
MapShare
Let's look at those different parks and forests in more detail:
National Parks (free sites): most NPs have designated campsites usually with toilets and tables and you may camp in these for up to 42 consecutive nights. Dogs, generators, firearms, drones, chain saws are prohibited, fires may, or may not, be allowed.
Some NPs or areas therein are designated as "Dispersed camping areas" (most of the Alpine NP is such). This means you may rough camp anywhere within that area. The tricky bit is discovering where these areas are, no one knows! That's not quite correct but if they do they're not telling. Certainly anyone you ask at Parks Victoria has no idea but, if you can find 'em you can camp there' The default position I adopt is to camp where I want in an NP and wait to be kicked out. The NP act actually states you should be given a chance to leave before being prosecuted so you're pretty safe. NB. The National Parks Act gives rangers considerable powers so if you are told to leave I suggest you do without argument.
State Parks - I'm hazy on the situation with SPs but I believe you can camp anywhere for 42 consecutive nights and in most, but not all, SPs the same dogs, firearms etc rules apply as in NPs, fires are generally allowed.
State Forests - I love SFs. In SFs you can do pretty much anything; camp where you like, use fallen timber for fires, firearms, dogs etc are permitted. Camping for a maximum of 28 consecutive nights is allowed. Under the SF act a ranger must have a "Good reason" to kick you out. However SF and NP rangers are chalk and cheese: the SF boys are usually locals who have spent their life in the bush and know what's what. The NP people seem to have degrees in ecology or similar, know the rules and think no one but them should be allowed in to the bush. The NP people will be the first against the wall when the revolution comes if I have any say!
Water Frontage - Despite, or perhaps because of, recent changes to the Land Act WF camping is currently a complete dog's breakfast legally. Most WF is under lease to farmers and, effectively, you cannot camp on it, those areas not under lease are open to camping. Map Share is the only sensible way to ascertain lease status. Much of the Murray River has WF available for camping as does some of the Goulburn River, there are other spots on smaller rivers designated as "Streamside Reserves" where you may camp. WF camping is governed by similar rules to State Forests.
Some things *should* go without saying but I'll say them anyway:
Do not use soap in waterways - ever.
Do not cut down standing timber.
Do not feed animals or leave waste food for them.
Do not camp within 20m of water.
Always bury toilet waste at least 200mm+ deep and 100m from waterways, including dry ones.
Burn or bury waste food.
Do not leave rubbish - if you can carry it in... you can carry it out.
And, please, simply take care of the bush.
Wiki Camps: WC has a lot of good information but not all of it is accurate: one thing which you should not rely upon is the land status given to campsites, this is determined by the author of the entry and most people have no idea at all. Be aware also many older maps are now incorrect regarding land status as many State Forests have been converted to Nature Conservation Reserves (National Parks by stealth).If this is important to you either check on Map Share or telephone the appropriate government department:
Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action - for State Forests.
Parks Victoria - for everything else.
This is a living document and I'll revise or add to it over time.
Comments and questions welcome.
