The car park at Kully Bay on Lake Illawarra has become a popular spot for travellers to spend a night, a week or a month for its lake views, waterfront location and proximity to shops - that, and it doesn't cost a cent.
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Pam and Pat McCallum have been visiting the King Street site for the second consecutive year and have made it a second home - when the Mercury visited, they even had pot plants set up outside their van.
Pat is from Queensland but Pam hails from the Illawarra, so they come back to the region to visit family.
"It's a terrific little stop," Pam said.
This summer's trip has been extended, because they keep running into fellow campers they know at the site.
Pam and Pat said it was a social place with good company.
"The place is pretty well looked after... There's no mess left," Pat said.
Another camper is Brett Thew, who once lived across the lake and like Pam returns to catch up with loved ones.
"Just the view, meeting... friendly people," Brett said of what kept drawing him back.
Both the McCallums and Brett raised the issue of cost as one of the site's drawcards - Brett said many caravan parks along the east coast were expensive and, at this time of year, unavailable.
Pat said campers had helped clean up the site, discouraging those who used it for illegal purposes.
The app WikiCamps, which provides camping information generated from users, describes the car park as a free area that "offers nice scenery, wildlife videwing, walking tracks and swimming... Unofficial overnight self-contained camping tolerated".
Combined, eleven users have given it a four-star rating, but more have left positive comments about the spot.
"Great spot for overnight when you are travelling, we stopped on our way travelling to SA through Victoria, very nice and easy spot to park a caravan, great views of the lake and very friendly campers, definitely recommend," one reviewer said.
"Overall lovely spot given it is just a car park," another said.
The only downsides people wrote about were the lack of toilet - the nearest being in fast-food restaurants - and for one person, it had become too popular and they were now "finding it hard to get a good park".
However the future of the site is unknown, as the car park and the 8.2-hectare parcel of land it sits on is up for redevelopment, with the state government looking to offload it because it is surplus to requirements.
The state government is seeking registrations of interest from businesses, not-for-profit organisations and the community to identify potential future uses for the site.
Registrations of interest close on Friday, January 27.
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Natalie Croxon
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
