Safe loading and towing

Free workshops will help RV owners to improve safety

CESSNOCK City Council, with the support of Transport for NSW, will host two free workshops on safe caravan towing, with advice from Get About Training Tow-Ed experts. Interactive two-hour workshops will provide information and demonstrations to support the safe loading and towing of caravans and trailers. Council road safety officer Alison Shelton said questions would be answered    on topics such as What is the GCM? Is the towing capacity of my vehicle able to support my caravan? What are the rules for putting bicycles on the back of my 'van? How do I know if my 'van is loaded safely? She said it was important to make sure you know how to load and weigh your caravan, and drive safely whilst towing. "Overloaded and overweight 'vans can affect your insurance cover so this is an opportunity to check you are safe on the roads before you head out on your next adventure," she added. The workshops will be held at Cessnock PCYC on March 14. Contact the council's road safety officer on 02 4993 4100 for more information. Have your say

Proposal 'won't be a silver bullet'

Council approves RV-living in backyards

Have your say

CARAVAN owners on Queensland's Fraser Coast will soon be allowed to officially use their RVs to accommodate friends or family in their backyards.

"This will allow people to provide free temporary accommodation to family and friends who cannot find rental accommodation," local councillor Jade Wellings, pictured, said.

"There is a critical shortage of rental accommodation across the country, and this is one way the council can help.

"While housing is primarily a State Government responsibility, our community is looking to us as local leaders to do something in this space.

"This proposal certainly won't be a silver bullet, but it may help take some pressure off and help people to take care of their loved ones in their time of need."

The caravans will not be allowed to be used for more than six months in a 12-month period.

Residents will have to complete a registration form to ensure they comply with the local law regulations and to alert the council that a caravan has been placed on their block.

Announcement welcomed

Mildura officially becomes
an RV Friendly Town

MILDURA in north-west Victoria is the CMCA's 366th RV Friendly Town to meet guidelines ensuring enough services to support caravanners, grey nomads and other travellers. These services include appropriate parking within the town centre with access to a general shopping area for groceries and fresh produce, and short-term low-cost overnight parking for self-contained RVs. The question of short-term parking has long been a thorn in the side of caravanners wanting to stay awhile to use the local shops. In addition to being more attractive to RV travellers, becoming an RV Friendly Town also means inclusion on the CMCA's Club website, which is regularly visited by travellers looking for suitable locations. Councillor Mark Eckel, who has long campaigned for the region to become an RV Friendly location, has welcomed the announcement, which comes just six months into the council's five-year RV, Caravan and Camping strategy.

Challenging times, but . . .

Caravan builders celebrate best sales since 1970s

AUSTRALIAN caravan manufacturers chalked up their best sales since the 1970s, with 28,031 new units being sold last year. Sales of locally-made caravans rose by 17.1 percent compared to the previous year, while Australians also upped purchases of imports by 8.4 percent to 20,498, the Caravan Industry Association of Australia said. Exports were up nearly 230 percent over the period to 9568 units, the peak body for the caravanning and camping industry said. Chief executive Stuart Lamont said Australia was renowned for producing rugged products suited to its stunning yet unforgiving terrain. "Our industry through COVID was able to pivot and mobilise during challenging times, and now that labour and supply chain interruptions have minimised we continue to see strong outputs," he said.   Have your say

Outback Magic heads list

Gongs identify Australia's 'best
of the best' tourism experiences

TWENTY-ONE tourism experiences have been named in the Grey Nomad Awards as the best in Australia for visitors aged over 50. Founded in 2018, the Awards are said to be the industry's largest to recognise excellence and innovation in seniors tourism. Heading the list was the Charlotte Plains Outback Magic station stay in Outback Queensland. The campground, where visitors can stay on a working sheep and cattle station half the size of Singapore, was named the 'Best of the Best' after being named the Gold Award winner of the Best Grey Nomad Farm or Station Stay earlier in the presentations.

Couple's warning after dicing with death on narrow alpine road

ROUND-AUSTRALIA "lucky to be alive" travellers Tammi Keirl and Jason Weller have warned caravanners to avoid the alpine road through Kosciuszko National Park. The couple thought they and their two young children were going to die after taking a wrong turn and at times being forced to inch their 21ft caravan along a treacherous and narrow cliff edge. They have posted videos on Instagram outlining the frightening experience and complaining about the lack of warning signs at the  Victoria end of the road. "There was nowhere to turn round," they said, adding that at one point they had to move to the cliff edge to let another car pass. "I swear I thought we would all die," Tammie said. Have your say

'Ideal one-stop-shop'

Gold Coast caravan show promises to be best ever

THE Gold Coast's biggest caravanning event, which returns to the Metricon Stadium next month, promises to be bigger and better than ever before. The three-day Let's Go Gold Coast Caravan & Outdoor Expo will open on March 10. With no signs of the spiking popularity in the caravan and camping sector slowing down, more than 125 exhibitors will showcase the latest and greatest caravans, camper trailers, motorhomes, tent trailers, campervans, tow vehicles and accessories on offer. "The expo is the ideal one-stop-shop to make all seasoned or aspiring 'cara-fans' happy campers," says Caravanning Queensland. Ahead of the Easter holidays, there will be plenty of information and expert advice on offer to get people travelling with confidence or to help take their outdoor adventures to the next level. Popular event sessions include a weights and towing master classes, designed to educate travellers on all things towing and road safety. Have your say

'Rock solid business'

GENTLE ANNIE HITS THE MARKET
 

THE 70-year-old Gentle Annie caravan park on the King River at Whitfield in Victoria is on the market. Agents SEEK Business says the 140-site "rock solid business" would suit an energetic couple keen to reap the rewards of hard work during the season ... before resting over winter. "Growing strongly year to year with millions being invested in the region, it's hard not to succeed," it says. "With generations returning year after year, Gentle Annie has become an icon of the King Valley." Have your say

Support for upgrades and new facilities

Caravan parks to receive $10m in Federal grants

THE Caravan Industry Association of Australia has thanked the Federal Government and Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell after the announcement that grants will go to 111 caravan parks across the country. Chief executive Stuart Lamont, pictured, said the targeted Federal infrastructure support package recognised the growing and critical value of caravanning to Australia's tourism and visitor economy. "Caravanning has long been Australian domestic tourism's largest visitor and economic cohort, an almost $27 billion economic driver in tourism and local manufacturing activity," he said. "This well-targeted funding will go directly into our world leading caravan park product across the nation. We also believe it will extract private capital expenditure support up to three times over."   Have your say

Canines welcome

Off-leash area for dogs at Apple Tree Creek rest area

QUEENSLAND'S Rum City plans to provide an off-leash dog park at its Apple Tree Creek rest area on the Bruce Highway. The overnight facility north of Childers is popular with grey nomads and will also offer new shelters. Divisional representative Cr Bill Trevor said the design scope for the community park was also exploring other ways to mitigate flood-damage in the future. ''This will include functionally designed playground equipment of suitable materials that still meet the modern expectations of outdoor play areas,'' he said. A broad design for the rest stop upgrade is expected to be completed later this month with Bundaberg Regional Council to take ideas to the public for further consultation. Have your say

Witnesses urged to contact police

Brazen thieves strike at camping area

BRAZEN thieves in Queensland made off with a caravan from the MV Beagle camping area at Inskip Point near Bundaberg. They struck between 6pm and 9.30pm on February 3, hooking up the white 1998 Jayco Westport with Queensland registration 609QTH and brazenly towing it away in front of other campers. It has two faded blue stripes on each side and its Jayco rims have been replaced with 12-bolt rims. Anyone with information or relevant dashcam or CCTV footage around Inskip Point or Rainbow Beach and who saw this caravan have been urged to contact police. They can also report anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at www.crimestoppersqld.com.au., quoting reference number QP2300201513. Have your say

Tourist hotspot

New campground now available for travellers

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A NEW campground and upgraded facilities are now available at Lake Kepwari in WA. The site of a former open-cut mine 15km south-east of Collie has been transformed into a tourist hotspot, popular with both the locals and travellers to the region. It completes a $5.8 million transformation to lure tourists to the town which last year recorded more than 51,000 visitors. Upgrades consist of the new David Ugle Campground, increasing the total number of campsites from 32 to 53. There is also a new picnic area, improved pathway access, barbecue shelter and toilet facilities. The existing campground located on the eastern edge of the lake has been renamed to Mick Murray Campground.

Shares soar in value

Results reveal Camplify's stellar growth

By Dennis Amor

SHARES in NSW-based peer-to-peer caravan rental company Camplify are soaring in value. The company has told shareholders that this follows some "remarkable achievements", with stocks up an extraordinary 22.86 percent to $2.20. Camplify, founded seven years ago, now helps over 10,000 caravan owners to share their RVs. It has declared gross transaction volumes of $24.7 million for the quarter, a rise of almost 110 percent over the previous corresponding quarter. Revenue came in at $6.6 million, which was 63.8 percent above the same quarter last year. The company recorded $31.2 million in future bookings over the quarter, a 270 percent increase on last year’s numbers. Quarter revenue rose by 63.7 percent compared with the second quarter in last year's financial year. The total revenue recorded was $6.59m (unaudited). "These results continue Camplify's stellar growth performance," shareholders were told. CHL’s Australian business saw "significant growth" on an already large base, with revenue growing by 52.3 percent as Aussies continue to show strong support for domestic holidays. Have your say

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