Disappointing river camping trend taking over popular sites

A volunteer has slammed budget holidaymakers, sending a timely reminder to others planning to do the same.

The repercussions of summer holidayers is already being seen, with trails of rubbish found in some of Australia’s most popular camping locations.

One volunteer has taken to Facebook slamming tourists in Coopers Creek, Victoria, sending a timely reminder to others planning to do the same not to follow in their footsteps.

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Image: Facebook.

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“What we did today was temporary”

A local woman, who is also a tour operator for the Thomson River, took to Facebook over the weekend after spending the day cleaning up rubbish left behind by visitors.

“Today saw a great turnout at Coopers Creek of packrafters, kayakers and locals to help clean up the onslaught of rubbish from the overcrowded campgrounds where many people were doing the wrong thing over the holidays,” she said in the post.

The rubbish was not only found in the campground itself, but also floating in the river, lodged in trees and on banks. As for what was found specifically - you don’t even want to know.

“We found bags of rubbish also left by the side of the river and even a school chair. Lots of shoes, socks, people’s underwear and plenty of food packets including some larger items and some pool toys and boogie boards,” she wrote.

“There was the normal measure of toilet paper and sanitary pads as well as a dead rabbit wrapped in a plastic bag which was particularly disgusting.”

The woman ended the post relaying the importance of protecting the environment, ensuring it doesn’t turn into a rubbish tip.

“The Thomson River is a unique and beautiful habitat that is home to many species of flora and fauna including platypus, endangered Grayling and other species on the endangered or critically endangered list,” she said.

“What we did today was temporary.”

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If you bring it with you, take it home

Whilst the woman put the issue in the hands of the state government, commenters on the post were more inclined to push tourists to clean up after themselves first and foremost.

“If you bring it with you, take it home simple really,” one commenter said.

“Need a billboard saying ‘Don't Rubbish Australia’ like in the 70's,” another added.

“If you take it with you then you should take it home but unfortunately not everyone thinks that way!” a third agreed.

“Is this supposed to happen after every break/holiday/long weekend? The people that create this mess need to be held accountable. And fined through the nose,” said another.

Clean up your act!

Unfortunately, this trend is far from new.

Campers on K'gari were blasted late last year after deliberately leaving behind a bunch of cheap camping gear, including a blow-up mattress, a tarp, bags of rubbish, and a Kmart sleeping bag case with a person's name written on it, after their departure.

It is an offence to deliberate dump rubbish on K'gari with those caught by rangers subject to on-the-spot fines of $322.60 - and close to $500 if food and rubbish is not kept safe from dingoes.

Originally published as Disappointing river camping trend taking over popular sites