Long-term Caravanners Face Fuel Crisis
By Aaron Kelly
ABC Capricornia
Topic: Petrol Prices
Jay and Christie Sinclair are traveling Australia in a caravan after a major health scare.
In short:
Surging fuel prices have caught many long-term travelers off guard.
Some say it feels like another lockdown and are worried about supply issues.
What's next?
The RACQ says travelers can reduce fuel consumption by using cruise control and driving smoothly.
Jay Sinclair planned to travel around Australia after a major health scare.
I've always wanted to go around Australia, Mr. Sinclair said.
There's nothing like getting sick to realize where you are in life.
Jay spent two weeks in an intensive care unit with septicaemia.
When fully recovered, he and his wife Christie packed up their belongings and hit the road.
The couple plans to travel the country in their caravan for 12 months.
The pair set off from Rockhampton in central Queensland in February.
Like many full-time caravanners, the couple has been caught off guard by surging fuel costs.
Social media travel groups have been flooded with comments from people affected by the sharp increase.
It kind of takes the fun out of what you're looking at, Jay said.
Rather than pulling into the towns and spending money, you're confined to caravan parks.
The Sinclairs say some of the towns they have visited have run out of diesel.
There has to come a time when there's a fuel cost that's just unsustainable.
The Sinclairs spent extra money on their caravan to live off grid sustainably.
There comes a time where you're just too worried about going off grid and traveling.
We've been to a few places now that don't have fuel.
The only way you can sort of get around it now is to keep fuelling up along the way.
The Sinclairs said the announcement to halve the fuel excise made no difference to their travel plans.
Jay says he regularly tops up with fuel in case there are supply issues.
Helen Lloyd has traveled full-time in her van since just before the COVID-19 pandemic.
I'm 70 so, for me, it's the safest way to manage the situation.
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She said she was more concerned about fuel supply than cost.
I wanted to feel like I was somewhere safe enough that if the supply diminished significantly.
Some of the people in the caravan park were on their way from Queensland through to South Australia.
Helen Lloyd says she feels like she is living through another lockdown.
Karen Dillman and her husband left the Sunshine Coast in January for a six-month trip.
We are further away from home than we are to our end destination.
The supply is the thing of most concern to us.
How to keep on-road costs down
RACQ's principal economic specialist said while the fuel costs were unfortunate, there were ways travelers could reduce their fuel consumption.
On long trips, use your cruise control and going 10 kilometers per hour slower.
The RACQ says there are ways for travelers to reduce fuel consumption on long trips.
Driving smoothly, no harsh braking or acceleration, is really the key.
Removing any excess weight from your vehicle will also bring your fuel use down.
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