On the road again...and again...and again. That's the growing trend for Australia's ageing baby boomers as they take to the highways and byways in ever increasing numbers.

Free from the everyday responsibilities of kids and work, the bands of grey nomads escape on the long and winding Australian roads, with their custom-built vans, their freedom and their desire to explore our sunburnt country.

Many of these free spirits will be part of the 80,000-plus crowd expected to check out the latest technology and mobile home trends at the Caravan, Camping, 4WD and Holiday Supershow. The Rosehill Gardens Racecourse event starts today and runs until next Sunday. There will be more than 500 new makes and models of caravans on display, which include about 140 camper-trailers, more than 60 luxury motorhomes and 100 types of tents.

Camping group targets illegal site providers

The Caravan and Camping Industry Association has singled out the Tweed as a hot spot for illegal free or discounted camping facilities on the north coast.

The association says the viability of licensed facilities is being put at risk by councils and some schools who welcome campers and caravaners to their land at subsidised rates or for no fee.

The association's legal counsel, Bob Brown, says council-owned parkland near waterways and school grounds during holiday periods are particular problem areas.

He says there is a legal case to answer for allowing unlicensed camping.

"We'll talk to our members in the various areas where they've raised issues, we can then go and specifically deal with that council and see if we can come to a solution," he said.

"If there isn't any solution through that it maybe that we have to take some other action and there's certainly a range of enforcement activities, particularly when there is a specific local government regulation that deals with the licensing of caravan parks."

Source: ABC