Only they are not getting customers.

I reckon that they must reduce - maybe there's a move on parks temporarily now with pent-up energy
from the lockdowns.

But I doubt that that can continue indefinitely. And whichever way you look at it what was once $35 to $40
is regularly $50- $60. Thats a lot of doffer for an overnight parking space on top of a neighbour.
I have seen figures like $70 plus - especially in the corporate (NRMA, etc) parks.

There's a lot of vanners now that don't even use the facilities, preferring to bathe, bog and whatever in
their van.

And low-cost and freecamps are proliferating (you beaut) which is adding to the pressure on the parks.

My two bob's worth, anyway.

Brodie.

Whenarewethere wrote:

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Only they are not getting customers.

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 Is that spoken with accurate knowledge?

I really think you need to actually get out and experience the caravanning lifestyle.

As I Have posted previously, some of the parks don't deserve your business, let alone increasing the prices for an un-level, muddy or dusty tiny site accompanied with bad facilities. There are a few that are worthy but few and far between in my experience.

Regarding park usage lately, coming down the east coast Hervey Bay to Melbourne was a nightmare before Xmas to get in anywhere, mostly FULL! (and Bl--dy expensive!)

I find this post is disturbing I'm unsure if the responders actually use Caravan Parks.

May I suggest if you respond that you quantify your response with your historical usage of caravan parks.

In our case we predominately use caravan parks but also we use Showgrounds and other low cost facilities, never free camps nor facilities without power.

As for the prices we pay I have never paid more than $36 per night at a CP, sure you pay higher rates at the high tourist locations and coastal strip CP's.

One night wonders will pay the full tote odds, compared to those who stay a week or more will generally pay 5 or 6 stay 7.

As for why prices are on the rise its simple cost to run a park growing rapidly, insurance, power and Council rates etc are the main problem. I can give you an example of one council that owners have to pay rates that include rubbish but there is no rubbish collection available, Owners setup an enviromental septic system for which they have to pay $2000 annual fee, now add to that if they want to establish more sites or cabins then they have to pay per site establishment approval fee, which is on a sliding scale from 600 to 5000 dollars depending on the site use.

Before you kneecap a CP for its prices maybe there maybe reasons why.

I was going to keep out if this but hey, it's me 

I am and have been staying in a little bush setting caravan park for a while and will be a while longer for health reasons mainly but I don't really mind. I actually love it here. No bells and whistles here, although there is a nice pool. Before now I was in and out a couple of times a year. 

I have got to know the owners of this 'privately owned' park very well, yep, no big companies or chains here. Speaking to them regularly they class their park as 'not a destination park'. More an overnight stop over while travelling. They say that prices of a few different insurances they have to have, gas and electricity have gone through the roof and can't possibly charge less for a powered site. Not to mention the cost of rubbish removal and general maintenance. Like, some idiot ran over a tap that was easily seen in front of him, it stands about a metre up from the ground for goodness sake, or backed into a brick garden wall bringing it down. Even vandalism, just cos they can. I watched a kid deliberately wreck a chair in the camp kitchen and when I mentioned it to his mum, was told "the owners can buy a new one". Lovely attitude, not.

From my general observations their cost would be reduced considerably if inconsiderate people just did the right thing, not leave lights on as the leave the amenity blocks even though there is a nice friendly sign asking you to turn off if last to leave, same with the camp kitchen. Don't leave taps running when you leave same areas and yes I have seen people do this. Air conditioners left running all day while you are out site seeing etc. This all applies to the few cabins here as well. Having free camped etc a lot and still will, I am very conscious of power and water usage in particular and I am forever turning lights or taps off.  

Is it any wonder caravan parks are expensive. If people just thought and not say "I pay for it, I'll do what I want".

No, I don't have shares in the place, just a caring and paying guest. 

 

Keep Safe out there everyone. 

People will do what suits them.

I don't know why the anti caravan park mob come out of the woodwork to screech stuff like " l never, ever use caravan parks with their expensive playgrounds...and hot showers and laundy facilities."


Those folks who do the free/ cheap camp thing all the time NEVER mention the noisy bogans who turn up X 4 and pull out the noisy electronic gizmos.

And the feral pig dogs they allow to wander around YOUR site.

A recent article in caravanning news:


In the soon-to-be-announced criteria for the grant program, Australian caravan parks will be able to apply for funding to deliver shovel-ready projects.


FUNDING FOR TWO YEARS

The government will provide funding for the next two years to assist caravan parks to upgrade or create new infrastructure and visitor facilities to enhance visitor experience, including improvements to accessibility. This program is expected to begin in November.

"The heart of the program is to assist caravan parks to swiftly upgrade or create new infrastructure and visitor facilities to enhance visitor experience, including improvements to accessibility and environmental sustainability practices," the association said.


And a reply by an observant reader:

Caravanning News reader David Johnson from Victoria was quick to react to the news, commenting: "I just hope that as taxpayers are effectively funding an element of the upgrade works, that park owners recognise the funded element and ensure any resultant price rises reflect this."


PIGS MIGHT FLY, David!!!


Government would be better off using the money on low-cost camps rather than giving it to private corporations.

Gundog wrote:

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May I suggest if you respond that you quantify your response with your historical usage of caravan parks.

 

---

 We rarely use caravan parks for essentially 3 reasons.

1.We prefer the peace & serentity of being out in the bush 

2. We could not afford to stay in caravan parks all the time (it would be different if it were just for holidays)

3. On the whole we don't actually like the crowded nature of caravan parks much (with a few notable exceptions)

We also rarely use the many of 'free camps' along the popular Grey Nomad routes.  Many are just as crowded as the caravan parks but without the facilities of a caravan park. 

So I am in no position to take a view on whether the prices of caravan parks relate to the costs of running them.

However I do have a sense of what constitutes reasonable value to us.  On the whole, when we do stay in the odd park now & then what we pay for is a patch of ground to park on overnight, plus toilet & shower facilities. Maybe washing machine too.  Whether we consider it good value is determined primarily by location. If it's a gorgeous place with a beautiful outlook we may consider it worth paying for if we deem it affordable to us. When we consider it good value we may stay several nights.

My perception is that because of the seasonal business model that many caravan parks are subject to they are opportunists, charging whatever they can get, & varying their prices according to demand. It's the nature of the beast. Complaints, more often than not are about this opportunism I think. However as long as the parks are operating at capacity there are people paying the asking price, so there is no motivation to reduce those prices no matter how unaffordable they might be for some. What has concerned me for years is the caravan park lobby doing all they can to stamp out anything they see as competing with them, often seeking to close down free camps used by many who would never be able to afford the CP prices, or who would not choose to stay in them even if they could. There is a crossover market, but attempts to close free camps has rarely if ever seen free camps as anything other than taking custom from the parks. A view I can't help but see as selfish. We were well informed of (& embarrassed by) the behaviours of local caravan park operators in our hometown of Ballarat to ensure that the trial of a free camp there would fail. Dirty tricks profit driven in a town where caravan parks hold sway on the local council won the day. 

I think the highest we have ever paid in a caravan Park has been $45 a night. It was a bit of a shock to us & we grumbled a bit between ourselves about the cost, although had no complaints about the park having accepted the convenience of being there rather than 40kms out of town at the nearest free camp, because we had early morning business to attend to in the town. So on that occasion we accepted that the value (to us) of paying the cost was more than just a piece of grass to camp on with toilets & showers.  

Essentially we avoid the busy & expensive nature of the east coast. There is a great deal of beauty to experience for those who have not travelled it, but having done so we are now more than happy to go elsewhere where we can travel & camp in the way we like best. 

Brodie Allen wrote:

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Ivan 01 wrote:

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It appears to me Brodie that when you take delivery of your New Van that you have a few options.

Restrict you travel effort if it is the money you are concerned about. ( stay home a lot more )

Be prepared to *sit out* periods of time in free camps so as to limit time travelling and subsequent costs.

Pay the park fees, enjoy your stay and enjoy the very adventure that caused you to make a decision to enter the caravanning lifestyle in the first place.

---

 Brilliant clap-trap. Totally unhelpful and off subject.

---

 So my post is off topic and others arent.

 OK, Here goes.  No I dont think rental fees in caravan parks will drop to pre Covid levels.

When reading back there is one post only that addresses your opening post. Your second post was your two bobs worth and my first post was mine. Simple really.

Enjoy your new van and your caravanning.

Possum3 wrote:

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Like Doug, We are finding it a deeply disturbing fact that; the general public utilising services in caravan/motel provided facilities are self indulgent, lazy and filthy.

It seems that modern Australia has totally forgotten what it is like to have nothing and yet be grateful for it. The hard working, honest and patriotic Australians that fought Wars, battled Economic Depressions and built modern Australia are being dishonoured by their selfish descendants.

---

 They teach the kids and young adults in schools and universities should be

entitled, when they are not they are disrespectful and resentful.

 

All the current woke mantras play into their hands also.

 

Bring back Nasho and smarten them up. We're likely to be needing it

by the look of things anyway.

Brodie Allen wrote:

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Bring back Nasho and smarten them up. We're likely to be needing it by the look of things anyway.

---

 I hope not - Not many servicemen want to have them at their six.

Hi Brodie Allen,
Where possible we stay at the smaller, less known places - giving support to these small towns.
One favourite that's a day's travel from Townsville (home) is Capella - just north of Emerald. They offer good service, clean facilities, low cost (in today's economic climate) & friendship. Their Happy Hours are held in all weathers (except cyclones if one would venture that far inland). Most of our friends stay there too.

Another on the Bruce Highway between Mackay & Proserpine is St Helens. We discovered both parks almost by accident. For us both offer good birding (we're birdwatchers). No, they don't have all of the "flash" things that the bigger parks think families want today but their prices are much lower too. They don't suffer the issues where there are oodles of kids racing around on foot, bikes, trikes. At one big park in Warrnambool (we couldn't avoid staying there), there were kids getting in the way of people like us trying to reverse into caravan spots - while their ignorant parents looked on & thought it was hilarious.

The parks big & small still have to pay govt & council charges that are often astronomical. The Qld Govt is beyond broke so I don't see them winding prices down. We've just been told our power prices are going up 27% - so much for cheap renewables!

I saw a great posting on Facebook yesterday "My wish for 2023 is that everyone has enough! Enough time. Enough money. Enough friends. Enough food. Enough sleep. Enough of all the things you need. Not too much - just Enough!"

Warren-Pat_01 wrote:

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Hi Brodie Allen,
Where possible we stay at the smaller, less known places - giving support to these small towns.
One favourite that's a day's travel from Townsville (home) is Capella - just north of Emerald. They offer good service, clean facilities, low cost (in today's economic climate) & friendship. Their Happy Hours are held in all weathers (except cyclones if one would venture that far inland). Most of our friends stay there too.

Another on the Bruce Highway between Mackay & Proserpine is St Helens. We discovered both parks almost by accident. For us both offer good birding (we're birdwatchers). No, they don't have all of the "flash" things that the bigger parks think families want today but their prices are much lower too. They don't suffer the issues where there are oodles of kids racing around on foot, bikes, trikes. At one big park in Warrnambool (we couldn't avoid staying there), there were kids getting in the way of people like us trying to reverse into caravan spots - while their ignorant parents looked on & thought it was hilarious.

The parks big & small still have to pay govt & council charges that are often astronomical. The Qld Govt is beyond broke so I don't see them winding prices down. We've just been told our power prices are going up 27% - so much for cheap renewables!

I saw a great posting on Facebook yesterday "My wish for 2023 is that everyone has enough! Enough time. Enough money. Enough friends. Enough food. Enough sleep. Enough of all the things you need. Not too much - just Enough!"

---

 Thanks for your thoughtful post.

 

Just to clarify, it's not that I can't afford the cost of parks, I just don't see the value inherent in

a fee of $50 - $60 for an overnight parking spot.  For me and I think an increasing number of

others, I wonder how much I'm paying for empty sheds with refrig, oven, stove, jumping bag,

pool and etc. when I need none of it.

 

More now than ever parks are family with kids hang-outs and not suiting the mature traveller.

For me, a bit of space is welcome too - I am not at all happy with the claustrophobic situation

in most - all - parks.

 

Some parks are getting a bit of an idea in as much as they have set aside a drive-thru no amenity

area but still want $30 for the parking rights.

 

I feel sure that given a bit of time and a settlement of pent-up travelitis we will see competition

gradually reducing the opportunistic attitude of many parks management and a softening of

park pricing. Look at diesel for instance - down about 20% in the last 6 months.

 

Covid, Covid, Covid - war on the other side of the world, bla bla . . . any excuse to cover their

shame for the unwarranted price increases. Chock-a-block and still "needing" more money.