An unseasonably warm start to the Easter long weekend gave Victorians something to look forward to as they battled the bumper-to-bumper traffic that is a quintessential part of the annual exodus from Melbourne.
Once through the gridlock, conditions were perfect to set up a tent and spend some time in nature at one of Parks Victoria’s 131 campsites.
Jade McLoney and Andrew Tremschnig said the lack of other campers made for a quieter experience.Credit: Brittany Busch
So where was everybody?
Camper Jade McLoney said sparsely inhabited camping areas had become a common occurrence since Parks Victoria made its sites free in December for a seven-month period, in what was pitched by the government as a cost-saver for Victorians that encouraged families to holiday in the state’s regions.
Late on Good Friday at Hammonds Road Campground in Wensleydale, where McLoney was spending two nights camping with old friends, only half of the 16 sites were in use despite the ground being fully booked online.
The public health worker said she had made great use of the free camping program but had repeatedly seen sites sitting empty after people snapped up the bookings online but then didn’t show.
“I booked Allenvale, Wilsons Prom, Hammonds, and each one was half-full. And it was a weekend, good weather, summer, so it was weird,” she said.
McLoney said the initiative should have been more thought out to prevent misuse.
“I think the gesture was very nice, considering the affordability of getting away for the weekend,” she said. “I hope they run it again, but just think about how to do it differently so that greedy people aren’t taking up heaps of campsites and then not coming.
“I know a few people that booked stuff for heaps of weekends over summer [and didn’t turn up] ... You could just book as much as you wanted.”
Half of the campsites at Hammonds Road Campground sat empty on Good Friday.Credit: Brittany Busch
McLoney said she regularly visited the Tidal River campground at Wilsons Promontory, and it was usually full on weekends over the warmer months, but when she went two weeks ago the sought-after travel destination was “easily” two-thirds empty.
“It’s always full, even if the weather’s a bit dodgy … You’ve got to book well in advance,” she said.
Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos said in a statement on Saturday he wanted Victorians to get out into nature, but declined to say whether misuse of the program would make it less likely to run again after its scheduled end on June 30.
“Victorians want to do the right thing, that’s why Parks Victoria now send out two reminders to people to cancel if they can’t make their booking, so that other people don’t miss out,” he said.
“We want more Victorians to explore the great outdoors this Easter weekend; in addition to the 131 bookable campgrounds, Victorians can also stay at one of the 1000 free camping areas that are first-come-first-served across the state.”
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.