National Parks in Queensland

[Bird]

Down side is when booking the best spot in the area weeks or months ahead and the weather turns bad just before your due to depart, then you either have to camp in crap weather or forfeit your money. With the pre numbered sites if you hold off booking until the last minute, then you have to take what’s left and normally it’s the rubbish sites.

Wheres the problem with that?
So you book a spot incase its good weather ****ing it for everyone else, if you decide at the last minute 'oh bother its cloudy, it might rain'.. nobody else can go that CGAS what the weather is.
and first in best dressed sounds good to me...  If your left with the rubbish sites, then firm faeces aint it???

[Reddirtroaming]

In theory its good, until you rock up and some knucklehead is in your spot....

This has happened to us. We were at Blackdown Tableland one weekend. We had booked. Our friends got there first on Friday afternoon to someone in our spot. He pretty much told them to get stuffed & that he had been there for a month & the ranger came around every few days collecting his fees off him. Don't know if it was true or not, but the system can't work if the rangers are condoning the behaviour!!

Luckily there were some other spots available & it wasn't booked out or we would of then been in someone else's spot!!

We hate the system as well, you can't be spontaneous anymore.

[ozstickman]

The ranger that dropped by at Waterpark creek had a sheet with all the bookings.


Sent from my Ring-a-ding-a-ling

[IanC]

Queensland is pretty popular in autumn/winter for those chasing the sun from the southern states. 

Some places are booked out WAY in advance and for considerable time spans (read months). 

Makes it hard for locals to get a quick weekend away which can be pretty frustrating.

[Footy Shorts Shane]

We start making a booking a few weeks in advance. After about the 19th attempt, the website usually holds up long enough to complete the booking, usually a day or two before we leave.

The system needs a lot of help.

Shane.

[Bird]

Some places are booked out WAY in advance and for considerable time spans (read months)..

Theres places down here with almost permanent bookings with the same people year in year out..

[JGM]

G'day All
I sent an email to National Parks back in 2012 when this silly system came out.  Here is the reply.

Thank you for your electronic mail enquiry of 5 April 2012 in regard to new camping arrangements for protected areas throughout Cape York Peninsula.

Thanks for your time today, 24 April 2012 to discuss some of the initiatives QPWS is implementing to support visitors and rangers as the new booking system takes effect.

In recent times, the demand for camping in Cape York Peninsula’s parks and reserves has exceeded availability and all visitors will now need to book a camp site and purchase an e-permit before arriving at camping areas.

A range of options are available to obtain an e-permit including booking online, visiting a QPWS business centre or authorised booking agent, or by phoning 13 QGOV (13 74 68). Booking agents are located throughout Queensland.

Campers may find making a booking difficult once they have left home, or after arriving on the peninsula. Recognising this, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) will be providing additional assistance to campers by providing touch screens to make bookings (subject to availability) at ranger bases and QPWS offices including Rinyirru (Lakefield) National Park (CYPAL), Kutini-Payamu (Iron Range) National Park (CYPAL), Heathlands Resources Reserve, Coen, Cooktown and Weipa.

QPWS is also installing road-side signs at key locations to remind visitors to book and purchase an e-permit. Signs will also be installed at locations where mobile phone services may be available (subject to phone carrier and signal strength).

QPWS is also seeking expressions of interest from service providers and other commercial operations in the region. The booking agents will be able to provide assistance to visitors to make and amend bookings while travelling throughout the region.

QPWS manages claims for refunds of fees paid by private individuals or groups for camping permits by applying the Operational Policy for Camping and vehicle access permit fee and pre-paid booking refunds (available when booking on-line).

QPWS recognises the often unique Cape York Peninsula travelling conditions and exercises flexibility where possible. Under particular circumstances, QPWS will allow changes to the dates or location of camping permits (if available) and the client can alter many bookings online. QPWS is developing a compliance strategy and allocating resources to provide additional assistance to visitors and compliance to camping regulations.

If the preferred amended location is unavailable QPWS will hold the balance of the permit fee for 12 months from the date the original booking was made as a credit that the client can use towards other camping bookings.

If access is prevented by weather extremes or emergency situations or facilities closed by QPWS alternative camping within the next 12 months at no additional cost or a refund payment in full will be offered.

Where significant personal circumstances including serious illness or severe injury occurs before or during the permit period and written details such as a certificate or a notice are received QPWS will consider the circumstances and may refund the payment balance or in full.

In addition to the signage, touch screens, policy provisions and booking agents across the region, QPWS rangers will be implementing a specific compliance program in relation to use of the camping permit bookings.

I trust this information is of assistance in regard to your concerns.

Maybe things have changed since then, not sure.

Cheers
JGM

[McGirr]

Talking to the ranger at Heathlands regarding booking at Eliot Falls, he hates it. Half the time people don't turn up and he cannot let other people use the spots.

His idea was always first in gets the spots but regretfully he has to follow the rules.

Mark

[ozstickman]

I reckon there should be a clause that if the person that booked a site isn't there by a certain time they forfeit the site. 

[Rumpig]

I reckon there should be a clause that if the person that booked a site isn't there by a certain time they forfeit the site.

many a time people would rock in late on a Friday when going away on weekends somewhere, same for long weekends and the like.

[ozstickman]

many a time people would rock in late on a Friday when going away on weekends somewhere, same for long weekends and the like.

I'll go back to my corner......

[HEM19X]

We travel with a loose timetable, for a lot of sites [less popular & low/shoulder season] we lobbed into the park, checked out the sites & then rang Qparks.. if sites were available, booked over the phone.

Camped at Tinnaroo where there are no specified sites, so all good.

[nbd73]

Last year I was able to cancel a booking due to bad weather about 3 days before hand and my account was credited, is this no longer possible?

Agree the system is retarded. Last year we went to Girraween but did not pre book as had never had to beforehand. The Bald Rock campground had only 9 "camper trailer" sites listed as being available for booking on the web site but any one familiar with Bald Rock will know that that is pure rubbish how ever upon arrival we went to the information centre to talk with the ranger and they said they had to nominate how many sites were suitable when the web site was set up and they left a degree of slack for the situation where people just " dropped in" but that idea has backfired as you can't stay without a booking.
We had already set up and my FIL and his friends had 2 caravans also set up. The ranger could not make any booking so they had to call the govt number to book us in and pay and the woman on the end of the phone was trying to tell us that as the "9" CT sites were all booked we could not stay and she would not process our booking. Even the local ranger was gob smacked with the sheer idiocy of the situation and it took about a half hour of arguing and discussion to get us across the line. The end result was the ranger said they would look into changing the number of CT sites available on the web site, and in the mean time if the web site says "full" just book as a normal trailer or none and take your CT anyway.  What a farce.

[krisandkev]

When bureaucracy takes over......................
Last year we had tried to book on line to a camp site in the Cape Range National Par, Exmouth, and the system was just impossible to use. When we got to Exmouth we went to the parks office and they booked us in for a weeks time. Then we found problems with our camper that meant we could not move it until parts arrived, so we had to cancel our booking.  They said normally there is no refund but they will see what they can do.  During the week that we were supposed to be camped we checked and there was a caravan set up in our spot, so we went back to the parks office and they agreed to a refund.  After several follow phones calls over the next 2 months we gave up.  Good bye to $70!  The local office were extremely helpful, but the refund was up to head office...  Like I said, When bureaucracy takes over......................
Kevin

[GeoffA]

.......During the week that we were supposed to be camped we checked and there was a caravan set up in our spot.........

Might have been a bun fight if you'd turned up to camp.

This pre-booking thing is bonkers. One man pays, and another man uses.......