Do you believe this price

Tony LEE · Guru

Do you believe this price

Wannabe nomad · Senior Member

Might as well stay in a hotel at that price

Brodie Allen · Guru

And these are the businesses begging for travellers not too long ago.

Gouging un-Australian behaviour.

Hope plenty read this and remember who the bragards are in better times.

I certainly will!!

Bush walker · Veteran Member

When I do stay at a caravan park, I avoid the Big 4s as they are usually over priced

bgt · Guru

Supply and demand. But what it actually does is turn more folks into "free campers". For the caravan park it's short term gain for long term pain. But for it to work for them they will go to the local council and squeal like heck about free campers. And the council will agree with them!!!

travelyounger · Guru

Tony LEE wrote:
Letter today in the SMH Traveller section"
SITE FOR SORE EYES
When restrictions eased for Victorians last year we decided to visit Emerald Beach in NSW...
... We decided to take our caravan and relax in the Big4 Emerald Beach park. I rang to book a site, finding one powered site left. We were so lucky? The price was $150.70 per night minimum seven night stay. We could only stay five nights... putting the price per night to $211. My shocked response was answered with the statement that there are people willing to pay this amount.
Debbie...
Ring
I think I'll stick to free campsites well away from the coast

I cant understand how anyone would pay that sort of money for a bit of grass and a couple of dollars for water and power if that and crowds .Considering most vans are self contained and can free camp in the peace and quiet in much better places has got me why they pay that or am I just being a tight %#&$.

$150 a day is your fuel going out for a meal or two and some change money much better spent.

Cheers

Trailer Sailer · Senior Member

Personally I dont see the attraction of most caravan parks anyway. Its often like going on holidays in the equivalent of a block of flats. They often remind me of a country song about breathing in each others air and getting to know your neighbours more than you might care to. Part of the reason for my trailer sailer mode of travelling is even right in the middle of the school holidays I can rock up to the most over popular and overcrowded holiday spot and launch my onwater caravan ( read trailable yacht) and claim a better waterfront camping spot than those repeat visit holiday makers who have had the hogged the best riverside spots in the caravan park for the last thirty years! Its not however as hate the world as you can almost be assured if any other trailer sailer is around then its often a shared evening of drinks, nibbles and travelling tales is likely on the cards.

oldbloke · Guru

Not my cup of tea. Small country CPs, small fees. And of course plenty of free camping to.

Tony Bev · Guru

It sounds very far fetched, $150.70 per night for 7 nights ($1,054.90 per week) take it or leave it

I would like to see the receipt, because in all honesty, that $54,854.80 per year, for a caravan park site, is a bit rich for me

I have just looked at their website and it shows Powered caravan sites from $47 (before discounts) to $71 (before discount) for an ensuite slab site

TheHeaths · Guru

I was looking at prices the other day out of interest. I especially looked at a park in Nambucca Heads, just out of interest, as we had been there a number of years ago.

Over the holiday period Tony, ensuite sites were $165 per night according to numbers published. Someone quoted $140 for an unpowered site. I can quite believe those figures as when we were there about 8 years ago we paid $50 a night in mid winter, with rates showing as $105 per night for summer school holidays.

Unfortunately for families, they often dont have choices of when they give their kids a holiday.

Mike Harding · Guru

Commercial caravan site rarely have anything to offer me above a hook up to power and water.

I don't use their amenities block, I don't use their playground, I don't use their BBQ, I don't like having to do a 47 point manoeuvrer to get into location, I don't like being parked close enough to my neighbour to hear them cough, the list could go on....

The Big4s and similar are fine for families on a week or twos holiday and, I guess, it's mainly they who will pay high fees, if it's your only holiday of the year then an extra few hundred dollars dosn't much matter.

I'm currently camped deep in the forest by a dam. I watch the animals come to drink, I have a fire when I like, there is no one with kilometres, I can put up my Amateur Radio antenna but, I must admit, there is no bouncy castle :)

travelyounger · Guru

Tony Bev wrote:
It sounds very far fetched, $150.70 per night for 7 nights ($1,054.90 per week) take it or leave it

I would like to see the receipt, because in all honesty, that $54,854.80 per year, for a caravan park site, is a bit rich for me

I have just looked at their website and it shows Powered caravan sites from $47 (before discounts) to $71 (before discount) for an ensuite slab site

Hi

You will lucky to get a copy of a receipt I reckon us nomads are to smart to waste money on a caravan park for that exuberant price .I believe those rates and even higher are charged over the Xmas new year break at some of the more popular parks

Cheers

bgt · Guru

We have to be careful we don't see this just from our grey nomad perspective. A family of 4 in a hotel adds up very quickly. A family of 4 in a caravan park has a different experience. And they can run around in a caravan park. They can cook meals and save money. So from a young family point of views it's not a 'bad' price. The young family does it once a year for 4 weeks. Grey nomads are on the road a lot more. So that young families costs over a 12 month period makes it viable for them.

There a more markets out there than just the grey nomad market. But would I pay that price? Hell no.

yobarr · Guru

oldbloke wrote:
Not my cup of tea. Small country CPs, small fees. And of course plenty of free camping to.

Oh the joys of being completely self-contained! Stop anywhere for as long as I want.TonyBev calculated more than $54,000 per year just for somewhere to park a caravan.You'd have to be a few cents short of a dollar.Behave! Cheersi

Possum3 · Guru

Brother in Law pays over $1,500 per week (for two weeks) to park his Jayco camper, starting Boxing Day every year for past seven year at Tuross (South Coast NSW) Caravan Park - Grassed site no power. He unfortunately has own business that he can't afford to take holiday at any time. He even has to have his Tinnie stored off-site else it would be more.

JayDee · Guru

We never frequent caravan parks unless we really .. really.... really have to.

Cannot recall the last time I looked up information on Caravan Parks.

If possible, would rather visit the council showgrounds. At least the revenue from this is going back into the community so that all the town and city folks and of course the outer lying communities also benefit.

Jay&Dee

littledick · Senior Member

Not so far fetched. About 6 years ago, Big 4 Umina wanted $120 pn, mid Dec min 3 nights, the previous year, $60. Some mob in Queensland at the time did

the big 4 pricing. Needless to say I gave them all a mouthful. Never went there again.

Dick.

Meredith · Senior Member

The price was obviously over the summer school holidays, for a pool in a prime beachside location which has a waterpark, swimming pool and all the expensive facilities that are put there to attract the high paying summer school family market. That is the absolute peak price, for a park that would pay a fortune in rates, insurance, land tax and other costs, and the few weeks of the year when they hope to get a large part of their yearly income in. Is there really a need for grey nomads to complain about the prices at that time, when the vast majority of us have the ability to go at any time of the year, when the prices are far far lower.

dogbox · Guru

Tony Bev wrote:

It sounds very far fetched, $150.70 per night for 7 nights ($1,054.90 per week) take it or leave it

I would like to see the receipt, because in all honesty, that $54,854.80 per year, for a caravan park site, is a bit rich for me

I have just looked at their website and it shows Powered caravan sites from $47 (before discounts) to $71 (before discount) for an ensuite slab site

they might get $ 150 a night for maybe 4-6 weeks a year then back to normal rates the rest of the year .if people are willing to pay then they will charge what they can get.

hako · Guru

One of the sons stays with his family in the Big 4 parks and is happy to pay as for them it has everything they need to keep the kids occupied and most importantly it is safe for children.

I'm finding now that when I take my grandkids camping, they tend to get a bit bored at times and out come the electronic devices. It's a fulltime job trying to get them interested in just camping and the only time they really seem to enjoy is after dark with the fire and marshmallows, sparklers etc. Times have changed.

Good Luck.

Brodie Allen · Guru

Just Googling for details - there doesn't seem to be a Big4 at Emerald beach on Wiki.

There is, however, a Discovery Parks there.

Maybe it has been renamed?

A window on the Google search results shows a booking availability facility
showing "Average Price $174 per night".

Google:

"Big4 emerald beach" to see what gouging looks like.

Tony Bev · Guru

Hi Brodie

I found my prices from this website below, and the prices are under the Accommodation options

Perhaps I was looking at a different caravan park

https://www.big4.com.au/caravan-parks/nsw/north-coast/park-beach-holiday-park/whats-local/emerald-beach-56b247d3266140594568bff2

Brodie Allen · Guru

Tony Bev wrote:
Hi Brodie

I found my prices from this website below, and the prices are under the Accommodation options

Perhaps I was looking at a different caravan park

https://www.big4.com.au/caravan-parks/nsw/north-coast/park-beach-holiday-park/whats-local/emerald-beach-56b247d3266140594568bff2

G'mornin, Tony n Bev

the figures that i refer to in my post above are taken from the google page search - not their

actual website.

I'm amazed that anyone would pay that for a block of dirt and bring their own house!

"What the market will bear".

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The Belmont Bear · Guru

We just booked in to Red Rock which is a Reflections CP just up the road from Emerald Beach the total cost for 8 nights is $299. The price they advertise for a normal powered sight (not peak season) is $41/night we got a few dollars off for being members. We also booked a powered site for 7 nights in Hat Head near Kempsey which cost us a total of $260 ($37/night). Having said that my son and his family borrowed our van between Xmas and new year they have a permanent annual booking at the Big 4 in Soldiers Point which cost them around $1200 for 7 nights. They are prepared to pay this as they have 2 young children and utilise all the parks facilities there is also a whole group of their friends who also have permanent bookings on sites next to them. They love it, all the kids have a ball and they reckon they couldn't get a better family holiday. Most grey nomads are fortunate enough to be able to travel at anytime and can take advantage of the off season either that or they can stay away from the coast during high demand times, people who work and have school age children have no choice but to pay the higher prices - if anyone had a reason to whinge about being gouged it would be them. Its exactly as Hako said in his post.......

BB

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Up Gold Coast a unit is up to $7000 a weekend . AB&B . I would rather spend that on camping gear !! But some have more money than sense !!

Meredith · Senior Member

Brodie Allen wrote:
Tony Bev wrote:
Hi Brodie

I found my prices from this website below, and the prices are under the Accommodation options

Perhaps I was looking at a different caravan park

https://www.big4.com.au/caravan-parks/nsw/north-coast/park-beach-holiday-park/whats-local/emerald-beach-56b247d3266140594568bff2
G'mornin, Tony n Bev
the figures that i refer to in my post above are taken from the google page search - not their
actual website.

I'm amazed that anyone would pay that for a block of dirt and bring their own house!

"What the market will bear".

That price is their average price and includes their cabins and villas, it is NOT their average price for a site.

Bicyclecamper · Guru

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-- Edited by Bicyclecamper on Tuesday 2nd of February 2021 05:06:39 PM

Bobdown · Guru

Aus-Kiwi wrote:
Up Gold Coast a unit is up to $7000 a weekend . AB&B . I would rather spend that on camping gear !! But some have more money than sense !!

X 2 ................would rather sleep in the bush or outback somewhere.

Cheers Bob