Expensive????

Pejay · Guru

Expensive????

Ma · Guru

Top Tourist at Swan Hill is expensive in my book too PJ. $38 per night. Don't usually frequent the affilliated ones, tend to stick to the little family owned ones where possible. Oh Well, live and learn

Firefly · Guru

I would love to know what makes a long weekend need a price increase, does the council charge them more for their dirt over these days or what?? disbelief

Ma · Guru

They will try and tell you that the staff are on penalty rates Fly but as most of their staff are hired on a casual basis, this just doesn't ring true in my book.

I guess they charge like this JUST BECAUSE THEY CAN.

nomadic1 · Senior Member

That is expensive. Must admit I don't even look at Big4. Right now I'm at a beautiful park in Elliott Heads (Qld) - $24 a night for a powered site or $144 a week. Has everything I want including a beach.

Helena · Guru

Yes been to the park in Elliott heads for the last 2 years great little park and very friendly staff. Also loved the rum and raisin Ice cream from the kiosk. Helena.

Dreamcaster51 · Senior Member

Lovely little Family Park just out of Dubbo, very nice people. Clean etc, around $26-28 per night a few months ago. We will return there early July. just my opinion. Love to let people know with up to date reports

Travel Bug · Guru

Those parks sound good.

Have you posted them in the caravan park recommendations section?

Might be worthwhile.

Cheers. Pam. smile

Happywanderer · The Master

You are in a great spot nomadic. Know the spot well and what a great beach for a walk. I do have lots of photos of that beach but not on the computer at the moment.

blaze · Guru

Ma wrote:
They will try and tell you that the staff are on penalty rates Fly but as most of their staff are hired on a casual basis, this just doesn't ring true in my book.
I guess they charge like this JUST BECAUSE THEY CAN.

2 reason for the peak prices are, the staff are indeed paid penaly rates (apart from salaried managers), supply and demand. The supply and demand would be the biggest one though, like over easter we didnt even have a site free, all cabins booked out 3 months in advance and all sites gone by a week prior to. We turned away about 40 people over the easter (some still looking at 6.30 in the morning). Last long weekend in wa we only had a few powered camp sites and a couple of powered van sites. Tonight you could take your pick of van sites and camp sites.

cheers

blaze

thommo · Senior Member

Big 4 at Karratha is $50.00 per night - Big 4 at Pt. Headland is the same!!

Cruising Granny · Guru

Karratha and Pt. Hedland are no longer "tourist destinations". Most of the park occupants in both towns are workers, and they pay top dollar to stay in the parks.
I stayed at Roebourne when I last passed through there in 07. New owners had just taken over and were doing their best to spruce the place up. It was old and run down, but clean.
It was reasonable price and the "locals" don't cause any problems in the park.
From there you can go to Karratha and go sightseeing, or just use it as an overnight stay. They also took dogs at that stage.

jimricho · Guru

Ma wrote:
I guess they charge like this JUST BECAUSE THEY CAN.

Unfortunately that is the real reason, it's called "supply and demand" However as Blaze points out there are many times when parks are near empty and earning little revenue but the fixed costs are still there, especially in places where the tourism is seasonal.

We GNs often have the flexibility to plan to avoid these parks at tourist locations in times of high demand.

I neither avoid nor favour the "group" parks (Big4, TT etc). I just pick the park that has a site available and suits my needs best.

-- Edited by jimricho on Tuesday 14th of June 2011 05:31:57 AM

Dunco · Senior Member

If you like this lifestyle, then you will have to get used to rises in park fees, if you stay in them.

It is the same as everything else in life as most things you have to pay more for over time...including POWER FEES which caravan park operators also have to deal with, which most people forget about. This also goes with water rates etc. And when you are at a park, you will see how people use up that power and water with no thought for who pays

My advice...just get on with it and don't worry about it and if you do, go to the next park. Life is too short to whinge about things I think...

Travel safe

-- Edited by Dunco on Tuesday 14th of June 2011 09:06:35 AM

Ma · Guru

blaze wrote:
Ma wrote:
They will try and tell you that the staff are on penalty rates Fly but as most of their staff are hired on a casual basis, this just doesn't ring true in my book.
I guess they charge like this JUST BECAUSE THEY CAN.
2 reason for the peak prices are, the staff are indeed paid penaly rates (apart from salaried managers), supply and demand. The supply and demand would be the biggest one though, like over easter we didnt even have a site free, all cabins booked out 3 months in advance and all sites gone by a week prior to. We turned away about 40 people over the easter (some still looking at 6.30 in the morning). Last long weekend in wa we only had a few powered camp sites and a couple of powered van sites. Tonight you could take your pick of van sites and camp sites.
cheers
blaze

Some things do change then I guess Blaze. Way back in another lifetime our casuals were just that and they worked for the same hourly rate that they always did. It is a change for the better for them now though.

Nicholstones · Guru

Dunco wrote:
If you like this lifestyle, then you will have to get used to rises in park fees, if you stay in them.

It is the same as everything else in life as most things you have to pay more for over time...including POWER FEES which caravan park operators also have to deal with, which most people forget about. This also goes with water rates etc. And when you are at a park, you will see how people use up that power and water with no thought for who pays

My advice...just get on with it and don't worry about it and if you do, go to the next park. Life is too short to whinge about things I think...

Travel safe

-- Edited by Dunco on Tuesday 14th of June 2011 09:06:35 AM

You are right about people using power and water in ways they wouldn't dream of at home. I have seen vans with windows and door wide open and the air con hammering away. I wouldn't be surprised if in the future it became the norm for parks to charge a fee for the site then charge for power usage on top of that. Some parks (such as Lee Point in Darwin) already do.

Cruising Granny · Guru

In the 70's when I first lived in a caravan, every van which had a visible air conditioner was charged EXTRA for the privilege of the using the extra electricity.
These days it's included in the site fees, but we do have a responsibility to use all services as we would at home.
The overheads of a caravan park are horrendous, whether the park is busy or quiet. They have to provide a service similar to 3-4 star for amenities and cabins. The facilities have to be serviced and cleaned, the lovely gardens we enjoy have to be maintained and watered.
Imagine driving into a van park which has not been maintained, watered, mowed, swept or raked. The resident vans and park homes haven't been cleaned down or painted and covered in spider webs and dirt. What image does that portray to you? Would you stay there?
So if you want to pay $10/night that's what you'll get.
Even the enviro-cycle toilets in national parks have to be maintained and monitored, the roads have to be maintained, fences repaired and rubbish bins emptied and new liner installed, often.
A few long-term or permanent residents in a park are the "bread and butter", but the costs rise with the additional tenants as they use more water and power, more toilet paper, and make more mess.
I begrudge paying more than $30 per night, but more than $40 is just greedy.
If a park has a lot of long-termers most of the costs are already covered, and the tourist peak season is the "cream" of the year.
Council rates in a place like Cairns are horrendous. Just ask them while you're there. Whether the sites are full or empty, they still have big costs.

yeoeleven · Guru

This talk of expensive caravan park fees has me worried in as far as I had budgetted for around $22 per night for a powered site with some freebies as and when available.

The latest Camp 6 has only been out since February and there has not been much time for fees to have risen appreciably and the upper limit is nominated as $22 the ones over have a plus sign next to the dollar indicating that they have been added for specific reasons.

So if I plan to be guided by camp 6 are there many areas not covered where I would be forced into higher priced sites? Obviously public holidays and school holidays have to be considered as above normal but in the main can I expect to be able to travel around Australia using Camp 6 for around $22 per night for a powered site for a single occupant?

John

_wombat_ · Master (of Mischief)

We also stay away from big4 parks, they mainly cater for families with kids and they do a good job of it, but in my book they are always tooooo expensive

ChiChi1 · Guru

I'm a little bit dissappointed on the Camps 6. I travel with a furry friend. So, if I eliminate all the places where dogs are not allowed and those rest stops that are noisy there are not many places left. Then if I look for water on the remaing ones its almost useless. I am currently compiling a database where I can look up a route from it, but this will take some time. It certainly seems that anywhere that might be a nice place ... no pets allowed.

-- Edited by ChiChi1 on Wednesday 15th of June 2011 08:53:32 AM

Ma · Guru

Nicholstones wrote:
You are right about people using power and water in ways they wouldn't dream of at home. I have seen vans with windows and door wide open and the air con hammering away. I wouldn't be surprised if in the future it became the norm for parks to charge a fee for the site then charge for power usage on top of that. Some parks (such as Lee Point in Darwin) already do.
We stayed at Lee Point last year and although there were meters for electricity it was only the permanents that had to pay for it.
We stayed there for three weeks and didn't have to pay any extra for power.
Is this practice just recently come into force Nicholstones? We plan on going back there next year and don't want to get too much of a shock.

Firefly · Guru

I'm with you Ma, I want to go there next month.

The ensuite sites charge for power, but they have done for some time now.

Ma · Guru

Didn't know that Fly as we don't need an ensuite as you know.

Nicholstones · Guru

I haven't stayed there but friends are staying and they told me that this was the arrangement. They are in an ensuite site, so you must be right Fly, it must just be those ones. I know that my friends are very happy with the arrangment, they reckon the site is cheaper because of it.

jimricho · Guru

I'm not familiar with the park but it may be that the en-suites are the only sites that have power meters fitted. The metering may also include the hot water system but I'm only guessing this. I'm not sure whether this still applies or is relevant but in NSW (and maybe elsewhere) it is (was?) illegal to resell electricity but legal to recoup costs. This would mean they can only charge for actual power used at the rate that they are charged.

Cruising Granny · Guru

That is still the case Jim. They are not allowed to make a profit on charging tenants for power.
I was on metered power in Broome and Cairns because I was long term. It actually works out much cheaper because they reduce the weekly rate, then add power.
Then it's up to you how much you use and pay for.
Ensuites are usually more expensive because of extra cleaning requirements etc.
Once again, in Broome the long-termers were mostly on ensuite sites with metered power, and we maintained our own ensuites for the duration of our stays.
There are seasonal rates in busy tourist towns, school holiday rates at popular destinations and all that jazz.

lost Gypsy · Veteran Member

I agree Chichi , if I find any I will let you know.

jimricho · Guru

The principal reason en-suites are more expensive is a case of a premium price for a premium product (in this case the site). That's normal business practice everywhere.

But yes, Chris, (CG) you're quite right, en-suites do incur extra costs to the park to set up and maintain.