We just got back from N Westn NSW and found parks very busy, some booked out. Free camping areas chock a block. Never seen so many free campers at Bingara in 4 years of visiting. IGA was struggling to keep stock levels up. Lots of Victorians camped there by the river. Council has given special approval for them to stay full time.
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Chris & Sharyn.
Tea Gardens. NSW.
2015 VW Touareg V6 Air suspension, 2012 Jayco Sterling 21.
Not so here in the south west corner of nth east VIC. Mmm, I'm confused now as to where I am.
Very quiet where I am bunkered down. It's not a destination park but a passing through park really.
I'm not complaining though as I enjoy no one right next to me but feel for the owners, they only took over here early this year and had to deal with fires, smoke and now CV19. Luckily some local workers use cabins and a couple have their own CV. Oh! There is little old me here too. We probably help put bread on their table.
Keep Safe on the roads and out there.
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Live Life On Your Terms
DOUGChief One Feather (Losing feathers with age)
TUG.......2014 Holden LT Colorado Twin Cab Ute with Canopy
DEN....... 2014 "Chief" Arrow CV (with some changes)
In Qld school goes back on Tuesday 6th Oct. This is a long week-end for us with it being our Queen's birthday holiday on Monday. Some happy campers should be heading home for back to school Tuesday. Cheers.
This should make the van park owners dancing with joy.
But this time next year they collectively, will be whinging and whinging about the fact that Free / bush camping is affecting their revenue and demand that they be closed down.
Oh!!! by the way, I will bet my rig on the fact that they INCREASED THE VAN PARK fees during the school holidays.
Particularly the sort after park, but no so the parks out the back of beyond.
By the way, why did the RACV move into owning and buying up Caravan Parks. I bet that they can see the future $$$$$ in owning Caravan Parks.
Why do people knock businesses that use seasonal pricing ? It's a valid business model and necessary for all kinds of businesses in all kinds of places to survive. If everyone used free camps, free camping would rapidly become in untenable. I have family who only get a guaranteed three weeks when everyone can holiday together. They gladly use CP for certainty of a place and the kid oriented services. RACV investments include of leisure based accommodation, CP are at the bottom of the price, profitability band return spectrum (if you're a member of RACV, you're benefitting from CP ownership).
Here in the Longreach / Winton area, it was pretty busy a couple of weeks ago but then tapered off & it's rather quiet at the moment. Not many ankle biters around either.
Nights pleasantly cool, days hot & windy. ie Good weather if you're not driving towards the east
Here I Albany WA is really busy . Speaking to a local shop owner who was smiling, said that usually this time of the year, school holidays , its ok but this year its like Christmas has arrived early. The place is buzzing with heaps of tourists unable to travel interstate and now traveling down south. And why not with the wild flower season in full swing ?
Theres an upside to everything.
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Keep your eyes open so you can see where you are heading
Why do people knock businesses that use seasonal pricing ? It's a valid business model and necessary for all kinds of businesses in all kinds of places to survive. If everyone used free camps, free camping would rapidly become in untenable. I have family who only get a guaranteed three weeks when everyone can holiday together. They gladly use CP for certainty of a place and the kid oriented services. RACV investments include of leisure based accommodation, CP are at the bottom of the price, profitability band return spectrum (if you're a member of RACV, you're benefitting from CP ownership).
Why then DO NOT other business increase prices during the holiday periods.????
For example Supermarkets and other retail stores in the holiday areas and tourist zones???
The main offender to increasing prices in the holiday periods seems to be Accommodation section.
Why then DO NOT other business increase prices during the holiday periods.????
If you look at it not as an increase in price for high demand periods, but as a discount during lower demand periods, then other businesses can be seen to follow the same practices. If a product is not selling (low demand) they discount the price to entice consumers to buy. Supermarkets don't have seasonal demand, but they do increase or decrease prices depending on demand.
Supermarkets have customers 24/7, 52 weeks a year as people have to eat and have daily supplies, they only travel in tourist season and they always are full, whereas they are near empty in the off season.
Notice that most stores have huge discounts in quiet times, ie, 40/50% discount.
It's difficult to explain how a business needs to operate, especially a seasonal business, to someone who doesn't have experience or even exposure to business operations. It's not just supply and demand, it's also about fixed vs variable costs plus much more. In the case of accommodation providers, you really don't encounter many wealthy ex-owners.
Businesses have look at income over a 12 month period. So discount during quiet times to attract customers. When demand is up they have to recover quiet season costs.
No different to farmers. In season everyone has supply so low prices. High prices when supply is short. Harvey Norman charges full price on new products and discount in the quiet times. So it's not just caravan parks. It's business everywhere.
Caravan Parks like any business are entitled to set their own pricing, it is up to us to review their price and to stay or move on.
Freedom Camps are a great leveler for CP pricing and good for travelers, we just need to stop CP's from lobbying weak councils to close them!
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"life is too short to spend it with people who suck the happiness out of you"
