It is now 40 years since the national park volunteer campground host program was first trialled in Australia, and it’s fair to say it’s been a rip-roaring success.
The initiative has given many hundreds of grey nomads the opportunity to camp for free and to ‘give something back’ … and, despite the odd report of negative interactions with campers, most volunteers have only got good things to say.
Campbell Black has been a campground host for more than 35 years and there’s not much of South Australia he and wife have not seen.
“Being a campground host is wonderful – you meet people from all walks of life and are in a position to help them appreciate our beautiful national parks,” he said.
Camp hosting provides the opportunity to give back to the community PIC: SA NPWS
“There are some places, like Katarapko in Murray River National Park and Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park on the Yorke Peninsula, that are dear to my heart, but we are so lucky to have so many beautiful parks in South Australia.”
The South Australian campground hosts program, launched in 1985, was based on a volunteering scheme that began in 1980 at California’s Joshua Tree National Park.
Similar programs soon sprung up interstate, including in WA, Victoria, NSW, the Northern Territory and Queensland.
SA’s National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) says that more than 450 campground hosts have since welcomed people to parks in 18 different parts of the state, including Deep Creek, Coffin Bay, Little Dip, and more remote locations like Innamincka Regional Reserve.
NPWS Wildlife Service Community and Nature Partnerships Manager, Helen Donovan, said the program offered grey nomads the opportunity to connect with nature and the community through their love of the outdoors and adventure.
“Hosts complete their volunteer responsibilities by staying in national parks for extended periods, an arrangement that works very well for those who enjoy travelling around Australia,” she said. “This not only allows volunteers to coordinate their hosting with their grey nomad lifestyle, but it also enables them to experience national parks as representatives of NPWS.”
Ms Donovan said that, over the previous four decades, the vast majority of hosts had been retirees and – as it was not uncommon for placements to go unfilled – the NPWS was always keen to hear from new people.
“Campground hosts often have a wealth of knowledge to offer the public that enriches their time in national parks,” she said. “Many hosts have completed incredible adventures across Australia and their experiences add significant value to their roles.”
As well as greeting campers, campground hosts’ duties include checking in with visitors, offering advice on things to do, and assisting with queries.
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