hi one and all i dont know about everyone else but why cant all these towns have caravan designated parking so we can do some shopping. we go through cessnock a lot on the way to visit relies and always pick up what we and they ask us to get so hard to park there though. only one i know is dubbo. just how many of these towns want our busness.
jimricho said
07:52 AM Nov 30, 2010
Some towns do have suitable "RV" parking available. Inverell (northern NSW) is one that comes to mind that encourages GNs etc with a parking area close to both Coles and Woolworths, an excellent visitor centre and good reasonably priced caravan parks.
If possible we should support such towns and let the others go "whistle dixie".
PS: (added in response to Pete, below) There is also an IGA nearby but not quite as close as Coles and Woolies.
-- Edited by jimricho on Tuesday 30th of November 2010 09:51:20 AM
petengail said
08:09 AM Nov 30, 2010
Couldnt agree more, one place we always stop at is Gin Gin, north of Brisbane. Easy parking in the main street. Toilets and a IGA handy, and a free camp just out of town. (I detest equeally both Coles and Woolworths).
justcruisin01 said
08:53 AM Nov 30, 2010
We passed through Kiamma recently, beautiful area on the hill at the blowholes with no parking for vans. There is car park & six / eight bus parks, the only long vehicle park is down at the bottom of the hill in the boat / trailer park which is sighn posted accordingly, so technicaly does not include c/vans. I contacted the council about this & as to why the bus zones could not be a shared zone as we were around the area for a few hours & not one bus.
I received a written reply which stated that the reason for no parking on top of the hill was to prevent overnight camping , [ in the middle of the town ]. They prefered you to stay in one of their four c/parks, other wise use the boat trailer park where the sighn does not include vans, can,t win.
Toowoomba is another one, at the botanical gardens on the edge of the range. Passed through there last year, all parking zones had just been repainted,again a car park that you cant get into with a van & about twenty bus zones sighned as such, no shared area.
An email to council received no reply, so I take it they dont want us there so thats easy to arrange.
I think it was Moamma, on the Murray where the shopping centre had about four C/van parking sites marked out in their car park.
Gerty Dancer said
09:15 AM Nov 30, 2010
Yes its a problem. Every time we decide this would be a good town to do some shopping, we cant find a place to park!
Most Visitor Centres have caravan parking, and they can advise about parking closer to shopping centres.
Ma said
09:32 AM Nov 30, 2010
Byron Bay is another one Jim, or maybe I didn't look hard enough. It seemed to me that they certainly DISCOURAGED us grey nomads.
Happywanderer said
09:39 AM Nov 30, 2010
Moama, on the murray, the new Safeway/Woolworths store has designated parking as justcruising says.
Its a new shopping centre with chemist and a couple of other little shops. A whole row has been set aside for long parking and is used frequently by caravans, campervans and boats being towed. The are long and on an angle so really easy to get into and out of.
I prefer to shop over there rather than the safeway in Echuca as just so much easier to get to even for me in my little car. No traffic congestion.
Firefly said
10:23 AM Nov 30, 2010
We found that a lot as well on our trip.
Narrabri have a very forward thinking parking area near their tourist information center. Easy to negotiate in and out, a real credit to them.
Beth54 said
10:39 AM Nov 30, 2010
Longreach Qld is another bad one. (I think I've said this before on this site.)
You can't park anywhere near the info centre. And there's just a few street parking spots outside the supermarket. We, as grey nomads, didn't feel welcome there at all.
Barcaldine was great. Plenty of parking, and they welcome grey nomads.
As for Toowoomba, I wouldn't even attempt to park in the city centre with a caravan. Way too busy.
Firefly said
11:14 AM Nov 30, 2010
The Other Half just mentioned Longreach as a bad one Beth.
jimbo said
01:41 PM Nov 30, 2010
I agree with the lot of you people...It's just so hard with a Coaster......What I have begun to do.Is email councils and complain (Nicely) then I add That I was going to spend heaps but couldn't park
Beth54 said
02:32 PM Nov 30, 2010
welcome wrote:
I agree with the lot of you people...It's just so hard with a Coaster......What I have begun to do.Is email councils and complain (Nicely) then I add That I was going to spend heaps but couldn't park
It was suggested to me to write to the town newspaper, as council wouldn't care, would just throw it in the bin. So that's exactly what I did in the case of Longreach. I didn't hear anything of course. But I do think the newspaper is a better option.
brian & kerry said
04:26 PM Nov 30, 2010
childers has a great day parking site for van mobile homes and coaches 1 block off the main street
brian & kerry
blaze said
05:33 PM Nov 30, 2010
If you write to a council with a compaint you must include in your corospondence your wish for it to be tabled at the next general meeting, they are then by law required to table the document at the next general meeting. May not help but at least the complaint will be read out along with any other inward coraspondece.
cheers
blaze
signwilson said
05:48 PM Nov 30, 2010
Horsham Victoria has caravan parking.
jimricho said
05:50 PM Nov 30, 2010
blaze wrote:
If you write to a council with a compaint you must include in your corospondence your wish for it to be tabled at the next general meeting, they are then by law required to table the document at the next general meeting. May not help but at least the complaint will be read out along with any other inward coraspondece. cheers blaze
Good point Robert,
Would also suggest writing to the local visitor centre, perhaps a copy of the letter to council, as it may be that the local tourist body is lobbying on this issue, in which case it adds weight to their representations.
Another idea may be to write a note in the visitors' book at the local visitor centre highlighting the issue. To have maximum effect the note should be phrased in a respectful and non-judgmental way and should include a name and address so that the centre manager can follow up. (Anonymous complaints are usually treated with the contempt they deserve)
Jim
jimricho said
05:55 PM Nov 30, 2010
Firefly wrote:
We found that a lot as well on our trip.
Narrabri have a very forward thinking parking area near their tourist information center. Easy to negotiate in and out, a real credit to them.
There seems to be some liason between Narrabri and Inverell as they usually share the same stand at the caravan shows.
Narrabri also has a caravan park right in the centre of town which is very convenient.
another place that comes to mind is Home Hill in Queensland.
des37 said
08:39 PM Nov 30, 2010
Try Cobram when next in area, caravan parking beside the old railway station, 50mt to woolies, bakeries, coffee shops, & usually friendly people, if there not i am!! des37
Gerty Dancer said
08:45 PM Nov 30, 2010
G'day Des37, welcome to the forum!
Cobram is one of our favourite places... as you say, friendly too.
goinsoon said
09:02 PM Nov 30, 2010
Yes it annoys us as well when you drive into a town and see a sign "CARAVAN FRIENDLY TOWN" and there is no bloody where to park so you can go shopping for your essentials or just window shop and have a look at the town maybe have a coffee
-- Edited by goinsoon on Tuesday 30th of November 2010 09:02:55 PM
Beth54 said
09:39 PM Nov 30, 2010
blaze wrote:
If you write to a council with a compaint you must include in your corospondence your wish for it to be tabled at the next general meeting, they are then by law required to table the document at the next general meeting. May not help but at least the complaint will be read out along with any other inward coraspondece. cheers blaze
Point taken Blaze. I'll remember that if I happen to be in that position again.
justcruisin01 said
09:52 PM Nov 30, 2010
Beth54 wrote:
Longreach Qld is another bad one. (I think I've said this before on this site.)
You can't park anywhere near the info centre. And there's just a few street parking spots outside the supermarket. We, as grey nomads, didn't feel welcome there at all.
Barcaldine was great. Plenty of parking, and they welcome grey nomads.
As for Toowoomba, I wouldn't even attempt to park in the city centre with a caravan. Way too busy.
The area in Toowoomba I refered to was the gardens on the very edge of town on the escarpment, not in the city.
lyn-n-ken said
07:30 AM Dec 1, 2010
hi one and all
WOW little did i know i would get such a reaction from my post and i am so glad for so much info i know the gin gin one its strange parking up there 3 deep. we are i'm going to write the good ones down. i think the idea of contacting councils is great thank you to blaze for telling us the right way to go about it. thats now on my agenda and i will contact cessnock council we go through there a lot on our way to dunedoo (we have relies there ). dunedoo has plenty of parking for vans and trucks although there isnt much at dunedoo it has a small supermarket a bit expensive and you can buy a coffee etc . i am sure like us and most caravaners we dont mind a bit of a walk to the shops it would just be nice to drive into a town and see a sign saying "caravan parking is in..............st"
we would like to hear of more towns with caravan parking i'm going to write them all in an adress book that way there in alphabetical order.
hi des welcome
and just where is cobram?
des37 said
08:06 AM Dec 1, 2010
Hi lyn-n-ken,, where the hell is Cobram?? where do i start ,, east of Albury, west of echuca, {happywanderer country} north of shepparton, onthe murray valley hwy, right on the mighty murray river, place of peaches& cream,more sunny days than qld,{well will be if it ever stops raining}, great free bush camps along river, no facilities, close to pubs & clubs & golf courses at barooga& tocumwal, from up nth travel down newell hwy thru the mighty metropolus of KOONOOMOO, blow horn & wave , don"tblink or you will miss me, des37,
lyn-n-ken said
08:35 AM Dec 1, 2010
well well des that sounds like a great place to stay awhile putting Cobram on my list. we will be doing victoria. have done a bit but want more.
Gerty Dancer said
09:06 AM Dec 1, 2010
Des you forgot... over the River from Berrigan!
Two Strays said
01:46 PM Dec 1, 2010
Hi all The lovely town of Terang on the Princes Hwy in South Western Victoria has excellent facilities with parking near the small shopping centre and toilets. Take a break and have a look around. The avenue of heritage listed trees provides a nice picnic spot.
There is a small caravan park on the west end of town at reasonable rates.
jimricho said
04:23 PM Dec 1, 2010
There's one common theme through the whole of this thread and some other threads too, and that is how much more friendly and welcoming the inland towns, especially the smaller ones, are to the Grey Nomad traveller. They are the ones that deserve our support.
JRH said
04:42 PM Dec 1, 2010
jimricho wrote:
There's one common theme through the whole of this thread and some other threads too, and that is how much more friendly and welcoming the inland towns, especially the smaller ones, are to the Grey Nomad traveller. They are the ones that deserve our support.
Dead right there Jim and I for one will be travelling the inland route more frequently and giving those towns our support wherever possible.
Beth54 said
05:39 PM Dec 1, 2010
justcruisin01 wrote:
Beth54 wrote:
Longreach Qld is another bad one. (I think I've said this before on this site.)
You can't park anywhere near the info centre. And there's just a few street parking spots outside the supermarket. We, as grey nomads, didn't feel welcome there at all.
Barcaldine was great. Plenty of parking, and they welcome grey nomads.
As for Toowoomba, I wouldn't even attempt to park in the city centre with a caravan. Way too busy.
The area in Toowoomba I refered to was the gardens on the very edge of town on the escarpment, not in the city.
Apologies Justcruisin, I obviously didn't read it properly.
i dont know about everyone else but why cant all these towns have caravan designated parking so we can do some shopping. we go through cessnock a lot on the way to visit relies and always pick up what we and they ask us to get so hard to park there though. only one i know is dubbo. just how many of these towns want our busness.
If possible we should support such towns and let the others go "whistle dixie".
PS: (added in response to Pete, below) There is also an IGA nearby but not quite as close as Coles and Woolies.
-- Edited by jimricho on Tuesday 30th of November 2010 09:51:20 AM
There is car park & six / eight bus parks, the only long vehicle park is down at the bottom of the hill in the boat / trailer park which is sighn posted accordingly, so technicaly does not include c/vans.
I contacted the council about this & as to why the bus zones could not be a shared zone as we were around the area for a few hours & not one bus.
I received a written reply which stated that the reason for no parking on top of the hill was to prevent overnight camping , [ in the middle of the town ].
They prefered you to stay in one of their four c/parks, other wise use the boat trailer park where the sighn does not include vans, can,t win.
Toowoomba is another one, at the botanical gardens on the edge of the range.
Passed through there last year, all parking zones had just been repainted,again a car park that you cant get into with a van & about twenty bus zones sighned as such, no shared area.
An email to council received no reply, so I take it they dont want us there so thats easy to arrange.
I think it was Moamma, on the Murray where the shopping centre had about four C/van parking sites marked out in their car park.
Narrabri have a very forward thinking parking area near their tourist information center. Easy to negotiate in and out, a real credit to them.
You can't park anywhere near the info centre. And there's just a few street parking spots outside the supermarket. We, as grey nomads, didn't feel welcome there at all.
Barcaldine was great. Plenty of parking, and they welcome grey nomads.
As for Toowoomba, I wouldn't even attempt to park in the city centre with a caravan. Way too busy.
It was suggested to me to write to the town newspaper, as council wouldn't care, would just throw it in the bin. So that's exactly what I did in the case of Longreach. I didn't hear anything of course. But I do think the newspaper is a better option.
Would also suggest writing to the local visitor centre, perhaps a copy of the letter to council, as it may be that the local tourist body is lobbying on this issue, in which case it adds weight to their representations.
Another idea may be to write a note in the visitors' book at the local visitor centre highlighting the issue. To have maximum effect the note should be phrased in a respectful and non-judgmental way and should include a name and address so that the centre manager can follow up. (Anonymous complaints are usually treated with the contempt they deserve)
Jim
Narrabri also has a caravan park right in the centre of town which is very convenient.
another place that comes to mind is Home Hill in Queensland.
-- Edited by goinsoon on Tuesday 30th of November 2010 09:02:55 PM
The lovely town of Terang on the Princes Hwy in South Western Victoria has excellent facilities with parking near the small shopping centre and toilets. Take a break and have a look around. The avenue of heritage listed trees provides a nice picnic spot.
There is a small caravan park on the west end of town at reasonable rates.
Apologies Justcruisin, I obviously didn't read it properly.