station stays.

so far on our travels we have found a few different types of accomodations. there are the good (sometimes not so good) old caravan parks. depending on the age the amenities may be a bit tired but in most places we have been they have been clean. most at least try to grow some kind of grass, which is clearly a challenge given the climate and the constant use. these days we pay about $50 for a night, a bit more in places with less competition. the upside is power and generally potable water, the downside is the often close proximity of many neighbours. and i thought the northern beaches were crowded …

on the other end of the scale are the true bush camps. the are true byo (bring your own) and require full autonomy. the reward is the ability to camp for free in often very beautiful spots.

another option is the station stay. this isn’t really new, some farms have offered accomodation for a long time, not just in australia. we fondly remember such stays in austria, italy and france. what’s new, at least for me, is how visitors are welcome.

we encountered this type of camp after we crossed the nullarbor, at fraser range station, which is for us still the standout. the hosts there had clearly invested a lot of time and thought in making the camp look amazing with all the plants, which must have been a challenge with limited water (this was the only place where we had to pay for a shower).

the strategically placed disused farming equipment is something we’ve since seen in many places. what did break my heart a bit were the old cars around the place. surely some could have been saved ….

fraser range was also the first time we encountered the ‘dinner’ option. again they set the bar high for similar offers we found later on. the setting was amazing.

we have since found that many other stations offer some kind of food. the burgers we got at bullara near exmouth were nice but the (barista) coffee and home made scones the next morning were a standout.

not to mention the 5 month old baby roo natalie got to help feed.

cheela station was a bit simpler but the campfire was a great way to start sharing food and stories among the campers. we found out that the ‘camp host’ is often a fellow traveller who ons a bit of money or at the very least a place to stay for a few weeks by helping out around the camp. a bit like the belgian girl who welcomed us at bullara and made (great) coffee.

the funky toilet / shower blocks at bullara were definitely worth trying out. where else can you have a (warm!) shower out of a bucket under the stars.

95 burgers being delivered to the hungry masses. it did not feel like a religious experience.

prices for station stays are generally a little less expensive than caravan parks but not by as much as we would have expected.

surprisingly i still find free camping or camping in national parks the most attractive option. it still takes us out of our comfort zone. i think we’ll do more of that going forward, i doubt we’ll have much choice.