Camping at Christmas & how to survive it!
Christmas is pretty much that time of year where most of us can use work ‘downtime’ to take a much-needed break. Unwind from work life, kick back with friends and family, and replenish our souls ready for a crazy new year ahead.
Everyone wants to spend Christmas travelling away from their 4 walls and enjoying amazing camping experiences. But how do you stay sane when it seems everyone else in this wonderful country is doing just what you are?
I, for one, know it’s a fact that travelling over Christmas is as peak as it gets in Australia. Fuel is morbidly overpriced, caravan parks are charging like a raging bull, and it feels like everywhere you turn someone is testing you!
Here’s a few tips on ways to spend Christmas on a camping holiday and actually enjoying it!
Plan it early
Camping spaces and caravan parks get booked up well in advance of Christmas, so plan your itinerary early.
If you leave it too late, the caravan parks will fill up and the available camping spots will all but disappear. It’s easy enough with the caravan parks, all you have to do is call and pay a single night as a deposit. However, if you’re off to a camping spot, you may want to head a day or 2 earlier.
If your whole family can’t be there that much in advance, perhaps just one of you can. All it takes is to just have one person with your setup there, and your spot is secured.
Be organised
Don’t leave packing until the last minute as this will probably see you forgetting things, and generally they are important things. Make a checklist to keep in your phone so wherever you are when that random item comes to mind, you can easily add it to the list.
Check out the town you visit
Most towns have some kind of festivity for peak holiday times, and there may just be something near you. Start researching and see what is around the area. Many towns put on markets, street parades and other lovely festivities to draw the holiday makers in. It’s also good for the town to keep their economy strong.
Pack what you can before you go
If you shop before you head away, you’re not only going to save yourself time locating it at your destination, but you may also even save yourself from missing out altogether. It can be quite tricky for small towns to predict what their visitors will need and how much of it, so if you leave it too late you may not be able to purchase what you need while you’re there.
Pre-cook meals
This is a no brainer! Does anybody ever plan to go away for Christmas and want to spend all their time cooking and rushing around for others? Nope. To avoid this, leave yourself (where possible) a day or even half a day free to cook and prepare meals before you go and pack into portions in vacuum seal packs, so all you need to do when it’s time to feed the crew is reheat. Plus, you’ll also save yourself from overloading camping bins with packaging once you’re done cooking. Win win!
Keep the kids entertained
It’s true that a lot of kids become unsettled and bored when they aren’t busy or sleeping. And most of us know what a bored child means… yup, tearing your hair out trying to find something for them to do.
Why not plan activities that they can enjoy at your destination before they can start the “I’m bored!”. Things like a cricket set, board games, craft activities, even riding a scooter or bike. Research if there are any playgrounds nearby. Leave the screen time for the nights when you want to kick back instead of chasing the kids around.
Consider your location
Every caravan park is full to the brim by mid December from our experience, and a full caravan park means lots of noise! Kids running and riding all over the place, swimming pools packed like sardines in a can and people taking shortcuts through your site. If this sounds like a nightmare to you, why not skip the usual place you’ve been for the last 6 years and try somewhere new.
You never know, you may just find something better.
Prepare for the bugs
Summer in Australia is well known for the flies bombarding us during the day and mosquitoes taking over at night. Nobody enjoys doing the traditional Aussie ‘wave’ every 3 seconds, so think ahead and keep plenty of insect repellent at hand. There are many aerosols that help keep the bugs at bay, plus other things like 12v fans, bug zapper and fly swats. Always be sure to cover any leftover food as well. It’s not just our skin that the flies like!
Bring the festive spirit
If you’re a true festive type of person, consider adding a little bling to your site with some decorations. Bring what you have at home, or to make it fun for the kids, why not take a few short walks to see what you can use from what nature has left out for you. These always make it super special and more memorable!
Visit your neighbours
Christmas brings out all sorts of people. And these people are like minded with the same want for a camping holiday. Why not pop next door and say hi. Share evening drinks or even a BBQ feast or host a ‘bring a plate’ type of get together. Humans were designed to spend time with other humans, and you may just make lifelong friends! You may even meet that one person who doesn’t have anyone to share the festive season with, and they would probably appreciate the company.
Give the perfect gift
Instead of gifting the old hamper this year, why not try for something more useful and gift camping items. Simple things like an esky, a BBQ utensil kit, picnic rug or even a camping chair. The list is endless. And there’s nothing more enjoyable than to see the person receiving your gift actually using the gift.
Plan for the big crowd
If you’ve got a group of you spending the holiday away together, you will definitely want to organise your sites to fit all of the vehicles, and always add in communal areas. Have an eating area centered where possible, so you still have your own space when it's time to hit the pillows. Even consider share tents if there are plenty of kids!
Prepare for the weather
It’s almost a given that Christmas in Australia will be hot, so preparing for the heat is a must if you don’t want to feel like you’re going to melt! A few hints on camping in summer include simple things like:
*Drink water - drink water like it’s going out of fashion. The last thing you want is to suffer from dehydration on holiday.
*Go big on shade - create as much shade as you possibly can using shade sails, awnings and annexes. The less area the sun hits, the less your site will feel like it’s on fire.
*Create air flow - carrying and maximising the use of your 12v fan will be your go-to. Open roof vents in caravans, roll up canvas on tents but keep the fly screens down and get your fans going. Rather than hot air building up, a nice amount of air flow will help keep the temperature down.
*Set up in the shade - where possible, park in shady areas to make the most of your holiday. Nobody wants to be confined to a box on wheels because it’s too hot outside.
*Block the sun out - if you have curtains or blinds, put them to good use by closing them when the sun is at its hottest.
*Spray bottles - have a spray bottle with just plain water in it on hand to mist yourself when you feel you are getting warm.
*Swim - take a dip in a pool or a lake. You’ll manage the following hour or 2 quite well.
*Ice packs - have in the freezer a few medical ice packs that are flexible. Wear them as often as you feel you need.
*Cooling towels - you can purchase these online or from gym stores. Simply run cold water over them until the whole towel is wet and wear it wherever you feel the heat the most.
*Cook outdoors - where possible, cook outside. Turning on the oven or the stove inside can drastically raise the temperature inside quite quickly.
No matter how you spend your holidays, or where you spend them, always be safe, be happy and make memories that will last forever.
Comments