The Rise of the Grandcation
“Looking at them concentrating on a fishing rod… their faces light up and when a fish hops on the line they either laugh, scream or cry – that would have to be the best.”
For grandparents like Derek Dabelstein, it’s these small, unfiltered moments that make travelling with grandchildren so special and increasingly, more common.
Across caravan parks and campgrounds, more grandparents are packing up and heading off with the next generation in tow, embracing what’s known as “skip-generation” travel.
Hilton coined the term “grandcations” in its latest Trends Report, reporting six in 10 travellers in the Asia Pacific region have taken, or are planning, a “skip-generation” holiday.
Why Grandparents Keep Coming Back
Derek and his wife have been holidaying at the BIG4 Tweed Billabong Holiday Park for more than 20 years, first bringing their children and now their grandchildren.
“Taking our kids and now grandkids away with us on holidays would have to be one of the most beautiful things to do as a family,” Mr Dabelstein said.
“It actually goes way back to when we were kids going on holidays with our parents in canvas tents and an old Chesney caravan.
“My wife and I wanted our kids and our grandkids to grow up and have the same lifestyle and to make some memories, something we wanted them to take with them in their life as we did.”
Mr Dabelstein’s reasoning is the same as many other grandparents, with the report claiming the opportunity to create lasting memories was the drive behind skip-gen travel, with 64% of Australians citing memory making as their top motivation.
“The thing my wife and I love is we have a stronger connection with our grandkids after being away with them and knowing that we taught them something about the great outdoors,” he said.
He said they loved watching the kids’ faces light up as soon as they arrived at a caravan park or campground - whether it’s spotting a creek to swim in with a rope swing, a pool with a waterslide or other kids already playing nearby.
“Straight away they become a different person and this makes us happy to have them with us on holidays and proud to be grandparents.”
Out on the Water with the Grandkids
Meanwhile, Sarah Jane’s trip with her grandkids to BIG4 Wallaga Lake carried a sense of déjà vu, returning to a place she once explored with her own daughter, this time watching the next generation experience it for themselves.
One of her favourite moments came out on the water.
“Taking the grandkids out on the boat and watching the girls’ reactions every time they hooked a fish was just awesome,” she said.
She agreed with Derek that you notice the change in kids almost straight away - once they’re out of their normal routine and into camp life, they just settle into it.
When asked what she hopes they take from it, she said: “I hope they remember it all. And maybe one day they’ll want to do the same with their own kids and make those same kinds of memories.”
