Staying close to home for your next weekend away or school holiday trip can be a godsend for your sanity, and allow you the freedom to find so many spots you can head to for a little one or two night trip away. 

Last year we learnt just how much we looked forward to a trip away caravanning. When we used to take the ability to hook up and head to another state for granted and those opportunities were so swiftly taken away with lockdown with border closures throughout 2020 we have seen so many families rekindle their love of staying close to home, and enjoying their caravans in new and refreshing ways.

With overseas travel seemingly not returning to normal anytime soon and more and more Australian families looking to travel within our own shores, caravanning and camping is seeing a huge increase in popularity.  Before the pandemic hit, we were already seeing the popular way of travelling Australia grow, now it is becoming even more prevalent as families are seeing not only that we are very much grounded right now; but it’s not such a bad thing! 

Here to take a closer look at the positives of staying close to home as borders remain intermittently shut we share some of the comments and sentiments we have seen through our own feedback from the Great Escape Family either personally or through our private Facebook group. 

Heading off on a big trip with the family can be an awesome adventure but for those of us that have done it, we also know it is a huge project to undertake and often requires careful planning and a budget that is carefully considered if it involves time off work for lengthy periods.  That is where staying close to home for your caravanning holidays can really pay off! 

Some of the things we love about heading off to caravan within our own state:

• Planning is minimal if not non-existent! If you love free camping, if your caravan is ready to go, you can practically hook right up after work and hit the road. Love a holiday park? A quick online booking and you are right to go! 
• The fuel bill is minimal – love that. 
• Travel time can be anywhere from half an hour to just a few hours, even the kids that get a little cranky on long trips can handle that. 
• In daylight savings time, you can be set up and enjoying a drink by the campfire before the sun goes down.  Maximum time to enjoy your weekend! 
• You will get to find some hidden gems close to home, those go to spots for those weekends you just don’t want to go far. 
• Supporting local businesses! Now more than ever small businesses need tourists and locals to spend in the areas hardest hit by the recent fires and pandemic.  It can be a great way to help locals AND find some great products and places for yourself.

Caravanning in itself can give you so many opportunities to spend with family that we all love.  By spending your time locally more often (not just when you have to) we have seen families spend more time together doing the things that may get missed a little with lengthy travel times.  We know the kids especially love doing things like:

• Just being kids! Enjoying the fresh air, finding the sticks and stones that can be used for endless things with a little imagination.  We love seeing the kids getting out to enjoy the fresh air (and the parents being thankful for an ensuite caravan!)
• Homeschooling. We know it has been hard for all parents to homeschool the little ones, but we have seen some grounded caravans being used as classrooms and offices, that is keeping it close to home! 
• After spending so much time in the house, even a change of scenery with a little weekend away close to home has seen so many of the kids just love spending some time in the caravan just down the road.  Rainy day games are sometimes so much better anywhere but home!

After such a turbulent eighteen months for travel in Australia we are finding so many people rediscovering the camping spots they may have visited when they were young, those areas that had been forgotten as we headed to other states. 

There are so many beautiful places to spend your weekends caravanning within Australia, every state has a huge range of places to stay not too far away from home.  There are many caravanning and camping spots that have holiday parts that will very much entertain you and the kids, if you are looking for more secluded spaces there are many free camping spaces that can have you enjoying some quiet time in your own special place. 

From quiet rivers and beaches to desserts and the bush, we sure are the lucky country, so if you have had your caravan tucked away for too long now, take a look locally and when you can, take a little trip down the road for some well deserved family time.

Our private Facebook group is full of families sharing their travels as they tour around the country.  With tips on where to go, and how to navigate border closures when they arise it’s a great tool for traveling families and something we are proud to be involved in. 

Join the conversation within Great Escape Family Facebook group yourself HERE.