Goodonya for raising this Mark... Its sickening, but goes a long way to explain the attitude of some park managers. If you rock up to book in just after they've discovered a whole bunch of stuff has been stolen, they would have to be a saint to remain friendly. That person with the GN sticker brings us all into disrepute. Sorry it happened to you.
Thanks for the support GD much appreciated.
Just to add a bit more, for the general population to read
The C/P was in a small town, it is battling with free camps around the area that the shire opened because of "public" demand (much against the owners protests) and he was basically told that the shire wanted to encourage free camping AFTER they had sold the C/p to him!!
During our tenure at that park we tried all sorts of things to help with the business, free music and Friday S/Sizzles, Small mechanical repairs, spent around 25K on various upgrades, put a TV in the camp kitchen, (that was gone the next morning, ONE NIGHT!!!). Oh yeah the mechanical repairs there was a good one too........ 3 hours under a caravan with a cracked chassis, plated and welded, ask the owner for $100................ was told "Go swivel" gave me two bottles of non alcoholic beer as a "reward" which I ceremoniously opened and poured on the ground, Gee I hate warm water!! LOL. D'ya know, free campers, used to come along for the free S/Sizzle and sneak in for a shower if they could catch the door open as somebody came out, figure that one out!!
I could or maybe should write a book!!
May I suggest good people of the nomadic world, IF you are faced with a night or two where it's gonna be a dig deep in the pocket cost as there is absolutely no alternative , try putting a smile on your face before getting upset, (just as I am now) as you cannot get upset when you smile, and while your smiling, think of the poor B45t4rd that is now possibly stuck with a business that he/she can't sell, so they either battle on or go bust. LOL..... I wonder how many unhappy GN's my wife has checked in, or how many I have told to "leave if you don't like it" HaHaHa
If you want to hear more horror stories sing out, maybe it might convert a few "unhappy with the cost" GN's to take a more pragmatic view.
Oh and how about those free camp spots?? You know the ones?? where you are only allowed to stay for 48 hours!! Do the free campers ever complain that they have not been evicted after three months!! I don't think so. I have moved around WA quite a bit and the same people are still there, still set up with all the gear, entrenched for the season, free of charge, fishing in the river on the Degrey, running the generators ALL night to keep the fish frozen, using the chainsaw to cut the tree's for the log fire at night............. Hope your reading this!!
Coffee time and a think about how happy life can be with a bit of give and take.
Cheers
Mark said
11:05 PM Sep 10, 2013
chaslib wrote:
I have a good one for you ... recently stayed at Winton behind the pub. Cost was advertised both online and at the pub as "gold coin donation". Well, $1 or $2 - good plan! We arrived and asked fellow traveller where to pay. Told us to be quick and fill out the registration and pay because they just advised about to increase cost to $10 per night! Why you may ask??? apparently the QLD Variety Bash was headed for town with their entourage and families etc. Apparently an influx of travellers were expected in a couple of hours and the Publicans saw $signs instead of hubcaps and caravans! Bit of exploitation if you ask me! Paid for 2 nights at $2 per night and enjoyed our stay! Don't know if they did follow through and actually increase the cost or not ......................
-- Edited by chaslib on Tuesday 10th of September 2013 03:40:55 P
OR maybe he realised that his overheads were gonna sky rocket overnight because of the additional costs involved with power and water, not to mention the rubbish or the additional hours he and his staff may have to work, or of course the loss of future business from those that couldn't get in as normal because of the Variety bash. We've just had them here, fresh off of the Gibb River Road, I appreciate that they are doing a charitable thing and I have been busy with a few FREE mechanical repairs, but "boy oh boy" do they expect everybody to "contribute" to their adventure, "can you just do this or that" ..... " could we just borrow the phone" ....... "we're on an unpowered site but we need to charge our battery and...and...and... & this is my point, you only see it if your on the other side, so good on you for getting in quick with your gold coin donation!!
This morning we took about 50 litres of old engine oil to the tip!!
Happy camping.
chaslib said
11:15 PM Sep 10, 2013
Beth54 wrote:
chaslib wrote:
I have a good one for you ... recently stayed at Winton behind the pub. Cost was advertised both online and at the pub as "gold coin donation". Well, $1 or $2 - good plan! We arrived and asked fellow traveller where to pay. Told us to be quick and fill out the registration and pay because they just advised about to increase cost to $10 per night! Why you may ask??? apparently the QLD Variety Bash was headed for town with their entourage and families etc. Apparently an influx of travellers were expected in a couple of hours and the Publicans saw $signs instead of hubcaps and caravans! Bit of exploitation if you ask me! Paid for 2 nights at $2 per night and enjoyed our stay! Don't know if they did follow through and actually increase the cost or not ......................
-- Edited by chaslib on Tuesday 10th of September 2013 03:40:55 PM
So I assume they've renovated the amenities since we were there in 2010?
We had planned to stay there, and I took one look at them and left. They looked like they were built at the turn of the last century and hadn't been touched since. We didn't know about the free camp out of town, so stayed at the Waltzing Matildas CP, which was one of the good ones.
Hi Beth - the Pub was the North Gregory in the middle of town - just like a smallish carpark at the back of the pub - about 10 vans - with dedicated amenities which were spotlessly clean and yes, modern and incorporated into the actual hotel iteslf - just one combined shower/toilet for the travellers only and was cleaned daily by the hotel staff - tap with drinking water - 2 day limit from memory - meals at the pub were good - cost average for pubs, but convenient and like many of us, we always have a meal at the pub if we "free camp" at one - we more than paid for our stay at the North Gregory - also a laundramat attached to the hotel. We did the Matilda Centre which was interesting but been there before, but our next stop near Longreach was much more enjoyable (not the free camp - thought that looked like a refugee camp with what appeared to be at least 100 vans packed in there when we checked it out)
Even though the Variety mob were in town there was plenty of room for other travellers - I think the Bash actually frequented one of the other pubs which had a van park at the back and extended across the road also. For a cheap stay, it was a good choice!
Cheers
Mark said
11:15 PM Sep 10, 2013
SORRY, forgot to add,
And paid for the disposal of said oil!!
Beth54 said
11:31 PM Sep 10, 2013
chaslib wrote:
Beth54 wrote:
So I assume they've renovated the amenities since we were there in 2010?
We had planned to stay there, and I took one look at them and left. They looked like they were built at the turn of the last century and hadn't been touched since. We didn't know about the free camp out of town, so stayed at the Waltzing Matildas CP, which was one of the good ones.
Hi Beth - the Pub was the North Gregory in the middle of town - just like a smallish carpark at the back of the pub - about 10 vans - with dedicated amenities which were spotlessly clean and yes, modern and incorporated into the actual hotel iteslf - just one combined shower/toilet for the travellers only and was cleaned daily by the hotel staff - tap with drinking water - 2 day limit from memory - meals at the pub were good - cost average for pubs, but convenient and like many of us, we always have a meal at the pub if we "free camp" at one - we more than paid for our stay at the North Gregory - also a laundramat attached to the hotel. We did the Matilda Centre which was interesting but been there before, but our next stop near Longreach was much more enjoyable (not the free camp - thought that looked like a refugee camp with what appeared to be at least 100 vans packed in there when we checked it out)
Even though the Variety mob were in town there was plenty of room for other travellers - I think the Bash actually frequented one of the other pubs which had a van park at the back and extended across the road also. For a cheap stay, it was a good choice!
Cheers
Yep, that's the one. Good to hear that's it's been upgraded. We also stayed at the free camp near the river at Longreach. I thought it looked like a used caravan sales yard myself. I wouldn't bother staying there again. Way too many caravans and too little shade for me.
Mark, I do feel for the CP owners or managers trying to make a buck, and keep up with maintenance etc, and dealing with ignorant rude people. I always ask the price before I decide to stay, and move on, without complaint, if it's too much for my budget. And I'm more than happy to give more to certain freedom camps. Two that spring to mind is Genoa Vic, and Morven in Qld.
Mark said
11:32 PM Sep 10, 2013
chaslib wrote:
Mark wrote:
chaslib wrote:
Must admit, Mark, I agree that the Variety Clubs in all states do a wonderful job for kids in need! I would have been happy to have paid $10 or more a night for our stay, on condition that what I paid was matched by the Publican and went to Variety ...... wishful thinking, I know!
Libby
-- Edited by chaslib on Tuesday 10th of September 2013 04:21:25 PM
They (Variety Club) do a fantastic job and I have no problem in helping as I am a keen supporter in charitable things, the owner of the park himself went over and above the call of duty to make sure everybody was looked after, my wife worked VERY late for free, so did I, and so did many others, but, my point is more to do with associate costs. There are people that need to be paid and sometimes supply and demand does meet with inflated costs. We owned a business in Perth and decided that we would open on Christmas day, we did not raise our prices to cater for that as we felt that we wanted to provide a service for those that had nowhere to go for the day (tourist season in Perth), after the event, we counted up the cost of additional staff at the rates we had to pay, the associated costs of just opening the doors and believe me, it didn't make it worthwhile, so, SOMETIMES I believe it is necessary to raise the cost to cover the event. Just my opinion.
We started off by discussing the cost of going to a Caravan Park, I do not agree with ripping people off and in the circumstances you highlighted, i can see it from both angles, yes I agree, and what I would have done, and have done, is looked in my till and thought "Wow, a few extra $$ in there tonight" and make a donation, or raffle a bottle or something to show a bit of give and not just take, greed does occur on both sides of the fence for sure.
Regards
Mark
Mark said
11:58 PM Sep 10, 2013
littledick wrote:
Well known fact, as soon as you cross the border heading north,prices clime above the$40 plus mark.
Cotton Tree, $46.00 pn.
Evans Head, $30.00 pn.NSW
Just ripping all southeners off. If Victorians stopped staying 2/3 months at a time, prices may drop.
Dick.
Nope!! The prices would go up as they have less time to recoup the operating costs. Free camping (and I'm not against it, I do it as often as possible) is what is putting C/p prices up.
herbie said
12:04 AM Sep 11, 2013
Yep Mark, understand every thing you are saying, when we were away on our last trip all up along the coast in NQLD for love of money you could not get a spot to camp for the night,due to the people hogging these free spots.They make it a place to go for their annual holidays kind of thing.We had to pay to stay in van parks, not that it was such a big deal,but what I am trying to say is some people think they deserve to get every thing for nothing and bugger the next person,as long as we don't have to pay for a caravan park every thing is honky dory in life.
My mate and myself have sent off emails to the councils in the different areas up that way to bring it to there attention what is going on...These place were made for all of us to have a quick brake not for certain peoples annual holidays...Have suggested to bring in a $10/20 per night fee to help stop it.And to also help to go towards the cleaning of these places it should not be up to the local rate payers to contribute to some ones holiday. The rate payers money could be spent for the better of the local communities other than funding peoples way of travelling. This idea of bring money into the local communities dosnt sit with me, as the few $$$ that get spent in the really small areas wouldn't really keep it going for very long if that's what the town had to rely on to survive...
Mark said
12:07 AM Sep 11, 2013
herbie wrote:
Yep Mark, understand every thing you are saying, when we were away on our last trip all up along the coast in NQLD for love of money you could not get a spot to camp for the night,due to the people hogging these free spots.They make it a place to go for their annual holidays kind of thing.We had to pay to stay in van parks, not that it was such a big deal,but what I am trying to say is some people think they deserve to get every thing for nothing and bugger the next person,as long as we don't have to pay for a caravan park every thing is honky dory in life.
My mate and myself have sent off emails to the councils in the different areas up that way to bring it to there attention what is going on...These place were made for all of us to have a quick brake not for certain peoples annual holidays...Have suggested to bring in a $10/20 per night fee to help stop it.And to also help to go towards the cleaning of these places it should not be up to the local rate payers to contribute to some ones holiday. The rate payers money could be spent for the better of the local communities other than funding peoples way of travelling. This idea of bring money into the local communities dosnt sit with me, as the few $$$ that get spent in the really small areas wouldn't really keep it going for very long if that's what the town had to rely on to survive...
Thanks for the support GD much appreciated.
Just to add a bit more, for the general population to read
The C/P was in a small town, it is battling with free camps around the area that the shire opened because of "public" demand (much against the owners protests) and he was basically told that the shire wanted to encourage free camping AFTER they had sold the C/p to him!!
During our tenure at that park we tried all sorts of things to help with the business, free music and Friday S/Sizzles, Small mechanical repairs, spent around 25K on various upgrades, put a TV in the camp kitchen, (that was gone the next morning, ONE NIGHT!!!). Oh yeah the mechanical repairs there was a good one too........ 3 hours under a caravan with a cracked chassis, plated and welded, ask the owner for $100................ was told "Go swivel" gave me two bottles of non alcoholic beer as a "reward" which I ceremoniously opened and poured on the ground, Gee I hate warm water!! LOL.
D'ya know, free campers, used to come along for the free S/Sizzle and sneak in for a shower if they could catch the door open as somebody came out, figure that one out!!
I could or maybe should write a book!!
May I suggest good people of the nomadic world, IF you are faced with a night or two where it's gonna be a dig deep in the pocket cost as there is absolutely no alternative , try putting a smile on your face before getting upset, (just as I am now) as you cannot get upset when you smile, and while your smiling, think of the poor B45t4rd that is now possibly stuck with a business that he/she can't sell, so they either battle on or go bust.
LOL..... I wonder how many unhappy GN's my wife has checked in, or how many I have told to "leave if you don't like it" HaHaHa
If you want to hear more horror stories sing out, maybe it might convert a few "unhappy with the cost" GN's to take a more pragmatic view.
Oh and how about those free camp spots?? You know the ones?? where you are only allowed to stay for 48 hours!!
Do the free campers ever complain that they have not been evicted after three months!! I don't think so. I have moved around WA quite a bit and the same people are still there, still set up with all the gear, entrenched for the season, free of charge, fishing in the river on the Degrey, running the generators ALL night to keep the fish frozen, using the chainsaw to cut the tree's for the log fire at night............. Hope your reading this!!
Coffee time and a think about how happy life can be with a bit of give and take.
Cheers
OR maybe he realised that his overheads were gonna sky rocket overnight because of the additional costs involved with power and water, not to mention the rubbish or the additional hours he and his staff may have to work, or of course the loss of future business from those that couldn't get in as normal because of the Variety bash.
We've just had them here, fresh off of the Gibb River Road, I appreciate that they are doing a charitable thing and I have been busy with a few FREE mechanical repairs,
but "boy oh boy" do they expect everybody to "contribute" to their adventure, "can you just do this or that" ..... " could we just borrow the phone" ....... "we're on an unpowered site but we need to charge our battery and...and...and... & this is my point, you only see it if your on the other side, so good on you for getting in quick with your gold coin donation!!
This morning we took about 50 litres of old engine oil to the tip!!
Happy camping.
Hi Beth - the Pub was the North Gregory in the middle of town - just like a smallish carpark at the back of the pub - about 10 vans - with dedicated amenities which were spotlessly clean and yes, modern and incorporated into the actual hotel iteslf - just one combined shower/toilet for the travellers only and was cleaned daily by the hotel staff - tap with drinking water - 2 day limit from memory - meals at the pub were good - cost average for pubs, but convenient and like many of us, we always have a meal at the pub if we "free camp" at one - we more than paid for our stay at the North Gregory - also a laundramat attached to the hotel. We did the Matilda Centre which was interesting but been there before, but our next stop near Longreach was much more enjoyable (not the free camp - thought that looked like a refugee camp with what appeared to be at least 100 vans packed in there when we checked it out)
Even though the Variety mob were in town there was plenty of room for other travellers - I think the Bash actually frequented one of the other pubs which had a van park at the back and extended across the road also. For a cheap stay, it was a good choice!
Cheers
SORRY, forgot to add,
And paid for the disposal of said oil!!
Yep, that's the one. Good to hear that's it's been upgraded. We also stayed at the free camp near the river at Longreach. I thought it looked like a used caravan sales yard myself.
I wouldn't bother staying there again. Way too many caravans and too little shade for me.
Mark, I do feel for the CP owners or managers trying to make a buck, and keep up with maintenance etc, and dealing with ignorant rude people. I always ask the price before I decide to stay, and move on, without complaint, if it's too much for my budget. And I'm more than happy to give more to certain freedom camps. Two that spring to mind is Genoa Vic, and Morven in Qld.
They (Variety Club) do a fantastic job and I have no problem in helping as I am a keen supporter in charitable things, the owner of the park himself went over and above the call of duty to make sure everybody was looked after, my wife worked VERY late for free, so did I, and so did many others, but, my point is more to do with associate costs. There are people that need to be paid and sometimes supply and demand does meet with inflated costs.
We owned a business in Perth and decided that we would open on Christmas day, we did not raise our prices to cater for that as we felt that we wanted to provide a service for those that had nowhere to go for the day (tourist season in Perth), after the event, we counted up the cost of additional staff at the rates we had to pay, the associated costs of just opening the doors and believe me, it didn't make it worthwhile, so, SOMETIMES I believe it is necessary to raise the cost to cover the event. Just my opinion.
We started off by discussing the cost of going to a Caravan Park, I do not agree with ripping people off and in the circumstances you highlighted, i can see it from both angles, yes I agree, and what I would have done, and have done, is looked in my till and thought "Wow, a few extra $$ in there tonight" and make a donation, or raffle a bottle or something to show a bit of give and not just take, greed does occur on both sides of the fence for sure.
Regards
Mark
Nope!! The prices would go up as they have less time to recoup the operating costs.
Free camping (and I'm not against it, I do it as often as possible) is what is putting C/p prices up.
Yep Mark, understand every thing you are saying, when we were away on our last trip all up along the coast in NQLD for love of money you could not get a spot to camp for the night,due to the people hogging these free spots.They make it a place to go for their annual holidays kind of thing.We had to pay to stay in van parks, not that it was such a big deal,but what I am trying to say is some people think they deserve to get every thing for nothing and bugger the next person,as long as we don't have to pay for a caravan park every thing is honky dory in life.
My mate and myself have sent off emails to the councils in the different areas up that way to bring it to there attention what is going on...These place were made for all of us to have a quick brake not for certain peoples annual holidays...Have suggested to bring in a $10/20 per night fee to help stop it.And to also help to go towards the cleaning of these places it should not be up to the local rate payers to contribute to some ones holiday. The rate payers money could be spent for the better of the local communities other than funding peoples way of travelling. This idea of bring money into the local communities dosnt sit with me, as the few $$$ that get spent in the really small areas wouldn't really keep it going for very long if that's what the town had to rely on to survive...
Your absolutely on the money Herbie
Best Regards
Mark