| Camps Australia Wide 3 |
| Author: Phil Procter |
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| PREFACE
Camps Australia Wide
3 The third edition is A4 in size, has 400 pages and has been completely revised and updated with over 3,000 sites. This has all been possible by further research and a huge feedback from fellow travellers over the past 18 months. A new and exciting addition to Camps Australia Wide 3 is the inclusion of the complete 2005 Hema Road Atlas, with the campsites positioned in their exact locations on the maps. As one person put it “What a bonus. Two books in one – so easy to reference”. This book is not just a guide to camping spots for certain areas, but encompasses the whole of Australia, showing rest areas, free camps, low-cost caravan parks, national parks, state forests, state parks and reserves. The guide represents great value for money, especially when the cost of the book can be recouped after only a few nights camping out. It has been designed to provide information that is comprehensive, but in an easily understood format. The body of the book is laid out in sections for each State or Territory, with a different colour for each one. The publication was mainly designed for motorhomers and caravanners who, because of budget restraints, tend to look for low-cost or free camp spots whilst travelling. This book will be frequently updated in hard copy, (approximately every 18 months - 2 years), as well as being continually updated via this web site. Maintaining the user-friendly format, the book has more descriptive icons such as: close to road; pleasant outlook or vista; mobile phone coverage; dry weather access and author recommended sites. There are more sites with GPS co-ordinates, and site access details have been expanded. Being able to plan a trip with stopovers that are free or low cost, knowing if a pet is welcome and seeing at a glance what facilities are available, has proven to be a hit with travellers across Australia. It is easy to see why it is now clearly regarded as ‘the traveller’s bible’ An invaluable aspect to the book has always been the ability to update the information from the website and this free service will continue with Camps 3. Due to popular request the layout of the book has been maintained, with sites listed linearly along the roads or close by. Each site is marked on easily read maps and classified as either an overnight or day-use-only rest area or a caravan park. Access details are given to and from relative towns, not just in one direction, and for the technical travellers, a large percentage of the sites now have GPS co-ordinates. Facilities at each site are depicted by symbols, including not only the standard ones, but those applicable to motorhomes, such as big rigs, maximum stay allowed, dump points, pets allowed, fees applicable etc. There is an alphabetical index of all site names and an index of all highway routes covered in each State or Territory. One aspect that has proved popular and beneficial is the ability to update the book by accessing the web site. Once people found they did not need a computer or any computer experience to do this, but only needed to visit an Internet Café or Library and ask for help, the initial barrier disappeared and they were able to keep abreast of any changes as they travelled. Included in this edition is a list of over 600 dump point locations with addresses and contact phone numbers, as well as symbols to show suitability for cassettes, holding tanks, use for non-guests (and whether a fee is applicable), together with access suitability for big rigs. RRP $46.95 The book is also available in a spiral bound version for easier viewing with the added ability to lay flat, or even double over, if space is limited. RRP $49.95. All in all, an easy to use and comprehensive guide to rest areas and camp spots throughout Australia, a definite ‘must have’ for all travellers. |