Common campsite habit infuriating Aussies: 'Drives me insane'
When you are packed into a busy caravan park, is it OK to cut through someone's camping set up?
An Aussie mum has shared her frustration over what she described as an "uncool" act taking over family campsites. The Queenslander took to social media this week to ask the public to ask whether they thought the common behaviour is considered "bad etiquette", because she's starting to get "really pissed off".
"Okay I've got a question," mum Nicole began in her video, showing the spot her family had set up camp at a busy holiday park. She then gives viewers a tour of the space, showing dozens of other caravans and motorhomes at the chock-a-block campsite.
Nicole explained that she left a "nice big clearway" between her car and the caravan, where the family can relax together while outside. But, she said, the space is being flooded with blow-ins, with people walking "right through" all the time.
"People think it's OK to walk right through — that's not cool, right?" she argued. "Just confirming because we're getting really pissed off."
Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, Joe Hay, executive manager of park operations at Reflections Holidays, said the behaviour is almost certainly poor form. But a lot of Australians online had a totally different take.
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"Worked at a campground for years — if you leave that much room between your [caravan] and your car — that is considered an invitation to walk through," one person said. "Throw down an outdoor rug or move the car closer," they suggested.
"Honestly, sometimes there just isn't a way through but through someone's space," argued another.
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"Yes, they can walk through, as it's a free area between sites as a safe walk path," a third commented.
Others felt differently. "It drives me insane when people shortcut through my campsite and into my space [by] walking through," a caravan enthusiast said.
"Definitely not, it's like walking through your house — not on," said another.
And Hay agreed, encouraging Australians not to be "intrusive".
“Saying hey to your fellow holidaygoers as you walk around the park is great camping etiquette," he told Yahoo News Australia. "However, while you may feel a camaraderie with other campers and a shared bond for nature, we still need to respect the space that is their home away from home, the same way we would their property.
"A good rule to follow would be, be friendly without being intrusive.”
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