The Changing Face of caravanning in Australia

I believe 2020 was the catalyst that started the change in the way Australians use their Recreation Vehicles (RV’s), caravans, campers and motorhomes.

 

My wife Pam and I have been camping and caravanning for about 35 years, we graduated from small tents to tow-behind home-made campers, to modified grocery delivery vans, various small caravans and eventually to our seventh and current caravan, a caravan complete with a full ensuite and, as they say, all the mod-cons.

 

Covid changed everything.

We often hear the words, ‘It changed with Covid’. These words can certainly be applied to caravaning.

But not just Covid, the advent of reliable Internet access anywhere across our vast nation has played a big part and even the housing crisis has participated. It has changed, probably for ever.

 

Covid 19 started the work from home culture, or as it is called today WFH.

Obviously not everyone is able to WFH but new research from Roy Morgan reveals that over 6.7 million Australians, representing 46% of employed Australians work from home at least some of the time.

 

The rise of the New Nomads

It did not take long for many to realize that 'home' could be in the city suburb, or it could be in a caravan park next to rolling surf or watching brolga's frolic in the afternoon sun at Kakadu.

All states and territories education departments readily responded to this, with curricula made available via existing Distant Education schemes.

 

Youtube is awash with the exploits of many families enjoying this lifestyle. For some, Youtube assists in adding to their bank account balances...it is not uncommon for some ‘Caravanning Australia’ Youtube channels to have more than 100'000 or more subscribers (followers).

Youtube of course cottoned on to this, and advertising is now prolific and participants are paid quite well for the ads that appear on their channels.

 

This is all good and good luck to the many doing it. 

I do have some reservations about the 'home schooling’, having a non-qualified 'teacher' teach children, often involving different grades...Mind you the Distant Education (Formerly school of the air) program has been operating successfully for a long time.

This 'freedom' lifestyle, however, does have a downside.

 

How it Once Was

Once upon a time it was the usual practice that as all the schools went back after holidays and, following the April school holidays, the roads would again be ‘returned’ to the Grey Nomads...this has pretty much totally changed now. The term Grey Nomads is an endearing one and traditionally refers to retired folk, the kids having grown up and moved on, a caravan is purchased, the home perhaps rented out or ‘house sitters’ take over.

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The ‘van is packed up and they join the annual ‘migration’ as they and thousands of likeminded folk head west and north from Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

For many the aim will be Cairns and many other locations up along the east coast up to  north Queensland,

Perhaps Broome in the far north of Western Australia with lots of Outback in between.

Many small Australian towns pretty much relied on these nomads passing through on the annual migration north and west. 

Image: mum and dad relaxing under the awning with their modest caravan.

 

And How it Has Become

But the new travellers, not the Grey Nomads but the WFH'ers, are quite different, they are not relying on a fortnightly pension, they are cashed up…they don’t have the traditional 16’-foot caravan. They are not bound by any holidays.

It matters not they have never towed anything larger than a 6x4 box trailer on Sunday to the tip…many are new to towing, moving from a small box trailer and the trip on Sunday to the rubbish tip to a 25’ caravan in one leap.

 

These ‘new nomads’ have everything; their large freezers and portable fridges will be stocked up before leaving the city. Their luxury four-wheel drives will have extended fuel tanks; they don't want expensive Outback fuel.

Their 25’ caravans are set up for long lengths of ‘off the grid' camping, the free camps fill up, the country caravan parks do not.

 

Image: large caravan, sitting high, a Toyota Landcruiser, bulbar, snorkel, roof rack, maybe fuel jerry cans.

What Country Towns Have Lost

Small town Australia has been hit, grocery stores, small cafés and, in particular hotels, with the twice-yearly increase of the alcohol excise, and the now $11 pot of beer, high cost of electricity and gas not helping. For Lease and For Sale signs common. Or worse, just abandoned.

Towns nearby to the many LNG facilities across the Outback wonder at why the cost of Australian natural gas is cheaper for Japanese families then it is for their own.

With most states and territories now requiring long distance truckies to have a zero or .02 blood alcohol the hotel dining rooms no longer fill up…the fancy truck-stops out on the highway, with their easier parking, shower and rest facilities, most fast-food stores there now.

 

Image: modern truck-stop with billboard showing all the franchises

 

Out on the coast a different story, the caravan park operators quickly realize these 'new grey nomads' have a quid or two...their site costs quickly take advantage,  massive kid friendly playgrounds and  huge family orientated 'camp kitchens'  with 100" TV screens and rows of pin-ball type machines appear, things the average 'oldie' won’t use.

The old and common ‘Stay for 7 nights pay for 6’ schemes so liked by the old Grey Nomads now quite difficult to find.

The kids are often left to their own resources while mum and dad meet up with fellow travellers in the camp kitchen…no one has much of an idea of caravan park etiquette.

We have had kids running and riding their bikes right through our campsite and under our awning.

 

The Housing Crisis Creates a New Traveller

And if that is not enough there is another class of RVers emerging now as well, and it is a by-product of the housing crisis. 

The huge jump in the cost of housing has resulted in some becoming millionaires, this newfound wealth a boon for the ‘Use you homes equity and enjoy your golden years’ money lenders. This lot is very similar to the WFH’ers.

I am aware of a number of  instances where mum and dad have willingly taken in the son or daughter and their families to their homes, where mum and dad happily leave their beloved family home in the hands of the children, they can then head off in their new caravan for their 'Big trip' and have no worries about the home, very often charging no rent and thus allowing the offspring to save for their own.

This, of course is a good thing as it will allow the young ones to save for their own home and that might be the only way they will ever do it…In our opinion successive governments should hang their collective heads in shame for allowing this to happen.

 

So, the Australian Caravan scene has indeed changed and sadly, not all for the better, in our eyes anyway.