Charlotte Varcoe
NATURAL attractions across the Limestone Coast have kept grey nomads staying longer, according to a local tourism operator.
Mount Gambier Central Caravan Park personal assistant to the owner Monica Pendrey said the local business has had more walk-ins over the summer holidays than usual.
Ms Pendrey said she believed the extra visitors were those avoiding the wild weather interstate.
Although many cabins were taken up by workers, over the Christmas and New Year period the centrally-based caravan park was almost completely booked.
“We were pretty much full of both cabins and powered sites and I think this means that a lot more people are travelling here,” Ms Pendrey said.
“We get a lot of people asking about the caves and the sinkholes which has brought a lot of people this way but we are also central to the beach or if people want to go to the vineyards which is why I think they come to Mount Gambier.”
She estimated about 50 per cent of their visitors were from other areas of South Australia with the remaining travelling from interstate.
“The intrastate travel has extended after Covid-19 and we were expecting to be busy like this because we usually are,” Ms Pendrey said.
“Being a small park we fill up pretty quickly and our location means people are able to walk to the pub.”
She said all comments about Mount Gambier/Berrin had remained positive with praise about the town’s cleanliness and friendly atmosphere.
“Quite a few people are extending their stay and the more people we get in town the better off we are and the more money that is generated in the town too, which is great,” Ms Pendrey said.
“People are asking a lot about the caves and sinkholes as well as the Blue Lake but I have also been pushing people to go down to the Valley Lakes because people do not realise it is down there with the wildlife park.
“A few people have also asked about the Little Blue as well because I think some people do not realise they cannot swim in the Blue Lake because it is our drinking water.”
Although Ms Pendrey said last year’s winter period was pretty quiet, she hoped more marketing for Mount Gambier/Berrin for those months would increase visitor numbers later in the year.
“Winter was pretty quiet last year which was a bit disappointing but our weather has been pretty average too and people tend to go north through winter but I do think they should market Mount Gambier during winter more,” she said.
