Will we see less caravans on the road as 'grey nomads' stay in motels?
There has been a lot of debate recently surrounding the cost of caravan parks and the alternative accommodation options available to grey nomads.
While the discussion has most commonly centred around free campsites as a budget-friendly choice, some long-travellers are being even more innovative.
Retired accountants Annette and Ray Crofts provided a real talking point when they revealed they had done the sums and rejected travelling in a caravan or motorhome in favour of staying in cabin and motel rooms.
The Cairns Post newspaper has taken the debate to the next level after being told by its regular readers that the rising cost of caravan parks in the Far North was making it too expensive h of grey nomads surviving on pensions.
The newspaper has put together a list of average prices for a three-night stay for two adults at caravan parks, airBnB and hostel/motel accommodation. Does it make you think?
Prices are per night, unless otherwise specified.
Cairns Holiday Park Cabin $85 Powered site $52 ($47 if you are an NRMA member) Unpowered site $39
Big 4 Cairns Coconut Resort Ensuite powered site $65 Powered site on concrete slab $55 Powered site on grass $51
Cool Waters Holiday Park Powered site on concrete slab $46 Powered site on grass $46 Unpowered site $44
Lake Placid Tourist Park Powered site $46
Barrier Reef Holiday Park Ensuite site $40-42
Fishery Falls Holiday Park Powered site $35 Unpowered site $30
Big 4 Atherton Woodlands Tourist Park Powered site $45 Unpowered site $30
Atherton Hallorans Leisure Park Powered site $37 Unpowered site $30
HOSTELS/MOTELS/airBnB (Cleaning and service fees are one-off payments, not per night)
airBnB (private room in household)
Harbour Lights luxury apartment $108 Cleaning fee $29 Service fee $47
Cairns CBD hostel $49 Service fee $20
Private Queenslander, walk to Cairns CBD $54 Cleaning fee $20 Service fee $25
Gordonvale private home $55 Cleaning fee $10 Service fee $24
HOSTELS/MOTELS
Cairns City Backpacker Hostel $39
Tropical Queenslander apartments $110
Grosvenor in Cairns $140
Cairns Southside International $85
These comparisons don’t really work for me. There are a lot of things to take into account. The main one being food. When you stay in these establishments you would have to eat out a lot. Extra $ every day.
Self catering? Also what about towing costs, fuel, insurance ETC.
Why would you eat out a lot when they are self catering?
I have to say that may well be true, but in my caravan I have my own bed, can choose where I go (some places do not have motels etc) can cook my own food which saves quite a bit of money compared to take away or restaurant food. So no motels doing the big lap for me my caravan every time. But if you prefer motels that’s fine because everyone is different.
Also need to factor in the costs of owning a caravan or borrowing/interest costs.
Yep a good van and tow rig 160k then there is fuel and camp fees, rego and insurance, maintenance and repairs….. fly drive resort any country in the world you can do it for years for the money you’d save. By the time you burnt the same amount of money the van and car would need replacing and you could do it all again.
I think I could et up a VERY comfortable mid size RV for WAY less than $160K..I am looking a $30 – 40K 2nd hand , plus $10k to make it super reliable.
It is called freedom of choice. I chose not to pay over $30/35 per nite for accommodation. I off set my fees by free camping when I can. As for the set up fee of 160k better spent travelling over seas or within Aust, I prefer to stay in Aust, but the Au.st is one of the most expensive countries in the world to travel in. Caravan for me
Yes Laurie it’s correct. Australia is a very expensive country to travel snd explore. On top of this, no one helps you, you don’t get a ny proper information and defenitelly no hand outs likr maps and more. We pay lots of money to go outhere visiting the country it’s has s different feelings to reality. The reality is different it’s not what it is portrayd across the media…”smoke and mirror”.
Australia is more expensive than travelling the States, we do both regularly, the States has unbelievable natural landscapes and very affordable to travel for 3-6 month road trips, in comparison to Australia that has a lot of the same and huge distances between towns
We have travelled overseas using Home away and air B&B we have also toured in Australia extensively using our van which we have had since 2005 and we much prefer the freedom of stopping where and when we want, and by comparison the van with all associated costs is definitely cheaper
Each year ( excluding 2021 ) we travel the States for 3-6 months and occasionally travel Australia by caravan for the same period of time, the costs are nearly the same, travelling the States in a rental car, and eating out each day, in Australia we self cater in the caravan and the cost comparison is the same or maybe more expensive in Australia.
We live in our 36ft coach and have done for 14 years, yes the prices of travelling have certainly gone up in comparison to the early days, when we started out it was quite reasonable to stay in a caravan park, but now, since all the “baby boomers” have decided to travel in their monster vans the caravan parks have put their prices up hugely. They squeeze as many as they can in like sardines , Free camping always for us! You learn a few interesting and cunning things after so many years.
As a fellow Accountant, I would add that Annette and Ray would achnowledge that there are both intangible as well as tangible costs and benefits in this analysis. One of the big intangible factors they have probably not factored in is ….would you really do the many trips around Australia staying in motels and cabins if you didn’t have a caravan?…most likely not……whereas when you have a van you use it. It’s also a different holiday staying in cabins compared to camping in eg.freedom parks, sitting around a bonfire and enjoying the outback……instead of a caravan park cabin. What value do you put on the quality of your holiday and your experiences Annette and Ray ?….. you know that as Accountants your money is better in investments such as shares and property so you probably wouldn’t enjoy any holiday knowing you are foregoing investment !!
There’s no comparison – Motorhome for me. My own bed, go where & when I want. Have all my own food & snacks at my fingertips. I free camp or my upper limit is $25/$35. When compared to overnight costs of motel etc it leaves more than enough for everything else. I’ve costed all my trips & they come out at $50 – $95/day all inclusive of C/Pk fees, fuel, food, tours/entry fees, souvenirs, mobile internet etc.
There are so many variables that bring it down to personal taste. The biggest cost for days on the road towing a caravan is the insane prices for fuel in outback and many regional areas. If you are travelling in a car like a Toyota Corolla that has excellent fuel economy the fuel cost saving makes motel accommodation a viable alternative. But if you are staying in free campsites for at least a few days at a time and in no hurry to get anywhere your fuel cost drop dramatically because you are not using fuel everyday.
It also depends on the cost of van and tug, If you are happy with a smaller pop top and tow vehicle that can be factored in surely.
Also how many weeks a year
This is an interesting topic. I’ll be curious to know the difference over a longer period of time. Say 5 to 7 years of trips. Factoring all the costs including, cost of van or camper trailer, fuel, food, sites. As much as I like the caravan, it’s always going to seem the more expensive option if you factor in depreciation of the van. For sure some of it can be recouped when you sell it, but averaging the cost over time, it will cost more $ per trip I say.
Also you need to use the caravan frequently , it’s costing you money sitting in the driveway..
I am going to look into caravaning soon . The reason I worked hard is. To shout myself what I want when I’m retired regardless of cost if I am going to enjoy it. As the old saying goes if you don’t spend it and enjoy what you desired sure to hell whoever you leave it to will. Besides I go by that saying coffins have no pockets.
I don’t own a motor home but you can’t compare the two. A caravan holiday is one of the most enriching experiences I had growing up. I would give anything to do it again (which is why I’m here now as an older millennial researching for my young family). Staying in Airbnb entire houses or apartments is great too because it’s a home away from home. Where I see the striking difference is in the community that builds within caravan parks: the new friendships, the communal sense of sharing and being a part of it. Those are the key things you can only get from campgrounds or caravan parks.
Yes i would agree in our time it was like that, NOT today.