permits if you want to stay over night extra cost. To confuse matters the rules differ between the different states and Territories and also it depends on who owns it. I have heard that in the eastern states the National Parks are restricting access for camping as the facilities needed upgrading so it is easier to close them!!! Some free camp sites are good, others have been used for a drinking binge! There is a book (spiral bound) "Camps Australia wide 5" it is about $45 to 50, nearly 400 A4 pages which lists with details information about rest areas, free camps, National Parks, State Forests and the low cost caravan parks and maps. They also have a web site with amendments as the information changes. Do not park in truck bays, as the semis require a lot of space and away from the built up areas they consist of a prime mover and three trailers so they cannot zig zag around a van parked in their way... plus the drivers are 6ft 4 inches tattoos etc get the message? The refrigerated vans leave their motors on and the generators running all the time when they are at rest and a cattle train is double deck with several hundred cows on board so you sleep will be disturbed. There are rest areas for cars/vans only. The tourist bureaux in the cities will have available list of caravan parks in their state for free and some park chains have their own