Permits and Fees

[Toad]

Hello, I am planning to travel to Australia in a few months. A good portion of my trip will be spent camping and doing multi day hikes.

In regards to Qeensland, I am trying to get a feel for how regulated this will all be. I understand that, obviously, popular national parks with designated campsites will have fees and bookings, but what about the more remote and less popular hikes with no real maintained campsites? Where I am from (b.c canada) if you go into the wilderness backcountry outside government managed trails you are basically on your own without fees or permits.

Does this apply to Queensland? For instance a gov website says "Bush camping (with few or no facilities) is allowed in some parks. Bush campers must camp well away from streams, lakes, walking tracks and picnic areas. Camper numbers are limited and camping permits are required and fees apply." Does this mean that ALL camping in national and Queensland state parks requires permits and fees? Does this extend to non-parks as well?

If this is so, how enforced is this? Are you likely to actually run into a ranger and get fined for camping in the bush?

I suppose I am somewhat concerned as my travel style is very flexible (hitchiking, not planning the exact number of nights to camp) as well as financially I use remote camping as a way to ease the overall cost of lodging.

[jdman]

If you are remote camping you have next to no chance of bumping into a ranger.
Enjoy your trip and stay safe

[Gadgetgeek]

I think the main thing is making sure you are on public land, and not private. Landowners will cause more trouble than the rangers, and a lot of public land is fully surrounded by private, no-access land. Also unlike BC where there is a massive park area, that's not as much the case here. Its pretty hodge-podge, took me a while to find all the info I needed. As long as you don't look like you are trying to squat somewhere you shouldn't, you'll be fine. And I know there are a few parks and campsites that are just a couple bucks a person per night.

[Toad]

I'm finding it somewhat challenging to find track info for stuff other than popular great walks. Having to scour forums, websites and track down obscure books. I see what you mean about it being hodge-podge. Looking at the map of parks looks like looking at a quilt, with little patches everywhere. Funny it should be that way considering how huge Australia is. Jdman is probably right, hard to imagine rangers out in all these random places collecting fees.