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It is suggested that first time readers take the relatively short time to read the whole page, otherwise
go directly to How to Submit a Report
When you get back from a holiday that involved a few caravan park stays, it may be hard to remember what they were like. The information below should serve as a memory jogger. I don't expect anyone to try and supply all or most of the things listed below (even I don't). Just make your report informative about the park, management, and the things you liked and disliked.
Don't be daunted! Read on ...
Since 1998, with the help of hundreds of everyday caravanners, campers, and cabin users, like yourself, I have built and maintained the Australian Caravan Park Reports into a continually updated and informative guide on the quality of caravan parks. If you can help by providing updated reports on the quality of service and amenities then please do so. The information below is a guide only, please provide what you can. I reserve the right to edit the information to correct spelling, grammatical errors or readability only. All information is provided free - I don't pay or charge anything for this service.
Reports will not be accepted where they are based largely on the attitude or arguments with the management. If you have a gripe about a caravan park, take it up with the chain affiliation or state association.
Please note: I do this voluntarily, I have a normal job and a family. It could take day, a month or longer for your report to appear. If I have been on holidays, the backlog will cause your report to take longer to appear.
I abide by the Privacy Act 1998 and Spam Act 2003. Any and all personal information supplied (for example, your name, e-mail address, etc) will be treated with the strictest confidence and professionalism. If anyone wants to contact a contributor, they can contact me and I shall pass the request to the contributor. I will never supply contributors details personally. I belong to no organisation or company related to caravanning or such. My family and I just love caravanning, camping and 4WDing. Please read my Copyright and Disclaimer Statement as it has information of why I may not accept a report.
The easiest way to submit a report is to use the Report Submission Form. The form allows you to enter the details required in an easy-to-use online format and send to me with the click of a button. First-time readers should peruse all the information below, at least once, before using the Report Submission Form.
There is a print-friendly Report Sheet for the Report Submission Form. You should print a number of those Report Sheets (not the Report Submission Form) before you go on holidays so that you can observe and take note of the quality of various park facilities while at the caravan parks. I do not accept the printed forms, they are only to allow you to record details so later you can enter them in one of the electronic formats (Report Submission Form or Form Document).
There is also a Form
Document for people who are travelling on holidays and wish to record the
reports onto their laptop while at the park. The reports are then sent
as attachments via a single email, when they arrive home or visit an internet
cafe.
General Likes and Dislikes
What are some things you liked personally about the park?
What are some things you disliked, or irked you, about the park?
Suitability
In your opinion, who is the park more, or not, suited towards? - eg:
parents with kids; over-nighter; permanents; long-term visitors (a few
days or weeks); not suited to kids; ...
Facility Quality
What were the standard amenities like? - rec room, kiosk, laundry, ...
What useful additional amenities/services were there? - disabled facilities,
car wash, LPG, van parking, tennis court, heated pool, ...
What were the ablutions block like? - eg. cleanliness, water pressure, adequate
facilities, disabled facilities, separate bathroom, soap provided, change area in
showers stayed dry (that'll be the day), ...
What was in the playground, and what is the condition of the equipment? -
eg: basic (eg. a swing and slide); good (eg. swing, slide, monkey bars,
sand pit); excellent (the kids didn't want to leave); broken see-saw; rusty
slide; ...
What was the pool and pool area like? - eg: small, large; shady, open; clean,
filthy; chairs and tables provided; landscaped, basic but maintained, messy;
secure fencing and gate, or not/broken; toddlers pool; ...
What was the bbq and bbq area like? - eg: free or have to pay; gas, electric,
wood; clean, dirty; light and airy, or dismal; lighting at night; ...
Park Quality
Any shade, or very open, or in between?
How well laid-out was the park, in relation to placement of facilities? -
eg. can kids be seen at the playground from most sites, and/or from the bbq
area; is the laundry near the other amenities block; are sullage pits
near to sites, or only at the laundry; are the sullage pits useable or
blocked; ...
What were the best sites, and why? - eg: 7, 23, 31-40 (all drive-through); along
the back fence (shady); the ones between the large trees and the pool area
(closest to most facilities); ...
What were the worst sites, and why? - eg: ones along back fence (pond over fence
stinks); ones near the pool (kids noise unbearable); all of them!; ...
Were there sites with concrete slabs for annexes?
Were there drive-through sites?
What was the quality of the drinking water? Town and/or tank?
Were services to the van adequate, eg water, power, sullage connections?
What was the number of tourist-only sites, compared to permanent van/resident
sites?
Management & Staff
How friendly was the management and staff? Did they offer advice such as local tourist
attractions? Did they provide discount coupons for local attractions or businesses?
How reactive or responsive was the manager to any complaints or
queries? Did you have to make any complaints?
Miscellaneous
Any special parking requirements while waiting to book a site? eg: Special
parking lane away from entry/exit?
Are pets allowed? - dog, cat, bird, wife (just wanted to see if your read this
far); managers discretion; always on lead; ...
Were prices as you expected? Did you get value for money?
Road Conditions
If the road conditions to/from this destination were unusually bad or rather
good, maybe a comment could be included in the report. It could be simply
something like, "road good, no shoulders, don't have to leave bitumen to
pass or overtake", or in the case of Halls Creek, "wide bitumen but
many sections breaking up, care needed".
| Rating | What it could mean for caravan parks |
|
0 |
Wouldn't stay here if it was the last caravan park on Earth. I'd expect you did not stay at all. |
|
1 |
Would suit a "desperate" overnighter if you were too tired to drive any further and no other alternatives available. Maybe this rating due to poor atmosphere of park rather than lack of facilities. Poor value for money. |
|
2 |
Would suit as a basic overnighter - stop, sleep, go. Maybe rates low due to atmosphere or service. Poor value for money. |
|
3 |
A very good overnighter or possibly suit a day or two stay. You would expect this to be the standard for an average park. May not have a lot of facilitates, but the place is welcoming and staff friendly. Reasonable value for money. |
|
4 |
Would be good for a long stay, or maybe a great overnighter. May have added touches, eg free undercover bbqs with picnic tables; heated pool; good night lighting; power, tap and sullage to all sites. On the other hand, may not have a lot of facilities, but ambience is top-class and staff go out of their way. Good value for money. |
|
5 |
Service beyond the call of duty, well tendered park, lots of clean amenities, plus the added touches. Definitely for the long-term stay. May not have "all" the facilities, but may rate high on location, ambiance and staff service. Great value for money. |
| Rating | What it could mean for campgrounds |
|
0 |
Wouldn't stay here if it was the last campground on Earth. I'd expect you did not stay at all. |
|
1 |
Very basic amenities, maybe just a drop toilet. |
|
2 |
A couple of facilities, maybe toilet and water. |
|
3 |
A few facilities, maybe a toilet, water, bbq and some other niceties. |
|
4 |
A very good campground, good facilities, good atmosphere, probably powered sites available. |
|
5 |
An excellent campground, with probably flush toilets, showers, powered sites available, the works. |
Thank you for taking the time to read the above. I know that there will be a lot of people who will not send me information about a park, but who could contribute helpfully if they did. Happy, and safe, caravanning.