A Budget Travel Experiment
I’m no stranger to travelling on a budget. It started with camping in tents or sleeping in the back of my car when I was young because it was the most cost-effective way to see Australia. Like many of you, as I got older, it became less pleasant to ‘rough it’, so I eventually upgraded to an RV. However, with increased fuel costs, high caravan park fees and a weekly grocery spend that has skyrocketed, travelling on a budget is most definitely harder than it once was.
So I’ve decided to do an experiment. In a few weeks’ time, I’ll be heading off to explore the St George region in Queensland with my family. Known as the Gateway to The Outback, it’s around a seven-hour drive from my home in Hervey Bay. I’m going to see how much money I can actually save by making the most of CMCA Traveller to find free campsites and discounted fuel.
Let’s see what this looks like.
Day one
The first day is a travel day in which I’ll probably drive around four hours, rolling into the Dalby region where I’ll need to fill up with fuel. Using the Freedom Fuels discount of 6c per litre, I will save $3.60 when I fill my 60L diesel tank. Rather than stay in the caravan park in town at an unpowered site for $38 per night, I can see there is a free camp around 15 kilometres away for which the pictures look pretty decent. Keep posting photos on CMCA Traveller – they really help!
Total savings for day one: $41.60.
Day two
On day two, I plan to arrive at St George and explore the town. This is around another three to four hours drive, so I’ll need to fill up my tank again. There is no Freedom Fuel or a free camp listed on CMCA Traveller in St George, so no savings today. The caravan park in town costs $35 per night for an unpowered site.
Total savings for day two: $0.
Day three
On day three, I intend to drive just under 50 kilometres to Nindigully to check out Queensland’s oldest pub. It was also the filming location for Hugh Jackman’s 1999 feature film debut, Paperback Hero. I can see on CMCA Traveller that I can stay here at a free camp. If I don’t use CMCA Traveller, then I won’t know this free camp exists and would end up driving back to St George to the $35 per night caravan park. I will definitely stay at the free camp here.
Total saving for day three $35.
Day four
On day four, I plan to drive 33 kilometres to explore the small settlement of Thallon. It’s the same story as day three. I’ve found a great free camp on CMCA Traveller which, if I didn’t find, I would need to drive back up to St George and spend $35 at the caravan park again. Here I shall snap a photo beside William, a 3.5-metre long wombat sculpture. Stay tuned for photos!
Total savings for day four: $35.
Day five
On day five, I plan to drive 65 kilometres to Dirranbandi, where I shall hit up the bakery, check out the Rail and River Precinct and hopefully tour Cubbie Station (the largest irrigated cotton farm in the southern hemisphere).
There is a caravan park in Dirranbandi that costs $22 per night. However CMCA Traveller has found me a free camp by the river, and the member pictures show me it looks okay.
Total savings for day five : $22.
Day six
On day six, I will drive 106 kilometres to Bollon to see the famous emus that stroll the main street and visit the Nullawooka First National Gallery, hopefully joining one of their tours. CMCA Traveller has found me a free camp here… but if I didn’t use it, I would have to drive back to Dirranbandi and fork out $22 per night.
Total savings for day six: $22.
Day seven
On day seven, I plan to put in a massive day of driving and get back home to reality. This will require two tanks of fuel in my thirsty diesel for a total of 120L and a saving of $7.20 using the Freedom Fuels 6c per litre discount.
Total savings for day seven: $7.20.
The savings
Using CMCA Traveller to find discounted fuel and free or lower cost campsites, I will save myself $162.80 for this particular trip that spans seven days. I’m pretty happy with that. It’s already covered my annual membership fees, and then some. That’s just for one trip! As someone who has an annoyingly constant urge to see what’s over the next hill, there will most likely be numerous trips like this throughout the year.
In my case, the savings will be a little more as I’ve based these figures on two adults staying in a caravan park but I’m actually travelling as a family – with two adults and two kids. The extra two warm bodies usually make a caravan park stay around $10-$20 more expensive per night.
The verdict? Winner winner chicken dinner!
