Illegal camping along northern beaches

Tourists, nomads and those living rough are calling for affordable, long-term lodging options in the northern beaches as they choose to camp illegally along main roads.

The Queensland Government have banned people from camping in their vehicles overnight on the Captain Cook Highway between Palm Cove and Port Douglas, but many still flout the law, while others are left with few alternatives. Peter Cooper lost his partner to cancer and lives with a chronic lung condition. He can't afford to stay permanently in a caravan park, and moves his 4WD campervan from place to place to avoid getting fined. Picture: Brendan Radke

Tourists, nomads and those living rough are calling for affordable, long-term lodging options in the northern beaches as they choose to camp illegally along main roads.

Queensland’s Department of Transport and Main Roads prohibits camping in carparks and rest stops along the Captain Cook Highway; however many who are drawn to the area through work, medical needs and safety concerns are choosing to risk the fine.

Nomad Peter Cooper spends three months of the year near Trinity Beach to be close to his doctor due to a debilitating lung disease.

“I’ve been doing this since 2015,” Mr Cooper said.

“I need very little.”

He noted a decline in low and no-cost stays for campers and caravaners north of Cairns.

“They’re essential but they’re closing down all the time,” he said.

“They’ve got things down south of Cairns for people like us but nothing north.”

Cairns Regional Council provides three free camping grounds, Babinda Rotary Park, Babinda Boulders and Greenpatch in Gordonvale, which allow stays of up to 72 hours every 14 days.

Mr Cooper said those grounds were overrun with tourists and people in need.

“If you go down and have a look at Gordonvale there’s 50 to 100 vehicles down there, go up to Ellis Beach in the season and there’s 50 to 100 vehicles everywhere you go.”

In addition, fellow caravanner April Desmond said those free campgrounds were no longer safe for her and her daughter after she was attacked by a stranger at Greenpatch last year.

“Things like that have happened down that end of town so we prefer to stay on the north side of Cairns,” she said.

The Queensland Government has banned people from camping in their vehicles overnight on the Captain Cook Highway between Palm Cove and Port Douglas, but many still flout the law, while others are left with few alternatives. Picture: Brendan Radke

Mr Cooper said he had not personally experienced any issue at any of the free campgrounds.

Ms Desmond said she would happily use low-cost alternatives if they were available.

“There’s nowhere really affordable,” she said.

“If you go west, there’s showers in every town and every town has a free camp, there’s bins, taps, toilets and showers that are usually free.

“As soon as you’re on the coast there’s nothing.”

French tourist Tom Hanssen and his Austrian companion Laura Elmar noticed the price jump as soon as they crossed the border.

“In other states, you can find campgrounds easily for ten bucks (a night) and here and around it’s like triple, sometimes sixty dollars (a night),” Mr Hanssen said.

“If you want to do a whole trip of Australia, it cost a lot of money for fuel and food so we have to look where we can save some money.”

Mr Hanssen added he would love to support the existing facilities along the highway.

“I’ll pay to come here as well, then the money can go towards the upkeep,” he said.

A Cairns Regional Council spokesperson said the Queensland Government had “plans to include a public camping area as part of the Wangetti Trail South section” but council did not plan to develop a free camp site in the northern beaches at this stage.

They added there were several private lodgings and camping grounds run by Queensland Parks and Wildlife across the area which were open for use.

Originally published as Illegal camping along northern beaches