bourbon-biscuit

I'm a little camping-unenthusiastic but my dh and kids think it's wonderful fun and it was one of those 'things we'll get into in Australia'. So now we've decided to go camping in the Barrington Tops over Easter for three nights with a view to camping more often. Ultimately we intend to camp in NP campsites but thought we'd build up to the facility-less camping and start in a low key commercial site.

1) I'm anxious about spiders, snakes & mosquitoes (we're camping by a river). What should we do or take to lessen the risk of coming into contact with nasties and what should we do or take or know about to deal with it should the (very unlikely, I know) worst case scenario arise.

2) If you're in to camping what's the one camping gadget you wouldn't be without?

Thanks in advance folks

Mipik

Bushman insect repellent, best stuff there is.

mohogony

The only nasties you are likely to come across maybe some nosiey drunks at the campsite.

TiddlyPom

Get one of those portable mozzie killers. $35 at Coles or KMart or wherever.

Zip your tent up and you shouldn't get any problems.

Best gadget, a mop so that you can brush out the floor of your tent. I hate it when it gets all gritty and horrid under foot.

Oh and take a lilo. I don't get people who are happy sleeping on those thin mats. They're a waste of money.

jayr

we "got into camping" since being in Australia, though have only done so a few times so far. We did start off with beach camping (zero facilities) though.

"Insect repellant" is probably the answer to both of your questions.

I wouldnt worry too much about snakes, they will be scared of you so you probably wont see any.


On our first ever camping trip we were on 40 mile beach in QLD, pitched up by the dunes.

One morning, my wife was having a lie in (why do we always drink so much red wine when camping?) when she heard some rustling outside the tent. She unzipped the window cover to look out through the mesh, just as the 2m long monitor lizard flicked its tongue.

That woke her up.

MarkMC

Same reason we do - it doesn't need chilling

spartacus

Me and the OH marvelling at the local flora and fauna on our first camping trip here, somewhere up the Bremmer River if my memory serves me.

clicky

bourbon-biscuit

Would bushman insect repellant and a portable mozz lamp deter spiders? I realise I'm probably being totally irrational as I'm in most danger on the drive there ....

onceinalifetime

We camped for 5 months continuously when we were here on a WHV, mainly in National Parks and we never had a single spider, or insect of note in our tent. Been camping numerous times since being back here, and the only time that we have had anything in the tent was in Eungella NP earlier this year, when I discovered several leaches and an invasion of green ants in the early hours of the morning. This wasn't pleasant, but not life threatening. Just keep your tent firmly closed (ours wasn't completely on this occasion) and you'll be fine. Spray insect repellent on your feet when walking and that will stop the leaches too, we tend to wear Crocs when bushwalking short distances in the wet, and apart from leaches have survived to tell the tale. When we were on Fraser last year people were having problems with bush rats, due to not locking food away, and this in turn was bringing in the pythons in under peoples fly sheets, hunting the rats, again easily solved by keeping food scraps/bins locked away. I know people who camp just straight on a mattress on the ground under a tarp with no problems, and when we've been camping with Australian friends up in the rainforest, the kids were quite happy running round bare foot with no major injuries.

Camping is to my mind the best way to see the best bits of Oz, and particularly NP camping, don't worry about the insects or the snakes

spartacus

Only if you hit them on the head with the can.

bourbon-biscuit

Thank you

Years ago when our oldest was 3 we did a WWOOF on the edge of the Border Ranges NP and it was my job to mind the 4 farm kids- they spent their days tearing about the bush and farm, always barefoot, climbing trees (and the house) etc. The neighbour's kid collected venomous snake skins with the oldest kid on the farm (10!). My nerves coped with about 1 month ....

mohogony

l go camping in the bush all the time, l have never actually seen a spider camping but see a few around my house, The only things that have bitten me are ants. Its rare to see a snake and remember they are just as affraid of us as we are of them and they don't want to come anywhere near people, they only bite in self defence if poeple pick them up or step on them.

Red_V_Roger

Good insect spray...and buy a Winnebago

TiddlyPom

I think that's because they just can't get tents small enough...

quoll

The biggest danger you will have is if you stupidly park your tent under a gum tree - we tend to lose at least one person a year from falling gum branches. A couple of years ago it was a kid from a private school down in Melbourne - very traumatic. The bugs and beasties are nothing in comparison. We bushwalked for years and never had a problem other than once not properly sterilizing our water and that wasnt a pleasant experience!