Dear Jaclyn and Heidi,
Help! I think we’ve backed ourselves in to a bit of an ethical corner and we can’t escape with our honour intact! My husband Tommy and I have been travelling on and off for 10 years. In that time, we have seen the number of free camps plunge … and, at the same time, seen fees for things like caravan parks and ferry crossings climb steeply. Like many others we have met, we vowed to bypass towns that don’t welcome grey nomads and we also promised we would never go back to Tassie while the Spirit costs were so ridiculously high. We were determined to stay true to our word but – as the years have ticked by – we sense we are fighting a losing battle! Should we stop punishing ourselves, even though we really don’t want to give in?
Rosie
Sometimes in life we have to swallow our pride, Rosie, and this is probably one of those times. You never know how long you and Tommy have got left to enjoy all that Australia has to offer, and it seems silly to permanently miss out on places you want to see in a fight you probably can’t win. If you are worried that a ‘boycott climbdown’ is damaging your honour, why not try ‘fighting’ in a different way. Collect all the receipts from your spending in a town and then take them to the local council and tell them you would have stayed a lot longer if there had been a free camp nearby. But, above all, don’t be bitter. Look for the good in the communities you visit again after your boycott ends … not the bad. And enjoy it, Rosie. That’s really what the Big Lap is all about.
Jaclyn
It’s a cruel, cruel world, isn’t it, Rosie? You don’t want to cut off your nose to spite your face but, Jeez, you don’t like to see them getting away with it! Acting alone, you are right. You are the big losers while ‘unfriendly’ rural towns may not even notice your protest … but are you alone? The more people who vote with their wheels and drive past certain towns or steer clear of Tassie, the more powerful their voices are and the more likely change is. But how long can you wait? You are not getting any younger, there are places you want to see, and it sounds like you and Tommy have already done your ‘bit’. Is it time for a tactical retreat rather than a surrender? I am no fence sitter … but this really is one time that it’s only you who can decide what’s right for you.
Heidi
