Grey nomads all say one thing to young solo traveller as caravanning trend 'surges'

A solo traveller has revealed the one thing she's often told by older Australians while travelling the country in her specialised 4WD camper, joining the growing number of young people choosing to live life on the road in decked-out vans, caravans and campers.

Blaze Lopez has been living out of her custom-built 4WD for four years, visiting all the amazing sites the land Down Under has to offer. Part of her usual morning routine involves "making a coffee in the public carpark" and sitting to enjoy the views — wherever she happens to be visiting at the time.

While such extended travel was once considered the domain of retirees, commonly referred to as grey nomads, Lopez said they often tell her the same thing when she meets them during her travels:

"I wish I did that at your age," they say.

Hearing that "keeps me going," she said in a video shared on TikTok.

"I'm going to continue sitting in the carpark every morning, living the dream, and not overthink it," she said. "Because my God, I don't want to be that age thinking 'I wish I did that'."

Younger Aussies encouraged to travel Australia

Like Blaze, travelling couple Bryce and Chelsea received similar comments from grey nomads during their five years exploring Australia – a nomadic lifestyle they have no plans on giving up any time soon.

"We have been surprised by how many grey nomads have told us 'We wish we travelled Australia at your age'," Chelsea, from South Australia, told Yahoo News.

"It's been shocking the amount of people who wish they did what we are doing before getting a mortgage, having kids and school commitments, while they are still young, fit and healthy," she said. "It does make sense though, we are able to do all the hikes around Australia without a fuss."

Meanwhile, retired couple Leoni and Steve Pari, who quit their jobs for life on the road and have been travelling for 13 years, also endorse the sentiment, encouraging Aussies not to leave it too late.

While they're "fairly active" at ages 65 and 68 they say travelling at a more advanced age can present certain restrictions, especially when it comes to exploring new sites. "You want to be able to enjoy it," they told Yahoo.

Caravan and camping travel trend on the rise

According to Tourism Research Australia, caravan ownership has increased by 21 per cent since 2019. Last year, Australians took 15.3 million caravan and camping trips totalling $14.3 billion, an all-time high and easily exceeding pre-covid levels.

A spokesperson from the Caravan Industry Association of Australia told Yahoo News Australia that "the younger markets are definitely surging" as more young Australians and young families take life on the road.

In fact, in 2023, the "older, non-working" market saw a decline in both trip and nightly figures year-over-year — a six per cent and 15 per cent decrease, respectively.

In that same timeframe, the 30-45 age group emerged as the dominant force in caravan and camping travel, undertaking nearly 7 million overnight trips, marking a new record.

The segment recorded an uptick of three per cent in trips and eight per cent in nights, propelled by increased caravan and camping travel from both the midlife without children demographic and families.

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Young families choosing life on the road with kids

The family market, which is typically Aussies aged between 35–54 years, currently accounts for 46 per cent of trips and 40 per cent for nights of travel undertaken last year. Meanwhile the 55+ market accounts for 42 per cent of nights.

Many young families have even resorted to homeschooling their children on the road, many using Starlink — a portable internet device by Elon Musk — to help stay connected. The caravanning trend has boomed among digital nomads with the new tech allowing travellers to more reliably work while on the road.

The ability to work from remote locations around the country is something that "has changed a lot over the last few years," Chelsea, who works in hospitality and caravans with her plumber partner Bryce, said.

Queensland dad Brent Crysell, who runs a software company from his giant, imported caravan certainly agrees. "Having internet everywhere just opens up a whole range of new possibilities," he said when speaking with Yahoo about his travels last month.

With Aussies continuing to feel the pinch from the cost of living crisis, caravanning and camping provide great value for money for families and eager travellers, a spokesperson for Caravan Industry Association of Australia said.

"There is a product offering for every price point, whether that be mum and dad getting away for a high-end, luxury experience for a few nights to digital nomads travelling the country as a family unit experiencing everything our beautiful country has to offer," they told Yahoo.

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