Listening to all the media talk about life after Covid -19.
The government wants everyone to holiday at home, when things start to get back to, well what we were doing before all this terrible nightmare started.
Will caravan parks still exist or will the developers buy them out even more.
Will free camping have a new meaning / like park where you can near country towns.
If rural country towns lose privately owned caravan parks to covid-19, where will old folks sleep over, if they don't like free camping?
Will the council owned parks and showgrounds be over run by young and old alike, and what of fee's will the government regulate council's to what they can rip us off.
I will think positive and say yes, as will freedom camps as we know them. Maybe a slight change but time will tell. Who knows, CVP's might even bring down prices slightly to encourage travellers in for a night or two, maybe three. Weeks even.
I am guessing that on the other side of all this the roads are going to be very, very busy for a while.
I am lucky to be bunkered down in a CVP that I have used a few times and mighty sure will continue to use in the future. I can't thank the owners here enough.
I split my time between CVP, Freedom Camping and House Sitting.
Has worked well for me for nearly 9 years now.
Keep Safe out there.
__________________
Live Life On Your Terms
DOUGChief One Feather (Losing feathers with age)
TUG.......2014 Holden LT Colorado Twin Cab Ute with Canopy
DEN....... 2014 "Chief" Arrow CV (with some changes)
Until there is a vaccine, or until the Coronavirus has been eradicated, no one will know exactly, what the new normal will be
What we think we know about the Coronavirus, (by surfing the net), is that it is transferred by air, and by touch
Perhaps us older folk, (who are lucky enough to have a home base), will not be travelling, to wherever the crowds are
Perhaps those who usually go overseas for a holiday, will now holiday in Australia, but not necessary in a RV, so not clogging up the caravan parks/free camps
Perhaps the caravan parks, will have to ensure more space around their sites This will mean less sites, so everything being equal, the costs may go up
Perhaps caravan parks, will have to build an en-suit for each site Once again this will mean that costs will go up
Perhaps caravan parks, will have to close their ablution blocks This may (in the short term), mean less customers, as not all RV's are self sufficient
Perhaps small towns may see the benefit, of the Grey Nomad/New Travellers dollar Perhaps they can just clear an area, and supply a potable water tap, and a dump point, for the self sufficient traveller
Perhaps these towns, instead of a donation tin, (which appears not to work), will demand a shop keeper, to sign a card, that you are shopping local Perhaps the local customers (at those shops), will not like travellers in their shops, (picking up stuff to read the labels, then replacing it on the shelf) Perhaps a shopkeeper assistant will turn up each evening, and the traveller can give a list, pay by waving the plastic card, and receive their goods later on, or next morning
Perhaps the traveller will be responsible for putting their rubbish, in a big skip, with a closable lid, so that locals do not have to handle rubbish which may be contaminated
For your first topic Old and Grey, you sure have thrown a curve ball
Until we know exactly what/if any new normal will be, I would not like to predict if caravan parks will still exist as we know them, or be sold to developers
MHOO,
Caravan parks often have the only laundry facilities in many small towns these days so on just that basis alone caravan parks will still be popular to many travellers etc etc
No such facilities or hot showers in free camp unless BYO but not everyone has a ' van with the ' works '
Now would be a good time for the globalists to step in. SCOMO was not wrong saying that it will be a very different world. Unfortunately, its the ones with all the money that support globalization.
Local travel will become the norm. Overseas travel will take years to recover. So holidays will put pressure on motels, hotels and camping spots. My guess is that caravan parks will be full more often than not. Prices will go up because there will be more customers than sites. It will become a real challenge to book a site in a national park. 'Free' camping will become crowded. And there lies the problem. With pressure on 'free' campsites some 'idiot's' will start to spoil it for the majority. That will force the authorities to have a good hard look at 'free' camping. We will have real risk of loosing years of hard work opening up sites for 'free' camping.
So it will be up to us to police the sites to ensure the 'idiots' don't spoil it for the majority.
There will also be a new demand for RVs. Look forward to short supplies of RVs and higher prices.
Let me give you some examples of how development and the building of new infrastructure in Central West area of NSW has benefited both Motels and Caravan Parks.
A little town with less than 1000 people called Peak Hill HAS HAD motels and Caravan Parks to their capacity.
Located on the Newel Highway between Parkes and Dubbo there are 3 motels and 2 caravan parks.
For those Nomads or the general caravan fraternity you would have or should have driven this highway.
Firstly for some time there has been the "Gold" mines at Tomingley supporting Tomingley Pub and Motel.
Closer to Parkes is the North Parkes mines and again workers looking for accommodation.
But the real jewel in the crown of recent is "Inland Rail".
The rail line construction from Melbourne to Brisbane currently working between Forbes and Narromine.
All motels have had solid bookings with workers.
The Caravan Parks with their cabins as well workers with their own caravans have kept both parks for most weeks/days to capacity.
This is not taking into consideration the traveling public that find the little town a welcome camp and break after a long day on the highway.
Even in these current lock down arrangements one of the Caravan Parks is still kicking goals.
So what will happen in 2021 or 2022 with more aussies staying home and visiting their own back yard????
My thinking is the need for accommodation right across the board will grow and the much ravaged local tourism and leisure industry should make a startling recovery.
I might be wrong but I don't really see the people who travel overseas for holidays will now run out and buy a caravan to head out west. I imagine places like the Gold Coast and northern Queensland will attract more people to their hotel accommodation and some parks with cabins may attract a few more, but really nothing will change dramatically.
With so many people out of work and in debt I think holidays will be the last thing on their mind. Imagine after being locked up with husband/wife for weeks on end and then planning a holiday so you can spend more quality time together.
I reckon that would be a big yes....I mean even if the whole joint goes down the gurgler, it can only return to a lot of paddocks. Mow 15 mtrs square and I got a caravan park.
I bought in 1989 at 17% interest. I can clearly remember the bunkering down, we didn't have a holiday for many years, simply no spare money.
The same will happen with this depression as so many people will be playing catch up for many years.
I think that this is a highly likely outcome. I think touring holidays will become more difficult for a lot of people, and we're yet to figure out what fuel costs may be, so we'll see folk going to a destination and propping for the duration of their break. A bit like back in the 50's and 60's. So cheap holidays, like staying with relatives/friends, free camp sites along rivers and cheap sites on foreshores are likely to be popular. Perhaps farmers opening up their "secret spots" might get a bit of a go as well. On the flip side, hotels, resorts, motels, b & b's and that type of accommodation will most likely become the domain of those of us left who are financially secure.
-- Edited by Inland_Sailor on Saturday 18th of April 2020 05:57:23 PM
-- Edited by Inland_Sailor on Saturday 18th of April 2020 06:03:06 PM
This is such a great topic. Its hard for any of us to know what things will be like, however there a few things happening which can give us some clues.
All governments are encouraging us to holiday at home, international travel is not going to happen until 2021 at the earliest, unemployment is going up, property values are starting to drop and predicted to drop further, on top of this a number caravan and camper trailer companies that I have spoken to have said that sales enquires are are record highs. I guess if you put that all together I think that caravan parks will be doing quite well.
Take a look at travel auctions web site, a lot of caravan parks are taking part, with a hope they can attract customers when the travel restrictions are lifted and boarders are reopened.
I am lucky to be bunkered down in a CVP in a very popular destination.Have been here since March 29th and looks like until travel restrictions are lifted.
The park is giving us a good rate all Abulutions closed so you have to br self contained or take a ensuit.We have been on road for nearly 8 years.Spend time free camping and in CVP.I do not see this altering a lot in the future,short term prices may go down slightly to attract people.
