My wife and I are relatively new to caravanning and are planning to spend next winter in Queensland to escape the Melbourne winter. We are looking for advice on a suitable location where we are likely to be able to get into a caravan park as I understand a lot get booked out year on year by Southerners escaping the winter. Looking to be on the coast or close to it and somewhere not too spoilt but with reasonable shopping facilities close by or within 30 minutes drive. Someone suggested Airlie Beach which looks like a fairly good bet from what I have read on the web. Maybe others know different. Any advice would be welcome.
I would look at Alva Beach. A lovely quiet and very low key park about 20 minutes from Ayr. Ayr has the usual Woolies, Coles, Kentucky Fried, Maccas etc etc. It is only an hour and twenty from Townsville. Fishing is pretty good as well so bring your rods.
You can also stay at Saunders Beach for a couple of days for free and Jourama Falls a little further up for a couple of dollars (National Park).
Airlie Beach has some reasonable parks, Mackay is not much chop and Blow'n Bowen is plain miserable some times although Queens Beach is nice.
As you probably have guessed by now I am a local :) I live in Townsville.
I just found a site that may give you some help
www.action-graphics.com.au and look under Bruce Highway Map, it gives you a look at the towns around here - just click on one.
Remember though North Queensland is a very long way from Melbourne so work your way up the coast slowly, and stop at Nambucca Heads for sure at the White Albatross.
Hi, you cant go wrong if you look at Hervey Bay in particular Torquay. It is in the middle of the Hervey Bay stretch Pialba - Urangan. We were there in May last year and Easter this year. You would have no problems booking in at any of the Council Caravan Parks and yes they are right on the beach. All facilities are clean and there are plenty of shops and CENTRO (it is a big shopping centre at Pialba has everything). In my opinion Torquay has everything that most people require and the bus stops out the front of the Caravan Park.