# Wild Camping in the Falkland Islands



## FalklandRuss (Feb 11, 2017)

The first of the images of Toyah, our Camper Van in the Falkland Islands.

For those who want to view the location put    51° 43.641'S 57° 52.177'W     into Google Earth search.

Russ


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## 1888 (Feb 12, 2017)

You were saying in your original post about how to post an image. You are almost there. Click on an immage you want us to see. Top left you see share? click it, now you have eight different links. 2nd last is hotlinks for forums, click the icon on the right of the text and paste here you get this....



upload image online


If it bothers you like me the last bit leaves a link at the end of your picture. You can delete upload image online from the end and have ............





What is much neater but that is just me liking things tidy  Cute little van BTW. Hope you have many a happy night in it.


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## FalklandRuss (Feb 12, 2017)




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## IanH (Feb 12, 2017)

Has to be the ultimate wild camping destination!

I thoroughly enjoyed my 4 months there, great place!


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## Namder (Feb 12, 2017)

Is that a parking ticket under your windscreen wiper?  I lived in the Falklands for 2 1/2 years in the late 80's, just after we kicked the Argies out.  Fantastic place.

John


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## maingate (Feb 12, 2017)

I was offered a well paid contract there in the 80's to supervise construction work. It meant flying to South Africa, then 2 weeks on a ship to get there, 6 months work, then some home leave. I quite fancied the job but took something else instead.


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## jimbohorlicks (Feb 12, 2017)

Its a long way to go for a wild camping weekend:raofl::raofl:


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## Beemer (Feb 12, 2017)

Spent 4 months there myself back in 1992/3, at Shag Cove, almost self sufficient, apart from diesel (for the generator) being brought in by Chinook, food, mail, personnel on R&R (for 4 days each week) and TV videos by helicopter.  We got our water from a well which run low in December so we had to use the fork lift tractors with plastic water containers to go to the nearest river and collect water for the week.
4 months doing rock climbing, walking, cycling, archery, sailing, canoeing and windsurfing, it was almost a holiday, if the family had been there.
We were lucky however, as it was the milder months weather wise.

You would be better off with 4 or 6 wheel drive and a well insulated vehicle during the winter months... good luck.


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## FalklandRuss (Feb 12, 2017)

Beemer said:


> Spent 4 months there myself back in 1992/3, at Shag Cove, almost self sufficient, apart from diesel (for the generator) being brought in by Chinook, food, mail, personnel on R&R (for 4 days each week) and TV videos by helicopter.  We got our water from a well which run low in December so we had to use the fork lift tractors with plastic water containers to go to the nearest river and collect water for the week.
> 4 months doing rock climbing, walking, cycling, archery, sailing, canoeing and windsurfing, it was almost a holiday, if the family had been there.
> We were lucky however, as it was the milder months weather wise.
> 
> You would be better off with 4 or 6 wheel drive and a well insulated vehicle during the winter months... good luck.



Hi Beemer,

We are hoping to get to Shag Cove next month. The track is a bit rough but passable. (Google Earth: 51°44.2'S 59°39.5'W)

If it's too wet we'll stay at Port Howard (which you must know) which is a stunning location. (Google Earth: 51° 36.8'S 59° 31.4'W)





She is a 4x4 and has been "tested" on reasonably dry tracks. I've insulated her throughout but good god...we won't be going out in the winter. As you know the weather here can be only described as changeable.

Shag Cove closed as a recreational centre a few years back which is a shame, but all the pastimes you mention are available at Hillside in Stanley for the boys and girls from MPA.

Russ


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## FalklandRuss (Feb 12, 2017)

Namder said:


> Is that a parking ticket under your windscreen wiper?  I lived in the Falklands for 2 1/2 years in the late 80's, just after we kicked the Argies out.  Fantastic place.
> 
> John



Hi John, no that's an envelope with all the vehicle documents in it.

I've never heard of anyone getting a parking ticket here. You might get a polite reminder from the police to move a badly parked vehicle but that's all. They are a very tolerant bunch.

Having lived here that long you'll know that there are beautiful spots to visit. It would have a changed a lot since you were here though with a lot of the minefields having been cleared. You still have to be a little cautious about where you camp though. They're due to start clearing some of the best beaches (Yorke Bay) near Stanley soon. (Google Earth: 51° 40.700'S 57° 47.500'W).

God bless the de-miners!


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## Hondaboy (Feb 12, 2017)

maingate said:


> I was offered a well paid contract there in the 80's to supervise construction work. It meant flying to South Africa, then 2 weeks on a ship to get there, 6 months work, then some home leave. I quite fancied the job but took something else instead.



You was just worried that tuggy was captain on the ship.


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## maingate (Feb 12, 2017)

Hondaboy said:


> You was just worried that tuggy was captain on the ship.



:lol-049::lol-049::lol-049:


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## mossypossy (Feb 12, 2017)

Is there a lot of choice when you come to want to buy a motorhome on the Falklands?


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## FalklandRuss (Feb 12, 2017)

mossypossy said:


> Is there a lot of choice when you come to want to buy a motorhome on the Falklands?



:lol-049:

Hi Mossypossy,

There is no choice at all. I bought mine blind on Ebay, then had it sent to Southampton to be shipped down here. I was lucky, but as you can imagine that way of buying can be fraught with danger.

Russ


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## dane (Feb 13, 2017)

Nice, and being used properly  Think I remember seeing that on ebay, the hatch on the side is unusual.

dan (owns a HiAce 4wd called Godzuki!)


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## FalklandRuss (Feb 13, 2017)

dane said:


> Nice, and being used properly  Think I remember seeing that on ebay, the hatch on the side is unusual.
> 
> dan (owns a HiAce 4wd called Godzuki!)



Hi Dan,

I think the hatch you mean is the low one on the Driver's side? If so that's the Cabin battery box - I currently have a 110 Ahr battery in there and that takes up about 3/4 of the available space. There are two other batteries under the Front Passenger's seat but they are purely for Starting and electrics not associated with the rear Cabin. So once you park up, even if you flatten the Cabin battery you've always got full batteries to start her. Once running the alternator charges all three batteries.

The Stereo and 2M radios in the front can be switched between either so again you can run those without flattening the starting batteries.

Russ

PS - Had a look at Godzuki ( https://www.wildcamping.co.uk/forum...-adventure-beastie.html?highlight=#post751139 ) and he's? very similar. I love the high roof, although I did have to modify the garage doors (by 15cm) to get her in.

Did you get the water problem sorted? We had a water tank specially made by Shuan Barret ( Barratt Tanks ) which fits under the kitchenette. Cheap and excellent service. We can now carry 45 ltrs in the tank with an extra 10 in the Carver water heater.


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## dane (Feb 13, 2017)

FalklandRuss said:


> PS - Had a look at Godzuki ( https://www.wildcamping.co.uk/forum...-adventure-beastie.html?highlight=#post751139 ) and he's? very similar. I love the high roof, although I did have to modify the garage doors (by 15cm) to get her in.
> 
> Did you get the water problem sorted? We had a water tank specially made by Shuan Barret ( Barratt Tanks ) which fits under the kitchenette. Cheap and excellent service. We can now carry 45 ltrs in the tank with an extra 10 in the Carver water heater.



Interesting that you have two starter batteries, I knew they had them on HiLux's but didn't realise they put two in the HiAce.  I've only got one, but it's an older engine without the electronics, so maybe that is why.  Starts on the button.

We spent a long time considering converting our old van from a pop-top to a hightop, but I could never bring myself to do it.  In the end events overtook us and we changed vans.  Obviously much better in bad weather, but I now suffer from car park barrier and bridge fear!

Haven't sorted the water storage yet, real life has kind of got in the way of van adventures recently.  Did give it a service, changing the aux belts was a laugh and a half.  Think I've decided on an underslung gas tank though, so that should free up a lot of space, but need to find the time to get under tha van and measure up.

Thanks for the link for the water containers, that will be useful.
dan


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## phillybarbour (Feb 14, 2017)

Some great pictures and a nice van too.


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## Deleted member 58330 (Feb 14, 2017)

oh no, you have let the cat out of the bag now.  You watch and those no overnight camping signs will be up in no time at all now. Drat and double drat.


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## FalklandRuss (Feb 14, 2017)

MidAgeTraveller said:


> oh no, you have let the cat out of the bag now.  You watch and those no overnight camping signs will be up in no time at all now. Drat and double drat.



Not much attention is paid to signs down here!


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## mossypossy (Feb 14, 2017)

Are you allowed to eat penguins?


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## FalklandRuss (Feb 14, 2017)

mossypossy said:


> Are you allowed to eat penguins?



Some people eat Penguin Eggs, but they are far too salty for me and the "white" doesn't go white when you cook them. Urghhh!

You'd have to be pretty hungry to eat one I'd have thought, I think they are just basically blubber. I'm not entirely sure, but think it is also illegal.


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## barryd (Feb 14, 2017)

Good to hear the mines are being cleared.  Reminds me of the race in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet 

[video=youtube;zPCGJ5be0TU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPCGJ5be0TU[/video]


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## Patchypete (Feb 16, 2017)

maingate said:


> I was offered a well paid contract there in the 80's to supervise construction work. It meant flying to South Africa, then 2 weeks on a ship to get there, 6 months work, then some home leave. I quite fancied the job but took something else instead.



 I went there and done that, 14 month contract, time off half way through,  6 day working week, 60 hr basic week, 10 hr days, quite often 80 hr plus weeks, tax free, and wages were pretty good, nothing to do in the evening but drink beer .... ah smashing times, bloody hard and bloody cold.
Beautiful place, sorry about putting a dirty great runway through it.
Nice van by the way, not a lot of roads out there though, good test for your suspension :drive:


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## colinm (Feb 16, 2017)

FalklandRuss said:


> God bless the de-miners!



There was an item on tv about clearing mines in western dessert left over from WWII, still loads of them which was surprising, but even more surprising was the British government have refused to hand over maps to the Egyptians.


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## FalklandRuss (Feb 17, 2017)

Patchypete said:


> Beautiful place, sorry about putting a dirty great runway through it.
> Nice van by the way, not a lot of roads out there though, good test for your suspension :drive:



Landed on that runway a few times! 

She's performed well so far. Just about to import some decent all-terrain tyres and jack the suspension up an inch or so.

Since you were down here (mid-eighties I'm guessing) there has been quite a big road building program. Not black-top though...all gravel/stone. We call it the M25, but you can now do a full circular round East Falkland.


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## outdoorstu (Feb 20, 2017)

Russ, your camper looks great.

I'm just on my way to the Falklands onboard the RRS Ernest Shackleton and I'm hoping to do a bit of camping.

Can you recommend any interesting spots to camp? Do I have to get permission to camp?

I have a tent and was looking to hire a 4x4 but do you know if you can rent a camper on the islands?

Cheers,
Stu


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## FalklandRuss (Feb 21, 2017)

outdoorstu said:


> Russ, your camper looks great.
> 
> I'm just on my way to the Falklands onboard the RRS Ernest Shackleton and I'm hoping to do a bit of camping.
> 
> ...



Hi Stu, the best people to talk to are here: Camping -Stay with us -The Falklands archipelago is teeming with wonders of wildlife and nature -Falkland Islands Tourist Board
They will be able to give you all the info you need and which land owner to contact for permission.

As far as campers go, I think ours is the only one on the islands, but these people would know if there are any others. Enjoy your time here.

Russ


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