Comment: The Future of Remote Area Travel

Submitted: Thursday, Feb 11, 2010 at 16:12

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The Future of Remote Area Travel

. Sometimes we travel of necessity; to school, to work, to the shops, but what about optional travel. Why do we seek to travel?

ExplorOz - David & Michelle

A good article John and Val. This is the very essence of ExplorOz. However, I don't honestly think the increase in vistors is entirely due to increased marketing. You can't motivate armchair travellers through marketing. Some people will never take the "risk" to change their attitudes to do what we outback travellers do. I actually think it's directly proportional to our country's increasing population. The remote area 4WD trips are still very much only accounting for a very small percentage of the domestic travel market. Whilst this has indeed grown at a phenomenal rate, it isn't out of proportion to the increase in population, in particular the sector doing it most - the baby boomers that are now living much longer than the generation before them. Again, not all the retirees travel outback where this issue is most prevalent in terms of track closures, permit restrictions etc. The increase population just increases the volume of that minority that will take on the challenge. Let's also not forget that it's now more than 10 years since the first urban 4WDs hit the market and driving AWDs, softroaders etc with 90% urban use became the family vehicle. This gave many more people the means to tackle tracks that perhaps they would not normally have considered possible. Given that the times they would attempt to hit the track would normally coincide with the limited open season we have in our outback we do indeed seem to be seeing some ill prepared people on our travels more frequently. But, let's not get in a panic about this. The outback will remain harsh and inhospitable and I don't see major changes on the horizon to affect our outback travel significantly. Yes, get out there and enjoy it now - that has always been the aim behind ExplorOz. For those that know the story behind EO's beginnings, David and I left our comfort zone when we only just 30 years old and spent 2 years touring. In those days it was not the thing to see young couples doing this. Now it is indeed not strange nor unique to see young people touring, but not for long-term years of travel. It is still at the grey end of the spectrum that the increase can be seen as we well know. What I do see however, is that we'll need to be very conscious of our impact as this will surely be scrutinized. Perhaps we can accept the need to convert our camping habits as much as possible. This could be logistics such as taking a chem toilet, carrying rubbish for weeks on end until we reach major towns, heeding track hazards and warnings and not driving feeling it is our right to forge ahead when conditions are not good. Minimising our campsite impact, and being considerate of all others including accepting that it is important to stop and talk politely with those that do wrong, rather than criticise.
Just food for thought, not argument.
Michelle

David (DM) & Michelle (MM)
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Reply By: Member - John and Val - Wednesday, Mar 04, 2015 at 00:57

Wednesday, Mar 04, 2015 at 00:57

Hi Michelle,

Thank you for your thoughts.

In 2009 we travelled part of the Canning, N to S. A number of friends from our 4WD club were out there too, travelling S to N. We met up with them at Georgia Bore where the Canning follows the Talawana Track for a time. They had spent the day repairing a broken spring, removing, welding, retempering, reassembling. Between them they had the best equipped workshop (and most enthusiastic and competent mechanics) for a 1000 km! Then we arrived in the evening….with a broken spring. They descended on our Troopy and within a couple of hours he was fit to limp out west to civilisation. When our friends arrived home in Canberra they reported on the remote area traffic congestion, and subsequently we were prevailed upon to write a short article on it. We posed the question of the future of remote area travel on the EO forum and then distilled the responses to produce the article, now this blog.

Your comments are most interesting, not only because of your extensive travel experience, but because you represent an age group which may not have been represented in our data gathering. Retirees have the time, and maybe the funds, to travel. Young adults may lack the work, financial and family responsibilities which limit flexibility and hence travel opportunities. In between the 20’s and the 60’s though are people like you. Young people and especially old people are common on the tracks, but there aren’t a lot of travellers in between.

I’m interested in you view that increasing numbers on the tracks may simply be a reflection on our increasing population. That population is certainly increasing markedly at the “older” end of the spectrum. Your observation that the nature of the vehicles is changing I find particularly pertinent. There certainly is a trend towards more capable vehicles (4WD and AWD) being used as urban family transport, so it’s understandable that we see more of them off the bitumen.

You raise the matter of travelling etiquette. This is an interesting concept that I hadn’t previously considered in that light. There is a percentage of travellers who act as though they are there to conquer, rather than develop an affinity for these remote places. Some have interpersonal skills to match; one feels they need an attitude transplant! Should we perhaps look to engendering practices more sympathetic to unspoiled areas, such as leaving no personal waste, or at least consigning used toilet paper to the camp fire? The camp fire itself – should it be just extinguished, or is it good practice to cover it too? When we travel remotely we accept certain self imposed rules – carry ample water and fuel, spare belts and hoses, reliable communication gear, ensure someone responsible knows our plans, etc. Is it too hard to have rules about toilet paper, or only burning plastic after cooking is finished, or ensuring that a camp fire isn’t a bonfire?

All good food for thought.

Cheers

John