IT'S cheaper for families to holiday at a resort in Bali over summer than to camp at the beach.
Soaring fees are pricing the traditional beach camping holiday out of the reach of ordinary families and one NSW National Park is charging a group of family campers nearly $6000 for a two-week stay in January.
The Booderee National Park at Jervis Bay on the NSW South Coast is charging $81 per night for a family of two parents and two children at group camp sites.
A change in the way site fees are charged has seen the price almost double in the past 12 months.
Privately-owned campsites at popular holiday spot Bateman's Bay are charging $86 per night for powered tent sites.
Scott Minniece and his Melbourne family are paying $90 a night for a powered caravan site with an en suite toilet at the Bateman's Bay Big 4 Beach Resort holiday park.
"It's rather expensive when you're away two or three weeks and it adds up as a family holiday," he said.
The family has holidayed at the park five or six times and says fees have increased around $10 a year.
"Its cheaper than the $110 we pay for the Big 4 caravan parks in Melbourne and we love the direct access to the beach, there is beautiful grass, a road for the kids to ride their bikes on and it feels safe and secure," he said.
The park also offers a tennis court, games room, mini golf and a jumping castle, he said.
While it costs just $21.80 per family per night to camp in national parks in Queensland, some private holiday parks on the Sunshine Coast are charging up to $83 a night for an unpowered site.
In Apollo Bay in Victoria, it can cost $70 for a powered private camp site, and Mount Buffalo National Park charges a $49 per night camping fee.
The most affordable place to camp is South Australia, where fees range from around $13-$16 per night in the state's national parks and private campsites cost up to $46 per night.
News Limited compared the $81-$85 per night camping fees with accommodation elsewhere and found seven hotels in Bali that were cheaper.
While this did not include the cost of an air fare, the Bali accommodation included an en suite toilet, a swimming pool, restaurants and other ammenities.
At national parks, campers must bring their own tents, beds, sleeping bags and cooking equipment and share showers and toilets.
Scott Suridge, who manages the Booderee National Park, said a 10 per cent fee rise of $1 per adult to $11 per night in 2012 was the first fee rise for campers in six years and compared to the 15.9 per cent rise in inflation.
He said an increase in the site fees for group campgrounds to $49 per site per night was the real reason why Booderee was now one of the most expensive places to camp on the South Coast.
"This is a place where you can camp a hundred metres from white sandy beaches in a natural bush setting but still have access to the same kind of amenities you would find in a caravan park," he said.
"Each of the new sites is still much bigger than an average large site in other parts of the park and we think their size, relative isolation and ambience still represent very good value for money."
SUMMER COST OF CAMPING (Booderee National Park)
Site fee: $49 per night
Adult (x2): $22 per night
Kids (x2): $10 per night
Total: $81 per night
Two-week stay: $1134
For five families: $5670
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If you don't stand behind our troops, please feel free to stand in front of them.
G'day members, in another life I was a Registered Real Estate Agent with my own Office..20 odd years..in the course of my business I sold a number of Caravan Parks. Quite a number were purchased by Investment cartels with the main aim of subdividing the land when the time was right and in the meantime put in Caretaker Managers, get the maximum return for minimal investment/repairs etc..upgrading was therefore out of the question and many times I see members posts concerning CP's that do not appear to care about updating their facilities and yet continue to raise fees...this may well be one reason. Business cartel buyers invariably wanted suitable clauses in Purchase contracts that existing owners were to issue notices to those tenants of long standing who considered themselves "permanents"..New buyers did not want a bar of possible Residential Tenancy claims or hassels due to long term tenants,some of many years standing and particularly as their short to medium term aims was to subdivide and close the park...many Parks were in prime seaside/coastal situations and as a 'Going Concern' actually represented better investment value than if the developers had to pay for prime vacant Coastal land....I mention above because there are invariably denials by all party's concerned,both sellers, who cant wait to get out usually after many years hard work,and take the attractive offers being made, and also denials by buyers until they wish to show their unpopular subdivision/closure plans....its the nature of the beast and little R/Vers can do about it except wonder what is going on and attempt to find alternative venues.... Why oh why? can't enterprising farmers with tracts of land close/adjacent to the many Towns/Citys, consider making secure land available to Self Contained /Independent R/Vers. R/Vers primary needs are Security, reasonable access to Towns facilities, and water supply,bulk rainwater would be a bonus...the DONT require Childrens/family holiday facilities, e.g. pools,jumping castles, mini golf etc etc........reasonable all weather road access,decent secure fencing to the perimeter is a good start and not expensive if you already have the land. I have had business dealings with many farmers both in Real Estate and as a former Country Bank Manager...when Banks still had them....farmers by nature are the most resilient folk you will ever meet and I'm certain if they organised themselves collectively to take on the" howls of protest" from Councils, vested interests determined to stop them vide planning approvals etc.. vested interests are quite often the best money can buy and usually can......barriers like issuing approvals, subject to, what in many cases, Independent R/Vers dont need, like plush ablution blocks, etc etc...all the things that would make it unviable for the farmer from the outset.... Times Are A' Changin' for Baby Boomer Generation,,,not all have unlimited funds,not all seek 5 star Accomodation, many actually seek to lighten their material needs and their impacts on the environment...and are finding simpler, and socializing on their own terms with their own peer groups, is indeed better....and much more fun...... There is respectable money to be made for farmers prepared to tackle the challenges above and their rewards would be far more guaranteed than simply relying on the weather....and I bet a lot more fun for them as well Anyone game to start the charge, and change a whole generation of endemic beaureaucratic cadswallop invariably designed under various vested interest guises, to make it difficult as possible for the ever increasing numbers of Independent R/Vers.....it will definitely happen later so why not sooner.....it goes without saying business's in Country Towns weher farmers made reasonable fee land available will be the big benefactors....win win situation unlike the present......Hoo Roo
-- Edited by Golddetectornomad on Saturday 5th of January 2013 06:03:01 PM
-- Edited by Golddetectornomad on Saturday 5th of January 2013 06:06:32 PM
-- Edited by Golddetectornomad on Saturday 5th of January 2013 06:10:07 PM
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'Without Going, You Get No Where'.
' Aspire to Inspire before you Expire'
Where Gold be....is where Gold be......old Cornish saying......
The older we get the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.......
True Jim, but what if you have school age children? Then you are caught between a rock and a hard place.... on a similar note, we just arrived home from Jackadgery N.S.W. on the Mann River (between Glen Innes and Grafton). Nice grassy shaded sites, swimming pool, old but clean amenities, and situated on a beatuiful river with good fishing... $18.00 per night unpowered. Very good value.
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If there is such a thing as a tourist season.... why cant we shoot them?
Is it any wonder why people are going overseas ,lots of grey nomads are now starting to go over there for months on end because it's cheaper than livingin OZ.
We could have spent 3 months in SE Asia for what it cost us to do a 1 month Adelaide Darwin trip in August 2012, and thats exactly what wer'e contemplating this year.
It's always been hard for families camping. The costs of each extra child were heavy back in the 70's and 80's when we were taking our 5 children away - it's all relative. Now we earn more, so it costs more to camp.
PS That's why we don't go away in school holidays now even though we no longer have kids - well, I guess that's until the grandkids want to come too!
-- Edited by neilnruth on Saturday 5th of January 2013 08:59:57 PM
Just had a week at Twin Gums caravan park at Nanango for $96 per week, cheaper than most national parks. I do sympathise with those people with children as the kids want to be somewhere "exciting" and they are usually the most expensive. Regards Geoff and Bev
True Jim, but what if you have school age children? Then you are caught between a rock and a hard place.... on a similar note, we just arrived home from Jackadgery N.S.W. on the Mann River (between Glen Innes and Grafton). Nice grassy shaded sites, swimming pool, old but clean amenities, and situated on a beatuiful river with good fishing... $18.00 per night unpowered. Very good value.
I agree Pete that it is tough on families, but thems the facts of life unfortunately. CP owners like any business will "make hay while the sun shines" especially in areas where the tourism is very seasonal.
Try renting a holiday unit or cottage in January in one of these places and see what it costs!
National Park, holiday, revenue raising. Simple, find somewhere else, don't feed the coffers until they manage the parks better. The National Parks people could not organise themselves to have a picnic, as there would always be a few sandwiches short.
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Never growing old, just getting dusty around the edges.
G'day members, in another life I was a Registered Real Estate Agent with my own Office..20 odd years..in the course of my business I sold a number of Caravan Parks. Quite a number were purchased by Investment cartels with the main aim of subdividing the land when the time was right and in the meantime put in Caretaker Managers, get the maximum return for minimal investment/repairs etc..upgrading was therefore out of the question and many times I see members posts concerning CP's that do not appear to care about updating their facilities and yet continue to raise fees...this may well be one reason. Business cartel buyers invariably wanted suitable clauses in Purchase contracts that existing owners were to issue notices to those tenants of long standing who considered themselves "permanents"..New buyers did not want a bar of possible Residential Tenancy claims or hassels due to long term tenants,some of many years standing and particularly as their short to medium term aims was to subdivide and close the park...many Parks were in prime seaside/coastal situations and as a 'Going Concern' actually represented better investment value than if the developers had to pay for prime vacant Coastal land....I mention above because there are invariably denials by all party's concerned,both sellers, who cant wait to get out usually after many years hard work,and take the attractive offers being made, and also denials by buyers until they wish to show their unpopular subdivision/closure plans....its the nature of the beast and little R/Vers can do about it except wonder what is going on and attempt to find alternative venues.... Why oh why? can't enterprising farmers with tracts of land close/adjacent to the many Towns/Citys, consider making secure land available to Self Contained /Independent R/Vers. R/Vers primary needs are Security, reasonable access to Towns facilities, and water supply,bulk rainwater would be a bonus...the DONT require Childrens/family holiday facilities, e.g. pools,jumping castles, mini golf etc etc........reasonable all weather road access,decent secure fencing to the perimeter is a good start and not expensive if you already have the land. I have had business dealings with many farmers both in Real Estate and as a former Country Bank Manager...when Banks still had them....farmers by nature are the most resilient folk you will ever meet and I'm certain if they organised themselves collectively to take on the" howls of protest" from Councils, vested interests determined to stop them vide planning approvals etc.. vested interests are quite often the best money can buy and usually can......barriers like issuing approvals, subject to, what in many cases, Independent R/Vers dont need, like plush ablution blocks, etc etc...all the things that would make it unviable for the farmer from the outset.... Times Are A' Changin' for Baby Boomer Generation,,,not all have unlimited funds,not all seek 5 star Accomodation, many actually seek to lighten their material needs and their impacts on the environment...and are finding simpler, and socializing on their own terms with their own peer groups, is indeed better....and much more fun...... There is respectable money to be made for farmers prepared to tackle the challenges above and their rewards would be far more guaranteed than simply relying on the weather....and I bet a lot more fun for them as well Anyone game to start the charge, and change a whole generation of endemic beaureaucratic cadswallop invariably designed under various vested interest guises, to make it difficult as possible for the ever increasing numbers of Independent R/Vers.....it will definitely happen later so why not sooner.....it goes without saying business's in Country Towns weher farmers made reasonable fee land available will be the big benefactors....win win situation unlike the present......Hoo Roo
-- Edited by Golddetectornomad on Saturday 5th of January 2013 06:03:01 PM
-- Edited by Golddetectornomad on Saturday 5th of January 2013 06:06:32 PM
-- Edited by Golddetectornomad on Saturday 5th of January 2013 06:10:07 PM
I hear what you're saying Golddetectornomad, but the sad fact is that if I were to charge you $5 to park on my 40 acres at the Baffle Creek, the insurance and council implications would be truly terrifying. So I continue to have friends over for free!
-- Edited by The dog lady on Monday 14th of January 2013 04:15:31 PM
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Cheers, Marianna.
The more I learn about people, the more I like my dogs (Mark Twain)
National Park, holiday, revenue raising. Simple, find somewhere else, don't feed the coffers until they manage the parks better. The National Parks people could not organise themselves to have a picnic, as there would always be a few sandwiches short.
Could always make up the shortfall by roasting one of those kangaroos they have in their top paddock
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Cheers, Marianna.
The more I learn about people, the more I like my dogs (Mark Twain)
