Taking a holiday from the cost of living crisis

With cost of living pressures, it was a no-brainer for the Mott family to choose a campground over an expensive Sydney hotel for their Christmas break.

Tim and Sara Mott, with their son Artie and niece Riley, are holidaying in their campervan at Narrabeen. Picture: Monique Harmer

It was a no-brainer for the Mott family.

Stay in an expensive Sydney hotel, or enjoy their Christmas break at a campground and spend the savings on summer fun.

With cost of living pressures pushing more families into searching for budget-friendly options, Tim Mott, 39, and his wife Sara, 36, from the Sunshine Coast, chose a family campervan road trip holiday and are staying at the NRMA Sydney Lakeside Holiday Park, next to the sand at Narrabeen on the northern beaches.

With peak holiday season powered sites at $114 a night, or an unpowered site for $79, it beats a city hotel room for four which can cost in the hundreds of dollars for one night’s stay.

Although Mr Mott has noticed an increase in caravan park reservation prices since Covid, he said: ”It’s still more affordable than a hotel.”

Kosciuszko National Park is NSW's most popular national park camping spot.

Camping at Narrabeen is so popular, when the Motts tried to book in July for Christmas they found they would have to rely on cancellations to get in. and so have had to shift between sites during their stay.

The number of holiday-makers heading to camp sites in NSW national parks has jumped by 14 per cent this year.

Yuraygir National Park has 15,000 bookings for the summer. Picture: J Robertson

The latest figures showing overnight bookings in NSW national parks, provided exclusively to The Daily Telegraph, also reveal the most popular camping spots in the state – with NSW’s largest national park, Kosciuszko National Park, taking top spot.

The picturesque highland national parks has 18,000 nights of camping booked within its boundaries from December to February and is followed by the Yuraygir National Park, on the North Coast, with 15,000 bookings.

It’s understood visitor nights already booked in NSW national parks for the 2024-25 summer are up 14 per cent on this time last year, with further bookings expected in the early months of 2025.

NSW Tourism Association CEO Natalie Godward said the bump in visitor numbers was “absolutely a response to the cost of living”.

“Camping’s a great, cost-effective way to enjoy a holiday,” she said.

“Cost of living is tough, families are opting for a more affordable holiday option.”

Despite soaring everyday costs hobbling families across the country, most were still reluctant to shelve a holiday away, Ms Godward said.

“Traditionally we like to get away and celebrate our region in summer – we’re not the ‘we won’t do it this year’ culture,” she said,

Prices for camping remain family-friendly despite growing slightly over the last year.

Visitors paid on average $32.27 per site per night last year while pre-bookings this year are $36 per site per night.

Kangaroos at Diamond Head Campground, at the popular Crowdy Head National Park. Picture: Tom Park/Destination NSW

Prices can range from $6 for a week in basic campgrounds but can stretch up to $60 a night in beachfront campgrounds with full facilities, including toilets and showers.

On average a night away in a national park campsite costs $8.57 per person this year, compared to $8.40 last year.

The NSW Government has invested $193 million to upgrade visitor infrastructure in National Parks, while five new campgrounds have been opened across NSW over 2024.

Environment Minister Penny Sharpe welcomed the high use of the state’s national parks.

“National parks are one of NSW’s greatest public assets, loved by everyone from locals to international visitors,” she said.

“Across the state there are 896 national parks, nature reserves, state conservation areas and regional parks. These are places to be in nature, to swim, to seek adventure, to understand Aboriginal and other heritage and to appreciate the beauty of our natural environment.

“It’s great to see so many families and friends choosing to camp in our national parks this Summer, and I’m sure they’ll have a ball whether they’re relaxing in nature or taking part in the many activities on offer.”

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Originally published as Taking a holiday from the cost of living crisis