When I was a kid, camping was camping. I have fond memories of leaky tents, musty sleeping bags and sharp rocks poking my back as I slept. Camping was rough and unglamorous, and that was fine for 13-year-old Cliffo. But the now old and haggard 36-year-old Cliffo, who wakes up with a sore back for no reason (people over the age of 30 get this) – wants no part of this “camping”. Thank the good lord for what I now regard as our family “glamping” holidays.
My little family recently spent five nights at the Big 4 Cairns Coconut Resort. The ensuited cabin we called home was practically Buckingham Palace compared to the camping I remember. The first modern comfort our luxurious getaway offered… electricity. What an incredible invention it is. Electricity made lighting the night as easy as the flick of a button. No more fighting with matches and kindling. Pure heaven. Plus, the microwave, toaster and kettle worked a lot better with electricity flowing through them.
If I’m to be totally real – the cabin life is nothing like the camping adventures I went on with my mates as a teen. The comfy beds, hot showers, box aircon, little TV in the wall (god forbid my 2-year-old misses his Bluey fix) and flushable toilet were all mod cons I’m now happy to have on our family getaways. The cabin life is like camping for cheaters. You’re still in a caravan park, so the getaway has that chilled campy vibe – you just retire to a tiny house that doesn’t smell like a musty old tent that’s been stored in the garage roof for the last 12 months.
Power to the people (not literally) who rough it with their families. But it’s not for me. The creature comforts teamed up with the playgrounds, pool, water park, jumping pillow and minigolf is just the kind of glamping this guy and his family now enjoy. Oh, and did I mention they had beer on tap. Won’t get that out of a tree in the bush.
Cliffo Hit 103.1
