I saw a great cartoon once that was a panorama of a packed caravan park, with a bloke in a deck chair, his neighbours just about under his armpits, saying, "Ah its good to get away from it all."
It is a strange phenomena this caper. Especially at this time of year. We prefer the idea of using our yurt (van) to create a lifestyle option other than our urban professional one. But at this time of year, there is no escaping the reality that we are packed in alongside holiday makers.
Perhaps it is the subtle difference between our motivations and the annual holiday vibe, that makes it trickier than you'd imagine to relate to those around us. Not that there isn't plenty of friendliness, but another relationship dynamic has revealed itself in the week we've been here. That is the chasm between the regulars and the once-off-ers.
We are in a 'street' with about a ten sites on each side. We quickly learned that beside us and 'south', that is the 6 sites on both sides between us and the end have been around since Noah was a boy; every year in the place for up to 40 years. Beside us G & L are relative newbies at 8 years on the same site. We are on the edge. The other side of us are also newbies. The social clique among the regular is understandable.
But one of the things we really enjoy about our Byron Bay experience is the inclusivity. People have been similarly on the same spots for a long time, but there is an extension of friendship to everyone around. At least that was our experience. The difference here was that despite our casual acquaintance with the others in our street, there was no invitation extended to the newbies to join the 'middle of the street' New Year celebrations. Some of the regulars don't even make eye contact when you walk past. Could be that they're simply introverted, but I get the feeling that there is kind of a resentment that we're in their patch.
Now I'm probably over analysing, but there is something in this about holiday park etiquette. I'm going to say there are 4 distinct kinds of residents in peak season: (1) the regulars, as per our street. (2) Then there are the families who holiday with other families, these groups give of good vibes in my view. (3) Once off-ers like us, people who are here this year but unlikely to be back, and (4) the transients, the travellers who are in for a night or two, usually in those big campervans, Europeans or Kiwis who are spending a few weeks driving along the Aussie coastline.
So I reckon the appetite for engagement with other campers depends on which category of resident you are, and the nub of it is that you relate most easily to those of your own kind. Kind of sociologically obvious when you say it, but interesting nonetheless in helping me understand the dynamics of van-side chatter.