The Challenge of Festive Season RV Camping

The holiday season is upon us. And just like you, there are fellow travellers preparing their RVs for the festivities … and believe me, they will be out there in the masses. The RV industry in Australia has absolutely exploded to unprecedented levels over the last few years, and that does not appear to be slowing down anytime soon with the industry barely able to keep up with the demand (from a manufacturing standpoint) – and that is certainly reflected in the popularity of caravan parks. It is likely that those precious waterfront sites were reserved many months prior to December, even exceeding 12-month prior bookings in popular areas. A lot of van parks demand a minimum booking period during peak seasons, and they can be quite costly. But for those of you who have left things a little late, or you have made a last-minute decision to hit the road for some festive beers and crackling with your caravanning comrades, don’t be dissuaded as there are still many places to stay. 

Here’s where to go and stake your claim of turf and settle in for the holiday spirit.

Stay at Rural Pubs and Golf Clubs

Rural pubs and golf clubs love hosting RV travellers, where your patronage is really appreciated. We do this often and love the idea of a free or cheap site for the night, where we can enjoy happy hour at their bar and then wander back to our van. But please keep this fair, and make the effort to go and say g’day to the publican or manager, introduce yourself, and buy yourself and your travelling partner that drink and perhaps a meal. You never know, you might spend the night with a fellow traveller parked near you who is also hoping for some conversation and relatable company.

Reconnect with Friends and Family

Reconnect with an old friend or a family member who lives interstate, and ask them if they would like some company over the holiday period. Hey, it just might be a wonderful reunion … all thanks to your RV travels.

GeoWiki X: Private Property Stays

Travel apps like GeoWiki X lists private properties up for offer by the land owners.  We spent one Christmas in Tasmania on a farm with many other caravaners from all over Australia. Then New Year’s Eve, we spent three nights on a working sheep station in South Australia, where I cooked the best leg of lamb I’ve ever tasted in our motorhome BBQ. The meat was Dorper lamb, straight from that property. It was quite an experience. I confess, I had never seen an actual working sheep station before … let alone lived and eaten on one with my family.

Think Outside the Box: Gravel Pits and Community Spaces

Roadside gravel pits: If you shudder at the thought of spending December 25 on the side of the road in a vehicle parking bay, then stop, reassess, and take another look at somewhere more appropriate for you and your family. There just might be a small quaint town up ahead that gladly allows travellers to camp in their local showground or the grounds of their community hall. We have camped in them all. Including behind a Scout hall; and a church, where we have met some really interesting travelling folk. At least it’s populated. You will need to be fully self-contained to do this. We once had the town’s caretaker arrive on a quad bike to collect our $10, and he ended up staying with us for some time – sharing a beer and a wonderful conversation about life … which, let’s face it, isn’t this why we travel in the first place? It’s all about the experience.

Caretaker Gigs via Social Media

Facebook has many pages on travelling Australia, where you can find homeowners that are desperate to travel for the holiday period themselves but require their property to be attended due to pets, farm animals, or just peace of mind with the security of having somebody on their property. Most of the time, you are invited to stay on the property in lieu of some daily duties around their estate. Whilst some do require references and prior experience of house stays, we were fortunate to find ourselves minding an acreage in Yeppoon in Queensland. It was a fantastic town to base ourselves in, considering we wanted to take the ferry to Great Keppel Island to try scuba diving. This was the first time we had cared for a property, and whilst we didn’t have prior credentials to offer we applied anyway, and the owners were only too pleased to give us the gig for a week. They even allowed us the use of their car to drive around town in; and considering we had our motorhome set up on their property, this was very handy indeed. So offer your services. Sometimes, you are just the right person with whom they feel most comfortable. Why not use your own initiative and place your own ad in social media groups, offering your ‘caretaker services’ in exchange for staying on a property? Write a nice article on who you are, include a photo of yourselves, and you just never know where you might land.

CMCA Campgrounds: A Trusted Option

Lastly, CMCA offers its members some great low-cost camping across Australia. Members can enquire where these campgrounds are through the CMCA website. We have used many of their campground destinations. Their custodians are carefully selected by CMCA via a rigorous application process, which is a reassuring comfort as you arrive to be greeted with a friendly smile from your camp host who will promptly show you to your site. Any CMCA members may apply to be a meet-and-greet custodian for a short time. Lisa and I would be absolutely honored to wear a camp-host hat. We just might see you out there someday! 

So, a checklist:  

• - Don’t be dissuaded by crowds. Don’t stay home. Get packing!

• - Consider camping behind pubs and golf clubs.

• - Call a long-lost relative or an old flame. Just pick up that phone and do it!

• - GeoWiki X 

• - Road-side gravel pits, local showgrounds, community halls, Scout halls, or behind an old church. Don’t be fussy.

• - Post your ad on Facebook pages. YOU are somebody’s next caretaker. You can do this!

CMCA RV Parks: rvparks.cmca.net.au

So, pack your essentials (including great reading material like this magazine) into the van and get your backside trackside. At the very least, you will have a legitimate reason this year as to why you couldn’t quite make it to the in-laws’ house for Christmas, and you won’t need to numb your senses with copious amounts of beer to make it through all of those awkward conversations.  

Ho Ho Ho. Merry Christmas!

Category: Features
Written: Sun 01 Dec 2024
Printed: December, 2024
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