Caravan park owners across the region may have breathed a sigh of relief when regional Victoria opened up for travel, however just what sort of business they received remains unclear.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Erratic weather and lingering fears regarding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic have meant that some usually bustling locations have remained quiet over the past two weeks.
A spokesperson from the Lake Learmonth Caravan Park said numbers have been very low over the school holidays.
"We've had a very quiet holiday period unfortunately," they said.
"We've got a couple of caravans booked this weekend, but it's nothing compared to the usual traffic we would see during this time of the year. I think despite the fact things are more open now, people are still a bit unsure and a bit scared to travel."
I think despite the fact things are more open now, people are still a bit unsure and a bit scared to travel.
Things have been slightly better for the Beaufort Caravan Park, where caretaker Hank Owen said the park is nearly full this weekend due to the nice weather and having some overnight workers staying at the site.
"We haven't been run off our feet by any stretch of the imagination, however there are quite a few people around this weekend which is nice to see," he said.
"The park is quite full, which is partly due to overnight workers who we've had with us for the past two months. There's certainly a few about, but not like what we would usually see this time of year."
Looking forward, Mr Owen said this weekend, combined with early bookings for future weeks, have provided a sense of light at the end of a long COVID tunnel.
"It's great to see people, I think we're all glad to be able to travel again," he continued.
"People are rapt to be staying with us, we're already fully booked for AFL Grand Final weekend which is great to see. I think now we can see the end of this thing coming and we all just have to keep doing the right thing going forward."
IN OTHER NEWS
If you are seeing this message you are a loyal digital subscriber to The Courier, as we made this story available only to subscribers. Thank you very much for your support and allowing us to continue telling Ballarat's story. We appreciate your support of journalism in our great city.
