Backyard camping takes off

With free campsites disappearing fast and caravan park fees surging, it’s becoming increasingly harder to find affordable overnight stops in desirable locations when travelling around Australia.

But that could be about to change if an online start-up designed to turn spare backyard spaces into mini caravan parks, takes off.

Similar in concept to community accommodation website Airbnb, Homecamp connects travellers looking for alternative campsites with like-minded home or land owners willing to rent out a slice of back garden, driveway or paddock for a small fee.

The brainchild of Sydney couple David Abitbol and Audrey Krukoff, the Homecamp website launched in January and currently has around 70 hosts in seven countries, charging an average overnight fee of $30.

As foreign tourists travelling around Australia, the young couple came up with the idea after struggling to find places to park their campervan overnight.

Looking for an alternative to pricey caravan parks and unlawful ‘wild camping’, they asked if they could park overnight in private backyards, with positive results.

Any home owner can become a Homecamp ‘host’ by uploading photos to the site, listing the facilities they can offer such as a bathroom, BBQ, or wi-fi, adding any restrictions such as tents only, and setting a price.

Travellers currently deal directly with the host when organizing a stay and paying, but this is set to change with the introduction of online payments later this year.

Other proposed additions include third party insurance, a mobile app, user ratings, and partnerships with similar businesses such as online social caravan rental site, Camplify.

Homecamp doesn’t currently collect a commission for providing the service, but this will change as the site develops and more hosts get on board.

As well as helping caravanners and campers save money and find a friendly place to stay, Homecamp “is designed for travelers who are seeking rich and authentic experiences across Australia beyond motels, apartments and crowded caravan parks”.

While for the home owners who open up their backyards to strangers, the benefits apart from the extra income include “doing something fun while enjoying meeting domestic and international travelers”.

Watch the video below to see how it works...