Easter camping pilgrims stuck on home trails

IT will be an Easter like no other for families who usually make the pilgrimage to their favourite camping spots.

Mt Field National Park and Bruny Island are two popular Easter getaways that are eerily quiet due to coronavirus restrictions preventing people leaving home, other than for essential outings. “It’s very quiet and it’s a really eerie feeling,” said Kerry Jarvis, who owns Captain Cook Holiday Park at Adventure Bay, which is usually booked 12 months in advance for Easter.

Like all tourism businesses, the caravan and camping park is closed indefinitely while the COVID-19 crisis is managed.

“We normally have a big Easter egg hunt on the Sunday so I’ll miss that,” Ms Jarvis said.

“But, we can’t do anything about it so we are thinking about ways to make the park better when it reopens.”

Rachel and Greg Power, who run the café and gallery at Mt Field National Park, are also focusing on the positives, using the rare opportunity to upgrade.

“We’re using this time to see how we can do things differently,” Mrs Power said.

She said she was sad the park closed during the turning of the fagus, her favourite time of the year. “And obviously Easter is one of our busiest times when we love to see people enjoying the park, so there’s that sinking feeling because we can’t have that this year,” Mrs Power said.

She suggested those at home could explore their gardens.

“We’re noticing more animals and birds around and maybe it’s because there are fewer people,” Mrs Power said.

“Perhaps people could start recording how many birds they’re seeing in their backyard and see if it increases while there are fewer people around.”

She encouraged parents to teach children to use a camera. “It’s fascinating to look at the world from a child’s perspective and, for those too young to write a journal, it’s a great way to document their experiences,” she said.