Bogan-meter: campgrounds to avoid or to see in VIC

[Hallu]

After my camping fiasco this week end in the Grampians, I thought I'd list the nice campgrounds I've experienced, and the worst. For some reason, in Tassie I've only experienced great campgrounds : even when they're full of people, it's quiet and courteous. In VIC, it's always been a different story, with a 50/50 chance of hitting a bogan/noisy kids black spot. Please help me fill this topic with your own experiences.

Eastern VIC :

- Croajingolong : Wingan Inlet ( Hallu ) : not that popular when I was there (2 days before Christmas), about 50 % full. Not too noisy, I guess it's nicely secluded. Thurra river : some noisy families swimming in the river, pretty much packed. Not that bad, but not that great.

- Wilsons Promontory : Tidal River ( Hallu ) : some rate it as the best campground in VIC, I rate it as one of the worst. Almost always packed, noisy, full of wombats tearing your tent apart in search of food, close to the mosquito infested river, right next to the main road and visitor center... if you're looking for quiet and secluded, avoid at all costs. Every time I go to the prom', I just stay at Foster, there's a nice a cheap motel (which is a YHA, but with motel style rooms, including 2 bedrooms, kitchen and living room for like 80 $ a night... ).

Melbourne region :

- Cathedral Ranges : Neds Gully Camping Area ( Hallu ) : The scenery is nice, you can book it online, but it's a popular spot amongst young Aussies playing games and drinking beer. I wouldn't stay there.

West Victoria :

- Great Otway : Aire River East ( Hallu ) : This is one is a must see even though it's a noisy popular spot, and the river brings lots of mosquitoes. It's actually one of the best spots in VIC to observe koalas from up close. Especially early in the morning when they walk about, fearless because everybody's asleep.

Lake Elizabeth Camping Ground ( Trickos ) : just out of Forrest in the Otways. For such a small campground (about 15 spots) it fills over capacity regularly with big Mountain Biker groups who like to stay up all hours and party. A recent example was - My wife and I were lucky nab a small campsite with a fireplace - after extinguishing the fire and going to bed a noisy group proceeded to relight the fire and carry on. The fire place was right at our doorstep!
Apart from that it is a great area to explore and would highly recommend the 6 or 7 kms to walk around the lake. Or the million mountain bike trails......

- Grampians : Stapylton ( Hallu ) : although accessible only via gravel road, and in the Northern part of the Grampians (less popular than the Halls Gap area) it's absolutely packed, and noisy. The scenery is nice, with an aboriginal art shelter next to it, kangaroos, but it's just too popular. I may give it another shot in winter...

- Little Desert : Horseshoe Bend ( Hallu ) : : A busy camping ground, full of families and bogans. It's next to the river and those same bogans use noisy motorboats there. Ackle Bend ( Hallu ) : Only a couple hundred meters from Horseshoe Bend, it's usually almost empty because only one spot is right by the river. It is then much better. However, if Horseshoe Bend is empty, go for it. Kangaroos and emus frequent both campgrounds.

- Hattah-Kulkyne : Lake Hattah ( Hallu ) : I went there in September last year, so it's not exactly peak season, there were about 4 cars. But it's a really nice quiet spot (mind the sand though, some spots are only accessible with a 4WD) right next to the lakes, full of birds.

- Murray-Sunset : Lake Crosbie ( Hallu ) : to me the most scenic campground in VIC, right next to the pink lake. Big camp spots with picnic tables. Mind you I was there in March, so it's not peak season. The flies weren't that bad though, and to enjoy the star filled sky and fauna it's just perfect.

[neilmny]

Hallu, the sad? fact is that if a car can get there anyone can get there and if a 4wd can get there same problem.
Try going off season or somewhere different (not so touristy) to everyone else.
Always take some heavy duty repellant like Bushman or Rid (I hate spray ons) or even better take someone
else with you that the mossies will like more
Attacking your tent???? I thought a Wombat only eats roots and leaves

[Hallu]

Nah in Tidal River it's fairly common to have wombats tearing up your tent in order to eat your food. It's just like with bears, they have a great sense of smell, and you shouldn't leave food in your tent.

[trickos]

Great subject, this could really get a lot of people talking each giving their opinion - after all it can be such a circumstantial based experience.

I'll add one that I've experienced a lot of boganism(!?) at:
Lake Elizabeth Camping Ground, just out of Forrest in the Otways. For such a small campground (about 15 spots) it fills over capacity regularly with big Mountain Biker groups who like to stay up all hours and party. A recent example was - My wife and I were lucky nab a small campsite with a fireplace - after extinguishing the fire and going to bed a noisy group proceeded to relight the fire and carry on. The fire place was right at our doorstep!
Apart from that it is a great area to explore and would highly recommend the 6 or 7 kms to walk around the lake. Or the million mountain bike trails......

[Hallu]

I love the Lake Elizabeth walk, one of my top forest walks : the bit at the end of the lake where you cross it on duckboard amongst tall grass is just beautiful. But yeah it looked like a popular spot, I've added your contribution to the original post.

[wander]

Wonongatta River from Zeka Spur, very attractive.

[Pongo]

I've never had this displeasure of going to Tidal River in the peak season, the most I've seen there are about a dozen people. However, once I discovered that it has a seasonal police station and medical centre it made my no go list!

I second the idea that if a car can get to a camp site, avoid it in peak times.

[Nuts]

Iv'e found the State Forests great when passing through Vic, especially on week days. Last winter we split at Renmark and I was travelling back to Tas solo. For the Gramps I did spend a night at Rosies but then two nights with the SF as a base (on the way to Arrarat) to explore more in the area. Would help to have 4wd though so you can get a bit off the beaten tracks but they are a much nicer experience than spending a night at a typical park campsite. It's not so much the local bogans as the hordes of city escapees that i'd avoid (especially avoiding school hols as well as weekends if possible). Almost any camp'site' has potential for trouble.. avoid campsites..

[Hallu]

The problem is State Forests are managed by the DSE, not by Parks VIC and their website is absolutely rubbish, it's hell to find any info on the individual reserves.

[Pteropus]

...Almost always packed, noisy, full of wombats tearing your tent apart in search of food...

Meanwhile, over on the wildlife’s Habitat forum, the wombats (and the brushtail possums) are debating the pros and cons of humans in their habitat: Pro: humans provide nice grassy areas for foraging AND regularly turn up with additional sugary treats; Con: humans tend to put flimsy structures up on said grass, and hide their treats within, and generally chase wombats and possums when they finally access said treats after working out how to break down the sides of the flimsy structure.

btw, it never ceases to amaze me that people leave rubbish when camping, whether in easy accessible area or in remote areas. Anyone who bothers to camp must be there to enjoy the environment that is in some kind of natural state...but perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised after the way we (humans in general) perceive the environment, and treat each other...

[Stew63]

We were down at Wilson's Prom last week - it was the 2nd week of school holidays - (ie. the week following the Easter break) and the campground and general area and all beaches were virtually deserted - in perfect weather! Choose any campsite - it was that empty. No mosquitos, no crowds but the odd wombat at night. Spent ~4hours at Squeaky Beach and saw no more than about 5 or 6 people!

Avoid ANY campsites anywhere along the Howqua River (ie. SheepYard Flat and surrounds) on long weekends, Easter etc. Wall to wall bogans, tents, 4x4s, noise, trailbikes, generators, chainsaws etc. - Do Not Go There!

[corvus]

Got to laugh at those of you who deem to denigrate ordinary working people on this forum WHY ??

[Hallu]

Who said immigrants to Australia didn't have the right to HAVE AN OPINION ? What's the matter with you ?

[matagi]

Got to laugh at those of you who deem to denigrate ordinary working people on this forum WHY what makes you so superior also as an incomer like me Hallu how come you are such an expert eh!!

I haven't read any denigration of ordinary working people. "Bogan" does not equal "ordinary working person".

I'm guessing that as a relative newcomer, Hallu had not previously been exposed to the full horror of the school holidays. One of the advantages of being childless, is that you can take your breaks outside of those dates.

[wander]

Camping spans a wide range of methods from barefoot minimalists through to 8 wheel caravans with a boat on top and 2 dirt bikes on the back and everything in between.

The issue is not how the camping is done but how it impacts others and this is where people find it easy to be critical of folks whose camping involves say creation of noise by chain saws, dirt bike engines, boom boxes and the like. I think people can do all they like with these toys and there like so long as they do not disturb others. But this is possibly impossible in some places hence the conflict. And maybe this is how we could define a bush bogan, a camper who uses a methodology that impacts others without care.

The other impact is on the environment. All people no matter how gentle they think they tread do leave an impact. At some point the impact moves from being almost unmeasurable (our barefoot light walker) to being long term visible (our hard footed track forming walkers) to being longer term visible and arguably damaging (dirt bike trails in some terrains and soils).

Then there are the impacts of the removal of things like timber for fires, this is a separate topic in itself.

And then there is the leaving of massive fire pits full of rubbish such as tin cans, bottles, drink containers and the like. Again a bush bogan defining activity.

I do not think we can define where bush bogans come from or what causes them. They come from everywhere and all walks of life.

They certainly exist, are very very difficult to retrain and are best avoided.

[Hallu]

Yeah to be clear I don't mind the noise, kids playing around etc... when it's before let's say 10 pm. But afterwards people should keep it to quiet chatting, no more.

[stepbystep]

Yeah to be clear I don't mind the noise, kids playing around etc... when it's before let's say 10 pm. But afterwards people should keep it to quiet chatting, no more.

Good luck with that Hallu!

'Bogans' head out bush on public holidays to have what they perceive as fun, because this differs from you and me does that make it wrong? Anyone going to popular public campgrounds at these times should expect the worst and hope for the best. Or be more creative with where they camp, that's why I bushwalk!

[Hallu]

At no point did I mention the campground reviews were specifically for public holidays. All my mishaps with those people were outside public holidays.

[Nuts]

The problem is State Forests are managed by the DSE, not by Parks VIC and their website is absolutely rubbish, it's hell to find any info on the individual reserves.

i don't really understand, do you mean info to pass on? The SFs are marked on the most basic maps. We just drive around looking for somewhere sneaky. Then we camp.

Some parks this might not be convenient but a group of us once spent months (ok, abt nine weeks) in Vic camping this way. 'Bogans' are pretty predictable. The irony, anyone looking at us would probably guess we were bogans yet its been decades (well.. years at least) since ive been pissed, we never leave rubbish and 10pm is after my bedtime .. perhaps that's the answer, 'look' like a bogan, scare others away

[Hallu]

Well I used the term bogan but really it could be anyone. At Aire River, what kept me awake were some Spaniards who ate at the hour they eat in their country : around 11 pm...

What I mean about the SFs is that there's no fact sheet as for the national parks on Parks VIC website. Their map shows the reserves yes, but only if you zoom in to see if there are some in a particular area, there's no clickable icon or a general map which would allow you to see them all at once. That bugs me because I love hidden secret spots.

[wander]

I think it is a gross assumption that any State Forest, State Park, Conservation park or National Park is actually managed.

National Parks come close but the people tasked with such a job are so grossly under resourced there is no hope of any true management. As for the other types of parks it seems that half the battle is finding out who is actually responsible (Council, or a State Gove Department, but which one?) never mind if they have any resources implementing anything approaching management.

[Hallu]

OK but let's focus on campgrounds now =)

[Tortoise]

Re the Grampians - For a while I was a little frustrated by the advertised possibility of car camping at 'non-designated sites' (if those sites met the park's guidelines of distances from main roads etc), as I didn't actually find real spots that were suitable.

Then one day I met a very kind and helpful ranger who took his highlighter to my maps, and gave me a number of options.

What became my 1st pick didn't technically fulfil the guidelines, as it was too short a distance from a paying campground. But Mr Helpful Ranger said that the guidelines were a general thing, and there were some spots that they still considered suitable. So we could happiliy go for it!!

Never shared a campsite again. I imagine stuff has changed in the past umpteen years, but it's probably still worth asking till you get some specifics.

The same might be true in other Vic parks.

[north-north-west]

Re the Grampians - For a while I was a little frustrated by the advertised possibility of car camping at 'non-designated sites' ...Then one day I met a very kind and helpful ranger who took his highlighter to my maps, and gave me a number of options...
The same might be true in other Vic parks.

Of course. I hardly ever stay at official campsites when car-camping. I've found all sorts of better spots to overnight.
A couple of very good ones in the Northern Grumps (and no, I'm not going to advertise them here), plenty of places between Tamboritha and Howitt, or elsewhere in the ANP. It's just a matter of keeping your eyes open when you're driving in and checking out anything that looks even vaguely possible.
It helps that I can sleep in the car when necessary, although I seldom do that these days. Tents are so much more comfortable.

[surly 17]

Campgrounds I do like, Lake Catani on Mt Buffalo, Ive stayed there over Christmas for the last 2 years with the family.
Langi Ghiran nice camp we were the only ones there last time I was there and Whroo campground great spot especially in winter.
One place I would never stay again is Loch Valley near Nojee.

[Tortoise]

It's just a matter of keeping your eyes open when you're driving in and checking out anything that looks even vaguely possible.

Yep - but I don't seem to be able to multi task! Checked out a number of places that were no good, and gave up too soon. Perseverance definitely pays.

[andrewa]

I had a laugh last week when I read The Age about 3 guys who were going to climb the highest peaks in each state in 27 seconds, or similar. They referred to Mt Bogon in Victoria......my favourite place.

I would presume that we all enjoy different styles of camping, dependent on what we're aiming for. I love the wilderness in NZ (fly fishing), snow camping on Mt "Bogon", boat camping, car camping (Howqua etc), and camping with other families, even with music etc. my expectations of a weekend vary according to what I'm doing. I try not to impose on others in the vicinity, but I can imagine that a solo hiker camping next to us all on a multifamily car camping weekend up the Howqua might consider us Bogans.

Maybe the title of the post would have been better something like " where can I go camping and avoid noisy campers who litter.

Andrewa

[andrewbish]

One place I would never stay again is Loch Valley near Nojee.

Ah yes, Loch Valley. Some years ago I drove into the car park area there with my young family. As we were slowing down to stop we were surprised to see a bloke wandering towards our van with his tackle on full display. I sped up again and off we went.

[neilmny]

One place I would never stay again is Loch Valley near Nojee.

Ah yes, Loch Valley. Some years ago I drove into the car park area there with my young family. As we were slowing down to stop we were surprised to see a bloke wandering towards our van with his tackle on full display. I sped up again and off we went.

I suspect that may have been a ploy to move you on.........if so it understandably worked

[Onestepmore]

:
Attacking your tent???? I thought a Wombat only eats roots and leaves

Hubby and son have been the victims of a 'wombat attack' - not in Vic but on Griffins Farm flat in Moreton NP south of Sydney.
It was a brand new tent, ripped easily by the pawings of a wombat trying to get in.
it could have been worse.....there might have been Dropbears lurking above

Seriously, some of the wombat holes are large enough to lose a small child in. We had a Jack Russel terrier disappear down one for a couple of hours on a friend's property, until he finally decided he'd come out. Of course he got sarcoptic mange that we had to treat him for later.
Or, worse still, you could break an ankle on a midnight bio trip sans headtorch!