Hot on the heels of a government report that could significantly curtail cut-price and free camping in Tasmania comes news that some grey nomads in big rigs are being stranded on the Apple Isle.
The Mercury newspaper reports that the Spirit of Tasmania is under fire for not allowing enough space for bigger touring vehicles. The Spirit of Tasmania website reportedly shows there are no spots for vehicles over 2.1 metres high until July.
Motorhome and caravan travellers currently have to book their return ticket when booking their trip to the state, which means there is little flexibility to stay longer. People who do try to spend extra time in the island state, or who book only one way because they don’t know when they are coming back, can find themselves in trouble.
Some are left stranded for up to a month before they can get a crossing back to the mainland. “There are some delays in the northbound movement of large car and caravan combinations but this is not the case for campervans and motorhomes, with vehicle deck space for these type of vehicles still available in June,” Spirit of Tasmania spokeswoman Soniya Fernandez told thre Mercury. “TT-Line has been monitoring the car and caravan situation twice weekly for the last two months and has been clearing the waitlist as quickly as possible.”
The newspaper reports that three ‘stranded’ groups were staying and the Latrobe and Mersey River caravan park alone. Earlier this month, the Tasmanian government released its review of council-provided cut-price and free camping areas.
The Statewide Directions Paper ruled that while local councils could continue to provide affordable overnight camping, they had an obligation to comply with National Competition Policy.
That means councils must allow for costs such as sewage, maintenance, rubbish collection, signage, power and labour when setting camping fees.
