Hey Mark, hows the school thing, 16 years old and counting, good on you son, have you got your license yet, great times ahead, the world is at your feet, and well done you for taking the initiative and going to "the source" so to speak, I agree with peter you should really develop more direct questions if you want absolute specific answers, but it doesnt matter, problems holding us back from travel, FINANCE, may be reliant on a pension very limited income, so short trips only, HEALTH, some of us are crook, get to our age and one develops things like cancers and tumors, stuff growing out of regions that it has no right to grow out of like hair out of our ears and nose and other weird stuff that you really dont want to know about, difference of wants and needs, one may wish to travel and grumpy nanna  may not, and then there is family, "oh but little johnny is going to be one over xmas, we cant go then" and of course fuel cost do to some extent come into it, but not as much as has been sprouted we just slow down and travel every other day, camp fees are always rising and yes they do become an issue at times if ones budget is tight, NORTHERN TERRITORY AS A DESTINATION, HMMMM!!! used to be a fantastic place, wide open country no rabbit tourists, great wildlife, fantastic parks but the government is quickly fixing that, the cane toad ( like the japanese) are taking over everything, to get into kakadu now is a nightmare also dangerous with tour buses coming around the corner at a rapid rate of knots and like uluru one needs an appointment, then of course the anti personell body suit to do battle with all the ignorant germans and japs who think it is there god given right to queue jump everyone everywhere, then there are the road trains who, as everybody knows, own the road and you, as a tourist, have no right to be on, then the heat, we dont necesarily like that too much and the humidity, and cyclones, far easier and more comfortable to head east and stay by the sea and mountains, your main tourist traps are few and far between for most, the distances involved are of a mind blowing scale, I have traversed your many and varied landscapes on many an excursion, but to travel in "the top end" really is for the brave of heart and strong of stamina also heavy of wallett and not for all grey nomads who really only want to "do the circuit" and then go a couple hundred kms from home and back again over the school holidays, as you know its no good being old unless you can hold up and berate 10 kilometres of fuming traffic behind you with a 15' jayco at 75 kph on the freeway, preferably go just up the east coast to a nice little caravan park that they know about, not far from where they live, take the grandkids for a trip, that sort of thing, more adventurous ones are few and far between, old age tends to slow one down, most tend to just poke around locally stay in "ones comfort zone" if you will, in this day and age of uncertainty of safety some are just too damn fearfull of travel, the stories that one reads about in the papers, gets talked about on the bowling green also internet (yes we know about the net thingy, you should have known you couldnt keep it a secret, us oldies know EVERYTHING) and blown out of proportion "killer road train mauls 5'000 people and still on the loose, crocodile eats full retirement centre but spits out tough old nurse" that sort of thing, a number of factors affect a number of grey nomads, simple truth is some still travel vast distances, others just dream and travel very little. if you have any further questions or just wish to talk about anything at all anytime, just give us a hoy on the forum there will ALWAYS be someone here to talk to you about whatever you want to talk about


-- Edited by dave06 at 16:25, 2008-10-06

Mark
I am an ex territorian - Alice, Darwin and Kakadu (Jabiru). Also my daughter is an ex St John student, so may I help with the questions

Why travel to the Territory
What do you wish to see
How long do you intend to stay , and type of occomadation
What sort of budget to you have for this part
How did you find out about the attaction on offer

For those that have been
Did it meet your expectation
Would you return

When on Council, we looked at vistitor numbers and nights spent at the location. The rational was for nights spent meant they enjoyed their time and obviously the area got more cash out of them - good for local business

Please do not use these question exactly, re phrase them in your own words and more to the context of your paper

The Territory is a huge place, lots to see, but you have to know, when a where to see the best of it. Each traveller has different likes and the Territory can support everyones desire - great place to visit - no place to retire

Mark
My replies may be disruptive to your data, as I am an EX Territorian. I will provide some, up to you if they are useful.

Fuel prices.
Most do not know the extent of the change in price until they get there. The biggest issue is the price in the outback, getting to the main centers of the Territory. Currently the price of diesel in Rockhampton is $1.60. When I left the Territory and came here, there was a 30 cents a litre difference. Around The Barkly Highway, you could add 10 cents to the Territory price, and they would not accept credit cards. So to answer your question, if we wish to go, we will, and reduce spending elsewhere.

Camping Fee's - well in the know, as I am, there are a lot of places that cost nil. Once again, if you are there, you pay, and reduce elsewhere. I have always had trouble with the fee's to enter kakadu. Can go to many other places, very much the same or better, with no fee's. I think it should be remembered, that GN have skill's, and some of the remote places need these skill, seasonally. Charge them for being there, and they move on.

Why go to the Territory - Without the Rock, Kakadu, Darwin and Alice - you are just a passing through point. The history, and the "wilds" of the Territory are never given enough "salad" to the meal. Go once and "see". Bloody hell, Burke and Will were there, can you tell me where, what about Lasseter and his gold. Even Sir Kidman had a presence, not to mention the Duracks. Should we leave out that the dead centre of Australia, lay around Tea Tree. The little places of the outback rely on tourism, and they are the ones with the history. Most pass through these places, without knowing. GN are about knowledge and discovery of history, places of interest. "We of the never never" - stop now. History is there, but you have to know it before going. Its to expensive to do many times.

What to see - above

What did you like and would you go back - go back to visit Yes. The best bit is the nights. So many stars, clear sky's, clean air. A chat at a small pub, and being told where to park for free. Stay a while, and relax.

Other - Mobile phone coverage and internet access. This may have improved since my day, but most GN, as use to having these, and to a point, rely on them.

As I say, this may screw your paper, but it may also provide other respondent with food for thought