Australian's National Parks

Travel and explore AUSTRALIA and all it has to offer. Whether you go camping,  RV'ing,  Hotel or Motel accommodation style, or your own caravan.  National Parks have so much to offer.

National parks are only one of many types of reserves dedicated for nature conservation in Australia. The others include nature reserves, historic sites, Aboriginal sites, game reserves and scientific areas.
Altogether there are more than 3200 nature conservation areas in Australia, including 665 or more national, conservation and other parks, which occupy nearly 410 000sq km. or just over 5 per cent of the continent's land area. In addition there are more than 220 protected offshore areas, such as marine parks, aquatic reserves, fish sanctuaries and historic shipwrecks. These aquatic areas occupy approximately 384 000 sq km. Beyond Australia's coastal waters there are two other national parks, Christmas Island  National Park and Norfolk Island National Park, as well as national nature reserves that protect reefs and cays to the north and east of the continent. Two of these nature reserves, Coringa Herald National Nature Reserve and Lihou Reef, have a combined area of approximately 17 300 sq km.
National parks  are set up and managed by the states and territories, each of which has its own definition of exactly what constitutes a national park. Generally the term is used for large areas of outstanding interest or beauty that have been set aside for protection, education and public enjoyment.  Some states have a number of categories for parks. South Australia, for example, distinguishes between national parks and conservation parks, the latter being less developed and receiving fewer visitors. Only two mainland parks are administered by the Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service, namely Uluru and Kakadu, both in the Northern Territory.

Nuytsland Nature Reserve

Incorporating the cliffs of the Great Australian Bight and ocean beaches, Nuytsland Nature Reserve encompasses close to 500km of coastline and stretches from Cape Arid National Park eastward to Red Rock Point. The Eyre Bird Observatory and sections of the old Overland Telegraph Line,constructed in 1876, are within the reserve. Access to the west of the reserve is by four-wheel-drive along Fisheries Road through Cape Arid National Park. This is a remote area and recommended for self-sufficient campers only.
There is a Park Entrance fee obtained from the Cape Arid National Park about $10 per vehicle.
Point Malcolm camping area is a small site near beach access area.
Much of the trip includes long distance beach driving, rough pavements, extensive scrubby stretches and some deep sand plus some easy dune driving making this trip suitable for experienced 4WDers only. Telegraph Track sections are generally slow going over firm sand with extensive limestone outcropping. The limestone significantly slows progress as does encroaching scrub – expect scratches. Evidence of the Telegraph is seen by the occasional remnants of poles and insulators and for long stretches, a single steel wire snakes along the route.

Camping in New England

                                    One particularly nice feature of this book is that it doesn't just describe each campground in general terms, it also describes in detail the specific campsites at each campground, and gives recommendations for which sites will give tent campers the most privacy, quiet, scenery, etc. This is such helpful information to have when planning a trip -- we used it when going to Harold Park State Forest here in Massachusetts this summer, and we got a beautiful campsite that really suited us.
If you tent camp in New England, buy this book -- it's excellent!( customer's review notes)

National Parks in United States

National Campgrounds
This is an excellent guide to the fifty-eight national parks. It doesn't matter whether you are interested in week-long back-country hikes, overnight camping, a long hike in the woods, sight-seeing, or just driving through: this book is an in-depth guide to the parks, their history, their features, and what you need to see, bring, and know. This book  is a guide to some National Parks and  historic sites . This book is it's sixth edition because it is that good. Buy it and pack it with you. 

This book is amazing. It is very well written and well organized. This book has  beautiful pictures. Many take up the entire page. The information is very well presented - quite interesting. This is a great resource as well as a great coffee table book.

A camping holiday in  National Parks anywhere in the world is truly an experience you do not want to miss.
 Looking for camping gear check out our website.

Camping in the Winter Months

                                                    WINTER CAMPING TIPS
             This short video is quite good in giving campers some handy hints.
                                                        Well worth a look

via You Tube- thank you

Camping Kitchen

When we use our tent  this is our  Camping Kitchen  it folds flat and I have made a material bag for storage which also helps save any damage whilst in transit.

Very handy item to have. When our family come camping with us, our  Camping Kitchen  is great.

The light pole is extendable for different heights.

Cave Hill Nature Reserve Widgiemooltha

 

CAVE HILL ENTRANCE

Cave Hill Nature Reserve is a massive granite outcrop with cave-like formations on its western side, comparable to the famous Wave Rock near Hyden.

 Granite slab walls were built on the rock to channel water into two main dams and a couple of smaller waterholes  to be used by workers in the mining industry during 1928 - 1938.
The large dam supplied water for the settlement and the smaller dams supplied water for the steam trains. The smaller dams are now permanent water supplies  for the birds and local wildlife which can often be seen coming in to drink in the early morning or late afternoon.


BURRA ROCK FORMATIONS



This is an isolated recreation area with camping and picnic areas around the rock, making it an ideal place to escape into the bush for a quiet break. Lots of interesting things to see and do such as yabby fishing, swimming, rock climbing, wildlife and exploring the surrounds and the old  train woodline to Burra Rock via a 38km 4WD track.

No pets are allowed.

Best time to go would be around Mid March through to November.

To the best of my memory there are no fees but that could have change since our last visit.
Best suitable for tents, camper-trailers and smaller 4x4 RV's.

 


10 Mile Rocks (Norseman to Balladonia)

Between Norseman and Balladonia approximately 80km east of Norseman is 10 Mile Rocks. This lovely spot is not very far off the main road and it did have some tables, chairs, bins, a fireplace, a drop toilet and a gas barbecue when we called in last year for an overnight stay on the way home from Victoria. Tracks lead into the bush area to numerous good quiet sites well back from the noise of the highway traffic. There is an emergency phone 12km west of this rest area.  There is no mobile phone or internet coverage from this area.

In our 4x4 RV we carry our own portable toilet as you can not always rely on a public or drop toilet  being anywhere when you need it.

Dundas Rocks Norseman

Dundas Rocks is a picnic and rest stop area easily accessed off the highway with adequate facilities. The site is  of an old goldmining town that was established beside the normally dry and salty Lake Dundas in 1892. Only a few remnants of the town remain, and most of these can be found 500m downhill from the picnic area. Near the picnic area is Dundas Rock which has the typical goldfields rock walls to channel every available drop of water down into the town water supply dam, which is alongside the picnic site road. The road was quite well worn when we camped there so do be careful with the road dropping away on the sides due to recent rains.
There is a baby's grave dated 1897 alongside Lake Dundas.
The "Lone Grave Track" is a bit rough so not really recommended for caravans
A 23km historical Cobb & Co Heritage Trail starts from Norseman and finishes at the grave.
The picnic area is set amongst scattered shady trees, and is sheltered by huge boulders.
 During cooler months the wildflowers and fresh green ground cover are very colorful. Singing birds are usually alive when the rain comes.
Pets are allowed but must be kept on a leash.
Do not attempt to drive on the lakes in this area as they can be treacherous with a firm crust covering very soft mud underneath.
Dundas Rocks is approximately 22km south of Norseman. There is a sign "Dundas Rocks" off the highway onto a reasonable gravel road for about 1.5km where you will see the remains of old buildings.
We camped for three nights and walked all around exploring. Very interesting area for those campers and travelers interested in heritage areas.

Disappointment Rock Norseman/ Holland Track

Traveling via the Hyden Norseman Road the turn off is approximately 75km west of Norseman or 214 km east of Hyden. The track goes in about 200m to a clearing where you can turn around. When we last visited the rock, 4x4's were permitted to drive up the rock via a side track. Please check with the authorities before you attempt the drive to make sure it is still permitted. Don't know how the rock obtained it's name, but a walk up to the top of the rock gives wonderful views of the surrounding countryside. After rains numerous rock-holes hold water and the deeper ones have plenty of really fat tadpoles.

Couple of clearings for camping,travel stop or picnics are among the spindly shrubs and trees at the base of the rock. There isn't much shade. but the wildflowers and bird life during winter and spring make this area well worth a spot over. There are no fees to my knowledge.




The "Holland Track" cuts across the Hyden Norseman Road.

Easter time the "Holland Track" is usually very busy as it can be done quite easily over the holiday break by amateur or professional camper. We have traveled on the "Holland Track" twice over the years and enjoyed it both times.

4wd associations

If your are the owner of a 4WD  joining a 4WD  club will give you loads of enjoyment and you will learn to drive and operate your vehicle to the best of it's ability. Here are a few links for those campers in Australian

 4 Wheel Drive Association of Western Australia
South Australia 4WD Association
NSW / ACT 4WD Association
Queensland 4WD Association
Northern Territory 4WD Association
Tasmania 4WD

Thermal Cooker for campers

I have done extensive research on thermal cookers and purchased the 8.0 liter model. The cooker is well-designed because the handle design of the inner-pot makes it easy and safe to lift the boiling pot from the stove into the true vacuum flask. The inner-pot is of sturdy stainless steel construction and the bottom is reinforced to avoid burning food on the stove during initial preparation. Both the inner-pot and the vacuum flask are very easy to clean. The inside of the vacuum flask is smooth stainless steel with no crevices for food to get stuck so that you can literally wipe it clean should you spill anything into the vacuum flask.
The lid of the inner-pot allows you to conveniently see the inside of the pot during the initial cooking. The knob on the lid of the inner-pot fits within a matching indentation under the lid of the vacuum flask so that the lid does not slide around while the outer-lid of the vacuum flask is fastened. Both the 6.0 liter and 8.0 liter models have locks to secure the insulated outer-lid of the vacuum flast in place while the food is cooking for further security.
The brushed stainless steel exterior is handsome and easy to wipe clean.
Unlike electrical slow cookers (although I still find them very useful in many contexts), the heat surrounds the inner pot during cooking rather than just from the bottom of the electrical slow cooker pot. That makes cooking legumes and starchy ingredients easier because they do not stick to the bottom of the pot. Also, you can brown your meats in the inner-pot of the thermal cooker and then add your additional ingredients to the same pot unlike most electrical slow cookers's inner-pots.
So this product comes with my high recommendations. While this thermal cooker does retain high temperatures for longer than 12 hours, make sure that after your food has finished cooking that the food is not held at an unsafe temperature. Thermal cookers operate the best when the inner-pot is filled to 80% capacity.
Source:  Amazon customer review.

Camping Books for the Kids

                             Kids camping books
All very reasonable price.
Easter coming up so good time for the kids to enjoy camping and reading.

Campfire grill

Cooking Boiled Fruit Cake on campfire

 We cooked steaks, sausages, porkchops, and onions right on the grill and everything normally  turns out perfectly. Since it's not too wide, you can wrap some foil over it to help trap some heat.

I pop a kettle on the side for hot water.
It's pretty heavy, but once it's folded up, it hardly takes up any space. Since it's wide and flat, it can sit in the bottom of your trunk or below a back seat.
I have made a cover  using  canvas from an old tent, therefore it will not damage anything else whilst traveling.

This Camp Grill is slightly larger for a bigger family requirements.

Clean Water for Camping wilderness or outback areas

Clean water is important to keep you in the best of health.

I Boil  my  water for a minimum of 3 to 5 minutes to kill all germs. I also have on hand some

Chlorine tablets which are  a chemical agent, like iodine, which  kills harmful parasites and bacteria. It takes longer to work than iodine, often up to four hours. However, chlorine treatment does not cause an offensive odor or taste. Chlorine tablets can be purchased  by clicking on the link provided

While there are effective treatment options, it is important to note that for them to be effective you need to first filter your water. This will remove larger organisms and harmful chemical and materials. If you do not have a filter, you can use cheesecloth or a coffee filter . Whichever option you choose for treatment, make sure you follow the instructions closely. Don't let a preventable illness ruin your trip!          

This emergency water filter  is fairly light weight and can be used a few times.

Hiking Backpacks

First of all, the type of backpack you are using determines how you will pack. An external frame pack distributes the weight differently than an internal frame pack. You'll want the bulk of the weight low with the external pack, since this helps your balance as you're hiking. With internal frame packs, you'll want the heaviest items placed in the middle of your back close to your body. This method of packing keeps the weight close to your center of gravity and allows you to turn around without the backpack pulling you off-balance. 

Jorndee Creek Esperance

Large Boulders separate the ocean and creek entrance

One of the campsites 

Technically you should have a National Park Pass with you to camp here. 

There are no camping fees but please use the  donation  box.

Picnic shelter, table and chairs, bin, toilet, and you might be lucky to find rain water in the tank but take your own to be on the safe side.  Fires are not allowed. 

CAMP GROUND PET

When you  arrive Jorndee Creek does not look too exciting because of the large boulders look like they are  blocking off the sea but it loops around and joins the sea at a fairly deep section where you can swim and fish. The creek was down very low when we camped here allowing us to walk across to the other side.

Jorndee Creek has a couple of small campsites.

Jorndee Creek is suitable for Tents and Camper-Trailers and small RV's.

Good time to camp is Spring, Summer and Autumn. The track has quite deep soft sand, and in winter it is mostly under water.

Sorry- no pets are allowed.

In late winter and early spring Whales have been seen in this area.

We camped for over one week and it was a great little spot.

I used my camp oven most days.