The Calliope River camp grounds are being abused in many ways.
The campground on the lower southern side was badly damaged by the recent floods and the council erected fences and signs saying that the campground on the southern side is closed. However, a dozen or so caravanners have pulled down the fencing and entered the damaged area setting up camps.
As expected the Northern side is jammed packed full. The council have erected wooden bollards to protect the grass areas nearer the Calliope Historic Village. One bollard has been removed and a number of caravanners are now parked in there, after gouging up the green well kept grass (note I have mentioned caravanners twice, I have seen no motorhomes in these areas).
The council's signs say absolutely no fires - yet at dusk you can see a dozen or so fires glowing in the dark.
The sign also says 48 hours only - the caravanners on either side of me - one has been there two months, the other one three weeks.
I can understand why the councils must be getting frustrated by the behaviour by these campers. One block of toilets is closed due to misuse, cassettes being tipped into toilet.
Bring forward the Leave No Trace scheme and hopefully we can find a way of policing these vandals. Perhaps places like Calliope should have a caretaker on site and perhaps everyone should pay a small fee for camping here to pay for his wages.
I have thrown my arms up in the air to what I have witnessed these past two days - who the hell should I get in touch with to put some pressure on these vandals and freeloaders.
Calliope ........being misused
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Re: Calliope ........being misused
Bastards everywhere, if I was there I would change tac from my "normal" response of "tell em all what I thought of them ." This time I would befriend each and every one of them, get their names or cards plus pics and rego numbers i.e THE WORKS then take it all to the council and even the caravan clubs and the forums. You would most likely get NO joy from the powers that be if you just posted on their forums etc but maybe if you sent all your gathered info to the admins then they could see if those A wipes you speak of are members of their forums/club and let them deal with them as well. I most likely would even go to the local newspaper (letters to the editor) armed with every bit of info I had gathered...
Queen of the Banal & OT chatter and proud of it. If it offends you then tough titty titty bang bang.
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Re: Calliope ........being misused
I feel for you as well.
I could almost repeat your story for Kingston se in SA but here it's more the tents, bongo vans & even station wagons.
Unfortunately I can see them all being closed down.
Like BruceQ reckon....... sometimes we're our own worst enemy.
A lot seem to think "who cares?... we'll never be back here again anyway!"
Maybe a quick squirt of the offenders with squid ink? That'd identify them where ever they go.
I could almost repeat your story for Kingston se in SA but here it's more the tents, bongo vans & even station wagons.
Unfortunately I can see them all being closed down.
Like BruceQ reckon....... sometimes we're our own worst enemy.
A lot seem to think "who cares?... we'll never be back here again anyway!"
Maybe a quick squirt of the offenders with squid ink? That'd identify them where ever they go.
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BruceS
Mannum, SA
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BruceS
Mannum, SA
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Re: Calliope ........being misused
That was also the case July 2010. Solution: vigilantes.Jodebtre wrote:One block of toilets is closed due to misuse,
dawg
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Experience is a wonderful thing. It helps you recognise a mistake when repeated.
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Re: Calliope ........being misused
I agree that this sort of behaviour must be stopped. These people are putting free camping as risk of being abolished. Only problem with going to the local newspaper is that this unfortunately may give the council (or the local caravan park) the ammunition to shut down the camp spot all together. I think a caretaker would be the way to go. Or even a POP scheme
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Re: Calliope ........being misused
P.O.P scheme is the way to go,as we have here. Keith Moxham has been advocating just such a scheme that has become very quiet. No grapevine or backyard rumours going the rounds. What has happened to that. Talked to Keith at the last gathering, no mention of it and I didn,t bring it up. Had a chat about most other things though...Keith your a member on this forum how about a post to let the mulitude know how things are going. Dont think you,ll be talking out of school...Still your M8....






Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than speak and remove all doubt....
If at first you dont succeed, Skydiving is not for you.
If at first you dont succeed, Skydiving is not for you.
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Re: Calliope ........being misused
Norman,norman wrote:P.O.P scheme is the way to go,as we have here. Keith Moxham has been advocating just such a scheme that has become very quiet. No grapevine or backyard rumours going the rounds. What has happened to that. Talked to Keith at the last gathering, no mention of it and I didn,t bring it up. Had a chat about most other things though...Keith your a member on this forum how about a post to let the mulitude know how things are going. Dont think you,ll be talking out of school...Still your M8....![]()
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Keith said that progress is being made, I spoke to him at Maryborough and we could expect more info about October.
Peter
PeterH
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Re: Calliope ........being misused
It seems to me that everything re C M C A is going to happen in October.
George

George
George, Julie, Leonie & Sean - Kotara, Newcastle
DIY 11.5M 1979 Bedford, Nissan/UD FE6T motor
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Re: Calliope ........being misused
Is that the good oil George or wishful thinking....




Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than speak and remove all doubt....
If at first you dont succeed, Skydiving is not for you.
If at first you dont succeed, Skydiving is not for you.
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Re: Calliope ........being misused
Oh dear, so in Kingston it sounds like it's a lot of back packers, yep I'll be the first to say most of the are just good kids come here for the adventure of a lifetime. So why is it they are just more or less left to fend for themselves in vehicles which for the most part are anything but self contained.
There are Backpackers hostels in all the favourite spots for backpackers so why can't they be put up in the hostel backyards or places like that? Surely something better to provide them with Special Backpacker Stops would be worth a try. May sound silly but something needs to be done to help them and thus it would help us too wouldn't it.
There are Backpackers hostels in all the favourite spots for backpackers so why can't they be put up in the hostel backyards or places like that? Surely something better to provide them with Special Backpacker Stops would be worth a try. May sound silly but something needs to be done to help them and thus it would help us too wouldn't it.
Chinese saying: If you have 500 friends it is too few, if you have one enemy it is too many.