Johanna Beach Campground
I admit that the $ signs next to so many listings in the On the Road Free Campsite Guide, had sparked my determination to do this expedition on the cheap wherever possible. Caravan Parks are definitely a last resort and there are plenty of them along the way. All the listed free campsites between Melbourne and Apollo Bay are west of the Great Ocean Road. Once you get to the Cape Otway however, beach side camping becomes a real possibility. Johanna Beach Campground was my destination and a quick Google search revealed that it was one of many campsites managed by Parks Victoria. OK, it was going to cost, but how much? Fourteen dollars a night…..unbelievable!!
Seven nights for under $100. Up to six people permitted. Sites vary in size, so choose wisely (sites 21-25 for the larger vans). Toilets and water on tap (the water was untreated rainwater, so I simply boiled for three minutes before use). The only downer was no campfire permitted, but it’s understandable given you’re surrounded by coastal heath and prevailing winds. The beach is a classic –long, wide, windswept and a beach fisherman’s nirvana.. Romantic strolls would be a no-brainer and also a perfect way to work up a thirst. I booked in for three nights and could have easily stayed longer. Oh, internet was definitely dodgy, so I couldn’t count on much communication with the outside world (but that’s why you’re here –right?)
Princetown Recreation Reserve
Dragged myself away from Johanna Beach, taking the Red Johanna Rd Back to the Great Ocean Rd to continue my trek. As an aside, taking the Blue Johanna Rd down to the beach is a spectacular visual treat, even though it was gravel, winding and a little tight in places. They were several sleep-over sites between Lavender Hill and Princetown and sometimes they come up on you pretty quick, but armed with the knowledge of what beach side camping COULD cost, I drove on.
I thought Princetown Recreation Reserve was another Parks Victoria location, but it’s actually run and managed by the local community, with profits going back into community projects. So, there’s no on-line booking, first in best dressed and CASH only. Pricing starts at $15 per night for one and $20 a night for two. Essentially you’re parked around a cricket oval, but the generous grassed areas and strategically placed undergrowth means your imagination does not have to work too hard to see yourself in a far more natural setting. Toilets, hot showers, camp kitchen and kids playground made this a bargain.
You can borrow a raised fire pit and the tennis courts are free. It’s about half a k walk beside the Gillibrand River to the beach. There is an easy access fishing pier and boardwalk on the way in. The water is tannin stained, but according to my source, bream love it. There was also a boardwalk through the marshes that took me into the small village of Princetown. It was a covid ghost town when I was there but the pub/takeway/bottlshop apparently will be reopened by by Christmas.
Port Fairy
Now, technically speaking, the Great Ocean Rd ends east of Warrnambool, but I had heard about the impossibly cute and historic seaside village of Port Fairy. It was only 30km further on, and it wasn’t like I had to be anywhere. If I had of known how many cafes, patisseries and restaurants there were, I wouldn’t have spent like a drunken sailor at Woollies in Warrnambool.
And they’ve managed to keep ALL the old world charm…even the new buildings look old. It’s far enough away from Melbourne to keep those latte sipping, Maserati wanna-own, day trippers lounging around in Lorne. There, I’ve said it. There was generous van and bus parking close to town. It’s a large grassed area, two minute walk to the shops and I spent two nights there in between touring the area.
You could easily spend 2-3 days here indulging your tastebuds and keen eye for history.
For golfers, there is a genuine St Andrews style links course, with a stiff blustery wind straight off the Antarctic at no extra cost. Fifty dollars a round is not cheap, but cheaper than flying to Scotland for the same experience. If you’ve never played a links course, it’s both exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. There are also some local hazards, especially apparently, for the female golfer.
In between overnights, I camped one night on the river at Yambuk, just a few k further on. There was a beach access area with toilets, water, playground and gas barbeques. Again, a quiet sleep-over. The fishing must be good here. A local was cleaning his catch in a sleeting, howling gale. A bad days fishing is better than……..
Do NOT consider Budj Bim National Park as a free campsite option unless you’re driving a motorhome or towing a small camper trailer . I took a run up there to sus it out. There aren’t any drive through areas and it is more set up for the tenting crowd. I got trapped down a dead end camping track and needed a seven point turn to ease myself out. Did not emerge completely unscathed however. The rear bumper bar on the caravan must have caught a rock on the last turn because it looked like someone had replace the right hand end with a boomerang. Luckily the local metal fabricator got me in on very short notice. Two hours and $45.00 later, “nothin’ to see here folks”.
Colac
Now that’s as far west as I needed to go…unless I was heading west to the South Australian border (sigh….one day). I much prefer round trips when doing these discovery tours , so after one more night at the Princetown Recreation Reserve (I still owed from last time, having had no cash on me), I headed east and turned left onto Fords Rd and made my way to Meredith Park, five kilometres east of Colac. Meredith Park is in the same niche as Lake Burrumbeet near Ballarat and Lake Lascalles. Short stay camping with all the trimmings and with views across the lake, a nice half-way house on your the way back to suburbia, so I’ll hang here for a few days. See ya soon!!
John I think your blogs are written so well and the photos are fabulous