Buying a property for Camping

[tryagain]

So after Punter posting about buying a property to use for camping, it got me thinking that I wonder how far afield you would have to go from most cities to get something affordable, so I got searching in northern NSW as that would probably be the most likely place from the Gold Coast and actually found somewhere that looks ideal, 2.5hrs drive away and much cheaper than I thought.
As I am not seriously looking, I am happy to post it up, it's a weird shaped  and only 6.75 acres (a tenth of punters) but ideal in the fact that one side is State forest and the other is farmland, it's elevated, main part looks like the top of the hill so would have good views, nearest dwelling looks to be about 2km away no dwelling entitlement but apparently "Livestock, small hobby farm, caravan, shed under 100 m/2" is okay and the price, listed for $23,000. You could almost pay that mortgage with the occasional YouCamp booking.

https://www.realestate.com.au/property-residential+land-nsw-ettrick-202079914

So it got me wondering, what positives and negatives others have had who have travelled down a similar path, is it worthwhile?

Also, if someone buys it, my finders fee would just be a few free visits 

[tryagain]

So here is a little bit of background on the property and some others like it.

https://www.northernstar.com.au/news/dirt-cheap-council-to-auction-odd-blocks-of-land/3312509/

And here is another one for only 10K, but its just under 1 Acre and your neighbours are only 100m and 200m away, can't fault the view though and it looks like you a least get part of a pond

https://www.realestate.com.au/property-residential+land-nsw-jacksons+flat-202079906

[Cruiser 105Tvan]

So here is a little bit of background on the property and some others like it.

https://www.northernstar.com.au/news/dirt-cheap-council-to-auction-odd-blocks-of-land/3312509/

And here is another one for only 10K, but its just under 1 Acre and your neighbours are only 100m and 200m away, can't fault the view though and it looks like you a least get part of a pond

https://www.realestate.com.au/property-residential+land-nsw-jacksons+flat-202079906

Was that March 1st, just gone, or is this next year?
I take it the Council is trying to re-coup unpaid rates.

[tryagain]

Was that March 1st, just gone, or is this next year?
I take it the Council is trying to re-coup unpaid rates.

March just gone, I assume they were passed in. In the case of these blocks, I think these blocks were never in the system, sounds a little bit complicated but from the article

Kyogle Council acting general manager Marcus Schintler said the lots, slated for auction on March 1, had a strange history.

"On rare occasions private sales take place for a property and it's generally a small land area which has not been correctly transferred,” he said.

"Infrequent audits by NSW Land and Property occasionally identify these small parcels of land... they're pretty old - basically from decades ago.

"They notify us there is a small block of land we need to be charging rates on, the Valuer General gives us the value, we then go out and try to find the person that owns it.

"And in these 22 cases we cannot find who owns them.

"We still have the original name on the title as the person in ownership and in all cases, that person is deceased.”

Mr Schintler said what usually happened was a block of land was sold but both the seller and buyer failed to realise a piece didn't come across. So the original owner was left on the title.

Under the Local Government Act the council has the right to sell land on which no rates had been paid for five years.

Mr Schintler said the lots in question were rural, and did not have building permits. As such they would mainly be of interest to adjoining landowners.

[Jeepers Creepers]

we'll be opening our place up to "swaggers only" at Xmas and most likely the odd long week-end here and there.

We're 11.78 acres, so plenty of space.

I'll be posting a thread in the trips section very shortly for the Xmas bash.

[Bunyip]

We seriously looked at buying a place north of Sydney to setup a camping ground in the Hunter Valley, even posted a poll on here about it many years ago.

I love the thought of it but am too risk shy for my own good and did not go ahead with it.

[Bird]

We looked around back of Bendigo, Moonabel, etc and you can get 30 acres for 30k - no good for farming, but as a weekender great

Then speaking with people in some areas, councils don't like weekend people...
Things like if THEY decide your land needs mowing, they will send in a contractor @ $1000/acre...  Thats if THEY decide.
One bloke off another forum let us use his property out there for a weekend trail bike riding, and he had an issue where he wanted to put up a cabin down teh back of his 5 acres. The council said you have to build a bridge over the river... River??? apparently it was on a map from the early 1900's. So he said he will build a log bridge.
Nope, not safe enough for fire trucks. They needed to send out a council engineer to do stuff, and it needed to be a PROPER bridge with armco sides..
I'm not sure if he pissed someone off on the council or thats how they were, but some of those blocks we looked at 8 odd years ago are still forsale.. Wonder why...

The only thing a mate said to me is it would be like going to the same camp spot for ever, nothing different and could get a little boring after a year or 2... same as an onsite van...  but would be a great initial 12mths!

Edit.. I still get notifications from them Website:  www.vicproperties.com.au

[Fizzie]

The only thing a mate said to me is it would be like going to the same camp spot for ever, nothing different and could get a little boring after a year or 2... same as an onsite van...  but would be a great initial 12mths!

I've often wondered the same things with the Weekender / travel shows on TV

"Bill & Mabel first came to this caravan park on their honeymoon in 1952, they've been back every year since & they're now here with their children, grandchildren & 1st great-grandchild"

Ummm Doesn't strike me as much of a holiday when you go to the same spot for 70 years straight

[edz]

I've often wondered the same things with the Weekender / travel shows on TV

"Bill & Mabel first came to this caravan park on their honeymoon in 1952, they've been back every year since & they're now here with their children, grandchildren & 1st great-grandchild"

Ummm Doesn't strike me as much of a holiday when you go to the same spot for 70 years straight

People feel comfortable and safe with the known element of it .. Thats why Macca's and the other fast food type places do so well ..
They provide a comfort product that people can get for the same $$ taste quality anywhere they go

[BaseCamp]

So true Edz...   

Like the famous author Michael Gurber (The E Myth) - said in his book...

Consumers like predictably...  Hence why McDonalds to Bunnings does so well....

Why do people go to the same holiday destinations; eat at the same establishments; etc...

Predictably - no sudden or perceived nasty surprises...

Seeming certainty

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

[marvellous_matt]

I have family that live in remoter parts of Victoria, and yes generally the weekenders are frowned upon. It’s probably like a few 4WDers giving all 4WDers a bad name.
Local Fire regs can be tricky if you don’t know what your up for. Sometimes you are required to have a tank with XXXX litres l available for firefighting as well as an appropriate road access before you do much else on the block. So a $20k block might need at leas that again before you think about putting a shed up. Regs on where you can put a dunny might mean its a long way from that perfect camp spot, and if you and you kids love motorbikes you are probably not going to make too many local friends, a roaring 2 stroke noise can carry quite a bit.
Blocks also do need a bit of management, un grazed grass can be a fire danger, uncontrolled weeds and pest animals can also take time and effort to manage. As mentioned if you don’t do it councils or other authorities might do it and give you the bill. So it might be you weekends are spent fixing fences and spraying gorse rather than enjoying the serenity.
But going in with your eyes open you may find the spot that is perfect and does not have any of these potentional problems.

[Hookie]

I'm always looking at land like this. It would be a weekender until I'm ready for retirement, at which time myself and the boss would gladly go and live in the middle of nowhere in a small shed with some chooks and a veggie garden. My sister and her partner, who are our frequent camping buddies, are interested in going in with us.

Depending on what sort of mobile home we own at the time, it might not even have to be a shed, just a roof, a few solar panels, a water tank, and a real crapper would do the trick.

[trinityalyce]

One bloke off another forum let us use his property out there for a weekend trail bike riding, and he had an issue where he wanted to put up a cabin down teh back of his 5 acres. The council said you have to build a bridge over the river... River??? apparently it was on a map from the early 1900's. So he said he will build a log bridge.
Nope, not safe enough for fire trucks. They needed to send out a council engineer to do stuff, and it needed to be a PROPER bridge with armco sides..
I'm not sure if he pissed someone off on the council or thats how they were

Sounds like council to me... At least any council that I or friends/relatives have had to deal with when the owner wants to do anything that might be even a tad out of the ordinary. 🙄

Related... if the "weekender" is close enough you're going there often and are keeping it maintained you should be fine... surely. I guess that kind of stuff is worth investigating - looking into council bylaws. If the council had overstepped I'd be sending the mowing invoice back to them.


This isn't something I'd be interested in doing (we like to see new places when we can), but I could see the merit. And hey, if anyone happens to have a block like this within a day's drive of Brisbane, we'd happily throw some money your way to spend a weekend there!

[woolgoolgaoffroad]

this is the go !!!

https://www.realestate.com.au/property-lifestyle-nsw-newton+boyd-7965718

[tryagain]

Some good points raised so far, adding to all of this, the reason I would want it to be a few hours from home is that it would be for mainly for weekends, spur of the moment trips and for long weekends to avoid the crowds, so you would want it reasonably close, longer periods off is when I think you go travelling.

My wife's family has a holiday house and I totally understand the potential for getting bored with the same destination all the time, I think the way around this is to mix up your holidays, if we just always went there I would hate it, but it's nice to sometimes get away without having to plan or do much.

Council regulations are always going to be the make or break though, and depending on the property you probably want to be the type of person who likes to fix/improve things as there is likely always going to be things to do.

It would be good to go in with some like-minded people that you like to go camping with and spread the workload costs etc, communication would want to be good though as it would have the potential to create issues pretty easily.

this is the go !!!

https://www.realestate.com.au/property-lifestyle-nsw-newton+boyd-7965718

I saw that one, would be too far for me but likely within the 3hr distance (that I would contemplate) for you.

[briann532]

We talked about it for years, then just went out and did it.

Best thing we ever did.
I'm down pretty much ever 2nd weekend. (Although this year hasn't been so often with my son in high school and 200 parties to go to and sports!!!)
But we do use it and don't ever get sick of it.
Met some damn fine neighbours and will never look back. Never sell it either.

Throw caution to the wind, this isn't a trail run, it's your life. Do what you want now before it's too late.

(P.S. - if you want to come for a visit, PM me)
It's in Dalton NSW
Just south of Goulburn. An easy 2.5 hour drive south of Shitney

[woolgoolgaoffroad]

Some good points raised so far, adding to all of this, the reason I would want it to be a few hours from home is that it would be for mainly for weekends, spur of the moment trips and for long weekends to avoid the crowds, so you would want it reasonably close, longer periods off is when I think you go travelling.

My wife's family has a holiday house and I totally understand the potential for getting bored with the same destination all the time, I think the way around this is to mix up your holidays, if we just always went there I would hate it, but it's nice to sometimes get away without having to plan or do much.

Council regulations are always going to be the make or break though, and depending on the property you probably want to be the type of person who likes to fix/improve things as there is likely always going to be things to do.

It would be good to go in with some like-minded people that you like to go camping with and spread the workload costs etc, communication would want to be good though as it would have the potential to create issues pretty easily.

I saw that one, would be too far for me but likely within the 3hr distance (that I would contemplate) for you.

There was another one at Newton Boyd, it was on the other side of the river that was a lot more user friendly, was around the 200 acres for $88k didn't last long.

[gronk]

Just south of Goulburn. An easy 2.5 hour drive south of Shitney

We have friends that bought an onsite van 2.5hrs from home and they still go up regularly after a year of ownership, but for us to visit them, 2.5hrs is just too far for a normal weekend.
They said any closer and it wouldn't feel like they were away, but for us, the closer the better for camping/weekends away.

[Steffo1]

It's funny, hey. I'm blest with a nice rural home.
 People often comment "Why do you have a camper trailer? This is wonderful".

Well, I can sit beside a fire for hours, as we all can, but after enjoying a fire and a few ales, going to bed in the house and bedding down in the camper is chalk and cheese.
Must be some primitive genetics going on.

[rags]

Maybe this property could be an option, swaggers group buy maybe
Camp Swagger
https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-monogorilby-128626854

[woolgoolgaoffroad]

Maybe this property could be an option, swaggers group buy maybe
Camp Swagger
https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-monogorilby-128626854

nice !!!....
Caretaker duties could be shared around !

[listo]

There’s a heap of 30-40 acre blocks at Tara for less than 50k if you’ve got any interest in that? Just don’t leave anything behind between trips or it won’t be there when you get back... blockies are “resourceful” people 

[Cruiser 105Tvan]

Your not trying to sell your place to the Group are you Rags.
Make it easy to caretake the place.   

[plusnq]

There’s a heap of 30-40 acre blocks at Tara for less than 50k if you’ve got any interest in that? Just don’t leave anything behind between trips or it won’t be there when you get back... blockies are “resourceful” people 

Nothings changed out there in the last thirty years then. I remember when they were flogging those off in late night tv infomercials in Sydney. I always thought the selling technique was pretty unscrupulous at the time.

[alnjan]

I'm happy camped in my shed where and as I am.  Admittedly a mountain stream would be nice