Tips and tricks to ease the camping planning
Planning a trip can always be a pain! Deciding where and when to go can take hours, if not days.
In today’s blog, we will be discussing some of the fundamental questions you should be asking yourself when planning a trip, followed by resources you can use to ensure your trip exceeds your expectations!
Questions to ask
First question - What landscape do I search for when camping?
Camping by water or inland can greatly reduce your search. Camping by the water might entail the beach where the coast would be your option. However, there are still some great spots to camp near water inland, and are great for fishing! Camping inland will is quite simple, you go east/west depending on the coast you’re on.
Second question - Will I camp by car or walk to a campsite?
Again, this will limit your results as not all campgrounds are accessible via car. Ensure you read the campsite details on the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Website prior to booking.
Third question - Do I want to be able to make a fire?
Personally, this is an instrumental factor when I decide on a campground. Fire is not only a way to keep warm, but to cook off as well. If you’re planning on NOT bringing any stove top system to cook on, ensure there is a fire or a public BBQ area.
Fourth question - How far do I want to travel?
To find a quality campground out of the Sydney CBD is usually at minimum 2 hours. However, there are still some within an hour's distance. Ensure you understand the location of the campground you’re going to and prepare for it. Additionally, know where the closest grocery store to the campground is as sometimes it may be too late to restock if needed.
Fifth question - Do I want the campground to have facilities?
Another huge deterrent for some people is the state of facilities that surround the campground. In particular, the toilet. Usually, you can tell the quality of the toilet for how expensive it is, as high booking prices infer there is upkeep. However, it is always good to double-check NSW National Parks and Wildlife and prepare based on the details they provide. For example, for a 5-day camp without showers, you may want to consider investing in a shower bag.
Resources
There is a tonne of resources out there that can help give you a visual of what some campgrounds may look like! If you’re lucky, attached to these visuals may be a review of the place of interest.
A great resource is a Facebook group — NSW bush camping locations. People from NSW post their adventures to the group accompanied by a review of the time spent and a bit on the location itself. A fantastic and authentic resource.
Something similar to this is YouTube. A lot of people will film the location they’re at provides a great 360 visualization of the place, and if you’re lucky, an up-to-date description of the place.
Lastly, is NSW National Parks and Wildlife. A great website that provides every detail you will need to know about the place, and of course, you’re able to book through them. Being government-owned ensures that the information provided is accurate, however, it may not be up to date as sometimes websites can be forgotten. Even so, it still remains the best resource for searching for a campsite.
Conclusion
There we have it! A quick rundown on the planning process of the trip that I hope will ease your mind out a bit. Don’t forget to a garbage bag and make our beautiful country clean and nature friendly. Take it easy!