A nominal fee is OK but way too many parks have facilities that travellers don't need (as noted in the replies in the link above). When travelling without the van I stay in pubs. Cabins used to be a cheap alternative to a motel or pub but most have over-the-top facilities for tourists unless you are a big family staying a few days or more.
Stayed at Blatherskite park last year. The smell is horrific - sewer farm at one end & animals in yards in the other. I notice a dig from someone about lack of vans will please truckies. Truckies still call vans mobile road-blocks but their big hate is push-bikes.
Blatherskite Park and Caravan Parks provide service/facilities to completely different ends of the 'travelling spectrum'.
Those that access the facilities of camping places such as Blatherskite Park do so because they have no need for anything more than access to power, water and a loo (maybe the showers as well).
The caravan parks should concentrate on making their facilities ATTRACTIVE to those who are their clientčle - travellers other than the 'retired grey nomad'
Closing facilities such as Blatherskite Park will simply have the greatest impact on the businesses in The Alice - because many of the 'retired grey nomad' travellers will either skip Alice - or restrict their stay to a simple overnighter.
Cheers - John
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2006 Discovery 3 TDV6 SE Auto - 2008 23ft Golden Eagle Hunter Some people feel the rain - the others just get wet - Bob Dylan
If I manufactured products that people didn't want people would think I was crazy if I went to some Government Department and complained that nobody wanted my products and asked them to do something about it. Seems that this is just what the caravan park owners are doing. If they were smarter they would have provided areas in their parks for a product that self contained van'ers want. No point whinging to the Govt because they misread their market.
seems its the dopey NT Govt that wants to close it down. Loosing so much money now, I guess some more tourist money wont make any difference. Not doubt the Chief Minister will go begging for even more money from the other States through Canberra.
NT and Tassie are the poorest in the Federation, have some of the best tourism features and yet have yet to grasp the tourist fundamentals. I don't think they will ever learn while they keep getting taxpayer handouts from the rest of the country.
Interesting to read some of the unpleasant/negative comments made to the article by several younger people about nomads and particularly gray nomads - envy or stupidity I wonder ?
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Cheers Bruce
The amazing things you see when nomading Australia
If I manufactured products that people didn't want people would think I was crazy if I went to some Government Department and complained that nobody wanted my products and asked them to do something about it. Seems that this is just what the caravan park owners are doing. If they were smarter they would have provided areas in their parks for a product that self contained van'ers want. No point whinging to the Govt because they misread their market.
Rowan
Rowan,
Totally agree with you.
What they the park owners need to do is to come up with a business plan to ensure that their business survives.
Caravan Parks should never have a protective or exclusive hold on the tourism ie:- caravan and camping market.
We are great supporters of the " free bush camping theory."
The problem with a majority of caravan parks is, they are still living in the 60's and 70's when anything longer 16' was considered large, most have sites that are so tight that sardines would feel uncomfortable. Take Cardwell for example, the beachfront park there is a nice park but fairdinkum, the place is like jammed up as tight as and the number caravans that have to do half a dozen shunts just to position the caravan somewhere near straight is ridiculous.
One poor bloke towing a Jayco Sterling was weaving his way though a supposed grassed drive or thoroughfare gouged a hole in the rear of his caravan when he clipped the tow hitch of protruding caravan (who was parked correctly).
these caravan parks need to bite the bullet and come into the modern world, they have to spend a dollar in the correct place, that revamping their sites by reducing numbers and creating sites fit for today's RV's, not spend zillions reducing site numbers by building high income villa's and units in position No1 in the park, as well as resort pools and playgrounds (these things are fine, but look after you number one customer and priority 1st.
Actually, the aforementioned Caravan Park was chock a block with caravans, yet the expensive units and villa's would have been at least 60% vacant, proving that the owners of these places are only interested in THEIR potential return, not their customers or what their original charter and responsibilities are/were!
-- Edited by Wizardofoz on Wednesday 29th of July 2015 07:25:06 AM
