Australian Caravan Park Reports

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Tasmania

Hobart and Environs

Treasure Island Caravan Park, Berridale
Barilla Holiday Park, Cambridge
Hobart Airport Tourist Park, Cambridge
Hobart Cabins and Cottages, Glenorchy
RAS Showgrounds Campground, Glenorchy (DFP)
Richmond Tourist Park and Cabins, Richmond (DFP)
Discovery Holiday Parks, Risdon
Seven Mile Beach Caravan Park, Seven Mile Beach (DFP)

Initially booked 3 nights, $30.00 per night powered site. Extended for another 3 nights. Very helpful and friendly staff. Chris explained the layout and allocated us Site 27, at the front lower level of the very large park. Many sites have water views whether on the lower levels or up the hill. Our site was a level grassed site near the entrance, backing onto the undercover basic free gas bbq with kitchen sink and 5 ensuite-type unisex amenities block. These amenities were in good condition and cleaned every day although the shower bases were dis-coloured and could use some domestos. There were no paper towels or hand dryers or soap in these facilities. I found it difficult to open the knob handle on the door, especially with wet hands. There was a queue for showers over the weekend we were there, but ok at other times. Luckily we have our own bathroom. There are two other amenities blocks up the hill at the other end of the park. One with 5 toilets 3 basins 4 showers in the ladies, and 4 showers and 4 toilets in the mens. In the second block the ladies had 4 showers and 4 toilets, similar for men. Both these blocks had soap and hand dryers. The laundry, which is quite a distance from many sites, had 4 washing machines ($3) and 2 dryers ($1 for 8 mins). All amenities were very well maintained and clean. Near these amenities there was a good large under cover camp kitchen with hot plates and free bbq, tables and chairs. No playground but a good one is located over the fence in the park. Some smaller sites have slabs. No swimming pool. Easily accessible dump point. Shuttle bus ($15 for two persons return) to the Salamander Markets on Saturday, book at the office. I suggested to staff that a clothes hoist near the unisex block would be very handy so that washing could be hung nearer our sites. It is quite a distance up the hill to the laundry. They said that they would put forward my suggestion to the owner. We enjoyed our stay in this quiet central park (train occasionally passes over the road but no problem), and would definitely stay again.
Date 03/2011. Park Rating 3.5:
Report submitted by Leszek and Jackie, Malua Bay NSW (75).

Now good signage to park, good bus service into Hobart. We used the amenities block closest to office, during a busy period, and although there are 4 showers, there were still queues some mornings. Only one laundry, which seemed busy, except for the morning I used it. Clothes lines in several locations throughout park. Lovely water views from our site, on the higher level. Although our site wasn't level, we didn't have trouble with levelling our van here, but noticed the van beside us, had the front almost to ground level. No kid's selling papers when we were there! There were some small slab sites, but these appeared to be used for small vans, and combies.
Date 03/2008. Park Rating 3:
Report submitted by Carole and Terry, Bendigo (9).

No longer BIG4 member.
Date 01/2011.
Update submitted by Geoff C (1).

Very friendly staff, good staff response to complaints, staff explained park layout and facilities. Very good value for money ($26 2A, shoulder season). Amenity number was adequate to cope with the number of people, are close to all sites, were clean, condition is very good, water pressure is good, there was adequate hot water, soap provided, dry change area, paper towels/dryer provided, exhaust fans/good ventilation. Adequate number of tourist sites, mostly level sites, good night lighting, sites will accommodate medium to large vans, annex slabs to some sites, shade to some sites, adequate taps close by, adequate sullage close by. Good laundry, good rec room, camp kitchen, secure entry, no wireless internet available. Peaceful, open & roomy park, plenty of shade, a few permanents. Clean UC gas bbq ($1), congenial bbq area atmosphere, bbq area lighting Good playground in good condition. Suitable for a week or more, suitable for families, well maintained park, park is considered kid-safe.
Likes: Very friendly and helpful staff. Clean separate toilet and bathroom facilities. Lovely wood-fired pizzas. New restaurant.
Parking: Enough parking while booking in
Added Touches: Shuttle bus every Saturday to market in Hobart.
Date 12/2010. Park Rating 4.5:
Report submitted by pwop (3).

When we visited the park was quite busy yet one shower in both the ladies & gents amenity blocks was locked off, leaving only three. Also, there are four free-standing shower/toilets in the shape of water tanks and two of these were also locked, supposedly due to maintenance, but in the nine days we were there was no evidence of this. Very friendly staff, staff offered tourist advice, staff explained park layout and facilities. Reasonable value for money ($30 2A per night, unpowered, off-peak season). We paid $27 because of BIG4 discount. Inadequate number of amenities, are close to most sites, cleanliness was average, condition is reasonable, water pressure is good, there was adequate hot water, soap provided, dry change area, paper towels/dryer provided, exhaust fans/good ventilation. Adequate number of tourist sites, mostly level sites, good night lighting, sites will accommodate medium to large vans, annex slabs to some sites, shade to some sites, adequate taps close by, adequate sullage close by. Good laundry, no rec room, camp kitchen, kiosk, dump point, secure entry, wireless internet is available, you can use your mobile wireless (carrier used was Telstra, reception quality was 4). Quiet, open & roomy park, plenty of shade, no permanents. Clean UC bbq. Good playground in good condition. Suitable for a week or more, suitable for families, park is considered kid-safe.
Likes: Very friendly, helpful management. Location of park.
Dislikes: $12 (adult) charge to use the mini golf. Charge to use the spa/hot pool. Gardens a bit untidy.
Local Information: Park has a pizza/fish & chip cafe. Good location. Easy run to Hobart, Richmond & Sorell. In the heart of the Coal Valley wine region.
Date 11/2010. Park Rating 4:
Report submitted by TeePee (117).

Hobart is poorly served by caravan parks. Considering the Barilla Park is one of only 2 main parks serving the state capital it falls short in a number of areas. Firstly, it seems to be trying to be all things to all people without doing anything really well. There is a mini golf course, a function room, a pizza shop, cafe, hot tub and they even take bookings for massage and beauty treatment. Meanwhile, the boom gate was broken for the whole of our ten day stay, the internet service had been discontinued, the coke machine was out of order, a dryer was out of order and the sites were untidy with long grass and rubbish laying around. There was no liquid soap in the gents for 5 days and when I enquired about it the cleaner took the soap from the ladies - which made me very unpopular with my wife! Also, while no fault of this park it is 16kms out of Hobart so not exactly convenient although much of the drive in is on the airport freeway. The nearest supermarket is at Eastlands Shopping Centre about 12kms away. Having had a grizzle it must be said that the park is well laid out and it had been damaged by a recent storm. We were given a concrete slab with lawn surround although most sites are fine gravel but large and quite OK. Plenty of trees. Digital TV reception was fine. Showers had 7 min timers. Amenities are OK but could be stretched in busy times - 3 toilets, 4 showers. Laundry and camp kitchen with lots of clothes lines. It is predominantly a tourist park and the friendly lady in the office provided some good tourist advice.
Likes: Large well laid out sites
Dislikes: Poorly maintained and a long way out of Hobart
Local Information: The park advertised a bus service to Salamanca markets. It wasn't running during our stay and when it does it is expensive. It is a lot cheaper to take the car into town and pay for parking - there is plenty around the wharf area and some parking stations that have the first hour free.
Date 09/2008. Park Rating 3:
Report submitted by G&P Flagstaff Hill SA (22).

This is a lovely small and sheltered park just 15 mins drive from Hobart, and close to both the airport and to Richmond. There is also a cafe which serves great wood fired pizza and excellent fish n'chips. Friendly management, management responsive to comments, management was helpful. Good value for money, we paid $22 for two people in an unpowered site. Very good amenities - new amenities are under construction, but the older block has been well refurbished and is very clean and modern. Very good sites, sites were level, lighting at night was adequate, the site size was okay, adequate taps close by, adequate sullage close by. Laundry, good camp kitchen, kiosk, dump point, security entry to park, van parking by management. Very good park atmosphere, quiet, shady park. It has a beautifully landscaped new area, with huge sites, both powered and unpowered, and plenty of shade trees and even a babbling brook. Suitable for a week or more, the park was well maintained.
Date 04/2008. Park Rating 4: This is our first choice for a caravan park located close to Hobart.
Report submitted by Jan and Michael, Victoria (5).

Brilliant park near Airport with free courtesy bus to airport as well as once a day into Hobart CBD in the morning and back in the afternoon. Near-new park with excellent camp kitchen and ablutions. All kept clean and pristine to hotel standard. Heated bathroom, abundant hot water. Linked to Quality Airport Hotel next door (shared reception). Staff very friendly and nothing too much trouble for them. Highly recommend this park as base for southern Tasmania. Excellent value. Very friendly staff, staff offered tourist advice, staff explained park layout and facilities. Very good value for money ($30 2A, powered, peak season). We paid $27.00 because of BIG4 discount. Amenity number was adequate to cope with the number of people, are close to all sites, were clean, condition is very good, water pressure is good, there was adequate hot water, soap provided, paper towels/dryer provided, exhaust fans/good ventilation, disabled facilities. Adequate number of tourist sites, mostly level sites, good night lighting, annex slabs to most sites, no sites are shaded, ensuite sites available, drive-through sites, adequate taps close by, adequate sullage close by. Good laundry, good camp kitchen, disabled facilities, dump point, secure entry, book swap available, wireless internet is available, you can use your mobile wireless (carrier used was Telstra, reception quality was 4). Peaceful, open & roomy park, not enough shade, no permanents. Clean UC gas bbq (free), congenial bbq area atmosphere, bbq area lighting, seating provided at bbq. Good playground in good condition. No pool. Suitable for month or longer.
Likes: Loved the daily courtesy bus into Hobart City - very useful during Taste festival. Camp kitchen and bathrooms kept to 'hotel' standard. Staff so helpful - we came for a couple of weeks and stayed 5.
Dislikes: No shade - but we didn't need it as any sun Tassie offered we welcomed.
Parking: Reception shared with Hotel next door, but plenty of room to turn at Hotel after check-in
Added Touches: Free bus to town every day (also to airport as needed)
Local Information: After 5 weeks we left with great memories, a great feeling about Tassie and still things to do we hadn't had time for. Hobart was full of things to do as was all of Tassie.
Date 01/2012. Park Rating 4.5:
Report submitted by Bob & Al (116).

Like some bigger parks they charge extra for credit card. Not a big deal. Very tight park for a big unit as I have when full as it was when I was there (narrow roads with cars parked in front of cabins, not beside). As I had to leave early I pointed out to the caretaker that if the site next to me was booked I would not have been able to even hook up let alone get out. He agreed and they left that site vacant for the night and as such I had no problems. Despite these matters, I am staying for another few nights in a couple of weeks. Friendly staff, good staff response to complaints. $30 2A per night, peak season. We paid $27 because of chain discount. Amenity number was adequate to cope with the number of people, are close to all sites, were clean, water pressure is good, there was adequate hot water. Adequate number of tourist sites, mostly level sites, good night lighting, hard to negotiate into site, adequate taps close by, adequate sullage close by. Good laundry, good rec room, you can use your mobile wireless (carrier used was Telstra). Quiet, claustrophobic park, not enough shade, no permanents. No playground, no pool. Suitable for few days.
Likes: The caretaker took steps to ensure that I could leave early
Parking: Missed the entry sign to the park and ended up driving around the airport which was a challenge as I was towing a large van. Inadequate signage but also my fault.
Date 01/2012. Park Rating 3.5:
Report submitted by Mad Mick (12).

A new caravan and cabin park beside the airport. A little strange; the check-in is at the hotel next to the park, there is no office on site, just a manager available by phone. The caravan sites are spacious and in the middle of the park, all with large concrete slabs and grassed area in between. The facility blocks are new, clean and have underground heating. There is a large well equipped camp kitchen and laundry. There is a small children's play area but no pool. The park is well maintained and grass neat and tidy. Hobart CBD is a 15 min drive and the park is convenient for Richmond and the Coal Valley wine region. A BIG4 discount is available. Parking for the cabins is in front of the cabins and opposite the caravan site, which can make it a little difficult parking a large van. There is also wooden steps in front of the cabins, which our neighbour discovered to the detriment of his front bumper. We would stay here again.
Date 10/2011. Park Rating 4:
Report submitted by Bob & Siobhan (15).

Manager's name is Graeme and Maureen. This park has all reception/booking matters handled by the hotel reception and caretaker/managers on the site who do an excellent job maintaining the park to very high standards. Very friendly staff, staff offered tourist advice, staff explained park layout and facilities. Good value for money ($30 2A per night, powered, peak season). We paid $27 because of BIG4 membership. Amenity number was adequate to cope with the number of people, are close to all sites, were clean, condition is very good, water pressure is good, there was adequate hot water, separate bathroom, soap provided, dry change area, paper towels/dryer provided, exhaust fans/good ventilation, disabled facilities. Adequate number of tourist sites, mostly level sites, good night lighting, annex slabs to most sites, no sites are shaded, drive-through sites, adequate taps close by, adequate sullage close by. Peaceful, open & roomy park, not enough shade, no permanents. Clean UC electric bbq (free), congenial bbq area atmosphere, bbq area lighting, seating provided at bbq. Excellent playground in good condition. No pool. Suitable for month or longer, suitable for families, well maintained park, park is considered kid-safe.
Likes: Clean, manicured and quiet park yet very close to city via the A3. Do not be concerned about aircraft noise as it seems not to interfere with the stay at this park and the flights are infrequent and not overnight.
Dislikes: Small laundry with not enough washing machines and they are small load machines and lack of towel hooks in the basin area of the bathrooms
Parking: Ample parking at hotel reception where check intakes place
Local Information: Hobart is a most interesting city to visit with a great deal of history as well as local beauty
Roads: Excellent highway from North or South
Date 02/2011. Park Rating 4.5:
Report submitted by Peter & Elaine, Lake Macquarie (46).

Manager's name is Graeme & Maureen. This is a fairly new park so everything is in very good condition. No shade at all though in the caravan section of the park. Friendly staff, good staff response to complaints, staff offered tourist advice, staff explained park layout and facilities. Good value for money ($30.00 2A per night, powered). We paid $27.00 because of BIG4 discount. Amenity number would not cope in peak times, are close to most sites, were clean, condition is very good, water pressure is good, there was adequate hot water, soap provided, paper towels/dryer provided, exhaust fans/good ventilation. Adequate number of tourist sites, mostly level sites, good night lighting, sites will accommodate medium to large vans, annex slabs to most sites, no sites are shaded, adequate taps close by, adequate sullage close by. Good laundry, good rec room, camp kitchen, dump point, secure entry, wireless internet is available, you can use your mobile wireless (carrier used was Optus, reception quality was 4). Quiet, open & roomy park, not enough shade, no permanents. Clean UC electric bbq (free), congenial bbq area atmosphere, bbq area lighting, seating provided at bbq. No playground, no pool. Suitable for a week or more, well maintained park.
Likes: Nice camp kitchen and amenities.
Dislikes: No shade at all, is next door to the airport so if you mind the noise of a few aircraft taking off and landing this is not the park for you.
Parking: You need to book in at the hotel reception.
Local Information: 15 mins on good road to Hobart city centre. Nearest shopping in Sorrel about 10 mins away.
Date 01/2011. Park Rating 4:
Report submitted by Motley2 (15).

UPDATED REPORT NEEDED

The showgrounds should really be considered to be a camping area rather than an "all facility" location. All visitors are put in a rather small area with limited power outlets having up to 8 points on each power box so cables run all over the place to each camper. The management have turned off many power outlets to confine the avail camp area. Likewise there are several water outlets but it is a matter of filling your tanks with containers filled at the taps. This is a location on the side of a hill & there are only 5-6 flat sites but no power. The whole operation is one of confusion & no direction i.e you go to the office & pay fees ($18 for a power site non CMCA members) then are told to find your own way to the selected area & just set up where you can find a space. There are no officials to give directions, provide basic info on what is avail, or organise sites so it's a Raffertys Rules with rigs haphazardly parked all over the place. Toilets are a total of 3 cubicles for up to 60 rigs male and female, so expect to stand outside the loo in a line waiting your turn, showers are the same ($1.00 per 5 min). There is only a few sullage points & you have to catch your sullage in a bucket & take it to a dump point. The whole area is a dust bowl when the wind blows, which is quite often & the camp area backs onto a road which is a mini race track for noise of speeding cars & trucks. The only plus points are the price of $18.00 per day, the nearby Glenorchy shopping precinct & availability of repair & other facilities, & the closeness to public transport to downtown Hobart. If you want a bit of comfort then pay the extra money & stay in a recognised caravan park. Unfriendly staff, bad staff response to complaints. Poor value for money ($18 2A per night, powered). Inadequate number of amenities, are close to only some sites, cleanliness was average, condition is reasonable, extra charge for shower. Inadequate number of tourist sites, mostly unlevel sites, sites will accommodate large motorhomes and 5th wheelers, no sites with concrete annex slabs, no sites are shaded. No rec room, no wireless internet available, you can use your mobile wireless. Noisy, no permanents. No bbqs, no playground, no pool. Suitable for overnighter.
Date 01/2010.
Report submitted by Kjay (64).

The RAS has made this facility available to owners of self-contaned motorhomes, caravans, 5th wheels and campervans. Vehicles must have sealed toilet (cassette), sealed grey water tank (a properly sealed bucket not less than 20 litres is acceptable), own shower, and own water supply. Water and power are available on site. Very central location, ideal for those wanting to trip around Hobart, bus stop 150 m from showground directly into Hobart city. Towns water not to be connected to vehicle. On board tanks must be filled and used. No laundry, no amenities block, although there are two toilets and two showers. Friendly staff, staff explained park layout and facilities. Price was as expected, very good value for money ($16 2A per night powered). Amenities were clean, condition is good, water pressure is good. Adequate number of tourist sites, some unlevel sites, good night lighting, large sites, adequate taps close by, adequate sullage close by. Late checkout allowed (past noon), dump point. Quiet, open & roomy park, not enough shade, family/friendly atmosphere. No bbqs, no playground, no pool. Suitable for a week or more, well maintained park, park is considered kid-safe.
Likes: Locality, no frills.
Dislikes: Inability to connect to town water supply.
Date 02/2008. Park Rating 3:
Report submitted by Barry and Jo Konemann, Bathurst NSW (5).

Manager's name is Bruce and Zofia. This park looks tired and rundown, a bit of TLC would make a world of difference. Managers are only there at weekends and attitude to query about ensuite losing power, luckily only on our last night, was met with a terse reply of, "that always happens just flick the switch underneath the power box". Well, why didn't the person booking us in warn us about that ! We stayed at an ensuite site, which is a plastic cubicle that needed a really good scrub out and paint job. We stayed for 7 nights only because it was central to all the places we wanted to visit. 30 minute drive into Hobart. Had a couple of big downpours and the roads in the park turned to mud with many potholes. This park was packed every night so I guess upgrading doesn't seem a priority to the owners. Park lighting very poor. Amenities too small. Price was $32 per night ensuite. Indoor heated swimming pool that we couldn't get near for obnoxious loud teenagers. Town of Richmond is pleasant and interesting.
Date 02/2009. Park Rating 2:
Report submitted by Stockos (64).

This is mostly a cabin park, right at the back of the park there is a very small space for about 5 or 6 caravans each with ensuites. Not suitable for large vans. We are 26ft, only just fit. They are small sites, so you cannot put your annex out. It's a well maintained park, and the ensuites were clean. Just not suitable for any more than an overnighter. Average staff friendliness, staff explained park layout and facilities. Poor value for money ($45 2A 1C). Ensuite was clean, condition is good, water pressure is good, there was inadequate hot water. Inadequate number of tourist sites, some level sites, good night lighting, sites will accommodate small to medium vans, concrete annex slabs to most sites, no sites are shaded, hard to negotiate into site, adequate taps close by. You can use your mobile wireless (carrier used was Telstra). Quiet, claustrophobic park, not enough shade, no permanents. Good playground in good condition. No pool. Suitable for overnighter.
Date 09/2010. Park Rating 2:
Report submitted by Tracy and Matt (21).

This park is a work in progress, can see improvements that have already been made. Internet available from office $5/1hr. Some small sites. Friendly staff, average staff response to complaints, staff explained park layout and facilities. $30 2A, shoulder season. We paid $27 because of Tasmanian Tourist Parks member. Amenity number would not cope in peak times, are close to only some sites, were clean, condition is good, water pressure is good, there was adequate hot water, soap provided, dry change area, paper towels/dryer provided, exhaust fans/good ventilation. Adequate number of tourist sites, mostly level sites, good night lighting, sites will accommodate medium to large vans, no sites with annex slabs, shade to most sites, adequate taps close by. Basic laundry, basic rec room, good camp kitchen, dump point, wireless internet is available, you can use your mobile wireless (carrier used was Telstra, reception quality was 4). Peaceful, open & roomy park, plenty of shade, no permanents. Clean UC gas bbq (free), congenial bbq area atmosphere, bbq area lighting, seating provided at bbq. No playground, no pool. Suitable for a week or more, suitable for families.
Likes: Quiet, pine plantation on one boundary and gum trees and gardens in centre area. Some border plantings between sites. Near airport but not a lot of noise, flights are intermittent.
Dislikes: Mens amenities are basic (relocatable work block). Some small width sites not suitable if caravan needs awning/annexe pegged out. Only 2 ladies showers. Quite a few campervans come and go(noisy sliding doors at night)
Parking: roomy entrance so no problem checking in.
Local Information: Not far from Hobart city on A3 (15-20mins). Used this as base to do city sights as well as Port Arthur and drive to Geeveston/ Tahune Air Walk.
Roads: Be careful if returning at night along Pittwater Rd & Surf Rd (off A3) as there is lots of animal activity - possums, wallabies, etc
Date 11/2011. Park Rating 3.5:
Report submitted by marlyn (7).

At $30 per night this park was a big disappointment; the problem is that there isn't much better in the Hobart region. Whilst the park is close to the airport for those coming by air, its quite a distance from Hobart town. It's a relatively small park hence the majority of sites are small & only good for the Britz & Moui clan. It rained during our stay & as all the roadways & most walkways are made of decompossed granite it was a huge mess around the van & required removing shoes before entering the van. Another issue was the demountable hut/toilet block for men on one side of the park & on the other side was the female; I drew the short straw & had the long walk to the toilet & on getting there found no toilet paper & had to do another round trip in the rain. The mens wasn't anywhere near adequate for the numbers of people wanting to use them & I'm told the wait at the female was similar. The park was generally quite clean but the manager had an attitude & wasn't very nice at all. Unfriendly staff, bad staff response to complaints. Poor value for money. Amenity number would not cope in peak times, are close to only some sites, cleanliness was average, condition is reasonable, water pressure is good, there was adequate hot water. Mostly level sites, good night lighting, sites will accommodate medium to large vans, no sites with concrete annex slabs, shade to most sites, adequate taps close by. Poor laundry, basic rec room, good camp kitchen, no wireless internet available, you can use your mobile wireless (carrier used was Vodaphone, reception quality was 2). Quiet, open & roomy park, plenty of shade, a few permanents. Clean UC gas bbq, bbq area lighting, seating provided at bbq. No playground, no pool. Suitable for a week or more, suitable for families.
Date 02/2010. Park Rating 2:
Report submitted by Kjay (64).

$25 per double for a powered site. We thought this was pretty good value. Some sites are better than others. The owners have tried to make many sites individual with fences and plantings that can give good privacy when vans are parked close together. Good water, very good camp kitchen and BBQ areas. Easy, short walk to the beach. Amenities were older but very tidy. In peak season the vans etc were packed in, but you would expect that during the summer holidays.
Date 04/2008. Park Rating 3:
Report submitted by Richard and Maureen, Bungendore NSW (60).