The only way is up ... caravans head north in numbers.
With the mercury plunging in the south in recent weeks the roads up to the tropics have been filling with caravans and motorhomes on their heat-seeking migration.
The assistant manager of the Discovery Caravan Park in Darwin, Alarnah West, told the NT News that grey nomads had been arriving about two weeks earlier than normal.
“As soon as there are a few frosts, they start heading up to the tropical north,” she said. “The grey nomads are invaluable to us.”
A spokeswoman for Tourism Minster Lauren Moss said the Territory was a great place for caravanners to visit, but did not want to comment on whether grey nomads provided a boost to the NT’s tourism economy.
However, grey nomads Warren and Chris Dohnt who are visiting Darwin from Adelaide have no such doubts.
“Everyone gets on pensioners for being a burden on society, but we’ve worked all our lives and now we’re keeping all these places alive,” Ms Dohnt told the NT News. “Caravan parks are full because of us.”
The couple retired about two years ago and spend several months a year travelling in their bus.
I am on the way down and I have seen mild numbers heading north, Mataranka was 1/3 cap, down to 3 ways light nomad trafic and Camo billabong is quite light at the moment.
Given the price of fuel is similar to that of a nugget of gold, some will pick and choose how far they will travel this winter. We would love to hit the road again this year, but the cost of fuel is keeping us closer to home.
Just got back home to Darwin after three weeks in Kununurra and the East Kimberley region for the Ord Valley Muster and Kimberly Moon.
Vans everywhere on the Vic highway to from Katherine to Kununurra. If you stop at Timber Creek stay overnight and take the Victoria River Cruise. Its a wonderful no frills historic and beautiful trip up the river…amazing wildlife…!