Nomads face rough road home

• Barbara and Mike Lambert raced their car home to Bridport from north of Brisbane.

By Tony Scott,
September 15, 2021

A troop of North-East resident grey nomads have been caught out by travel restrictions in mainland states.

Several retired travellers were happy to get back to their regular winter-time sojourn north when limits were eased in July after missing out on their adventure last year because of Covid lockdowns.

However, a number of them have been inconvenienced at the least, when restrictions, particularly in New South Wales, were re-introduced.

Some were able to do an express run inland from the northern to the southern border then direct to the Spirit of Tasmania ferry to make it back to Tasmania.

But when the designated hotspots extended to regional areas of New South Wales that route also became problematic.

One couple affected Bridport-based Mike and Barbara Lambert came up with an imaginative logistical solution to being stuck north of Brisbane.

“We organised to put the car on a transporter, then flew direct from Brisbane back to Launceston and picked up the car only a few days later,” Mr Lambert said.

“While we were organising that we found another two couples who decided to do the same.

“We’re not too out-of-pocket because we saved on accommodation and fuel and didn’t have the hassle of trying to drive that distance without stopping.

“I know of others who have left their cars with family or friends and some who are looking at selling their caravans.

“Some travellers, who don’t have to be back by a particular time, are planning to come home through the Northern Territory and South Australia, but that’s an extra 3500 to 4000 kilometres.”

Springfield caravanner Kaye Walker said she and husband Robert had considered just such a journey.

“We were told if we came home through NSW we would have to isolate going into Victoria and then again getting into Tasmania.

“That would have been at our expense in a hotel in Devonport.”

She had heard of another couple who having arrived on the Spirit of Tasmania were told to stay one night in a caravan park in East Devonport then sent back across Bass Strait because there were no vacancies in quarantine hotels.

Most of the Walkers first big trip in their new van had been enjoyable, but the last week was full of drama.

Their return sailing on the Spirit of Tasmania was rescheduled three times, the last couple of options well after they had to be back home for work.

“At least we had some family to help us out.

“North of Brisbane there are people from other states camping in the bush, because they can’t get home and they can’t afford caravan park rates any more.”

Eventually they decided to leave their van and car with different relatives in and near Brisbane and fly directly to Launceston.

“It took our daughter five days to get a direct flight for us, presumably because there were so many others in the same boat.

“We were coming from a green zone to a green zone so didn’t have to isolate at all.”

She’s hoping things will ease in the next couple of months to enable a quick trip to pick up their rig.

“We’re booked into the Bridport caravan park for Christmas,” she said.