Hear hear Phil.

For those who do not want jumping castles, pools,camp kitchens, swings, playgrounds etc then they are pricing themselves out .
For those that have children and want a holiday where the kids can play in relative safety then no.
I would like to see a tariff that reflects the actual usage that one wants.
EG. For those that need all the above $30 per night plus a little extra for children.
For grey nomads who only want power, water, flat site and a clean amenities $20 per night and perhaps a reduction for singles.


Just my thoughts.

I don`t want the add on`s just piece and quiet , a bit of power and water and a shower , unfortunately the majority of CP`s cant supply so we free camp.

Unfortunately the more touristy the CP the greater risk of paying "whatever the market will bear"

I am having to stay at Toowoomba showground for a week very soon,,
$25 a night powered or not.

imagine a single coming in there with a car and a tent,,,

Whilst FREE camping at Jugiong this week spoke to a couple who just come from Merimbula and the van park that they were going to stay at wanted $70 p/n as it is school holidays. This is just a simple rip off for GN's but obviously the family's that stay at these places during this time it would be a cheap nights accommodation with 2 + kids. But for us whilst I can I will free camp as much as possible and use a van park (infrequently) just to charge things up but in saying that between solar and a genie I don't really have to. 

How,

The biggest problem I see IMO with " User Pays" is while we the GN don't need all the bells and whistles and hope to pay less for it, we are taking the same site a family of 4 would that do want bells and whistles and willing to pay for it. I am quite sure I know who will get the site.

Me, I would be happy to go down the back out the way with just a bit of power and some sort of access to water. I also have my own power so could cope without theirs anyway. I only look at a CVP for a little more security if off and about etc. I still don't like the idea of leaving my van on it's own in a free camp or similar. I do have a couple of favourite places that don't have free/alternative camps close by so have to CVP it in that case but are reasonable cost especially one for a solo. 

I don't mind paying up to $25 a night but over that for what I want I believe is "out of the ball park" or should that be CVP?

My opinion only of course.

In my travels I see more and more van parks going down the cabin route with very expensive cabins ( $190 P/N for two in a one room cabin)take the prime view sites. The teltale is when they start charging $48.00 for a powered site with no slab low season . Also noted that the carbon charges that sent fees through the roof have not come down now the tax has gone .

You have my sympathy Pondy.

You get charged for all the dog owners that don't do the right thing.

The bigger parks with all the extras raise the cost of the stay, then the other parks without these facilities think  if the big fancy parks are charging $50 /per then I can charge $45 /night even without the fancy stuff when I used to charge only $20.

 

We used to pay $20 , now we have a choice pay the big money and get all the features and comfort or pay almost as much and get ripped off to save a few dollars.

-- Edited by grahamg on Friday 3rd of October 2014 11:53:16 AM

-- Edited by grahamg on Friday 3rd of October 2014 11:54:45 AM

The question should perhaps really be.... 'are Grey Nomads pricing themselves out of the Caravan Park market"?.......so who will last the longest in this growing stalemate?.....we are regarded as the travelling' lepers'..by all who worship the almighty Dollar.....what common ground can hope to be forged in the future?....none I suggest.....their input costs of power and water, staff and amenity upkeep will no doubt continue to spiral beyond their control...apart from attempting to recover from the 'user pays'.....
We don't/ can't/ want, to pay for facilities we don't require....on that all travelling Nomads generally agree.....at our stages of life we have invariably been screwed by the best over the years and we don't feel inclined to be screwed further whilst we have some control or say over it....so what are our alternatives?.....

The answer cannot lay in Caravan Parks changing their attitudes/business practices/ or even curtailing their profit expectations based on their total capital investment....the value of their land/Investment goes up/appreciates..their Accountants are guiding their business decisions and advising how much they should charge to recoup an adequate profit based on their increased values...we are not interested in paying for their increased profit expectations, and conversely our rigs depreciate not appreciate...and in the current environment for self funded's or Pension receipients..we have little hope of increased incomes to match their increased profit expectations......

I suggest therefore we have no common ground, apart from our wish to have a tiny part of their ground at a reasonable price....we do not want charity or particulary free sites..we will pay a reasonable amount based on our reasonable needs.....

Until some entrepreneurial group recognizes what our true needs/wants are, or are even worth servicing, I suggest the gap will only widen...and they can no doubt last longer than we can as they also have vested interests working for them to curtail our alternatives round Australia......

Our power to change lies in our large voting demographic group, however it needs to be marshalled and effectively directed, country town business's to recognize our true value to them as an economic group/stimulus, and our collective ability to appeal to those that can match our alternative needs that Caravan Parks will/can never fulfil....provision to be made for rezoning land on the outskirts of city's and Townships to allow/provide for secure parking/camping for essentially self contained rigs at a reasonable fee based on""" basic""" services actually provided...
Result: less reliance on essential Truck Parking Bays....less frustration to Local Gov't Municipalities as to what to do with our growing movement...aka 'Travelling Grey Nomads"..many would like us to simply disappear...but how does an ever increasing group simply disappear?....it wont and it requires 'servicing' . and Caravan Parks can continue their own "Cabin Type" agenda's or whatever...and who among us really cares what their Agenda's are ,if it in no way relates to our needs......

To answer the question raised...are Caravan Parks pricing themselves out of the market....NO.....our Demographic Group are not their market......and I suggest never will be we must explore and achieve alternatives to Caravan Parks as they exist at the moment............Hoo Roo

-- Edited by Golddetectornomad on Friday 3rd of October 2014 03:23:32 PM

-- Edited by Golddetectornomad on Friday 3rd of October 2014 03:31:19 PM

Gday...

Larry's quite right in many ways. However, I doubt a "GN Party/lobby group" would eventuate. We are all too diverse in our attitudes, experiences, economic circumstances, energy levels and perhaps even political persuasions. 

However, perhaps the most important "vote" we could cast would be to "vote with our feet/pocket" - don't use CPs that charge more than $20-$25/night. This may mean not being right on top of that tourist attraction in that major town. It also does not mean "only free camping" - it means being thoughtfully selective in the CPs/camp spots you sleep in.

Ultimately, as cash flow beings to slow, CPs may begin to see the need to cater for "the travelling public" rather than just the "holidaying public".

There is no easy solution, and perhaps we, the "travelling GNs", are not sufficiently cohesive as a group to even "vote with our feet" collectively to make enough difference.

Cheers - John

[edit: if only Rocky could spell properly )

-- Edited by rockylizard on Saturday 4th of October 2014 12:36:57 PM

Onedodger wrote:

---

If you are genuinely wanting to do something about this dilemma then have a look at this lobby group and join up to add your few dollars to the cause.

This beats whining about the situation. Plus every little bit helps.

 

http://www.cmca.net.au/about-us/motouring

 

 

---

 Fair comment Onedodger, I guess Im like most of us.. Just couldnt be stuffed getting into a stressful argument with bureaucracy. The path of least resistance is to not use expensive CPs and stay at free camps when possible.

BTW I have joined the cmca group, thanks mate.

Safe travels 

Are c/van partks pricing themnselves out of the market...absolutely !!

Australian prices for hospitality services are beyond a joke !! We are so far behind the rest of the world in so many respects, it's frighteneing !!

But some of us who don't travel overseas a great deal have nothing to compare with...

A lot say to themselves "I want to see australia first"...and fair enough...

but that's not to say we shouldn't be competitive with other places equally as beautiful..

I recently spent a month in Thailand and Malaysia...with time at a resort with 3 very large resort style swimming pools, an airconditioned double room with everything that opens and shuts, a breakfast buffet (for 2) thrown in each morning for good measure...wifi, and some very beautiful "guest relations officers" attentive to our every need....

and all this for $50 per night...and that's for both of us...(the room price)

If that doesn't convince us that caravan park are charging way too much for 20 square metres of grass, then I'm not sure what will !

But the unfortunate truth is that caravan parks do not exist to provide a fair and sensible price to GNs, but to maximise profits for their owners....and while they continue to attract paying customers, they don't need to be concerned....I simply vote with my feet.

Lucky for them though...even most of us GNs do feel the need a park with facilities every now and again..

Australian Caravan Parks have' larger fish to fry' and alternative Agendas to providing reasonable price sites to travelling Grey Nomads who require their services 'every now and again'....I seriously doubt as a Group we even figure in the Business Strategies of the larger/more prominent Parks throughout Australia........therefor we are probably deluding ourselves further by 'voting with our feet'...in the expectation they will see the errors of their ways.....we are not their market....havn't been for quite a while.....and without some quantum shift in their profit expectations, won't be their market in the future either...

When I was engaged to sell a certain Caravan Park in Coastal S.A. the new owners could not divest themselves quick enough of the large number of loyal 'permanents' that had occupied sites for many years....cabins, potential re-subdivision, maximising profits was the only consideration.....the 'permanents' only represented potential problems to them, as they could not hope to pay ever increasing site fees.....sites that could earn far more as holiday cabins....and I suggest as a Travelling Group we represent nothing to them, unless we are prepared to pay what they want for all their facilities they provide, rather than what we require, and pay what we consider reasonable....

The bizarre 'Catch 22' is the fact that their vested interests would continue to restrict or ban our Group alternatives around Australia.....I'm currently in Bendigo and attend the Sunday markets at the Prince of Wales Showgrounds....I now see signs that camping has been forbidden at the Showgrounds from 1st May 2014....previously I used to see many Caravans using their reasonable services for a reasonable fee <$20?>...I don't know the politics behind this decision however it's common to many City's and Townships usually due to vested interests on Council attempting to force our Travelling Demographic Group into some sort of submission....stay in Caravan Parks and pay their fees or stay at home........the fact we are increasing yearly in numbers means at some stage "Services suitable to our needs' will have to be made available for essentially self contained small and larger rigs.....

..I think Onedodger made an excellent recommendation as to where we can marshall our efforts/support...to highlight our reasonable needs and wants.....Hoo Roo