Sheer heaven! Not a jumping pillow or smoker in sight.
A decade or two ago caravan parks were fairly predictable. They all had similar facilities with similar costs … a place where families and older travellers could mix together and relax.
The picture is very different today. With travellers demanding ever greater choice, caravan parks that used to unite all sections of the community are becoming increasingly splintered and niche-based.
Just recently BIG4 Howard Springs unveiled a new super-dooper water park complete with water cannon and tipping buckets. While it will be a fantastic facility for kids, budget-minded grey nomads unwilling to pay for facilities they don’t want will probably stay away.
Similarly, those who travel with dogs can find themselves to some extent travelling in a parallel universe to those who don’t. Grey nomads with pets are excluded from national parks and most caravan parks, while some non-dog owning travellers instinctively avoid pet-friendly parks.
There are signs that smokers and non-smokers could be the next group destined to never share a chat at the amenities block or a drink at Happy Hour. Queensland’s Charleville Bush Caravan Park is perhaps pointing the way to the future by declaring itself ‘non-smokers only’. It also does not allow pets, and describes itself as ‘unsuitable for children’.
Park manager Caroline Gale says the vast majority of visitors are grey nomads, and the response to the regulations have been overwhelmingly positive.
“We are twice as busy as we were last year so word is obviously spreading,” she told the Grey Nomads website. “Guests are always saying how wonderful it is not to have to breathe in other people’s smoke and not to have to listen to dogs bark or risk treading in ‘something’.”
And perhaps larger vehicles and smaller vehicles will soon, by default, cease sharing the same stopovers.
“We are noticing a real trend towards really big rigs and a lot of parks simply can’t cater to them,” said Ms Gale. “We have space here for things like fifth wheelers, so people in bigger vehicles also get to know that.”
The trend towards caravan parks specialising in a certain type of customer as they seek to maximise profitability is understandable … but it risks ruining the ‘all-in-this-great-adventure together’ camaraderie that grey nomads commonly share.
In the hotel world, ‘women-only’ floors have begun appearing. Could ‘women-only’ caravan parks, or ‘solo-travellers-only’ caravan parks be next?
