While not all grey nomads are in love with the online booking systems of national park campsites, it doesn’t seem to have affected the popularity of the parks too much.
Indeed, visitation numbers are skyrocketing.
In South Australia, for example, visits to some national parks have surged 35% over the past year.
Naracoorte Caves saw a 35% increase in visitors in the past 12 months while Seal Bay had a 33% increase over the same period as tourists and locals head back out to explore our unique national parks.
A total of 90,812 people visited the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Naracoorte Caves from 1 January to 31 December 2022. A further 85,374 people checked out the sea lions at the stunning Seal Bay on Kangaroo Island.
A four-hour drive south-east of Adelaide, Naracoorte Caves is a must-see destination on the Limestone Coast. PIC: SA Governement
At Naracoorte Caves, the increases follow upgrades to site amenities, including the installation of a new playground and accessible tourism experiences.
Visitor numbers have also risen 25% to 34,158 at Tantanoola Caves, by 20% to 28,234 at Adelaide Gaol, and by 11% to 89,946 at Cleland Wildlife Park in the past 12 months.
South Australia’s Deputy Premier, Susan Close, said it was fantastic to see so many people enjoying the unique experiences that the state offers … and it also delivered economic benefits.
“So many interstate and international visitors come to South Australia to see our rugged natural beauty and to escape, so it’s important we preserve these natural wonders and present them in a way that protects them,” she said. “The surge in tourists has definitely had significant flow-on benefits for the state, with more people staying the night, spending money in the regional towns and supporting local businesses.”
She was speaking as South Australia is poised to open its newest park, Nilpena Ediacara National Park, within the iconic Northern Flinders Ranges and home to the world’s best example of the Ediacaran fossil fauna.
Due to open in late April and located on the traditional lands of the Adnyamathanha people, it will be the most internationally significant addition to the State’s national park system.
In the Southern Flinders Ranges, the newly proclaimed Wapma Thura National Park, comprising the Telowie Gorge, Wirrabara Range, and Spaniards Gully conservation parks, is undergoing a $10 million upgrade as part of the Remarkable Southern Flinders Ranges project.
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Does anyone remember the Victorian Premier’s famous last words ” South Australia who’d wanna go there ” ? try everyone. We are absolutely killing it here. Hosting the Golf, The AFL Gather Round, The State of Origin, so many Victorian, NSW and Qld Number plates in our country towns. Who’d wanna go there ? Everybody ! My photo is my backyard, see you here travelers !