Touring Australia Summer 2016/17 Touring Australia

CCRV • forbes shire nsw What does being an RV fRiendly toWn mean? Certain criteria has to be met before the Town can be officially named as RV Friendly. RV friendly towns are a very sought after commodity when you are caravanning or motor-homing around Australia, particularly if you are on a budget and let’s face it, most of us are! Smart local government councils will seek to have their town or city recognised and certified as an RV friendly town when they realise just how lucrative this can be for them. With many regional towns suffering from a downturn of interest from younger folk who seek the bright lights of the city, this can be a god send to revitalise the local business sector and the economy of the area. It can also save you a lot of money and provide you with excellent facilities whilst you explore the attractions the region has to offer. Of course we all need to eat, visit doctors and dentists, have prescriptions filled, have our vehicles serviced, buy new tyres, visit the local attractions, go on guided tours, buy new walking shoes, find a podiatrist, and drink lots of coffee, so the benefits to the local businesses in RV friendly The Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia (CMCA) is the group responsible for issuing rV friendly status to towns around Australia. Certain criteria has to be met to qualify and this includes: • Must be able to provide access to 24 hour Medical and pharMacy services • appropriate short-term parking close to a general shopping area that supplies groceries and fresh food • a Mechanical service centre which is able to provide tourists with basic vehicle repairs • visitor information centre with appropriate parking facilities for rv’s • a proMinent Map of the town which shows rv facilities and essential services • easy access to clean drinkable water • a duMp point for sewerage waste and grey wATer TAnks, ,wiThin 50kM of The Town • provide an easily accessible short-term parking area for 24, 48, or 72 plus hours • provide longer terM parking for rv’s within 5 to 20kMs of the town centre, such as showgrounds or caravan parks, at a reasonable rate towns can be quite substantial indeed. In fact RV tourists spend an average of $500 per week! there are More than 272 rv friendly towns across australia. stay in touch in every one of theM with www.cMca.net.au 22 touring australia magazine • summer 2017

Touring Australia Summer 2016/17 Touring Australia | Page 22