As grey nomads slowly return to the open road, much of how they feel about travelling in a world changed by the pandemic will be dictated by the warmth of the welcome they receive in the small communities they love to visit.
Early indications are that – while naturally cautious – most people living in regional areas are keen to welcome back travellers as they seek to rebuild shattered economies. However, as the outbreak in Melbourne has shown, the situation can change extremely quickly, and so too can the attitudes of some host communities.
Despite the odd frown or suspicious glance though, there is no doubt that grey nomads will still have friends wherever they go … and not just their fellow travellers sitting in a campsite nearby. Someone proud to call himself a friend of the grey nomad is 36-year-old Anders Nylen who still works full-time and lives on a property near Mareeba in far north Queensland.
“I am not a traveller yet but like to keep updated on the grey nomads as my father has been travelling in a Mazda T4600 motorhome for the past eight years,” he said. “I am a heavy diesel fitter and travel far and wide repairing earthmoving equipment, so I am always on the road and take note of where and when I see the ‘rolling economy’ as I call it.”
Anders has been happy to see more and more caravans, campers, and motorhomes back on the road in recent days and says the numbers have been doubling week on week.
“Only yesterday I passed the Rocky Creek camp area, which is between Mareeba and Atherton and there were nearly two dozen if not more vehicles in there,” he said. “I am always interested because I love travelling myself and have done Perth to Cairns five times in LandCruiser ute, swagging it on the roadside.”
Anders has previously lived in Western Australia and the Northern Territory and, as well as doing field service as a diesel fitter, he has driven road trains in many parts of the country. Having seen so many grey nomads on the road, Anders reckons he has a fair idea of what they need, and one day hopes to offer a unique low-cost camp for self-contained travellers on his 90-acre bush property.
“We have a full-time creek to swim in and cool off and lots of privacy as all surrounding properties are 70 or 80 acres,” he said. “Travelling full time can be demanding and a bit of a spell is often needed … so the plan is to offer a low-cost, pet-friendly, quiet, private place to stay with secure, safe storage if people want to leave vans or vehicles behind to travel up the cape, or fly interstate, or do day trips.”
And for the weary traveller things could get even better.
“My partner is keen on setting up a float tank which is a therapeutic form of floating in a salty saline solution in an enclosed pod,” said Anders. “She has done it numerous times and says it is great for aches and pains, and helps revive one’s self.”
While Anders is still a few years away from actioning his grey-nomad friendly plan, it’s still somehow reassuring – and exciting – to know that there are people like him out there. The future of the Big Lap sounds more exciting than ever.
I considered setting up a camp with a few rustic log cabins and such in/on my rural property but the Council requirements dictated such strict sewerage treatment, occupancy fees per vehicle/s, building regulations, Environmental plans – basic red tape bulldust. I shelved the idea.