For me it's caravan parks that have flashy web sites. You pre-book only to arrive and find the site is 95% residential.
I think all parks should separate residential from touring.
If you go into north WA most of the parks are mostly mining residential. The shift patterns mean that workers trucks are starting up at all hours.
jules47 said
06:47 PM Jul 21, 2012
The best caravan parks are the ones you hear of by word of mouth, I have found. The mining thing is happening in Queensland as well - but in some parks it would be difficult to separate "residentials" from tourists due to space restrictions.
Also from what I have heard, some of the caravan parks who are full of mining personnel need to remember who buttered their bread before the mining boom.
Travellers have long memories, and a huge network of shared information when on the road - word travels.
I drove into a caravan park on the Gold Coast after seeing a pretty picture on a web site. Well, what a shock! First I had to find the gate and the original gate was blocked as the bridge was fragile. There was an alterative gate in a back street. There was barely enough room for me to drive around the streets of the park to find the office. As soon as I got out of my car I got that creepy feeling, "I don't want to be here". There were a couple of empty spaces I assume they use for overnighters, but it wasn't pretty. I got out of thre pronto. Then I found another park in the same area more residential than park. There may have been room for 10 short term vanners. The Pilbara region, the central west of Qld are all taken up by miners. The Pilbara miners have been forced into a corner by the local government and traditional owners. No one is releasing land for mining camps. This is particularly evident in Pt. Hedland and South Hedland. The mines have applied to purchase or lease land but no one is co-operating. In Karratha the old Sea Ripple Caravan Park in the NW corner of the township was redeveloped as a village for miners. The South Hedland van park got the same treatment. In Qld the Clermont Park is very squeazy between the gem hunters and the local mining. Emerald also has it's problems but they are keep room for the casual visitors, and they have lovely facilities. Not the park in the back street. The park near the pool a few streets from Coles and the shopping centre. It's not just the parks looking to cash in on the mining boom. They get forced into a corner, or the park gets bought and taken over for redevelopment. Unfortunately it's the sign of the times.
aussietraveller said
01:04 AM Jul 22, 2012
I always make a point of talking to other people in the park about caravan parks in the direction I am travelling and I also use this forum to see what others have said and regularly check the badger site but get very annoyed when their website quotes a rate then you discover that there are requirements or exclusions that are not mentioned on the web site and prices are higher very frustrating. fortunately doesnt happen that often.
_wombat_ said
02:21 AM Jul 22, 2012
If you do turn around and leave a CP, please let the owner/operator know why you are leaving.
CG the CP's in Port Headland, there used to be two good ones, mining co brought one and filled it with dongers for it's workers and the other one took the overflow from mine workers, don't get me wrong I have nothing against mine workers, everybody has to earn a living.
Cruising Granny said
04:48 AM Jul 22, 2012
There is still one at Sth Hedland. It was small and run down but I get the impression it has been done up. I haven't been back to check that rumour out. The other park is sort of behind the pub and road house on the highway, north side, by the airport turn off. That's been chockers for yonks.
Cruising Granny said
05:14 AM Jul 22, 2012
PACKAGING!!! Packaging gets my back up. No wonder we pay top dollar for very little. It's all because of packaging. I buy chewies in the "professional" blister packs because they stay fresher and easier to handle. The blister slide is in another protective cover inside the packet. Cadbury chocolate is in cardboard with the chocolate wrapped in foil inside. Low dose aspirin. Once again the packet in which are 3 foil envelopes in which there is one slide of tablets in blister packs and a moisture thingy. I realise there's the security thing, but for heaven's sake, do we have to have all that packaging?
johnq said
09:06 PM Jul 22, 2012
But without blister backs how will the young who have been brought up in the politically sensitive environment of Big Sister's Nanny State ever recognise edibles like meat?
Everyone, simply everyone, knows that food comes from the Bubble-Wrap Tree.
jules47 said
12:46 AM Jul 23, 2012
Cruising Granny wrote:
There is still one at Sth Hedland. It was small and run down but I get the impression it has been done up. I haven't been back to check that rumour out. The other park is sort of behind the pub and road house on the highway, north side, by the airport turn off. That's been chockers for yonks.
Went to Port Hedland back 2005 - only place we could get in was Cooke Point CP - we had a soft floor camper trailer - said they could only fit us on a tent site - fine said we - $28 - which was dear in those days. There was a power box at the back of the site, and we presumed that this was power for the site - nothing had been mentioned about it being unpowered.
Long story short - they came along and we had taken the power from a permanent - but as he was away for a week, the paperwork would be too hard, so we had power for $28 - think a powered site was $35 - the norm almost now, but quite expensive back then.
Cruising Granny said
03:19 AM Jul 23, 2012
You are right Jules. To pay $40 per night or more is the normal rate these days. It's appalling how businesses are skinning the miners and anyone else who passes through. While we can't blame them for reaping the boom for all it's worth, surely there has to be a reasonable level or harvest. All accommodation facilities of Hedland, Karratha, Newman, Tom Price and surrounds are extremely expensive because it's the miners and the company executives that stay and pay, so that sets the precedent the rest of us have to follow. Anyway, parking down by the De Grey River north of Hedland is a nice spot. For a small fee you can camp at Cape Kerauderan (spelling) in the same vicinity. Free camping is acceptable in that neck of the woods. Pt. Sampson is also a nice spot to park, and there are now 2 parks there, charging reasonable fees.
_wombat_ said
03:18 PM Jul 23, 2012
one problem with the De Grey River is that it gets very busy at the weekends, locals frm P Headland treat it as their getaway spot
Beth54 said
11:58 PM Jul 23, 2012
Isn't 'what gets your back up' the same as 'what cheeses me off'?
Dougwe said
01:05 AM Jul 24, 2012
Yeh, I think so Beth.
What gets my back up is when I get cheesed off.
Just had to beet my mate wombat to that.
Beth54 said
01:08 AM Jul 24, 2012
Dougwe wrote:
Yeh, I think so Beth.
What gets my back up is when I get cheesed off.
Just had to beet my mate wombat to that.
Dougwe said
01:13 AM Jul 24, 2012
What actually gets my back up or cheeses me off is people don't use their car headlights properly.
We had a real pea soup fog around Sth West Gippsland, Vic. Today and the number of people that don't have their headlights on is appalling to say the least, you can see the headlights long before the car especially when it's a dark coloured car.
The other thing is the number of people overtaking on double white lines, I had three cars pass on double white lines this afternoon in five minutes, boy I was cheesed off.
_wombat_ said
01:27 AM Jul 24, 2012
Beth54 wrote:
Dougwe wrote:
Yeh, I think so Beth.
What gets my back up is when I get cheesed off.
Just had to beet my mate wombat to that.
Beth, that was not funny
Beth54 said
02:18 AM Jul 24, 2012
Well, my irk for today was someone not slowing down coming into a roundabout.
There is a bit of a blind spot on this particular one, and the other car just kept on coming at the same speed. Too bad if I was already entering the roundabout. He would have had to slam on the anchors or hit me.
Just as well some of us are sensible drivers.
Dougwe said
02:30 AM Jul 24, 2012
Bet ya he wasn't indicating as well Beth. That's another one to my list, people not indicating at round a abouts.
At least there is two sensible drivers out there Beth.
Beth54 said
02:36 AM Jul 24, 2012
Dougwe wrote:
Bet ya he wasn't indicating as well Beth. That's another one to my list, people not indicating at round a abouts.
At least there is two sensible drivers out there Beth.
Or people indicating incorrectly at roundabouts, even worse.
Happywanderer said
02:49 AM Jul 24, 2012
Or people who stop at roundabouts and look around to see if anything is coming. Roundabouts are supposed to keep the traffic flowing nicely.
Beth54 said
03:07 AM Jul 24, 2012
Happywanderer wrote:
Or people who stop at roundabouts and look around to see if anything is coming. Roundabouts are supposed to keep the traffic flowing nicely.
Yes, that one too. Several years ago, Dad was driving me home from an appt, and stopped to give way on a newly made roundabout on Chambers Flat Road. Even though I'd had a sedative, I very quickly came to and said 'Dad! Don't stop!' Poor old bugga. If it'd been any other old fellow I'd have said, 'silly old fart!'.
tonyd said
07:53 AM Jul 24, 2012
Western Australia has the distinction (probably a world first) of having a roundabout fitted with traffic lights.
True story. It's the big roundabout just outside Bunbury, on the main road to and from Perth. The mind boggles!
_wombat_ said
03:00 PM Jul 24, 2012
This is a roundabout in Colchester Essex UK with traffic lights,(see pic) have a look at the small roundabouts where you can turn right and keep the big roundabout on your left and then exit to the right at the next roundabout, I suppose its easy once you have lived there for a few years.
What is the rule in WA for roundabouts? I have always thought that if you are turning right or left you indicate (then on a right turn you indicate left to exit the roundabout) if you are going directlly across the roundabout you do not indicate, is this correct?
That's a photo of wombats lounge in his hole Beth.
Cruising Granny said
05:13 AM Jul 25, 2012
If you're exiting at the first exit you indicate "left". If you're exiting at the second exit, just indicate to the left at the exit. If you're passing 1 exit you do inticate right first, then left. The lane you're in should be a clue to where you're intending to go. If there are 2 lanes in and out, pick the lane which gives you best access to your exit lane. When merging at the other side of the roundabout you must also indicate. That means indicating your intentions BEFORE you make your move from the lane you're in, NOT AFTER!!!!!!! Indicating what you've just done. There are so many things that get my goat on the road. I'm the world's worst passenger. I don't know how some people ever get home safely without bumping into, or being bumped into by other motorists, because of their own bad driving practices.
Wayne Dwop said
06:13 AM Jul 25, 2012
Rules of Roundabouts:
He who has the biggest tyres or most dents has right of way.
.
Rip and Rosie said
03:27 PM Jul 25, 2012
There is a roundabout near home, right at the end of the F3 from Sydney. VERY busy in peak times, with lots of local traffic plus the freeway folk.
All of a sudden, theres a hold up on the roundabout, right in the middle- one car stopped blocking everyone else, brakes screeched, cars and trucks behind honking horns, traffic waiting to enter the roundabout hesitant but jumping at the break in flow. Chaos.
The problem...........woman driver looking from side to side, unsure of which direction she wanted, so she stopped dead.
I was about to wait and see if she got her map out, but I jumped into the break in traffic and was away.
_wombat_ said
03:27 PM Jul 25, 2012
Beth, I hate going through that roundabout in UK
Dougwe, i could be in my burrow, no wonder I get lost all the time.
Wayne Dwop, I like your thinking BTW welcome to the site.
Happywanderer said
05:16 PM Jul 25, 2012
I hate buying something from any shop, NOT IKEA, and having to unpack it when I get it home and try putting it together. In the last few days I have bought a book shelf, thank goodness son in law was still here and built it for me with the help of my 3 yr old grandson who weilded the screwdriver. Now I have bought a mulcher and line trimmer (whipper snipper) from Bunnings. Can't they build them in the shop and I get to wheel it out to the van? Yes I know, that would mean hiring extra staff but from now on I don't buy anything unless its in its built form and ready to use. See ya. I'm off out to the shed to work out how this mulcher fits together. Where's my spanners?
For me it's caravan parks that have flashy web sites. You pre-book only to arrive and find the site is 95% residential.
I think all parks should separate residential from touring.
If you go into north WA most of the parks are mostly mining residential. The shift patterns mean that workers trucks are starting up at all hours.
The best caravan parks are the ones you hear of by word of mouth, I have found. The mining thing is happening in Queensland as well - but in some parks it would be difficult to separate "residentials" from tourists due to space restrictions.
Also from what I have heard, some of the caravan parks who are full of mining personnel need to remember who buttered their bread before the mining boom.
Travellers have long memories, and a huge network of shared information when on the road - word travels.
There was barely enough room for me to drive around the streets of the park to find the office. As soon as I got out of my car I got that creepy feeling, "I don't want to be here".
There were a couple of empty spaces I assume they use for overnighters, but it wasn't pretty. I got out of thre pronto. Then I found another park in the same area more residential than park. There may have been room for 10 short term vanners.
The Pilbara region, the central west of Qld are all taken up by miners.
The Pilbara miners have been forced into a corner by the local government and traditional owners. No one is releasing land for mining camps. This is particularly evident in Pt. Hedland and South Hedland.
The mines have applied to purchase or lease land but no one is co-operating.
In Karratha the old Sea Ripple Caravan Park in the NW corner of the township was redeveloped as a village for miners.
The South Hedland van park got the same treatment.
In Qld the Clermont Park is very squeazy between the gem hunters and the local mining. Emerald also has it's problems but they are keep room for the casual visitors, and they have lovely facilities. Not the park in the back street. The park near the pool a few streets from Coles and the shopping centre.
It's not just the parks looking to cash in on the mining boom. They get forced into a corner, or the park gets bought and taken over for redevelopment.
Unfortunately it's the sign of the times.
I always make a point of talking to other people in the park about caravan parks in the direction I am travelling and I also use this forum to see what others have said and regularly check the badger site but get very annoyed when their website quotes a rate then you discover that there are requirements or exclusions that are not mentioned on the web site and prices are higher very frustrating.
fortunately doesnt happen that often.
If you do turn around and leave a CP, please let the owner/operator know why you are leaving.
CG the CP's in Port Headland, there used to be two good ones, mining co brought one and filled it with dongers for it's workers and the other one took the overflow from mine workers, don't get me wrong I have nothing against mine workers, everybody has to earn a living.
That's been chockers for yonks.
No wonder we pay top dollar for very little. It's all because of packaging. I buy chewies in the "professional" blister packs because they stay fresher and easier to handle. The blister slide is in another protective cover inside the packet.
Cadbury chocolate is in cardboard with the chocolate wrapped in foil inside.
Low dose aspirin. Once again the packet in which are 3 foil envelopes in which there is one slide of tablets in blister packs and a moisture thingy.
I realise there's the security thing, but for heaven's sake, do we have to have all that packaging?
But without blister backs how will the young who have been brought up in the politically sensitive environment of Big Sister's Nanny State ever recognise edibles like meat?
Everyone, simply everyone, knows that food comes from the Bubble-Wrap Tree.
Went to Port Hedland back 2005 - only place we could get in was Cooke Point CP - we had a soft floor camper trailer - said they could only fit us on a tent site - fine said we - $28 - which was dear in those days. There was a power box at the back of the site, and we presumed that this was power for the site - nothing had been mentioned about it being unpowered.
Long story short - they came along and we had taken the power from a permanent - but as he was away for a week, the paperwork would be too hard, so we had power for $28 - think a powered site was $35 - the norm almost now, but quite expensive back then.
While we can't blame them for reaping the boom for all it's worth, surely there has to be a reasonable level or harvest.
All accommodation facilities of Hedland, Karratha, Newman, Tom Price and surrounds are extremely expensive because it's the miners and the company executives that stay and pay, so that sets the precedent the rest of us have to follow.
Anyway, parking down by the De Grey River north of Hedland is a nice spot. For a small fee you can camp at Cape Kerauderan (spelling) in the same vicinity. Free camping is acceptable in that neck of the woods.
Pt. Sampson is also a nice spot to park, and there are now 2 parks there, charging reasonable fees.
one problem with the De Grey River is that it gets very busy at the weekends, locals frm P Headland treat it as their getaway spot
Isn't 'what gets your back up' the same as 'what cheeses me off'?
Yeh, I think so Beth.
What gets my back up is when I get cheesed off.
Just had to beet my mate wombat to that.
What actually gets my back up or cheeses me off is people don't use their car headlights properly.
We had a real pea soup fog around Sth West Gippsland, Vic. Today and the number of people that don't have their headlights on is appalling to say the least, you can see the headlights long before the car especially when it's a dark coloured car.
The other thing is the number of people overtaking on double white lines, I had three cars pass on double white lines this afternoon in five minutes, boy I was cheesed off.
Beth, that was not funny
Well, my irk for today was someone not slowing down coming into a roundabout.
There is a bit of a blind spot on this particular one, and the other car just kept on coming at the same speed. Too bad if I was already entering the roundabout. He would have had to slam on the anchors or hit me.
Just as well some of us are sensible drivers.
Bet ya he wasn't indicating as well Beth. That's another one to my list, people not indicating at round a abouts.
At least there is two sensible drivers out there Beth.
Or people indicating incorrectly at roundabouts, even worse.
Roundabouts are supposed to keep the traffic flowing nicely.
Yes, that one too. Several years ago, Dad was driving me home from an appt, and stopped to give way on a newly made roundabout on Chambers Flat Road. Even though I'd had a sedative, I very quickly came to and said 'Dad! Don't stop!' Poor old bugga. If it'd been any other old fellow I'd have said, 'silly old fart!'.
True story. It's the big roundabout just outside Bunbury, on the main road to and from Perth. The mind boggles!
This is a roundabout in Colchester Essex UK with traffic lights,(see pic) have a look at the small roundabouts where you can turn right and keep the big roundabout on your left and then exit to the right at the next roundabout, I suppose its easy once you have lived there for a few years.
What is the rule in WA for roundabouts? I have always thought that if you are turning right or left you indicate (then on a right turn you indicate left to exit the roundabout) if you are going directlly across the roundabout you do not indicate, is this correct?
Now that's downright scary wombat!
That's a photo of wombats lounge in his hole Beth.
If there are 2 lanes in and out, pick the lane which gives you best access to your exit lane. When merging at the other side of the roundabout you must also indicate.
That means indicating your intentions BEFORE you make your move from the lane you're in, NOT AFTER!!!!!!! Indicating what you've just done.
There are so many things that get my goat on the road. I'm the world's worst passenger. I don't know how some people ever get home safely without bumping into, or being bumped into by other motorists, because of their own bad driving practices.
Rules of Roundabouts:
He who has the biggest tyres or most dents has right of way.
.
All of a sudden, theres a hold up on the roundabout, right in the middle- one car stopped blocking everyone else, brakes screeched, cars and trucks behind honking horns, traffic waiting to enter the roundabout hesitant but jumping at the break in flow. Chaos.
The problem...........woman driver looking from side to side, unsure of which direction she wanted, so she stopped dead.
I was about to wait and see if she got her map out, but I jumped into the break in traffic and was away.
Beth, I hate going through that roundabout in UK
Dougwe, i could be in my burrow, no wonder I get lost all the time.
Wayne Dwop, I like your thinking
BTW welcome to the site.
In the last few days I have bought a book shelf, thank goodness son in law was still here and built it for me with the help of my 3 yr old grandson who weilded the screwdriver.
Now I have bought a mulcher and line trimmer (whipper snipper) from Bunnings. Can't they build them in the shop and I get to wheel it out to the van? Yes I know, that would mean hiring extra staff but from now on I don't buy anything unless its in its built form and ready to use.
See ya. I'm off out to the shed to work out how this mulcher fits together. Where's my spanners?