She worked as part of a team to spread that same joy to others recently.

Over 100 hundred caravans descended on Griffith in the last week for the annual NSW State Caravan Rally. 

Celebrations kicked off when 87 vans from across the state and 10 local vans were welcomed at a reception at Griffith Regional Theatre on Friday night. 

A packed weekend ensued. 

As Griffith Caravan Club’s coordinator, Mrs Cunningham organised a lot of the weekend. She said the feedback she’d received was all positive. 

“Some people have even told me it’s the best one they’ve been to,” she said. 

“I had a great team to work with here. I was in the fortunate position of having more volunteers than I had jobs.” 

The parade of caravans spent their nights at the Griffith Showground. 

“Caravans are great because you can pull up where you want to, put your feet up and enjoy it. Some towns don’t have motels,” she said. 

“The beauty of it is if you find a town you like, you can stay a few extra days.”  

Mrs Cunningham says the benefits of the weekend extend far beyond the crew and their caravans. The travellers also have positive economic impacts on country towns like Griffith. 

“These guys will spend up to $50,000 in the town. The first van arrived the Tuesday before Easter and the last one is staying until Thursday morning,” she said. 

“They don’t just come for three days.” 

The location of the vans was carefully planned out. 

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“There’s a lot of people who do this rally every year. Up to 19 clubs have come here,” she said. 

“My husband did all of the planning to make sure all the vans lined up with the power and water. It’s all run very smoothly.” 

Mrs Cunningham said the support of businesses and the showground trust had been invaluable. 

The state rally is held by a different club in NSW each year, generally attracting over 100 caravans each time. 

Additionally, a national rally is held every three years. 

Caravan Club NSW state secretary Anne Carragher was among those impressed by her weekend in Griffith. 

“We just have a great time. We’ve made friends with a lot of other clubs,” she said. 

“We’ve certainly enjoyed our stay here in Griffith.” 

She said dinner at Griffith Leagues Club and a breakfast put on by the Lions Club were highlights of the weekend. The Griffith rally is the second to be held in the Riverina in recent years, with Wagga Wagga hosting the weekend in 2016.