Caravanning with a capital K

KATHERINE, Kununurra, Karratha, Kalgoorlie – Australia's favourite caravanning spots seem to have something in common.

Popular choice ... at any one time there are at least 80,000 caravans on Australian roads.

TOM Harding has stayed at more than his fair share of Australia's 2700 caravan parks.

The 73-year-old estimates he's "hitched up the van" at least 100 times since his addiction to driving holidays began in the late 1970s.

In that period, he has noticed Australia has an uncanny number of quality caravanning destinations that begin with the letter K.

Katherine, Kununurra, Karratha, Kalgoorlie, Kalbarri and Karumba are all top spots on Harding's must-visit list.

"It's amazing how many spectacular spots there are beginning with K," Harding says. "They just keep jumping out from the map."

Harding's quirky observation has probably also caught the attention of many of Australia's 365,000 registered caravan owners.

At any one time there are at least 80,000 vans – representing at least 160,000 people – on Australian roads.

Since 1994, the number of caravans manufactured in Australia has trebled from 6000 to 18,500 a year, making caravanning one of the most popular holiday options for Australians.

Harding says while many people think of the Northern Territory or Western Australia when they plan a caravanning trip, there are plenty of destinations in Victoria that shouldn't be overlooked.

He suggests Warragul as a central location to explore the Strzelecki Ranges and the Tarago Reservoir.

"Most people just think of Warragul as a place you drive past on the highway, but when I stayed there I was blown away by all that happens there," he says.

Harding says other Victorian caravanning hot spots include Wye River and Port Campbell along the Great Ocean Road and Donald in the Wimmera.

But for those wanting to explore further afield, Harding says Queensland has plenty of gems, including the beachside town of 1770 and the Lawn Hill National Park.

Caravan Industry Victoria executive officer Peter Wright says 87 per cent of Australia's population has stayed in a caravan or in a caravan park.

"People assume the number of people going on caravanning holidays has gone ballistic since September 11, but in fact it's been growing progressively since about 1994," Wright says.

One of the benefits of caravanning, he says, is that there is a type of van to suit everybody. Families on a budget can buy a 5.5m single-axle pop-top caravan for about $25,000, while those looking for a top-of-the-range model can splurge up to $130,000.

A van with that price tag comes with all the bells and whistles, including ensuite, airconditioning, washing machine and dryer, two fridges, a self-sufficient power supply (solar, battery pack or generators) and undercarriage equipment so it can easily handle off-road driving.

Harding agrees the versatility of caravanning is its biggest drawcard.

"When I started it was with a tent. Then I moved to a camper, then a smaller caravan and then into a bigger caravan. It doesn't matter which type of vehicle you're travelling in, it's a way of holidaying where you can connect with the environment."

Harding says the key to making the most of the caravanning experience is to allow enough time to explore areas that may not have been on the initial itinerary.

"The Nullarbor Plain should be treated as a special trip, not a harsh experience," he says. "Plan to do it in three or four days instead of one or two and explore the side tracks because, at times, the road can be up to 12km inland from the Great Australian Bight."

Another outback gem Harding recommends is Western Australia's 80 Mile Beach.

Ken Johnston is another caravan enthusiast who advocates getting off the main road while on a caravanning holiday.

Johnston is a member of a Melbourne-based caravan club, and goes on a trip about once a month.

His club has about 35 vans and since Johnston joined the group seven years ago, he estimates he's stayed in most caravan parks within a 200km radius of Melbourne.

"I've been to quite a few of them more than once, but that doesn't matter," he says. "You have a bit of a scratch around and you always find something new."

THE FAMILY
IN 2002, Lisa and Michael Rowe decided to give their two young children the type of education they wouldn't find in the classroom.

They packed Alex, then 10, and Campbell, then 8, into their caravan and spent six months travelling around Australia.

The Rowes explored Central Australia, Darwin, the West Australian coastline, the Nullarbor Plain and Broken Hill.

"It gave the kids so much experience because everything was so hands-on and we met so many different people," Lisa says.

At Gemtree, about 70km north of Alice Springs, the Rowes spent four days mining for garnets. At Lancelin, about 100km north of Perth, they saw the massive inland sand dunes.

Lisa says they spent about four years planning the trip before finally taking the plunge.

She says the best advice she could offer families considering doing the same thing is to pack a good, large ice-cooler, don't take too many clothes and check for clean amenities at caravan parks.

She also suggests families buy a six-month national parks pass to save paying a daily fee, and to limit daily travel to between 600 and 700km a day.

THE YOUNG COUPLE
UNTIL a few years ago, Mick Daly didn't think a caravan holiday was his cup of tea.

The 25-year-old truck driver's philosophy was that he spent enough working hours on the road and didn't want to do the same on his holidays.

But a quick break to the Northern Territory in 2005 was enough to change Mick's mind.

With his girlfriend Lauren, Mick drove 1200km from Central Australia to Darwin and around Kakadu in a campervan.

"Once we did that type of holiday ourselves we realised how good it was," Mick says.

"Everyone is on the same wavelength and everyone talks to each other.

"Even when you're going to the toilet block you keep an eye out for other Victorian numberplates and even that's enough to start up a conversation with someone."

Mick and Lauren enjoyed another driving holiday late last year – a 7500km, 42-day trip around New Zealand for their honeymoon.

The Dalys are now planning a two-year working holiday in Australia.

THE NOMADS
TERESA and Richard Glenn's first caravanning experience was in 2002, once they had both retired.

Since then, they have upgraded their van three times and gone on more than 10 trips, including two four-month trips.

More than 55 per cent of all new caravans are bought by people aged 55 and over and Teresa says they don't mind being referred to as "grey nomads".

"We just love it," she says from a short caravanning break in Ballarat.

"We just pile the caravan up and head off. We don't have to live out of a suitcase and we get to sleep in our own bed every night."

Teresa says they plan one big trip every few years and go on many shorter two or three-week trips.

In 2003, they made it to Karumba on the Gulf of Carpentaria and last year explored Darwin and Kakadu.

Next year they plan to cruise across the Nullarbor to Western Australia and then head north to Broome.

"We really like getting out into the Outback," Teresa says.

"We prefer that to sticking purely to the caravan parks on the eastern seaboard."