Things I wish I knew before camping in WA

There aren’t a lot of things that I can personally say with absolute certainty, in fact there may only be one. That is, of course, that camping in WA was one of the most memorable and stunning experiences of my life! However, if I could do it all over again (and I definitely will) I’d do a few things differently. Here’s what I learned along the way and a few things I wish someone had told me about before I headed to the West Coast.

Don’t count on free camping in WA

On the East Coast, we’re spoiled for choice with incredible free camping spots all over. The same goes for the Northern Territory, South Australia and Queensland, at least in my adventuring experience. Naively, I assumed the same for camping in WA, but on my most recent trip, I was proven wrong.

The trip that I took heading north up the West Coast, began in Esperance and ended at Karijini National Park. Along the way, I was shocked to find that the WA coastline was not very free camp friendly and instead, private campsites were scattered along the drive. Trust me, I was checking Wikicamps and thinking the app had a glitch when it was not showing me any free camping options.

This is because the Ningaloo Coast is a World Heritage Area and is, therefore, a protected area. Once you see it with your own eyes, you’ll understand how much these rules and regulations have kept this part of Australia looking absolutely immaculate. So it’s understandable why these rules are in place.

Luckily, we were heading through the area during the off-season and were able to secure a few private campgrounds, including Quobba Station. However, the amount of caravanners and travellers on the road and scattered through the campground would have you thinking it was the busy season, and it meant we did still miss out on some WA camp sites we were hoping to stay at, like Gnaraloo Station and Red Bluff.

I’ll book in advance next time…

On my next trip up the WA coastline, I’ll be making sure I book my camping sites ahead of time. This does mean we will be restricted to a time schedule, which isn’t my favourite way to go about a trip, but it’s a necessary evil when you’re visiting these areas. If I were you, I’d be checking the map and contacting these private campsites at least a few days out, if not a week prior to your arrival. Many have online booking systems, so it’s easy enough to pop on and lock in your dates whenever you have reception.

You’ll need to save a little more cash for camping in WA

Again, because we were unprepared and didn’t realise there weren’t as many free camping spots as we were generally used to, our budget was hit a little harder than anticipated. These private campgrounds naturally come with fees and we found ourselves paying $54 per night (for two people in one vehicle) at Quobba Station. Although there were amazing views of the coastline and possibly the best showers and toilets that I’d experienced during the 7-week trip, it still cut into our funds a lot more than we’d have liked.

I’d suggest budgeting a little longer before visiting these areas so your bank account isn’t unexpectedly hit, and you can ensure you have the funds needed for food and fuel along the way. Oh, and for souvenirs, of course.

You’ll need a chemical toilet (and they do check)

Another very naive move was not researching the rules around camping in areas that had no facilities in WA. I feel the RV Daily crowd are well acquainted with having to squat and do a wee on the ground on their travels, and I’ll be the first to admit I’ve probably weed on more ground than I’ve walked on during my camping adventures. The West Coast are not fans of you doing your business on the ground, and many campsites require you to bring along your own chemical toilet. If you’re in a caravan or motorhome, you’re of course, safe as you’ve got your own little private haven (lucky you). For those who travel by van or 4WD, this one’s for you. 

Where a campground does not have toilet facilities, campers must bring their own portable cassette chemical toilet. If your campground lists that you need a portable cassette chemical toilet, you unfortunately cannot stay without one. There are no ifs or buts about that. Not only do rangers conduct regular patrols and ask you to leave the campground if you do not have a suitable portable chemical toilet, but most campgrounds have someone who lives and works at the ground who checks your vehicle upon arrival. You certainly don’t want to get turned around, especially at some campgrounds like South Lefroy that are challenging and time-consuming to get to.

Thunder boxes and buckets aren’t allowed for camping in WA either!

Unfortunately, ‘Thunder boxes’ or buckets are not suitable as toilets and toilet chemical bags are not permitted. It must be a sealed unit.

We did consider buying one, which can be purchased for around $200 at BCF. But considering we weren’t sure when we’d be coming back for a camping trip to WA, we didn’t see fit that we invest just yet. After all, who wants to have a chemical toilet sitting around your home, or worse, in your 4WD, for an unconfirmed amount of time? So we did the next best thing and hired one from Exmouth, specifically from Exmouth Tackle & Camping. One quick Google search told me that Exmouth Tackle & Camping provided the toilet itself, as well as the chemicals needed.

Although this meant we needed to head back to Exmouth to return the toilet before moving to our next destination (which definitely was out of the way), it allowed us to camp at some of the most stunning beach locations on the West Coast. So no regrets!

In future, I’d purchase my own chemical toilet prior to leaving for my West Coast trip. I’d suggest you do the same. The park officers don’t make exceptions if you turn up without one and trust me, they check!

The beaches are some of the best in the world, so pack accordingly 

Until I visited the West Coast, Hawaii was up there as my number one beach. WA quite quickly, and justifiably so, knocked my beloved American holiday destination straight off its podium. I wish I had packed more clothes suited for the beach, additional towels and more swimming costumes. As even in the midst of winter, we were experiencing tops of 35 degrees and were having far more beach days than expected. 

My tip for you would be to check the weather ahead of your trip (winter honestly felt like an East Coast summer) and pack knowing that an abundance of beaches await you.

Don’t leave your items outside at night 

This one might be a niche case, but I have to share this tip because we personally were unaware. If you head up the WA Coast and find yourself camping at Karijini National Park (which I absolutely recommend), don’t leave your items outside of your tent at night. I don’t know if it’s a fact that there are more dingos in WA than anywhere else, but it’s certainly the place I have seen the most. Karijini National Park is no exception, and it’s no secret as there are signs all around the area that explain safety precautions to take around dingos as well as rules such as not feeding or touching them. What the signs didn’t tell us was that if you leave your shoes outside your tent, a dingo will take off with them.

These notorious thieves stole my partner’s $800 RM William boots one night while we were sleeping soundly in the rooftop tent. He’d left them sitting on the spare tyre at the rear of the vehicle, but during the night, a gust of wind must have knocked them off, and in the morning, they were nowhere to be seen. We spent a good hour searching for them, and I saw his heart slowly breaking as he came to realise that his favourite boots were now a dingo chew toy.

Turns out dingos have expensive taste …

The next night, we tested the theory that the culprit was a dingo, and I left an old pair of shoes I was planning on throwing away as bait. Because we were expecting them, we heard one arrive, and the sound of my shoe being dragged was audible. Unfortunately for my partner, the dingo merely dragged my shoe a few metres and then left it behind for me to collect in the morning. Turns out they have expensive taste! 

When we asked the park ranger, she confirmed that many people had reported similar things. Her theory is that there’s a pile of shoes somewhere in Karijini Park that the dingos continually add to. So, if you find yourself here on your travels, make sure to secure your items inside your vehicle or tent at night.

Would I return to Western Australia for a camping trip?

Would I return to WA for a camping trip? Absolutely. It was one of the best, if not the best, camping adventure I’ve ever experienced. Would I do things differently? Yes. As with every adventure, you live and you learn and I can say with certainty that I learnt some great tips that I hope allow you to be a little more prepared before you visit our stunning West coast.