Hitting the trail again

Aussies on roads to adventure

A recent survey found that more than two-thirds (68 per cent) of RV owners were planning a caravan or camping holiday in the next 12 months.

The survey was conducted by Newspoll on behalf of leading caravan, motorhome and campervan insurer CIL.

CIL Insurance manager Greg Matton said the results were also reflected in its customer data, which found that Australia's love affair with the great outdoors was far from over.

The great Aussie outdoor holiday has come up trumps as a popular and family friendly choice, Mr Matton said.

The national survey of owners of caravans, motorhomes and campervans revealed also that families were starting to catch up to the baby boomers when it came to RV ownership.

We found that families accounted for almost a third (30 percent) of RV ownership, but are nudged out of top spot by the baby boomers, who came in at 48 percent, Mr Matton said.

“I think there probably are a lot of parents who have fond memories of their own caravanning or camping holidays when they were young and perhaps they want to share that same experience with their kids."

Asked to nominate their favourite Australian state to visit when holidaying, 59 per cent of people had their own state at the top of the list for caravanning or camping, while 34 per cent said they were more likely to travel to another state.

The top state to visit for that great outdoor holiday adventure was New South Wales (25 percent), ahead of Queensland, WA, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory.

Mr Matton said that with strong rainfall in most of Australia in the past year, national parks and waterways were the perfect spot to spend a few weeks enjoying a great outdoor experience.

"Australians are definitely spoilt for choice when it comes to deciding on a great destination for a caravanning holiday," he said. "Wherever the road takes you, CIL provides insurance for caravans, motorhomes and camper trailers.

"That's all that CIL does. That is why we have a deeper understanding of the insurance needs of RV owners."

CIL is a division of Vero, one of Australia's largest insurers, with origins dating to 1833.

_{Source: Sunday Times Perth - Gerald Bradley}