What is it which makes an otherwise sensible family leave a modern home in the suburbs with all its mod-cons and substitute it all for a canvas roof, leaky airbeds, camp stove and dig-your-own toilet?
I guess there are many reasons depending upon the individual - all of the cliches; getting back to nature, bonding with the kids, the adventure or perhaps, just to prove that you can survive without the cyclic defrost fridge, or the VCR.
The fact is that if you want to experience some of our best unspoiled parts of Australia, you have to consider camping. That’s because these great places are often accessible only by camping.
Also from a fishing point of view the increasing pressures on our fisheries means we are often seeking out the same remote places. So it’s not surprising camping and trailer boat fishing often go hand in hand.
Certainly towing a boat can restrict some of the areas you can safely access, however you can still get off the beaten track and stay there for some time.
Having said that, the trailer boat can be a restriction. For example we recently took the TBF Edge tracker up to Fraser Island for a week of camping and during that time covered much of the island, often with the boat fully laden.
We ran into trouble only once and that was trying to negotiate a very steep and soft exit from the beach. After traveling many hundreds of kilometers on mainly soft sand tracks towing a trailer with small diameter, narrow wheels and next to no clearance was a challenge. However, despite that it’s amazing where you can get to with a little care and patience.
One huge advantage of taking a boat is it allows you to carry the extra gear which makes the trip all that more enjoyable.
Be Well Prepared:
Whatever the reasons, there is a real thrill and loads of pleasure to be derived from camping. However, I also have to add that there is a difference between camping and roughing it.
A few creature comforts are almost essential to a successful and enjoyable camping trip, especially if it involves the whole family.
Kids really enjoy the experience and the freedom of being outdoors and they can learn much from the experience. Even getting involved in the daily chores is more appealing than it is back at home.
My very first camping experience is still indelibly etched into my mind - it was without doubt the most miserable, uncomfortable, generally unpleasant night that I have ever spent. At the age of 10, I had just joined the Boy Scouts and we all know their motto of “Be Prepared”. Well, I wasn’t! I didn’t have a sleeping bag or ground sheet, just a couple of blankets and in the torrential downpour of that night, the tent took in water in astonishing quantities and deposited it all on me, regardless of where within the tent I moved.
It wasn’t a great experience for the others either, but because they had the right gear they did remain comparatively warm and dry.
Overall it was a good lesson. Sometimes, even with the best of plans and intentions, things can still go terribly awry and having the appropriate gear can see you through it with less discomfort.
Be warned though, sooner or later it will happen - the unforeseen southerly buster accompanied by the sudden appearance of animals lining up two by two!
A few years ago at Port Campbell in South Australia we were literally blown away when a violent storm with gale-force winds hit during the night. The travelling tent that we were using on that trip was simply not up to the task of withstanding wind strengths over 100 kph.
Very few tents would have survived this gale to be fair, but I believe we would have had a better chance in a modern dome style. We at least found out just how quickly we could pack up the site, or rather what was left of it.
Andrew Galwey is a name having a huge experience in the field of boating and fishing. He is writes various articles on fishing, boating and animated knots based on his personal experience. He has extensive knowledge about boats, rope knots.
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