Cashed-up campers shell out $55 million at 50th annual Caravan, Camping & Touring Supershow

CARAVANNING Queensland boss Ron Chapman says an estimated $55 million was shelled out at the 50th annual Caravan, Camping and Touring Supershow.

Caravanning Queensland CEO Ron Chapman. Photograph: AAP/ Ric Frearson

WHEELS GO ROUND

CARAVANNING Queensland boss Ron Chapman says an estimated $55 million was shelled out at the 50th annual Caravan, Camping & Touring Supershow that finished up at the Ekka grounds yesterday.

With 900 vans on display, the chief executive of the peak industry body says the show attracted about 45,000 people, some with big enough wallets to purchase vans with prices tags as high as $300,000.

Chapman (illustrated) tells your diarist that it’s a far cry from the first show he helped organise way back in 1969 in the car park of Toombul Shoppingtown.

Chapman recalls that a flood washed out the event and it had to be delayed a couple of days. He says he remembers cooking up some sausages on a barbecue and ferrying them across in a little inflatable boat to the hungry show workers.

Illustration of Ron Chapman by Brett Lethbridge.

From little things, big things grow. The caravan industry is now worth in excess of $20 billion to the Australian economy.

Joshua Carnavas, operations manager at Tingalpa-based Brisbane Camperland, says he sold in excess of 200 vans at this year’s six-day show.

ON THE ROAD

A WHO’S who of the caravanning world turned up to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the supershow last week. Guests included Mal and Laraine Leyland, of Leyland Brothers fame and Jayco Australia founder Gerry Ryan and Barry Gall from Kedron Caravans.

Caravanning Queensland’s Chapman says the gala was a chance for him to catch up with other former executives of the now defunct Chesney Caravans, who were at the first show.

Old-timers will recall that Chesney, which used to operate out of a huge factory at Lawnton, north of Brisbane, was at one time one of the country’s biggest caravan manufacturers, pumping out up to 100 vans each week.

Chesney founder Neil Chesney was at the gala along with former Chesney production manager Hugh Isermann.

Chapman, a newspaper advertising man, says he was head-hunted by Chesney to become the company’s advertising manager in the 1960s.

The company closed its doors in 1977, hit by surging fuel prices and the trend of people abandoning their caravans in favour of resort holidays.

Now the humble caravan holiday is back but the vans are not so humble.

The latest triple-axle van from Kedron Caravan features a Bose home theatre with under lounge sound-bar, a “heated” genuine hide leather club lounge, ensuite with heated towel racks, three fridges and a household- sized dishwashing machine.

COTTEE STAYS ON

BRISBANE energy player Richard Cottee has signed on for another two years as managing director of loss-making Central Petroleum.

The natural gas outfit has also beefed up its management team ahead of the operational start of an $800 million pipeline linking the Northern Territory to the eastern states by the end of the year.

Cottee says the company is entering a “growth phase,’’ with a successful drilling plan and high hopes of more than tripling sales revenue next year.

The company, which raised $25.5 million in the December half, could sure use the financial uptick. It suffered a $3.9 million net loss over the period.

That followed full year losses of $24.7 million last year and $21 million in 2016.

NZ JAUNT

More than 70 southeast Queensland bizoids jetted out of Toowoomba yesterday to mingle with their counterparts in New Zealand and maybe even pinch a few ideas to bring back home.

The contingent departed from Wellcamp Airport, bound for five days of speeches, panel chats, site visits and a few fancy dinners in and around Auckland.

Among those kicking back on the Qantas 737 heading over the ditch were Morgans stockbroking’s Belinda Moore, Australia Pacific LNG’s Fraser Power, legal eagle David Power, and Bank of Queensland’s Pat Heagney and Jared Moriarty. The Access NZ trip is sponsored by the Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise.