A pair of academics are claiming to have identified a new and different kind of older traveller … the ‘grey caravanner’.
Two researchers from the University of Queensland’s School of Tourism, Dr Shane Pegg and Associate Professor Ian Patterson, say the new group is distinguished from the more famous ‘grey nomads’ by the fact they only travel for days or weeks at a time … rather than for months or years.
Associate Professor Patterson said ‘grey caravanners’ were more focused on short-stay trips, and were members of caravan clubs.
“They generally travel in a group of about 30 caravans for a weekend away,” he said. “They don’t go far, usually within 200 kilometres of their home town, and they try to go somewhere new.”
The researchers said that, last year alone, Combined Caravan Clubs of Queensland members contributed nearly $3 million to Queensland rural and remote towns.
“They have formed very strong social networks, which have been virtually ignored in previous studies, even though this group contributes quite a lot economically and socially,” said Associate Professor Patterson.
Like the grey nomads, Dr Pegg said these short-term caravanners also had a positive social impact on the communities they visited.
“They don’t just arrive, spend money and leave,” he said. “They connect with the communities and, in turn, the communities get an awful lot back.”
The researchers are to continue their work in identifying ‘grey caravanners’ and determining what set them apart from grey nomads. They will soon be conducting interviews with caravanners to find out what impact joining a caravan club has made on their physical and mental health.
They will also be interviewing community groups to find out what economic and social contributions ‘grey caravanners’ make during their stay.
Do you consider yourself a grey nomad or a grey caravanner? Or do you think studies like this are just taking ‘fun’ labels too seriously? Comment below.
pity they can not find something else to do
I have been a grey nomad for years and we go away from a few days to a number of months depends on how we feel at the time and have not tried to intellectulis our hobby yet and hope we never do regards to all
We are def nomads, having sold all for a full time life on the road. No hobby for us, this is the nomadic life. Not sure if that makes us dif to others and dont really care. We mix with other caravaners we meet and do the same things just full time.
Regards the comment about short term caravaners (so called grey caravaners);
“They don’t just arrive, spend money and leave,” he said. “They connect with the communities and, in turn, the communities get an awful lot back.”
If they did their research properly, they would find it is mainly the nomads that stay in communities doing community work and helping out at farms and other places in need.
Wonder what they will call caravanners or RVers who don’t belong to clubs and travel in groups of 30. Maybe, the majority? Qld Uni looking at Qld clubs traveling in Qld when the vast majority traveling in Qld are from the Southern states and stay months not days. Always call myself a grey wanderer as the house remains as our base
I think we will still call ourselves Grey Nomads because we belong to this forum. Does it really matter how long we travel? It’s the enjoyment of travel with our van in tow that gets us out there.
Some people just have wwaaaayyyyyy too much time on their hands!
Well we are Grey Nomad who when we are home are also a Grey Motorhomer and we go away for short breaks with our club and do inject considerable money into mostly small communities usually supporting country halls, school, scout groups etc. I can see their point and this is a group that is probably overlooked when it come to economic benefit to the community. I think it is good if we get recognized and it help in the battle fro freedom of choice when camping.
boss and I wander at will in a converted bus I did up, short and long trips, always returning to family, wonder what title we have
Only academics could come up with this and conclude they did something wwwaaaayyyyy to much time on their hands
OOOHHH the rarefied air of Academia
Tell us something we don’t know!
OMG what groundbreaking research -DAH! how much did this cost taxpayers!!!
We are grey, wandering, but not in a caravan. I believe we in campervans are known as ‘whizz bangers’ by the more affluent road runners.
I don’t particularly like the term Grey Nomads, not all Nomads are grey haired, what’s wrong with just ‘travellers’ or ‘wanderers’ or ‘people having a damn good time!!!!!! Why do we have to be categorised at all. We are just folks who choose not to be in a permanent place of abode, do we call stay at home folk ‘grey stay at homers’??? Lets just enjoy this beautiful country be it travelling or not
What are young families who are travelling in vans or camper trailers? No I don’t like the name “grey nomad”. I prefer not to be put into a box and called anything. We are drifters in our country. No home to go back to and what we travel and live in is our home. Not too many can pack up in an hour and move house if you don’t like the area or neighbours is what I say is the great thing about drifting.
Whether we are grey nomads or grey caravanners, we have the “best” life out there on the road. Our “club” so to speak is unique and often select, but, we all have one thing in common we just love doing it and are happy to stop and help anyone we meet. I hope we all continue to wander for as long as we can, cheers and travel safe