A caravanning couple’s idyllic Easter break was abruptly shattered when they were “scrambling” for accommodation after a caravan park suddenly enforced a “no pets” policy, leaving them stranded with their two dogs.
Sarah and Rhett have been traversing the country in their caravan for the past 10 months, primarily exploring WA.
They are part of a growing cohort of Aussies who have turned to van life as a way to ditch traditional rent or mortgage repayments and save on the ballooning cost of living.
A recent Money.com.au consumer survey found 21 per cent of homeowners would consider downsizing all the way into a caravan if expenses kept rising, while 13 per cent said they’d happily swap bricks and mortar for a permanent life on the road.Gen Z led the charge toward van life, followed by Millennials, Gen X and Baby Boomers.
While the prospect of a caravan lifestyle is becoming more appealing to the wider public, Sarah and Rhett found one of the downsides when halfway through their extended stay at the Bremer Bay Caravan Park, they were told their beloved dogs, Jill and Indie, were no longer welcome.
Sarah and Rhett were left scrambling for somewhere to stay. Picture: RuffRoads
MORE NEWS
Bizarre reason this $380k home is so cheap
Mortgage stress forces Aussies to skip medical care
Couple ditches renting, saves $17k a year in a hotel
The popular tourist town’s caravan park – located about five-and-a-half hours southeast of Perth – typically permits pets but enforces a strict ban over the Easter and Christmas periods.
However, the couple maintains they were never informed of this crucial detail when they extended their week-long booking.
“We’ve been here for eight or nine days, and it wasn’t an issue at all; no one said anything. They knew we had dogs,” Sarah told Yahoo News.
“We were there for over a week and were just out and got a phone call saying that we’re really sorry you’re going to have to go as we don’t have dogs over Easter.
“Caravan parks are booked out over Easter and school holiday so we were stressed about where we were going to stay.”
The couple’s two dogs are travelling with them around Australia. Picture: Supplied
The sudden eviction plunged them into a desperate search for alternative accommodation during one of the busiest times of the year.
Fortunately, a nearby caravan park had a timely cancellation, providing a much-needed lifeline for the family.
When approached for comment, Bremer Bay Caravan Park declined to elaborate on the matter. However, their official website clearly outlines the policy: “We do not accept pets from the 20th of December through till the 1st of February or the 4-day Easter break.”
For Sarah and Rhett, originally from Airlie Beach in Queensland, their dogs are an integral part of their journey.
Jill and Indie enjoying a swim. Picture: Supplied
“We’ve never been kicked out,” she said, describing the dogs as “like her children”.
“We want people to travel with their dogs and not do things wrong and be respectful.”
The incident serves as a cautionary tale for all pet-owning travellers, emphasising the critical importance of thoroughly checking and rechecking accommodation policies, particularly during peak holiday periods, to avoid similar holiday nightmares.
It is something that could catch more people out as the van lifestyle grows in popularity.
Money.com.au’s Finance Expert, Fi Ahlstrom said soaring house prices and rents were forcing people to rethink what ‘home’ actually meant.
“With housing so expensive, especially in our capital cities, people are looking at options once seen as just for holidays, like living in a caravan,” she says.
“For some it’s a short-term fix while the cost of living is so high and for others it could become permanent. And with no real relief on the cost-of-living front, we’re likely to see this trend grow.
“But, it’s worth keeping in mind that caravans still come with costs like site fees, utilities, maintenance, registration and insurance, but for many they can still work out far cheaper than traditional rent or a mortgage.”
English (US) · 