Should you go away at Easter?

Ten good reasons you shouldn’t go caravanning over the Easter break

Along with Christmas, Easter is the most popular time to get away for a few relaxing days in the caravan or tent. But is it worth the hassle?

Here are 10 good reasons why you should think twice before joining the annual 'road rush' this Easter...

Avoid the traffic

Tell me about it! Even if you think you’re smart and try to get away at 4am on Good Friday morning, or even better the afternoon before, thousands of other people have had the same great idea.

So, there will be a queue of bleary-eyed adults and hyper-active children at the fast food outlet where everyone else will stop for breakfast.

The other problem with really early morning starts is that everyone starts off their holiday in a bad mood, or asleep. And if you’ve packed in the dark or late the night before, you’re tired and odds are you’ve forgotten something, or someone. Where’s Fido?

Then there’s getting home… While many people sneak away at different hours, the majority of us want to make the most of our time away, so we all hit the home trail at around the same time.

The only way to break the vicious traffic cycle is to schedule your annual holidays around Easter and get away early the week before, when it’s in the middle of school holidays in most States. But with many schools going back after Easter, your options to extend your trip are limited.

Avoid the kids

Of course, there will be lots of kids. Lots and lots of them – screaming, shouting and throwing tantrums, hogging the toilets, etc. If you don‘t have them, why on earth would you contemplate camping or caravanning at Easter? Seriously!

The problem of pets

Love them or leave them. If you love them and take them with you, you’re limiting your options unless you’re going bush. Basically speaking, few of the regular holiday haunts want them as much as you do and if they do, you’ll pay heavily for the privilege, but not as much as the cost of leaving them at your local kennel or cattery.

Just like the petrol companies and holiday park hosts, the pet minding people know a good earning season when they spot one and again, it’s a sellers’ market. Would you mind if Snowflake the Chinchilla bunked in a pen with Brutus the 50kg Bull Mastiff for a few days? Maybe…

And of course, when they’re boarding they’re more susceptible to catch some other pet’s affliction. Dropping them off and collecting them will also cramp your travelling timetable, as few kennels or catteries are open at 4am on the morning of your departure (see reason #1)

Fuel gouge

They’ve got it and if you need it, you are going have to pay through the nose for it. Forget whatever the OPEC oil ministers have decided, or how many barrels a day are gushing out of Utah or Texas; this is a simple cash grab with no relationship to world commodity pricing.

You could hoard it in jerry cans for weeks before, but you’re not going to take enough for the return trip with you (when your vehicle is full of so much holiday paraphernalia anyway) and there they’ve got you!

Cost of sites

The cost of camp and caravan sites is indexed to the increased cost of fuel… or so it seems. With more caravans than sites in all the popular spots, it’s a sellers’ market and the piece of weathered grass or muddy gravel next to the rubbish bins, the Dump Point or the toilet block has just got more valuable.

Whatever it costs at other times of the year, add another 50 per cent. And you know there’s going to be a minimum five-night stay, or a high-cost ‘Easter Package’.

Inclement weather

This year Easter falls in mid-April so the weather, particularly for most southerners, can be dodgy. Look through your previous Easter holiday snaps and find the ones in sun-drenched locations with everyone frolicking at the beach?

Can’t find them? Yeah, well…

Avoid the crowds

If you’re an inner city resident, Easter in a caravan park will be uncomfortably like home. People everywhere at all hours of the day or night; talking, singing, drinking.

But there will be two unfamiliar sounds: the tap, tap, tap of hammer on tent pegs in the early hours when the storm blows through and the flap, flap, flap of canvas or vinyl sheeting that follows!

If you’re accustomed to getting away from people, you’ve picked the wrong time as you will be surrounded, caravan to caravan, by everyone and their dog, or dogs.

Want a shower? Make a whole new group of friends in the queue while teenagers manage to enjoy themselves in a muddy cubicle with empty shampoo bottles and discarded soap wrapper and Band Aids for 20 minutes at a time.

Enjoy the home life

Every time I’ve been away at Easter, I’ve missed some great things happening at home. If you’re into live music, the Easter weekend is packed with interesting things. There are food and wine festivals, great sporting games, all those books you’ve wanted to read and the movies you’ve been promising to see.

Plus, the roads are clearer. There’s no morning or evening rush hour and all those diehards in their caravans are travelling somewhere else!

Finish the chores

Bet you’re hoping I wouldn’t mention this, as it probably pricks your conscience, but think about all those things you’ve been putting off and how many of them you could accomplish in four straight days. Bunnings will be open every day – too easy!

Religious observance

If you’ve ever thought of re-kindling that spark of religious fervour, here’s your opportunity. Besides, if God had meant us to leave home at Easter he would have given us better roads and larger caravan parks!

The solution

Take your holidays the week before and the week after Easter. Get away with your family the first week during school holidays and return home on Good Friday.

While you’re away you’ll find many grey nomads on the road, but think of them as temporary grand-parents to dote on your kids or furry friends…

Should you go away at Easter?

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