Touring - Rest Area Usage

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Old.Tony

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I've recently been wondering about the practice of the gubberment putting "NO CAMPING" signs up in rest areas.

My first thought was to look for a nearby caravan park and in a great many cases, that's what you'll find. My cynical self cried out "That's why!" but I felt the need to delve further.

See, I think it's reasonable that a designated "rest area" is used to rest while on a journey. Those words are very important - read on.

It would therefore seem unreasonable to stop in a rest area, whip out some chairs and 3 slabs of beer, light a fire in the bay next to yours and start the process of encouraging all that beer to come back up in a big rush. Not to mention the attempt to put out the fire on the roof of the toilet block with your own portable fire hose. Or the flames coming out of the back of the po-lice car that's stopped in front of yours. "Just say thank you ossifah and think nuthin ov it".

Anyway, I decided to write to the NSW RMS (now "Service NSW", was "Roads and Maritime Services" before that and RTA before that). A very helpful lady wrote back and here's the exchange in its entirety. Don't let my attempt to pin this on the local caravan park miss your attention!

My email:

Re the rest area at 12 Mile Creek NSW - and possibly others - it is listed as being at Coordinates: -32.65873, 151.84733 for "westbound" (it's actually northbound, and the other area slightly further north is for southbound and listed as "eastbound").

The area has toilets and marked parking for small and large vehicles. Most likely because a caravan park located just near the Bucketts Way entry asked you, signs have been placed forbidding camping at any of these locations. My queries are:

1) What does "No Camping" specifically mean? Does it mean that I cannot stop there at all, or does it mean that I am not allowed to sleep there?

2) If I can't sleep there, and I'm supposed to call in to the caravan park, what am I to do after closing hours? Do I just have to keep on driving despite being too tired to safely continue?

I've noticed this sort of thing a lot in rest areas that happen to be near caravan parks. It's almost as if people are being encouraged to stay in the caravan park rather than the rest area, despit being unable to enter the caravan parks after hours.

Can you please be very, very specific about what "No camping" means?

Thanks!
Tony
As you can see, I was attempting to use the argument that a driver might be too tired to safely continue and be unable to enter the caravan park - reasonable, I thought. Anyway, here was the response.

Hi Tony

Thank you for your email about rest areas.

Driver fatigue is one of the three main killers on NSW roads and can be as dangerous as speeding or drink driving. Roads and Maritime Services is committed to providing rest areas along key routes in NSW to allow motorists to take appropriate breaks and to avoid fatigue. All motorists recognising the signs of fatigue are encouraged to plan their journey.

The maximum permissible stay in a rest area is not specified as all motorists’ needs are different, with varying levels of fatigue, at varying times of night and day. Nevertheless, rest areas are not designed to be camping grounds or caravan parks. Some may need to stop for a few hours until they are ready to continue their journey safely. Using rest areas for multiple overnight stays as part of a planned itinerary is not in keeping with their intended purpose and reduces the availability of space for motorists needing a break before continuing on their journey. Those needing facilities for an extended stay are encouraged to look for camping areas or caravan parks in towns along the way.

Roads and Maritime is currently working to enhance the network of state-wide rest areas, including improved signage, provision of coffee and refreshments and improved facilities.

We are also working to ensure heavy vehicle drivers are catered for with designated heavy vehicle rest areas available for them. In peak periods especially, holiday makers are encouraged to use rest areas designated for light and recreational vehicles.

Individual local councils not Roads and Maritime monitor and enforce restrictions related to the duration of stay in a road side rest area.

To help plan your trip visit the Roads and Maritime Interactive Rest Area Map at http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/usingroads/restareas/

I hope this has been of assistance.

Now the MOST important part of that response is this bit:

Using rest areas for multiple overnight stays as part of a planned itinerary is not in keeping with their intended purpose

Which basically means you can stay for ONE night. I've seen people patrolling the rest areas. If you do not move on, and are there for a second night, you run the risk of being fined for it.

So, if you're on a journey somewhere - use the rest areas by all means, even overnight - but only to REST. It shouldn't be one of your destinations!
 
Good find Tony!, I always got moved on around 7am in the morning when the inspectors clocked on. I am always wary of stopping overnight after an encounter with gypsies at an area before Dubbo. One tends to have a restless night sleep in these spots due to the thieves, however it's comforting to know an overnight stay is considered acceptable.
 
That sounds fair enough to me. They have similar rules up in the north of wa and actually have caravan and camping areas (with long drop toilets, caravan toilet dumps, some have water tanks, benches, etc) every so often (these are marked with large signs as 24hr stopping) as well as regular parking bays, to stop tourists taking up space for trucks. Especially triple road trains at 53m long, oversize loads, etc...

In saying all that, I can imagine the difference in population to the east coast, they will try and move them on as quickly as possible over there...
 
QLD went crackers on stopping everyone from staying overnight a few years ago, so all the old farts just ignored it and claimed "too tired to drive on". Again it was something pushed by the caravan parks and such, but it was rapidly repealed/no longer enforced.

To be honest, probably okay in a caravan, but I wouldn't want to do it in a camper trailer. We tend to go up a country road to nearest scrub or TSA where you can get out of the way.

BTW, there is a annual(?) book put out on places to stay and it usually lists all the places with basic facilities like travellers rest areas. Soz, but brain fart on name.
 
Terry, for finding camp spots, try the WikiCamps app for your smartphone. It has a map in it with thousands of destinations - both free and paid - with comments, photos, ratings and prices where applicable.
 

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