As the popularity of caravanning and camping has boomed, so too has the need to plan ahead.
When you throw Covid and Christmas into the mix, the need to book ahead or at least know where you’re going to stay with a degree of confidence is off the charts.
Caravan parks are jam-packed, free camps are crowded, and national parks exceptionally busy.
In New South Wales, where online bookings are mandatory for national park camping, the numbers are apparently higher than ever.
National Parks, team leader of visitor experience in the South Coast Branch, Jo Issaverdis said people were ready to commit well ahead of time.
'I'm glad we got here early, aren't you? PIC: National Parks NSW
“We always say book in advance, but even now, everything is almost fully booked out through the Sapphire Coast, in fact you’ll find that trend across the rest of NSW coasts,” she said. “I think everyone was ready to get out and make sure that they could have a great holiday after being in lockdown for so long.”
Ms Issaverdis said they started getting bookings as early as October for the Christmas holidays, which demonstrated the enthusiasm people had for getting back out in nature over summer.
“As soon as people started to realise that they were going to be able to travel, we started to really see things ramp up,” she said.
And she warned that people may need to be adaptable.
“When planning you may need to consider moving around a bit since all our campsites are filling up,” Ms Issaverdis said. “So you might need to spend one night at one campground and then move on to another, but that’s a great way to see some more of our national parks and local area.”
Ms Issaverdis said that, in terms of campsite bookings, things should start to settle down by late January and February.
And she said that once people were set up, there were still ways they could avoid the worst of the crowds.
Ms Issaverdis said the busiest hours of the day where people are most often out and about is from 11am to 2pm, so people looking to be immersed in nature without the hustle and bustle should get there before or after those times.
“So get up early and enjoy a beautiful walk, enjoy that morning glow or head out in the late afternoon,” she said. “And that’ll just keep you away from the crowds and you’ll be able to enjoy our beautiful natural spaces.”
Hi all,
I hope everyone has had a safe and happy Christmas. We have found the opposite certainly in caravan parks. We left Sydney on the 1st Nov and have spent the last 2 months ‘poking around’ along the NSW side of the Murray River (towards the Hay end).
Most caravan parks in the smaller towns have been almost deserted with park owners lamenting the loss of trade over the last 18 months.
If you are travelling about, and have the resources, stay a night or two in a caravan park, without our support it is quite possible that a few of these simply won’t be around in a few more years.
Safe Travels
Dave