‘Busiest its been in years’: Huge wave of grey nomads flocking to the NT

Droves of grey nomads have already begun filling up caravan parks across the Top End, with more than 100,000 self-drive tourists from interstate expected to hit the road and head to the NT this dry season.

• ‘Very optimistic’: Top End bracing for its best dry season yet
• Tourism NT launches new campaign to lure more drive tourists to the Territory

DROVES of grey nomads have already begun filling up caravan parks across the Top End, with more than 100,000 self-drive tourists from interstate expected to hit the road and head to the NT this dry season.

Forward bookings for caravan parks across the Top End have already filled up for many operators over the next few months as grey nomads start arriving from interstate.

Darwin FreeSpirit Resort owner Jake Leahy said they were already fully booked until June, and spaces for July were going fast.

“It’s the busiest we’ve been in five years,” he said.

Shanelle and Brett Madill from Brisbane are among many grey nomads beginning to fill up Top End caravan parks ahead of a bumper dry season. Picture Glenn Campbell

“We’ve been booked out for two months in advance since last October.”

“We’re getting a lot of interest from interstate for the dry season, so it’s not slowing down any time soon.

“People want to travel, and they can’t go to Bali, so they come here.”

Hidden Valley Holiday Park manager Dani Walter said they had seen a huge amount of grey nomads in the park before the Dry had even officially begun.

“It’s booking out so fast, and we’re up by about 30 per cent compared to 2019,” she said.

“Grey nomads have been arriving by the truckload daily, mostly from Victoria.

MORE NEWS:

‘It happened so fast’: Fisho lucky to be alive after croc’s near miss on South Alligator River

Howard Springs: Michael Gunner, Scott Morrison at odds about restart date of Indian repatriation flights

NT declares Brisbane International Airport a venue of concern for COVID-19

“They were dreaming of getting away and planning these trips is what got a lot of them through the lockdown.”

Shanelle and Brett Madill from Brisbane got their new caravan early this year with plans to get out on the road and head to the NT.

“It’s been great; we’re looking forward to going to Kakadu next,” Shanelle said.

Tourism NT’s executive general manager of marketing Tony Quarmby said based on their forecast; the Territory should be expecting to see around 107,000 interstate self-drive visitors (approximately 21 per cent of total interstate visitors) this dry season.