Turf war: the 'ghost camping' debate dividing Tasmania

Should campers be allowed to reserve a spot and leave it unused for weeks? Welcome to ‘ghost camping’.

Much like the Great Australian Cabana Debate before it, Tasmania ‘ghost camping’ fanatics are being attacked for unfair behaviour. So much so, that the island state is looking to change laws around free camping.

Camping is very popular in Tasmania. (Image: Tourism Tasmania/ Andrew McIntosh)

What is ‘ghost camping’, you ask? It’s essentially when an unoccupied tent or caravan is left on a free campsite in order to reserve it. The problem is, that they then don’t use it for days, or even weeks. And that’s the good ones. It’s also been reported that sometimes potential campers use this method to secure a spot just in case they decide to travel, while others reserve multiple so they can pick their favourite on arrival.

While on mainland Australia, the majority of the best and most popular campsites require a booking and a fee, in Tasmania they’re more typically free to use. As it stands, only one Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS) camping area requires a booking (Richardsons Beach and Honeymoon Bay, in Freycinet). This sounds idyllic, but is exactly why ‘ghost camping’ has become a common problem there.

But that’s all set to change with a new online booking system having been announced.

Wake up to incredible views, as long as someone hasn’t claimed it first. (Image: Revolution MTB)

Minister for Parks, Nick Duigan, said in a statement that, “the new system will provide a seamless experience for locals and visitors to book campsites – as well as other parks products and services, including parks passes, walks and tours”.

“Tasmania is rich in natural beauty and our national parks and reserves are a major drawcard for visitors and locals alike,” he continued. “Visitors and locals alike will be able to plan their trips with confidence and tourism operators will benefit from improved visitor reporting that will also inform future planning.”

Camping can be the perfect way to see Tasmania’s wildlife. (Image: Jamie Douros/ Camille Helm)

So what’s the problem? Some campers feel this hinders the very Australian way of just seeing where the road takes you and camping on a whim. While others feel the sacrifice is worth being able to actually find an empty campsite.

Whether you plan ahead or not, discover some of the most beautiful places to camp that Tasmania has to offer, here.