Belyando Crossing is about half way between Clermont and Charters Towers on an otherwise empty 300 km stretch of the Gregory Developmental Highway. The Main Roads map showed a free camp area there. When we arrived there was a "no camping" sign and a caravan park.
Our scouts headed off up the road and soon found a nice flat road construction site which was big enough to fit all of us so we set up our own free camp.
A few days later I spoke to the leader of another safari who had tried to book seven vehicles into the caravan park, but was turned away for lack of room. They would have been happy to take what sites were available, camp the others in the rest area, shop in the kiosk and pay for the use of the ablutions but, it seems, the caravan park operator preferred to turn them all away 150 km from any other facilities.
The Mains Roads Department has since reprinted this years map (at considerable public expense) showing this rest area as a no camping area. It seems reasonable to assume that this change was entirely due to lobbying by the caravan park owner as there is no other commercial interest for 150 km in either direction.
It is clear that some caravan park owners believe that we are obliged to patronise their business but they insist that they retain the right to refuse to accept our business if it suits them. Unfortunately, many town councils agree with them and treat us like vagrants. In this era of a supposedly deregulated market driven economy, there are still countless opportunities for the unscrupulous to exercise what political power they have in their own private interest. Oops!. There I go again expecting those we elect to protect our common interest to behave with some semblance of even-handedness.
One thing is sure. We won't be stopping at Belyando Crossing again!!