Thread: First Frosts - Start of Terrorist Season

Originally Posted by Mick_Marsh

Maybe you northerners need to attract more tourists.

The bonus with Victor, Frankston and Gold Coast and those sort of beach places is they are usually within a reasonable drive of a major city centre.

Katherine is 300km from Darwin and unless you are doing 130kmh it's not an enjoyable drive on a non-existent multiple lane highway. Then another 600km to Tennant, etc, etc..

Regards to tourists? The only people benefitting from them up here are Woolies and crash repairers after they cut you off.

Originally Posted by Konradical

You initially think that when you first come to these places, but after a while when you notice caravan parks half empty and the local Woolies posing as the biggest tourist attraction, it's really only the backpackers and tourist busses that stop at the attractions. The parking bays 30kms in either direction get the most attention and really the local economy is more government and defence based, so the terrorists are more a yearly burden than a blessing.

Many if not most modern caravans and motor homes are pretty well self-contained. hot water, showers, flush toilet and holding tank, freezers. etc. The grey ghosts don't need to go to a caravan park any more for showers and toilets and be ripped off $150 per night. They can pull up anywhere convenient along the road. Find a major town for a Colesworth supermarket to do your shopping with nationwide pricing. Small country supermarkets can't compete on range or price. Buy your grog in bulk at a Dan Murphy's not at the full price+ bottleo at a country pub. As is said in North Qld. about Victorian and New Zealand tourists "They arrive with a spare set of underwear and socks, a $20 note, and don't change either."

Originally Posted by Bigbjorn

Many if not most modern caravans and motor homes are pretty well self-contained. hot water, showers, flush toilet and holding tank, freezers. etc. The grey ghosts don't need to go to a caravan park any more for showers and toilets and be ripped off $150 per night........"

More like $40-$50 a night.


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Lots of different people benefit from the Grey Nomads From the caravan dealers and suppliers, the automotive industry and all the accessory makers down to the tyre joints and towns that they visit.
Then there is all the boat fuel, bait, ice and fishing gear that the fishing fraternity spend their money on as well.
I don't think that anyone begrudges the caravan parks charging $35-$45 per night But I think that everyone baulks at paying the same rates at many of the Bush camping spots in the Kimberly's that don't provide much in the way of facilities and the ridicules rates charged at National parks as well.

Originally Posted by Bigbjorn

Many if not most modern caravans and motor homes are pretty well self-contained. hot water, showers, flush toilet and holding tank, freezers. etc. The grey ghosts don't need to go to a caravan park any more for showers and toilets and be ripped off $150 per night. They can pull up anywhere convenient along the road. Find a major town for a Colesworth supermarket to do your shopping with nationwide pricing. Small country supermarkets can't compete on range or price. Buy your grog in bulk at a Dan Murphy's not at the full price+ bottleo at a country pub. As is said in North Qld. about Victorian and New Zealand tourists "They arrive with a spare set of underwear and socks, a $20 note, and don't change either."

And if the welcome they get is anything like yours, I'm not surprised either. Lots of small Country towns all over the country open their arms to the Grey Nomads as something is better than nothing. Obviously where you live there's a big sign that says '**** off' at the entrance of the town - wouldn't be hard to improve on your attitude and make them feel a bit more welcome and they may loosen the purse strings a bit.

As for the rolling road blocks - I thought they were trucks?

I’m in Tassie at the moment - have come for Agfest .
Some towns are actively pursuing tourist dollars , some are happy going their own way .
I’ve spent the day in Derby , riding world class mountain bike trails , eating good food , have done a Penguin tour , all of the operators say “ Thanks “
The Spirit is full for the next 4 weeks , Agfest will pull approx 55,000 potential customers through the gates to look at stuff , 98% of these customers live in Tassie and actively spend money in their state if possible .

Did I mention I love Tassie , and can see me living here in the near future !

It's a big market with a couple of hundred thousand plus grey nomads heading north every winter. Some towns offer free camping and special parking to encourage them to stay. 'RV friendly town' signs are becoming more common.

Tassie is , just, well, different,, it seemed to us everybody in Tassie had a mission to say hello,,

I get held up and witness suicide attempts by lots more idiot car drivers than other caravaners.