More Than Perks: The Real Value of CMCA Membership
How Two Full-Timers Found Their Way to CMCA
Cameron Mason and Neil Johnstone didn’t join the Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia (CMCA) for perks on a brochure. They joined because, after a few years on the road full-time with their beloved staffy Zoe, they kept hearing the same advice from other travellers and eventually realised there was a lot more value in it than they first expected.
“In our early days on the road, other travellers kept recommending it,” Cameron said.
Before they even joined, they were already seeing it in action through borrowed copies of The Wanderer magazine, which gave them a first look at the community behind the membership.
“That said, it wasn’t a hard sell. As full-time travellers, we feel strongly that it’s important to support the organisations that support us and the CMCA is an important part of that. It advocates for people living this lifestyle, it gives travellers a genuine voice, and being a member feels like the right thing to do,” he said.
“There’s something quietly reassuring about being part of a community that advocates for travellers’ rights and interests. Whether that's around access, infrastructure or simply having a seat at the table when decisions are being made that affect how and where we travel. For independent travellers like us, that matters more than any specific perk.”
Why Dump Points Matter More Than You'd Think
While they don’t rely on many of the program’s perks, they like to stay in CMCA Parks if they’re suitable and use the dump points program. The dump points, installed in almost 500 locations all around Australia under the CMCA/KEA Campers Dump Point Subsidy program, are designed for motorhome, campervan, camper trailer and caravan waste disposal. Initiated in 2006 and supported by the Queensland, New South Wales and South Australian governments, the program is one of the major achievements in recent years for the RV industry.
“Anyone who has spent time on the road knows that reliable access to dump points isn't glamorous, but it’s genuinely important. Knowing that the CMCA is actively involved in that program and that membership contributes to it is something we appreciate every time we use one,” Cameron said.
Slow Travel, Less Fixed Plans and Finding the Road Less Taken
The couple are currently travelling through Victoria but are about to head across to South Australia, to explore the Flinders Rangers.
“Like a lot of travellers this year, our plans are a little less fixed than usual, given the fuel situation, but honestly, that suits us. We’ve always valued slow travel and finding places we haven’t been before, so having a reason to take our time and be a little more deliberate about where we go feels less like a constraint and more like an opportunity,” Cameron said.
Staying Connected to the Travelling Community
Life on the road can be isolating if you let it drift that way, but for the two, staying connected hasn’t required much effort since joining CMCA.
“The CMCA website is genuinely useful; it's become one of our go-to sources for news and information relevant to travelling Australians. And The Wanderer is something we actually read. It keeps us connected to the broader travelling community and gives us a real sense of the conversation happening around this lifestyle,” Cameron said.
He said the website and magazine were “informative without being overwhelming” and reflected the travel they actually did - considered, curious and always looking for something off the beaten track.
Cameron said knowing that CMCA was advocating behind the scenes for travellers like himself and Neil was the kind of membership value that didn’t always get talked about, but made a real difference on the road.
Find out more about the benefits of joining CMCA here and read about Cameron and Neil’s journey with Zoe at offthemainroad.com.au.
The CMCA dump points are listed here.
