Naked Wanderings
patreon
Review: Bare Camp in Queensland, Australia
🕑 Added 2024-01-15 07:00:03 +0000 UTCThe Australian outback is a rough place. At times it almost seemed apocalyptic. When it warms up, it gets really hot. When there's a storm, there's thunder and lightning anywhere. The wind seems to come out of nowhere and leaves just like that. Yet, it also has its charm. The idea of going to rough wilderness tickled our sense of adventure. But we knew that as ignorant Belgians we probably would never survive. So we took the safe road and visited Michael and Jody and a bunch of happy animals at Bare Camp.
How to get to Bare Camp
When we were looking at the map, Bare Camp appeared to be located just outside of Brisbane. But don't let Australian maps fool you, in reality, you're looking at a drive of about 4 to 5 hours without stops. Ironically, this is what many Aussies will call a "short drive". Coming from Brisbane, you just get on the A2 Freeway and start driving.
Eventually, you'll see a huge statue of a chunk of watermelon next to the road, this means that you're in Chinchilla, where you also find the last decent supermarket and liquor stores. Another half hour later you'll get to Miles, where you leave the freeway and start following the instructions you received at your booking.
If you're flying in, Brisbane will be your nearest airport. It connects to most airports within Australia as well as to New Zealand, parts of Asia, and even the Middle East and western USA. There are numerous rental offices for cars and camper vans in Brisbane, so it's definitely not necessary to bring your own.
➡️ Check out our Travel Resources Page to find the best deals for flights and car rentals.
Where to stay at Bare Camp
When we were reading the reviews of Bare Camp, the term "bush camp" came up now and then. We honestly had not idea what this means, but today, we imagine that other than camping in the Australian bush, it also says something about the vibe of the campground. There are no defined campsites, there's just space and you choose where you want to put down your accommodation.
Bare Camp is completely self-sustainable, electricity comes from solar panels, rainwater is used for showers and a part of it is being filtered for drinking water. The camp toilet is a dry one with a picturesque view of the property.
For us, who may not survive camping in the wild in the Australian outback, this was the perfect halfway solution. We got a sense of what it would be like to live away from society, yet with our own small society that provides water and tells us which animals to avoid.
What to do at Bare Camp
If you're looking for a central space or communal area in Australia, you just have to look where the fridges are. In the case of Bare Camp, a lineup of couches and chairs may also have given something away, as well as the fact that there was always someone around. It's the kind of place you casually walk by and then find yourself two hours and a bottle of wine later in a long chat about who knows what.
Other than the communal area, the most enjoyable part of Bare Camp is the small farm with some ducks, goats, and a pig. Animals are just so much fun. Especially because some of them (including the pig) have been hand-fed, they are very accustomed to humans and like cuddling probably more than you do. We visited Bare Camp during the Christmas period, a time that's always a bit tough to be far away from our family. But when we were lacking TLC, about 15 minutes with the animals was more than enough to recharge us.
Then there's what's easiest called "the rest of the domain". Bare Camp is about 350 acres (140 hectares) and most of it is wilderness where you can roam around and soak up nature. There are several trails to follow that will take you to picturesque places like the one Lins likes to call"the Elephant Graveyard of the Lion King". After a hike, you can cool down in the lake before heading back to the communal area to talk about your adventures.
Around Bare Camp
Honestly, we spent our whole stay inside Bare Camp, so we really can't tell you much about interesting stuff to do in the surroundings. If there is any because this is the wilderness. Nearby Miles has a historical museum that has more than 200 reviews on Tripadvisor at the time of writing. So there must be something to see.
We also got inside info that apparently it's a hype to take topless pictures at the watermelon statue in Chinchilla, but we couldn't find much info about this on the internet. If you have more details or any other tips for things to do around Bare Camp, let us know in the comments!
Staff & Guests of Bare Camp
Have you ever dreamt of getting out of the rat race? Of moving back to nature and living at your biological pace? Of spending most of your time naked in nature? But did you also realise that eventually, this may become lonely and that you may need some human interaction as well?
Congratulations! You have the perfect profile to start a naked bush camp in Australia. Or a naturist resort anywhere in the world, really. This is the story of Michael and Jody in a nutshell. They started their own farm in the bush and opened it up to like-minded people so they could share the experience and meanwhile meet interesting people.
As a guest, you're expected to be a bit adventurous and open-minded. But that doesn't mean that you can't enjoy a cocktail with a parasol straw while floating on an air mattress. You'll just need to bring all the ingredients. Except for the air mattress, that can be provided.
Book at Bare Camp
The best ways to book at Bare Camp are:
✅ HipCamp: Bare Camp
✅ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barecamp/
Summary
Our stay at Bare Camp is one that we won't easily forget, and not just because we celebrated yet another Christmas on yet another continent. In recent years, the holiday industry started selling experiences instead of vacations. Bare Camp couldn't be further away from an industry, yet it's much more of an experience than any all-inclusive hotel in Mexico can offer you.
