Just wondering if anyone else has same thoughts re prices of cabins at Van parks & national parks i.e., Copeton Dam NSW ?
We are just in between caravans at the moment (new one arrives late February) we sold our other Van 1 month ago. We still want to go & enjoy the lifestyle & we had committed to a couple of long weekend trips with friends one of which is this coming weekend, every time I search for cabins in various parks they are just so ridiculously expensive & as expensive & some more than Hotel/ Motel accomodation. On top of big prices they want to charge extra per person after 2 adults even if cabins can accommodate up to 6 people ? I think that this is going to put a lot of people in the same category as me, we can't
afford/ justify spending that sort of money. I know some ensuite Van sites get pricey but cabins are way over the top & usually less luxurious than lots of our caravans. Have I got the wrong idea or are there others out there who feel the same ? Looks like we are getting the trusty old tent out for this one & even that is $45 per night ? Definitely beats the $150 plus for a cabin with min 3 night booking.
Mate they are way too bloody expensive, my son rented a cabin in a NSW beach side park for a week and it cost him 1600 in sholder season for 2 adults and 2 teenagers, he now books a unit or house through home away for a much more realistic price.
Just look at the photos carefully and read the reviews from other travellers.
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I made a few enquiries myself for Copeton Dam and got these prices from them for a Caravan powered site. I know you said you are between vans but.......
The current tariffs for our powered sites are as follows: Sunday to Thursday nights - $28 in Copeton Bay and $33 in Jaycee Park; Friday and Saturday nights - $33 in Copeton Bay and $38 in Jaycee Park.
It is anticipated that our tariffs will rise when they are reviewed in the near future.
There is no need to book a powered site unless you are planning on coming for Easter.
Along the Gwydir river between Bingara and the Dam there are many free camp spots, no toilets though.
Also there is a state park across from the dam park with much cheaper rates at around $20 per night.
Sheesh Kylie.........anything, anywhere and anytime if its between $100 and $200 is a good price. And why shouldnt a extra charge be applied if its more than 2 people.......
I know you dont get it .....but licence fees, maintennance costs, shire rates land rates, water rates, electricity charges and the list goes on and on........I have not even mentioned the cleaning costs yet.
How is a bloke supposed to make a living these days
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Just been at Copeton Dam in a van a few months ago for a few days. The roos are real tame. Will eat and drink out of your hand, Even marshmallows, chips and XXXX whilst you are sitting in your chair. Trouble is you are not supposed to do that but if the roos really want to share with you there is not much you can do.
Cabins in most parks now are quite expensive. They offer more facilities than most people really need. If there are 4 or more and your are staying a few nights or more it's OK. Copeton Dam cabins were all full of tradies working somewhere close. For them the cabins were ideal. Most cabins seem to be occupied by families or tradies. Cabins seems to have replaced on-site vans as most of those vans have disintegrated over time.
In between vans, we found it cheaper to use motels, especially off-season in high tourist areas (eg Gold Coast).
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We agree with the price of cabins but we continue to use them occasionally if we are away without the van. The reason being is you can do all of your meals which saves a fortune compared to staying in a motel and having to eat out for all meals. Do the sums and the cabin wins every time for us anyway. That is unless you want time out of the kitchen. Cheesrs
The comment about tradies in cabins reminds me of a CP in Chinchilla that we stayed at last year.
There were rows & rows of newish cabins just for workers at nearby gas projects and even a swish canteen/eating hall. I suppose that there are lots of these around the country.
The CP was for sale and occupancies well down as the construction boom had passed.
I didn't enquire about the current pricing though, but I expect that there were deals to be had.
Perhaps many cabins will eventually be relocated ..... good accommodation for South American refugees perhaps? Though I can't see why they can't be put in ones along the coast & 'adopted' by the GreyNomads.
Sheesh Kylie.........anything, anywhere and anytime if its between $100 and $200 is a good price. And why shouldnt a extra charge be applied if its more than 2 people.......
I know you dont get it .....but licence fees, maintennance costs, shire rates land rates, water rates, electricity charges and the list goes on and on........I have not even mentioned the cleaning costs yet.
How is a bloke supposed to make a living these days
You can add in Profit on to that list as well. Plenty of it in some parks.
Cheers, John.
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Thanks for various replies, believe it or not, I do realize that there are costs as mentioned, rates water insurance etc etc. I have quite a few to pay myself. My issue is that cabins used to be a cheaper option for families that can't afford motels & resorts. I used Copeton Dam as an example as we were there for a weekend just recently with some other families & we had to pay $240 for 1 night 2 adults 2 teenage kids, basic accomodation, & had to do some cleaning myself ? Anyways I could go on & on I still think that they are becoming expensive especially over high season in most places.
We're at the other end of the spectrum in this debate! We are in the process of rethinking owning a van. I've done the sums & for travellers like us, towing just doesn't make financial sense! We travel most every day when we're out & about. A 2 day stay is unusual for us. So, we pay around an extra $100 to tow the van around 400km per day, then pay around $36 per night in a CP, that's $136 or so extra per day, or pretty much the price of a cabin at the end of the day for the same price, no towing & we did around 600-800km, instead of 400. But that's us & we realise that our style of travel isn't for everyone!
