Chasing a lone PlugShare pin to Tubbut

Snowy Mountains + Gippsland 2025–26

In search for a place to camp tonight, I gambled on the solitary green pin that appeared in the PlugShare app (see screenshot), west of me, way off the beaten track, across the Victorian border, in a little town named Tubbut. Plugshare showed no check-ins at that location, but the Chargefox app said it was functional.

WikiCamps also showed some freecamp options around there, so it looked like a good option for the night.

It was a beautiful drive, along some windy unsealed roads. I followed the navigation, but ended up in the middle of nowhere, I think due to the Apple Maps and Tesla map using different references. At this point, I wished I had Apple CarPlay, so I could show the PlugShare map on the big screen. Turning back a few kilometers, I found “the town”, which is basically just a community hall with add-ons. Fortunately one of the add-ons is the Chargefox EV charger. It exists! And it works!

There’s a fuel bowser across the road (pictured), but I don’t think it’s been operational in years. I think the nearest petrol station is over a hundred kilometers away.

Charging

It’s just a single phase destination charger, running at 7kW, like the one we have at home. I just charged while I had dinner and made use of the facilities. Enough energy for another night car camping in air conditioned comfort.

Thank you, Gippsland Climate Change Network for installing this ☺️.

24 comments

  1. Sarah Jane via Facebook ↗
    Hooray for finding it and for it working!!
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  2. Bryden Ellens via Facebook ↗
    Living the dream mate!
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  3. Sam Barnes via Facebook ↗
    What was your plan if it was fictional?
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    1. Sam Barnes I would have turned around and limped to Orbost, with an expected 1% arrival charge. Or I might have asked one of the locals if I could plug into a power point.
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  4. Robert Arrowsmith via Facebook ↗
    I guess the takeaway is a charging station can literally be mounted on a wall if there is power but a petrol station has to have a storage tank, bowser and someone to run it…24/7.
    The ICE Age is over.

    It’s handy they had a toilet too.
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    1. Robert Arrowsmith you can see a newly installed genset. probay running to charge the car. i hope they have solar

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      1. Misty Shi they have a thing called power lines.

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      2. Misty Shi via Facebook ↗
        what is the genset for?

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      3. Misty Shi Solar and grid, I believe. The generator wasn’t running. I’m guessing that’s a backup for the whole hall, in case of grid outage.

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      4. Tesla Tripping makes sense.
        I have pulled up to rual chargers just to see a Genny running, when the suns out.

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  5. Graeme Allan via Facebook ↗
    electro tourism, love it, infra structure improving daily, has anyone been to Camerons Corner on electrons only ?
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    1. Graeme Allan F

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  6. Great story! This charger was put in by the Gippsland Climate Change Network in November last year.
    Hot tip: The Chargefox App will tell you in real-time whether a charger is functional and whether or not it is in-use or available.
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  7. Travis Deane via Facebook ↗
    Well done, I hope you checked in on Plugshare.
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    1. Travis Deane Yes, I did. And added photos and a description. ☺️
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  8. Malcolm Street via Facebook ↗
    WOW, that it is out in the sticks. According to this (a) the nearest petrol station is Orbost, nearly 40km away (b) the only thing it's close to is a dump!

    https://australiansuburbs.au/suburb/tubbut-3888

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  9. Liz Burgstahler via Facebook ↗
    Fantastic
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  10. Vicki Batty via Facebook ↗
    I have run the PlugShare web page in the browser of the central screen of my Tesla (when in Park).
    The PlugShare Trip Planner web page will also run that way.
    (sign with your normal PlugShare userid and password).
    https://www.plugshare.com/trip-planner.html

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  11. Thank you for the shout out. We partnered with the Tubbut Hall receiving bushfire funding and worked with RACV Solar to put it in. Ongoing operational funding from AGL helps keep our network going around Gippsland where we have 7 chargers operating. Great to see them being used
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  12. Brad Hill via Facebook ↗
    So good to see. I went through Tubbut last year - good to know this is now in place!
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  13. Chris Whyte via Facebook ↗
    Thank you for sharing this story. Happy Trails to you.
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  14. John Broadbent via Facebook ↗
    Thanks for updating PlugShare.
    That’s the spirit!
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  15. Lisa Worrell Ingram via Facebook ↗
    Just to let you know there is not a free shower. That is a seperate facility not attached to the hall and the amenities should have been locked. We would love to offer free showers but unfortunately we can’t at this stage.

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    1. Lisa Worrell Ingram Oh, thank you for clarifying.

      I saw the sign inside that reads “we think since you are getting a free shower…” (see my next morning post: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BwZxSTsGq/). Is that meant to be just for local residents?

      In any case, I’m very grateful for the amenities in a beautiful part of the world. Thank you 😊

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