minimium 7 day stays

first timer · Senior Member

minimium 7 day stays

Happywanderer · The Master

I asked the same question of a caravan park owner on another site who was wondering why their town is not classed as RV Friendly.
Her answer to the 7 days was they want to keep us there longer to look around and spend more money.

cooee · Senior Member

Hi Ashley

That sure is a problem that can come about from a high demand for camping sites.

The only answer is to stay somewhere further away from the high cost style resorts unless you can find a National Park or other place like a cheap or free camp spot, which is unlikely.

-- Edited by cooee on Sunday 16th of November 2014 02:51:46 PM

sandsmere · Guru

You have picked the busiest time of the year too.

They probably don't have any problem filling the park around Xmas. Bet they change their tune in the off season.

NeilandRaine · Guru

The thing is some people work all year to get a few weeks holiday at Christmas so they can load up the caravan and go away.
Caravan parks cant keep everyone happy, some might say they never do, So they reason that if someone wants two weeks but cant have them because someone has booked in for two days the park has missed out big time
and it is accepted holiday time is when the caravan park makes the money to keep going through the year.
If you take gamble and make a few phone calls on the day and in the area your in you will probably find a park with a spot between bookings or such.

Roving-Dutchy · Guru

Have a look at towns like Beaudesert it doesn't take all that long to drive across to Robina from there.

Cheers

David

yeoeleven · Guru

I totally avoid caravan parks so I would have a night or 2 at Stotts Island Nature Reserve between Tweed Heads and Murwillumbah on the Old Highway no more than half an hours drive up the highway to Robina

http://yeoeleven.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/stotts-island-nature-reserve.html

John

Gerty Dancer · Guru

sandsmere wrote:
You have picked the busiest time of the year too.
They probably don't have any problem filling the park around Xmas. Bet they change their tune in the off season.

Yes, I think that's what this is about. Over Christmas they are so busy they can afford to be difficult. evileye

smile But now we all know, we might just give that particular caravan park a miss in their quiet season, when they'd be glad to have you stay just overnight.

chopit · Senior Member

As above, have a search around Beaudesert. About a half hour from the Gold Coast.
Another half hour away is Boonah. The showgrounds there are good. But they are having a couple of 'van clubs staying in December.
Best of luck.

JayDee · Guru

May I suggest that you give the Beenleigh show grounds a call. Beenleigh is about 30 mins along the M1 to Robina.
Now!!! The C.P owners wonder why we want freedom of choice and therefore we select to bush camp where ever possible. Greedy lot of buggers. First to start crying that there business is suffering during the quiet time but want to rip us off during the peak season.
Every dog has his day as the old saying goes.
Ooops!!!! no offence meant to the puppy above
Jay&Dee

msg · Guru

Problems over the south coast as well. Min of 3 nights. Canberra is about 2hrs from Batemans Bay. I was going to go for a trip over a weekend with daughter (she works) to do some photography. Stay Saturday night and come home Sunday. No go. Will have to find a suitable free camp. (they're scarce too)

Happy Daze · Senior Member

There is low cost camping at North Head, Moruya, only approximately a 20 minute drive from Batemans Bay. There is water available, drop and flushing toilets (one block of each), cold showers and dogs are allowed, as are open fires. Beach on one side and the river on the other. If you Google North Head Camping Moruya, you should find the information you need. Also, you can stay for one night or for many weeks. A good spot to prop yourself for a bit.

Cheers,

Annie

first timer · Senior Member

Thanks everyone for your comments I do appreciate them.

As some of you stated it would seem we do in fact have a little bit of the last laugh in that we can take our money elsewhere in the quiet times.

Thanks again,

Ashley

neilnruth · Guru

Happy Daze we heard there is a new manager at North Moruya and fees have gone up which is disappointing. We'll check it out one weekend and see for ourselves and let everyone know. But even there is very busy at Christmas time as it is such a great spot. Congo further south is even worse (because it too is a beautiful spot) In fact, there are over 150 beaches in the Eurobodalla Shire and they are all beautiful.

msg · Guru

thanks Happy Daze. Will check it out

Bruce and Bev · Guru

I agree and have ranted about greedy C/P owners in the past wanting their cake and eat it................BUT

Recently we on-line booked into a WA National Park near Exmouth. This is in fact the most popular in WA as it is walking distance at low tide out to the Ningaloo Reef which is supposed to be better than the Great Barrier.

The on-line booking shows up as a calendar and each site booked on a particular door is shown in one colour and free site/days are shown in another - very user friendly. But when you want to book 1-3 weeks, it is very difficult because others have booked 1-2 nights and so it is almost impossible to find a site that is free for any length of time.

That's why C/P owners/managers usually insist on a minimum of 7 nights during peak times. Not just being greedy, but trying to keep all their sites full for as long as possible, as during their off season they have little or even no income - but still need to pay council rates and other outgoings etc.

Even though I have a real grudge with C/P's, at the end of the day they are trying to run a business just like any other, and 99% don't have the all year round bookings so they can be generous with short stays