‘Finding a campsite is like playing Senior Survivor!’

Published: August 15, 2021

Paul and Karen (inset) travel in their Kedron caravan.

Of all the challenges the Covid pandemic has thrown up for grey nomads, perhaps the most surprising one has been that, in some places, it’s near impossible to find a place to camp!

As well as a surge of ‘would-normally-holiday-overseas’ travellers hitting the open road, many caravanners and motorhomers are lingering longer in the north in a bid to avoid being caught up in potential lockdowns in southern states.

Of course, dry season hotspots like Broome, Darwin, and Cooktown are always hugely popular at this time of the year, but things appear to have gone ‘next level’.

Paul and Karen Slater – who are getting towards the end of a two-year trip – have been astounded by the advanced planning required to successfully navigate their way around the country … particularly in recent months.

“When we passed through Brisbane in February we soon realised we had to book the places we most wanted to see,” said Paul. “But most of these places were either already booked until October 2021, or had started working on a first-come, first-served basis.”

This was when the resourceful couple decided they were actually in a giant, real-life game of ‘Senior Survivor’.

“It’s a game where you needed to outwit, outplay and outlast all others,” said Paul. Things got really challenging when WA border restrictions with the NT meant the couple had to bunker down in Katherine for an extra two weeks … throwing their van park booking schedule into chaos.

“After leaving Katherine for WA with a large van and having no bookings, we now needed to change our strategies to ensure we gave ourselves the best chance of staying at our preferred national parks, station stays or overflow parks,” said Paul. “Our revised strategy centred around ensuring we were as close as we could get to our preferred location the night before … and then be the early bird to catch the worm.”

This involved getting outside their preferred site between 7am and 8am on arrival day and, to date, it’s worked.

“Whilst this is not the way to have a spontaneous travel flow, it has become the new norm as we have spoken to numerous others who have missed a site and have had to disappointingly move on early,” said Paul. “But, notwithstanding the added pressures, we are still seeing happy travellers out and about enjoying new places with new friends.”

Paul and Karen – who travel with a 2013 Kedron Topender towed by a 2013 Toyota LandCruiser VX – then remain extremely upbeat as they slowly head back to their Perth home as their amazing adventure draws to a close.

“As we sit at 80 Mile Beach and ponder world issues, we keep remembering we are still the lucky country,” said Paul. “We’re just really looking forward to catching a remarkable WA wildflower season now!”