Camping is one of the best ways to experience Australia & New Zealand, and responsible camping is the best way to ensure our campgrounds, parks and wild places are preserved for generations to come. We here at CamperMate kindly ask that all travellers practice responsible camping out of respect for the environment and nature, for the local community, for the wildlife, and of course for your fellow campers arriving soon after you leave. Here’s a few suggestions from us on how to camp responsibly.
Minimise your impact on your surroundings by leaving an area as clean (or cleaner) than you found it. It goes without saying but if no bins are present for general waste, please take all rubbish with you – including any food scraps. Food waste is harmful to native flora and fauna, and can even impact crops. Keep spare garbage bags handy in your vehicle so you can easily take rubbish with you when you depart, then recycle, compost and dispose of it appropriately.
Please respect our home and other travellers by using the proper facilities when nature calls. Use public toilets or the loo in your vehicle in the first instance. The CamperMate app has a map filter that will show the closest public toilet locations.
For vehicles with toilets, please use an official dump station to dispose of your waste appropriately. Again CamperMate helps you locate these facilities via the Dump Stations map filter. Please take care to keep the area clean when emptying your waste into the dump stations, and also wash the area after disposal if hoses are provided.
If you’re in a remote part of the country without a toilet onboard or available within a reasonable distance – and you really have to go – dig a hole at least 30cm deep and bury your waste, including your toilet paper. Make sure you are at least 100m from water sources, and never leave your waste or toilet paper uncovered as disease and contamination can spread to wildlife.
In populated areas across Australia and New Zealand, tap water is safe to drink unless displayed otherwise. To reduce single-use waste, use a refillable bottle for drinking water whenever possible, and fill your water tanks from the water refill locations available at most caravan and holiday parks. You can filter Water locations on your Campermate app too. If bought water is required, shop smart and buy water in bulk containers.
Bringing a lot of water with you is crucial for your safety when travelling in the Outback across Australia, but regardless of where your road trip is taking you, it’s good practice to bring your own water when free camping, as there may not be any available at your camping sites. Any water provided in remote and drought-prone areas should be carefully conserved to prevent it running dry.
Again, use camp kitchens, public showers and laundry facilities provided at campgrounds and caravan parks or found on the Campermate app in the first instance. When it comes to cleaning your dishes, clothes and yourself when you’re off-grid, make sure you are not near major waterways. Soap and detergent can be harmful to plant and animal life in and around water. Grey water should be poured on the ground, into the soil where possible.
Although you might feel like you’re helping a little critter out by sharing your lunch, this is generally a big no-no as human food will cause wildlife more harm than good. It’s also important to remember that these animals are wild and shouldn’t be approached, for your own safety and theirs. Pack binoculars and enjoy the wildlife respectfully from a distance.
A self-contained vehicle does not automatically mean it’s legal or safe to pull up anywhere and set up camp for the night. Both Australia and New Zealand have a number of clearly marked day and night rest areas, many of which you will find as a filter in the CamperMate app. Keep your eye out for rest stops, truck stops and bush camps. These will usually be slightly off the main road and less prone to crime than roadside camping.
When using rest stops and free campsites, please be considerate of all the other campers by keeping the noise to a minimum, especially if you arrive after dark or late in the evening. To be safe, always keep your vehicle doors locked at night. If you are unsure of the rest stop’s guidelines, just ask around the campsite. Look out for “honesty boxes” or “donation boxes” at these sites, as it’s a great way to show appreciation and support the on-going maintenance of free facilities.
We recommend using free camps to complement stays at caravan parks, holiday parks and paid campgrounds to guarantee a really fun and comfortable experience. You’ll meet a heap of new friends and potential road trip companions, plus you’ll appreciate the great cooking, toilet and shower facilities onsite after being on the road for a few days.
Take extreme care when lighting fires. If you can avoid using an open fire, it’s best to do so. Many self-contained vehicles will have their own cooking facilities built-in, or if you’re travelling with a small sleeper-van or tent, you can use a portable gas cooker. Where and when campfires are permitted, use the existing drums and fire rings to prevent leaving new fire scars on the ground. Always look up the current fire warnings for the areas you might want to light a fire in, as the fines can be hefty and the impact catastrophic. As the Australian bushfires of 2019/2020 showed, fire fronts can move so fast, so always remain vigilant and informed during bushfire activity. In fact, CamperMate also issues fire alerts so be sure to have your alerts turned on to receive those very important updates to keep your travels safe.
Camping is one of the most popular ways to enjoy some of the best parts of Australia & New Zealand, however we here at CamperMate ask that if you are looking to go camping then please camp responsibly, for the environment & nature, for the public or private land use, for the wildlife or of course also for your fellow campers that may follow you soon after you leave. Here’s a few suggestions from us on how to do it responsibly.
Minimise your impact on your surroundings by being respectful. This just doesn’t apply to general rubbish, which goes without saying that if no bins are present to please take all rubbish with you, but it also applies to any food remnants, these should also be gathered up and taken with you for later disposal as impact to local animals, plants or crops can be impacted by your food wastes. Simply leave the space just as clean as you found it, and take away all rubbish with you when you depart.
Please respect our home and other travellers by using the proper facilities. Use a public toilet or the one in your vehicle if you have one. The CamperMate app helps to outline these public toilet locations via the filter in the map. For vehicles with toilets, please use an official dump station to dispose of your waste appropriately, again CamperMate helps you locate these on the map with the Dump Stations map filter. Please take care when emptying your waste into the dump stations to keep the area clean and also wash the area after disposing if hoses are provided. If you’re in a remote part of the country and you do not have a toilet onboard or one is available within a reasonable distance, then if you really have to go, dig a hole at least 30cm deep and bury your waste, including your toilet paper. Never leave your waste or toilet paper uncovered as disease and contamination can spread to wildlife.
Shop smart by buying water in bulk for your personal needs and fill your water tanks from the water refill locations available at most caravan and holiday parks. In populated areas across Australia and New Zealand, tap water is safe to drink unless it is displayed otherwise. Use a refillable bottle for personal drinking use when possible. Bringing a lot of water with you is crucial for your safety when travelling in the Outback across Australia, but regardless of where your road trip is taking you, it’s good practice to bring your own water when free camping, as there may not be any available at your camping sites. Any water provided in remote areas should be carefully conserved, as it’s very scarce and may run dry otherwise.
When it comes to cleaning your dishes or even washing yourself, make sure you are not near major waterways, because if soap and detergent gets into the water, it can be harmful to the water life in it and around it. Get rid of your grey water by pouring it on the ground into the soil where possible.
Although you might feel like you are helping a little critter out by helping them get fed, generally speaking you wont know their general diet and may well cause them more harm than good. Also, it’s important to remember that these animals are wild and shouldn’t be approached, for your own safety and theirs
Just because your vehicle is designed for sleeping, that does not mean that it is legal or safe to pull up anywhere and set up camp for the night. Both Australia and New Zealand have a number of clearly marked day and night stop parking areas, many of which you will find as a filter in the CamperMate app of course. Keep your eye out for rest stops, truck stops and bush camps, these will usually be slightly off the main road and are less prone to crime than roadside camping. When camping or stopping at these rest stops or overnight free campsites please be considerate of all the other campers nearby you when it comes to noise, especially if you arrive after dark or late in the evening. To be safe, always keep your vehicle doors locked at night. If you are unsure of the stop guidelines be sure to chat to fellow travellers there to ask what the go is. Look out for “honesty boxes” or “donation boxes” at these sites, as it’s a great way to show appreciation so that more and more travellers into the future can enjoy the same facilities as you have. Of course, it also goes without saying, jump onto CamperMate to also locate 1000’s of great paid for caravan parks, holiday parks and camp grounds for a really fun experience. You’ll meet a heap of new friends and potential road trip companions. Plus of course most have great cooking, toilet and shower facilities on site that make a much needed oasis after being on the road for a few days.
Take extreme care when lighting fires. If you can avoid using an open fire, it’s best to do so. Many self-contained vehicles will have their own cooking facilities – even if you’re travelling in a small sleeper-van, you can use a portable gas cooker instead. Always look up the current fire warnings for the areas you might want to light a fire in, as the fines can be hefty. As the catastrophic Australian bushfires of 2019/2020 showed, fire fronts can move so fast, so always remain vigilant in areas that maybe experiencing a bushfire nearby. In fact, CamperMate also issues fire alerts so be sure to have your alerts turned on to receive those very important updates to keep your travels safe.