SA Parks Online booking coming in June

[MrCruza]

Looks like SA has been afflicted with the same dreaded On-Line booking curse that QLD brought in a couple of years ago

Found this when looking at camp sites around Innaminka / Coongee lakes.
From SA Parks website...

Online bookings coming soon

From 1st June 2017, campsites will be available to be booked online.

Self-registration stations will no longer be available in the park from this date.

You will need to book and pay for your site via this website or, in person, at one of the parks booking agents prior to arrival.

[Bird]

[The punter]

Yep it's rubbish and the site is terrible, poor descriptions and really crap photos so if you need space for a large camper you might be out of luck. We do deep creek a bit and had to create a list of all the good sites and sizes so we know which to book.

The only upside is you are guaranteed a spot

[trinityalyce]

...And the downside for travellers is you need to have trips planned to the day. Know a couple who got caught camping at Eliot Falls camping a night because they couldn't book. Stupid thing was there was plenty of empty spots available, but per the ranger it had been fully booked...  What are we meant to do with no self-registration, no rangers about, no phone/internet reception, etc.? Just not camp in the national parks, or book out a few days to a week to cover when we think we might get there, or risk a fine?

I'll have to look into it as it might be relevant for our next trip. Hm.

[Chris.]

The only upside is you are guaranteed a spot

Are you though? What happens if a group of pissheads gets in there, how do you move them on if, you're a family with young kids & 'they were there first'? This happened to a mate of mine interstate, not cool.

[Rumpig]

Are you though? What happens if a group of pissheads gets in there, how do you move them on if, you're a family with young kids & 'they were there first'? This happened to a mate of mine interstate, not cool.

would be easy to say if someone is in your spot you'd move them on, but as you say...when it's a bunch of guys and you are alone with your family, there's no way you can come out on top in that situation. So you move on to another site?...then those people rock up and you're the bad guy...it's a stupid system that's for sure. The Rangers wouldn't get paid enough to try and put themselves in a bad situation to sort it out either, that's if by way of a miracle one was even anywhere in the area.

[Baz]

I went to Arkaroola last long weekend.
Decided to stop off at Mambray creek (Not booked, just felt I had enough driving for the day). Same system.
Could not stay there as the internet system was already in place. Now do I risk it and get a $175 expiation fine?

I also used to get a yearly parks pass with camping at about $180

Now I can only get a entry pass for $100, then have to pay a further
$12 per night camping if I have internet access, so the amount of parks camping I used to do
it would cost me a further $500-600 over the year.

Note: Internet access ONLY. You cannot call anyone??

Baz

[Chris.]

Decided to stop off at Mambray creek (Not booked, just felt I had enough driving for the day). Same system.

I was there a few years ago, you paid your $10 or $15 at a little shelter on the left & in you went, is that no longer the case?
Is there anything that this Labor government hasn't stuffed up (& I'm usually a Labor voter)?

[Bird]

I was there a few years ago, you paid your $10 or $15 at a little shelter on the left & in you went, is that no longer the case?
Is there anything that this Labor government hasn't stuffed up (& I'm usually a Labor voter)?

wouldn't matter who you voted for...


I feel for the rangers too... they are going to cop Shit for this when it isn't their fault.


Whats with the $175 fine?? is that per month?

[Redback]

Yep we had to book a camp on Googs Track, there's 2 and you need to book one or the other, when we asked "what happens if we don't make it there by the date booked" answer, you'll need to cancel 24 or 48hrs prior if you can't get there by that date, and book it again for the new arrival date what if we can't contact you(ie) no service, weekend, answer, you still need to contact us 48hrs prior or you lose your money

There is no alternitive (plan B) for this, so tough bikkies you lose either way.

[Bird]

Yep we had to book a camp on Googs Track, there's 2 and you need to book one or the other, when we asked "what happens if we don't make it there by the date booked" answer, you'll need to cancel 24 or 48hrs prior if you can't get there by that date, and book it again for the new arrival date what if we can't contact you(ie) no service, weekend, answer, you still need to contact us 48hrs prior or you lose your money

There is no alternitive (plan B) for this, so tough bikkies you lose either way.

Its a good thing for tourism
So you have booked 10 days ahead.. you blow a clutch on day 2... no phone signal...
bend over.

[cetacean]

Unbloody believable !! Who are these d....heads who make up these rules, obviously not campers or travellers. We ended up avoiding National Parks in QLD because of there wonderful "on-line " booking system. At least we've seen a bit of SA before they stuffed it up

[trinityalyce]

Booking systems only work well for the areas where there is some phone reception, at least in the surrounding areas. Up the Cape or central Australia? You're kidding, right?

I don't hate the system, because I've used it a bit for coastal campsites etc. in Queensland where I may be going for a weekend and its all nicely planned out. Works fine under those circumstances. But its a little ridiculous to expect it to work equally as well in remote areas where there is no phone reception for hundreds of kilometres.

Seems we might be OK with upcoming travels. Are planning to stay somewhere around Innamincka, but looks like even when the online system officially kicks off you can still book and pay at the Innamincka Trading Post...

[krisandkev]

Spoke to a ranger up at the Cape about the system and asked him what if we book a site and get there and someone else is there.  He said you speak to them and be calm and don't get into an argument.  If they do not move just take there rego number and advise us and we will take action against them.  I then asked but where do be camp, in a empty spot.  he said, 'No you are not allowed to do that.'  So we then have to just leave and find alternative camping site??   Also at the cape we used a park's office phone to book a site and after trying to get the girl to understand what we wanted and her telling me the booking system is brilliant I asked her if she has been camping. She replied that she does not even have a car!   

Yup, stupid system not designed by a camper and they will never go back to the old system, which worked a treat.  Oh and the ranger said they know that in Qld because the fees are low people will book and pay for a week when they know they will only stay a few days but it gives them a few days to be flexible with their plans.  That is why the booking will show no vacancies but when you drive past there are heaps of vacant spots!    Kevin

[Cruiser 105Tvan]

Hey, hang on you lot.

It's a known fact now, that everybody takes a Sat-phone with them.
That's why the RFDS doesn't have a HF Radio System at Alice Springs anymore.
That's the "FALSE Logic" that all of this is based on.
And probably what the ABC based its decision on, for the Radio Australia HF Broadcasts.

[trinityalyce]

Hey, hang on you lot.

It's a known fact now, that everybody takes a Sat-phone with them.

Yeah, if they can afford to use it... We will have one with most of our remote travel, but I don't want to sit on hold while they book a campsite for me.

[Cruiser 105Tvan]

Yeah, if they can afford to use it... We will have one with most of our remote travel, but I don't want to sit on hold while they book a campsite for me.

That's exactly what I meant/was getting at.
This is the premise that these City People rely on to justify themselves, when making these decisions.

[Skinnee]

Unless it's school holidays / public holidays I can't see too many people not being able to book while on the go. Sure it disadvantages those with no mobile internet on the move but you can't keep the minority happy at the expense of the majority or those that don't plan in advance.

I'm all for the system if the money goes back into the park, time will tell I guess.

[trinityalyce]

That's exactly what I meant/was getting at.
This is the premise that these City People rely on to justify themselves, when making these decisions.

Yep... Its all well and good for those who never leave phone reception to decide the systems that those who are without it have to use.

It'd be nice if remote travel plans ran to schedule for us to book in advance and stick to the plan, but I think most of us who've done it can say it often doesn't work that way. I'd say most of us are happy do to the right thing and pay the money for using the campsites, but when they make it so difficult to do the right thing... *sigh*

[UIZ733]

The online system has some merits.
Before it was introduced in Qld. you could book a site by phoning the relevant authorities. During busy times we did this to ensure a site. Some places had numbered sites and we had one place where we knew the site number we liked. We once booked for 10 days and arrived at the park at about 2.30. There was a group of bogan, tatted drop-kicks with their 4 inch raised macho 4x4's in our site. Their male companions were not much better. I approached them and showed them my printed receipt. They told me to phuck off and go to an empty site. The park was fully booked and moving to another numbered site was not an option because if somebody arrived with a booking we would have to move possibly at 10.00 or 11.00 at night. There was no phone reception in the park. I went back to my piss-head 'cool' mates and gave them a polite option. Move (starting immediately ......ie before 3.30) OR I would drive outside the park and contact relevant authorities (including police if needed) by phone. They complied but were belligerent. I took them a couple of hours to execute the operation. They would have been DUI leaving also.
Under the new system site numbers were abolished. First in best dressed. We have used the new system extensively and prefer it. If we have a booking and a site is free we use it. Simples.
Some places with no phone or internet reception can pose problems, however a discussion with a ranger once in such a location indicated there would be leniency by the Qld Parks particularly if the user was already 'in the system' and a regular patron. I have found Qld National Parks staff are in the main very nice and reasonable people
NSW national Parks are an absolute rip-off and Qld Parks are good value. If 'going on-line' results in value for money, I for one am happy.

[aussie9]

I'm travelling around S.A. At present and the online booking is here already.  Tried to use it a few times and it crashes. Hard to navigate. We planned to stay a few days at Wahgunya and actually called in at Parks SA in Ceduna and old mate ranger said. Just go!   You will probably be the only ones there anyway.
Why not leave the minor parks as is with kiosk on site and only have pre book at major areas. 


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[Cruiser 105Tvan]

That'd make too much sense.

[Bird]

Online bookings coming soon
From 1st June 2017, campsites will be available to be booked online.

Seems strange that people are already finding this has already started - group from my club just got back from Flinders and had issues they were telling at meeting last night...

but it aint June 1st where I am yet

[rossm]

Some are online, some are  not.

https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/parks/Visiting/camping

[krisandkev]

The online system has some merits.
Before it was introduced in Qld. you could book a site by phoning the relevant authorities. During busy times we did this to ensure a site.

I found the old system in Qld had a info and payment booth at the entrance to the camp ground.  You went in, found a spot and went back, filled out the envelope and place your money in and place in container.  The ranger would come around later and check the envelopes and drive around the camp sites. Perfect.  Since the online booking system they do not have as many rangers so they rarely have time to check camp grounds.  Like others have said, for those on the go you try booking when there is no phone coverage and when you use a computer the system crashes, but I think the crashing is now fixed? Maybe....  And when you do not want to be tired to a arrival date.   But granted it does suit some people who need to plan and book ahead, but not the majority of travellers I would suggest.  But we just have to get use to it, and we will.   Kevin