Tis the season to be jolly … and to find a peaceful (and an affordable) place to spend the festive period.
For some grey nomads that means spending New Year’s Eve setting up in a tucked-away free camp or meeting up with friends at a van park and, for others, it means parking the van at a family member’s house or even going ‘home’ and taking a break from life on the road.
This year, after hospital and doctors’ visits, grey nomads Len and Barbara Sorrell are staying in Queensland and enjoyed their Christmas dinner with friends in ‘air-conditioned comfort’.
“In the past we and our Tenterfield Terrier, Jack, have travelled south in our caravan to spend Christmas with family in Melbourne,” they said.
Whether they’re spending the festive period at a ‘secret’ camping spot, a bustling van park, or at a family member’s home, most grey nomads will be off the road by now. PIC: Cizza
The Kidds will spend the festive period on the farm.
“Our van would camp on the front lawn of mum and dad’s home and our Christmas dinner would see family and friends come from everywhere to share a traditional hot dinner – one year there were 26 at the table.”
After dinner, presents would be opened and people would either take a dip in the backyard pool or gather around the pianola for a ‘singsong’.
Grey nomads, Gill and John Kidd, have also been having a change this year and are actually farm sitting at their own farm, while their young family takes a well-earned holiday in the US.
“They are hoping for a white Christmas instead of the 40+ we are now experiencing,” said Gill. “This heat is reacquainting us with the reasons we retired to go travelling … south in summer and north in winter … love it, we are so lucky, aren’t we?”
Veteran traveller, Gerhard Foll, will also be spending New Year’s Eve back home with family and is looking forward to some quiet time.
“Our caravan stays in the shed until well after the school holidays,” he said. “There’s less traffic and we can have a spot in a caravan park again … Christmas is a time when we catch up with friends we hardly see during the year.”
Gerhard Foll is home for the holidays.
Stephen Jones is another Big Lap lover who looks forward to the festive period, but not at home and not a quiet one.
“We’re going to be moving up the east coast from Newcastle to Coffs Harbour and will be stopping at three different sites over the festive period,” he said. “I love my quiet time during the year but, over these holidays, I just love the excitement and buzz of it all, particularly seeing the kids in the van parks having the time of their lives … Happy New Year to all!”
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For the past 14 years we have spent the 3 months of Summer, Dec1st to Feb28th at home. We don’t like hot weather & crowds. It’s nice & relaxing at home, too busy for us.