FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)

Frequently Asked Questions

Welcome to Hike Camp Seek. We are primarily a notification service, which monitors popular campsites, caravan parks, hikes, and other accommodation options for cancellations. After setting an alert, we will then notify you when a new cancellation occurs, for a date range you have specified. We also have an embedded booking engine to help at booking time, as well as an interactive map to browse and plan a trip. Below are commonly asked questions and insights on how our service works.

How It Works

How do I create an account?

Tap Sign up and enter your name, email, and a password. You can also sign up with your Google account for a faster start. Once registered, you can set alerts straight away.

How do I search for campgrounds or accommodation?

Use the Set Alert page to search by location name. You can also browse our Interactive Map to explore campgrounds, caravan parks, and accommodation across Australia.

How do I set up a cancellation alert?

Go to Set Alert, search for the campground or accommodation you want, select your preferred dates and party size, then confirm. We’ll start monitoring for cancellations on your behalf and notify you the moment something opens up.

How are notifications delivered?

Notifications are sent via Email, WhatsApp, or both, depending on your preferences. Each notification includes the details of the available spot and a direct link to the booking page so you can act immediately.

How do I manage, pause, or delete my alerts?

Visit My Alerts to see all your active and paused alerts. From there you can pause an alert with a single tap (to temporarily stop notifications), reactivate it later, edit the dates, or delete it entirely.

How do I change my notification preferences?

Go to My Account Details & Settings to update your preferred notification channel (Email or WhatsApp), change your phone number, or update your name and email address.

How do I use the trip planner?

Open the Interactive Map and browse available locations. You can add stops to build a multi-stop trip, reorder them, view driving distances between stops, and save the trip for future reference.

How do bookings work?

We do not process bookings directly. When we find availability, we send you a link to the official booking page (powered by Bookeasy), where you complete and pay for the booking at the standard rate. No middlemen, no mark-ups.

How do I delete my account?

Go to My Account Details & Settings and select Delete Account. This permanently removes your account, all alerts, and all saved data. All notifications will stop immediately. This action cannot be undone.

Getting Started

What is an alert?

An alert is your consent and request to be notified when a new cancellation occurs for a specific site you are interested in, over a set date range. We monitor the spot you are interested in, and then notify you when there is new availability, via Email or WhatsApp.

Do you book the campsite or accommodation for me?

No — We do not reserve or hold bookings. Instead, we notify you immediately when there is new availability and send you the booking URL for the applicable booking website, where you complete the booking yourself.

Does notification guarantee I'll get a campsite or accommodation booking?

No — We can't control whether cancellations occur, how many people are competing for the same spot, or how quickly a booking is completed after a notification is sent out. We monitor a specific site on your behalf, then provide early notification about cancellations, giving you the best possible chance to secure an opening.

What types of accommodation can I track?

You can track availability for private campsites, caravan parks, holiday parks, and other supported accommodation across Australia. Coverage continues to expand as more booking systems are added.

How Alerts Work

Is there an order to which people get notified?

No — We have a strict ethos of providing notifications simultaneously to all who have set an Alert. This mirrors what is done internationally, and is the fairest way when considering all other alternatives.

How fast are alerts sent?

Alerts are sent as soon as availability is detected. Scan frequency increases as your booking date approaches, so you get the fastest notifications when cancellations are most likely.

How often do you scan for availability?

We scan availability in a smart, adaptive way that balances speed with responsible use of booking systems. Rather than scanning everything constantly, we increase scan frequency as your booking date approaches, when cancellations are most likely to occur. Bookings more than 6 months away are scanned about once per hour, bookings 2–6 months away are scanned more frequently, and bookings within 0–2 months are scanned every 10–15 minutes.

How am I notified when something becomes available?

You can receive notifications via Email, WhatsApp, or both. You choose your preferred method when setting up your account, and can change it at any time in your account settings.

Why did I receive multiple alerts for the same campsite?

This can happen when someone starts a booking but doesn't complete it, availability briefly reopens due to system timing, or multiple cancellations occur for similar dates. This is normal behaviour with real-time booking systems.

Managing Alerts

Why haven't I received any alerts yet?

Common reasons include: no cancellations have occurred for your selected dates, your date range is very narrow, or the trip date is far in the future (most cancellations happen closer to arrival). Widening your date range or setting multiple alerts can help.

Can I change or cancel alerts?

Yes! You can edit alert dates, pause or activate alerts with a single click, or delete alerts entirely. Paused alerts don’t count towards your active alert limit.

What's the best way to increase my chances of getting a campsite?

Tips that work: use a wider date range, create alerts for nearby or alternative locations, respond immediately when you receive an alert (speed matters — popular sites can be booked in minutes), and choose a form of notification that you are likely to see instantly, with push notifications enabled for that option on your mobile.

Legal & Technical

Is this service legal? Are you scraping websites for data?

Yes, it's completely legal. We partner with booking platforms and those who own the inventory. We gain consent to monitor availability in a way that complies with booking system terms, reduces load on servers (via aggregated User requests, adaptive polling techniques, and with integrated API calls), and does not interfere with official booking procedures. We do not 'scrape' websites or bypass booking system procedures.

Do you offer notifications to be sent via SMS?

We do not currently offer SMS notifications; this may be considered in the future. In the meantime, WhatsApp offers a lower-cost, similarly immediate way to receive alerts, with strong reliability and broad support. It also allows international travellers to sign up and plan a trip in Australia without needing a local phone number.

Who Is This For

Who is this service best for?

This service is ideal if you miss out on popular campsites during peak seasons, are planning trips around school holidays or long weekends, want to avoid manually checking availability, or need last-minute bookings due to plan changes.

Do you have an iOS or Android app?

We do not currently offer a dedicated mobile app for iOS or Android. We plan to release one once the service has continued to run reliably for a period and we have integrated with the services needed to deliver the best possible experience for what we aim to be.

Still have questions?

Contact us via email, where we will do our best to respond as soon as possible: contact@hikecampseek.com.au