For 37 years, the Chittick family have been creating magical memories while visiting the exact same site every September at Noosa River Caravan Park.
They’ve had births, laughs, big storms, celebrations, and gravel grazes, including a fall on the day of the interview by Barb Chittick, 83, who says she’s been clumsy since she was a kid.
Together with her husband David, 88, they’ve celebrated their 40th, 50th and 60th wedding anniversaries at the Noosa park.
“We first came up from Victoria 37 years ago and met a friend of ours here that showed us around. We chose Noosa River Caravan Park by sheer chance,” David said.
“We would fish in the river all the time and we made a lot of friends in the park.
“We had our kids, so we started coming during the school holidays, and then their kids started coming as well. The kids have grown up with other kids in the park. It’s like coming home for us.”
The great grandparents said they still love Noosa as much as the first day they visited.
“Dad gets home and counts how many weeks it is until he’s back,” Emma Chittick said.
“It’s a wonderful place to keep coming to.”
Barb said they’ve created some funny memories over the years.
“Along with our wedding anniversary celebrations, we also renewed our vows here,” she said.
“We drove off after the ceremony with metal cans on the back of our car. We’ve had a fancy dress party here. We got in a lot of trouble doing silly things over the years.
“We got together a little golfing group from here where we had 35 to 40 golfers from the park and we’d have a barbecue every Thursday. And it’s still going.”
When asked what his favourite activity was to do in Noosa, David said, “Happy hour is pretty good”.
“We played golf until we couldn’t play anymore and we would go to the beach at Bay 13,” Barb added.
“I’d wait for the water to get warm so I could get in.”
After nearly four decades, their camp is still standing, even surviving a few big storms.
“Our camp set-up is starting to fall to bits by now. It looks like a hillbilly’s camp,” Barb joked.
“Now the grandkids do it for me. Oscar is in control of what happens.”
David said he would recommend all families try a holiday at a caravan park.
“We try to sell the place to everyone we speak to,” he said.
“I still love Noosa. We’ve got a boat and love fishing. We use the boat to get to Hastings Street because it’s too hard to get a park down there.
“The image of a caravanner has lifted a lot. Before, if you were a caravanner you were a basic struggler. Seventeen years ago we spoke to the newspaper and I said we make a good contribution to the town because we all buy our meals, maintenance and petrol here, and it’s to the advantage of the town.
“I’m happy that they’ve kept coverage of all types of people in Noosa, from high-rise, to camping, to caravanning and we all contribute.”
