Travel

We are off on our honeymoon to Oz in a few days

We are taking the tent, sleeping bags, thermarests, pillows and head torches for camping on several nights. We will be driving from Sydney to Brisbane along the East Coast and camping for a few nights, with rent car stopping at camping grounds. We are also camping at the red centre too for two nights.

Question is cooking really, my two stoves are my Whitebox meths stove and my Coleman F1 screw top type canister stove. I can take both in the ti pot if need be, but not sure what fuel is available over there, anyone know if they have the Coleman type canisters we have here? I presume meths is widely available but not too comfy using the meths stove if it is very dry. I take it people buy backpacking food when out there? If I was here I'd be getting my usual Mountain House type meals, but don't want to have to take them to Oz and would prob have to declare them etc.

Also the tent is my Golite Shangri-La 3 which I love, but its a pain when you can't get pegs in as it isn't self standing and depends on pegging. Anyone think I'll have problems getting pegs in on hard ground, have used rocks before.

Would appreciate any tips really and also any recommendations of places to visit along the Pacific Highway and East Coast areas?

Australia does not allow food to be brought in by travellers -- they are AFAIK very strict and would confiscate any you take.

This might give you an idea of what's available in Australia. Seems they have the standard canisters out there.

As Chris said, you cannot take camping food - or any food - in your luggage. You'll even need to clean the soles of your shoes at the airport if there is any soil on them.

If you want gear while in the centre, I recommend the Lone Dingo in Todd Mall in The Alice. Screw-in canisters are widely available, but then so is dry kindling for campfires.

Have a look at...or message Roger Caffin Jamie - he posts a lot on BPL and actually goes outside (the horror).

Franco (on here now and then) is in Aus too (I think) and if he can resist saying 'tarptent' might be a good source of info...

Gas canisters are widely available. As is meths "metho" but I too would be hesitant if it's dry so would go with the canister, or both perhaps. You may even find yourself in places where you are not allowed to use ANY stove due to the fire risk. Will depend entirely on the fire risk level at the time. Keep checking and asking ahead and be prepared to eat cold food and do without hot drinks occasionally. No Coffee ! Of course if you're driving you can stop for coffee and food at cafes and petrol stations in that case.

Have a look for National Park campsites. These are generally great, basic but just enough services, cheap. In North QLD at least it was very common to find free to use gas bbqs. Press a button for 10 mins gas. They really don't want people lighting fires.

NSW Campsite search.

I managed fine with my Hex, you might have problems some places but carry a bit of cord for extending pegging points and using rocks and you'll be fine. The nest is great if it's hot and buggy.

I should have qualified the campfire remark.

 Red Centre

Campfires are OK in some campsites in the Red Centre desert. The vegetation is very sparse. You can pick up branches from the side of the highway while driving -  the nights can be cold.

Petrol stations are referred to as roadhouses and some of them in the outback are very characterful. As are the outback bogs. Think "Long Drop". Some have manual pumps like in the Heads on a yacht.

Never pass an outback roadhouse without filling up.

You are always supposed to stop to offer assistance if you pass anyone in the outback who has broken down, even if it is a major highway. Unless they are called Cletus and have a hatchet called "Backpacker-death", obviously.

You may drive through some Aboriginal estates - take the warning signs seriously - no grog to be carried in the vehicle (unless locked away) and definitely no pornography.

Certain roadhouses are recommended - Curtin Springs is 85km east of the entrance to the  Uluru NP and has a community BBQ round the back.

Coastal (white) areas

No campfires. The community BBQs are sometimes 50 cents or a dollar for 30 minutes; if you are lucky you find a  free one.

Ninja Marmot wrote (see)

You are always supposed to stop to offer assistance if you pass anyone in the outback who has broken down, even if it is a major highway. Unless they are called Cletus and have a hatchet called "Backpacker-death", obviously.

Se@n wrote (see)

And don't select Wolf Creek as your in-flight movie

why not forget the tent and hire austrailian swags, thats what i did and thouroughly recommend, i got them with the hire car and also a stove.

intact everything i needed for camping came with the car, although i used my own sleeping bag, i camped out in aug, ie their winter up in NT and it was quite chilly at night

anyway just my tuppence worth, have a fab time

They've already arrived with the tent, SC.

We used swags in August with our own down sleeping bags inside as it could be chilly - depending on how near the equator you are. I definitely wouldn't swag out in Victoria in winter - we had hailstorms and allsorts of weather. North of SA and anywhere in the NT was OK for sleeping out in their winter.

"As Chris said, you cannot take camping food - or any food - in your luggage."

Thats not quite right.  You can bring food into Australia, they stop meat, nuts, and fruit, but most other things are fine.