FREEDOM CAMP OF THE MONTH
The facilities at Carcoar Dam are terrific . How often do you have a shower ( cold , that is ) and flush toilets at a freedom camp ? Plus the barbecue and picnic areas look like new .
However , it is a popular site for camping , picnicking and watersports . People were fishing off the floating pontoon – I read the dam is stocked with redfin , Murray cod , golden perch ( yellow belly ), silver perch and trout .
Best to bring your kayak or standup paddleboard , as the authorities say the water is not suitable for swimming . Skiing , jet skis , sailing and canoeing are all part of the play at this campsite . Find the boat ramp at the Carcoar Dam Sailing Club , about a kilometre north of the dam wall .
Heatley Gilmore of Camps Australia Wide ( left ) with travellers Jean and John , their hotrod and matching teardrop camper .
Many happy campers were using their above-ground fire pits when we visited and firewood is sold nearby .
Another bonus is that the camp is only 6km upstream of historic Carcoar . There is amazing history in the 190-year-old town , beautiful old churches , and do check out the view from the train station .
We visited the street library , drank coffee from the Village Grocer , browsed the vintage shop and read about bushranger history in Kurt Fearnley Park .
The area was a haunt of notorious bushrangers Frank Gardiner , Ben Hall and John Vane . It was members of Hall ' s gang who committed Australia ' s first daylight bank robbery in 1863 . Fortunately , they left empty-handed !
The pretty Belubula River bubbles through town . And you can free-camp on it , too , behind the Royal Hotel .
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