Called into a couple of van parks in midwest to see what cost were to stay during up coming Christmas school holidays with two grandkids in tow.
So for off season, price is $X per night powered site, and two kids extra, is $Y each additional person above the standard couple. Found this to be the norm in all I spoke too.
Now the issue next was the on-season rate
The average family would baulk at the cost (2x2) I am sure. Maybe I havent been for a while, but the large corporate groups, well they do get a little excited with nightly charges I would have to say.
One I had a little fun with, when she explaned Its $X off season but on season its $X plus! I asked what extra one could expect in the on season for the price hike, like is there extra activities thrown in, kids things and such, she said, noooo, why do you ask? Well what's the price hike for then, if its same patch of sand, lawn, concrete. why on one day its $X and for a designated period it goes to $X+ . I did ask if the running cost increased in the on season could that be the reason. No she said, then hesitated as she had an out, but fluffed her lines
So all in all, none could give me a reasonable explanation as to the price hike for on-season, other than, well that's just cos.........
Free market, people can charge what the want and the paying public will tolerate, but I have to say, the cost are getting up there for a daggy old run of the mill caravan park.
I'm with ya. I've long be whinging about the price of caravan parks. But I reckon even worse is the cost to camp in national parks. Dependent on the location you can be up for $14/night +$7 for your car. 35 bucks for me and the missus to park on a parcel of grass is a joke.
We recently did a 3 month trip with the kids and had to pay up to $70 a night for 2 adults and 3 kids aged 10, 8, and 5 on a powered site
They charge the extra during the peak seasons to cover the extra staff due to being full during these times a lot of parks now shut up shop during winter just leave a caretaker
We run our accommodation here in Queensland and we refuse to up the rates for the seasons as it pisses us off how rates can double in the xmas and school holidays, i know eveyrone has to make a buck, but we get a lot of repeat business from families that just cant afford the peak season rates,
Select to expand quotepueter66 said..
We run our accommodation here in Queensland and we refuse to up the rates for the seasons as it pisses us off how rates can double in the xmas and school holidays, i know eveyrone has to make a buck, but we get a lot of repeat business from families that just cant afford the peak season rates,
And thats is a time honoured true business model, that breeds success. Well done. 
The large chain parks, although I suspect a few would like to do same, are now buggered by the system they helped to build
On a side note, its surprising to see so many parks have gone the way of East Coast, where there are cabins in preference to the whole park being predominantly van sites, to less than 30% are now available for vans.
Coastal cara/campa parks are disappearing because they are worth more as redevelopment sites than in current usage.
Even local councils are selling them off.
I hear you Min, and the park owners then get the poops with free campers, go figure.
Select to expand quotefiriebob said..
I hear you Min, and the park owners then get the poops with free campers, go figure.
Spot on
A place in the middle of WA's great southern / wheatbelt that has nothing going for it - nothing at all - provides an area to park a caravan or camper.
You get dunnies and a shower, and power. The dunnies would exist anyway as they are a public toilet block - so all they provide is a flat area with powerpoints. Not hard.
The rest is red dirt, no shade, no lawn and nobody else staying there. Empty every time I have seen it in last 2yrs. Gratefully provided by the Shire.
The *only* thing going for it is that it is roughly halfway to a awesome windsports and surfing spot.
They want $22 a night.
So yeah I am hearing ya Mineral - WTF are they thinking..........?
God only knows what desirable locations want in peak season.
Some are good value,..like Mt Magnet, Sandstone, and a few others, Generally around 10 to 15 dollars a night for one old person.
Some others, like Augusta, $32, Exmouth Lighthouse about $35, and some over $40 per night for just a patch of dirt to park on, no power, no nothing. Just a total rip off.
If there is a choice, I just tell them politely that it's way too expensive for what it is, I leave and go elsewhere.
Don't be shy. But be polite. If you are being ripped off, tell them so and go elsewhere.
If you smile and pay up, you are just rewarding bad behaviour.
If enough people tell them that they are ripping people off they will eventually get the message.
If they claim they have high expenses, why can the park up the road or around the corner provide better services cheaper?
I notice the ones that don't give discounts for single person have much more vacancies than those who do.
I guess they would prefer to have a half empty park than let out a site at single rates.
The silly thing about that is, most people are creatures of habit anyway so in the years that you might return with 4 friends, you will go back to the one you went to last year which gave you the discount.
I have come to the conclusion that a lot of caravan park owners know nothing about people or business.
On my last trip around the north last winter I found four parks in various places that gave single rate discounts plus old folks discounts.
They go on my list of places to go back to next time and the previous ones get the flick.
WA is a big area full of mostly nothing. If it costs thirty dollars for a patch of dirt, why not just find sonewhere out of the way & camp for free? Sure there are no amenities but what do you get for $30? A toilet block and possibly power. You possibly could set yourself up to have these amennities yourself for not much money, especislly if you are on the move.
Last couple of years when planning a week or so away, we have checked camping rates at various places, national parks, unpowered sites etc.
Family of 5, (3 kids, 13, 11, 8) cheapest for a week we have found is $294.........
We have now stayed in a couple of very nice holiday homes for around $350 for the week, and they have been dog friendly!
I have heard that the free camping guide book has just been bought out by the Big 4....... Wonder why?
I think there are a few free sites dotted around the country. All the retired travelers know about them and apparently stay there for ages.
I thought it was a bit cheap, all these retired people whinging about paying for caravan parks, but I guess if you have to stay everynight for 3 months or longer, it can be quite expensive.
That also explains why we don't have any overseas tourists exploring this great state of ours. We pay a lot of money for a patch of dirt, bad customer service and dirty toilet blocks. There are a number of campsites that offer a good product but are rare like hens teeth.
A couple of years ago, sandwichmaker + son wanted to do the wildflower tour thing,
Spent a week going through much of the wheatbelt in a hired campervan.
We found the same thing, a few places were over-the-top pricey, but were surprised to find a few towns that cost stuff all to use thier caravan parks.
IIRC, one of the better had campsites with plenty of shade, caravan sites with private en-suite type shower/ bathroom, power supplied, full BBQ and kitchen [out doors but under cover in huge gazebo] and was only a few hundred metres from the pub/ shops/ sports ground+rec.centre.
cost us next to nothing.
We have the details of the whole trip stashed somewhere, give us some time and I will do a search.
stephen
I havent fount the trip details yet, but I asked the sandwichmaker if she could remember which town it was.
The answer that came back........
"it was the town that had its name ending with "in"
thats really going to help narrow down the search!
stephen
Oh I know, I know....... No, I lost it.
That's like saying "you know that town down South that ends in up".
Forgot to mention - there is a traveller's guide book that consists of ONLY free camping spots all around Oz.
Can't recall the name but sure you'd be able to find it.
Select to expand quoteMobydisc said..
WA is a big area full of mostly nothing. If it costs thirty dollars for a patch of dirt, why not just find sonewhere out of the way & camp for free? Sure there are no amenities but what do you get for $30? A toilet block and possibly power. You possibly could set yourself up to have these amennities yourself for not much money, especislly if you are on the move.
That's the annoying thing.
I prefer to park out in the sticks under a tree for the night, and often do, but almost all shires in W.A. now have a "no camping" policy, and they count camping as even sleeping in your car or camper for 8 hours overnight, no tent, no deck chairs, no campfire, no nothing,.. just sleeping in your car or campervan, doors shut and snoring.
If the ranger is in a sour mood, and they often are, they hit you with a fine of $200 to $500 for illegal camping, not to mention talking down to you like you're some homeless dropkick.
The Exmouth shire is one of them. There is no camping allowed anywhere in the exmouth shire except for designated campgrounds,..i.e. caravan parks.
I can unsderstand them not wanting people setting up tent city campsites for the winter like they used to, but they have gone from one extreme to the other.
The shire is far too large to ban camping anywhere in the whole shire. It stinks!
They say it's because campers drop their rubbish everywhere.
I'm sure some of them do, but then they drop it everywhere in the daytime. What's the difference about night time?
It's probably one of the few times they don't drop rubbish, because they are sleeping.
And why is it that my home council has to spend $600,000 a year maintaining the local beaches for the benefit of the whole country, all paid for by local residents rates, and yet the country shires feel it's beneath them to allow someone to sleep overnight in a campervan out in their unoccupied bush somewhere?
And they wonder why people go off to Bali for holidays.
Select to expand quotesn said..
I havent fount the trip details yet, but I asked the sandwichmaker if she could remember which town it was.
The answer that came back........
"it was the town that had its name ending with "in"
thats really going to help narrow down the search!stephen
Maybe Wickerpin? There's not too many ending with in.,.. Hmmm,.. maybe Meredin? Dowerin? Ummm,..
Select to expand quotepweedas said..sn said..
I havent fount the trip details yet, but I asked the sandwichmaker if she could remember which town it was.
The answer that came back........
"it was the town that had its name ending with "in"
thats really going to help narrow down the search!stephen
Maybe Wickerpin? There's not too many ending with in.,.. Hmmm,.. maybe Meredin? Dowerin? Ummm,..
About 40 towns ending in 'in''
There are plenty of free camping spots around the carparks at Port and Leighton Beaches (WA).... there must be 'cos when I go to work at 6.30ish in the morning there is always quite a few decked out vans parked up with happy campers at various stages of their morning ablutions !!
Select to expand quotepweedas said..
"no camping" policy, and they count camping as even sleeping in your car or camper for 8 hours overnight, no tent, no deck chairs, no campfire, no nothing,.. just sleeping in your car or campervan, doors shut and snoring.
If the ranger is in a sour mood, and they often are, they hit you with a fine of $200 to $500 for illegal camping, not to mention talking down to you like you're some homeless dropkick.
Tell the ranger you are knackered and felt you were at risk of falling asleep while driving, and you refuse to move until you have had a decent sleep.
I doubt a ranger would risk being held accountable by the coroner if an accident occurs.
There is a fair chance if he still hit you with a fine, that it would be thrown out if contested in court.
stephen.
Select to expand quotesn said..pweedas said..
"no camping" policy, and they count camping as even sleeping in your car or camper for 8 hours overnight, no tent, no deck chairs, no campfire, no nothing,.. just sleeping in your car or campervan, doors shut and snoring.
If the ranger is in a sour mood, and they often are, they hit you with a fine of $200 to $500 for illegal camping, not to mention talking down to you like you're some homeless dropkick.
Tell the ranger you are knackered and felt you were at risk of falling asleep while driving, and you refuse to move until you have had a decent sleep.
I doubt a ranger would risk being held accountable by the coroner if an accident occurs.
There is a fair chance if he still hit you with a fine, that it would be thrown out if contested in court.
stephen.
Couple I know headed for Preston Beach, with understanding van park there was still available. It wasnt and had been closed for about 12 months.(was off season so no booking ahead) They parked at beach car park, Ranger showed up, they did explain situation, but if he said so, they would move on. He said, great, but to help you on your way, here's a little fine for you to take with you. what a drop kick.
Local shires in South West, coastal and inland, have no idea on the business they are missing with this heavy handed approach, and no accommodating style they elect to run with. 
Select to expand quoteMark _australia said..
Forgot to mention - there is a traveller's guide book that consists of ONLY free camping spots all around Oz.
Can't recall the name but sure you'd be able to find it.
Thats the one that has just been bought by the Big 4 Group.........it wont be around for long!
Select to expand quotepatsken said..
There are plenty of free camping spots around the carparks at Port and Leighton Beaches (WA).... there must be 'cos when I go to work at 6.30ish in the morning there is always quite a few decked out vans parked up with happy campers at various stages of their morning ablutions !!
That's because Port beach and surrounds is run by Fremantle Port Authority, and they are a little less dilligent in pursuing policy.
Every so often they have a blitz on them but not as often as local councils.
Select to expand quotepweedas said..patsken said..
There are plenty of free camping spots around the carparks at Port and Leighton Beaches (WA).... there must be 'cos when I go to work at 6.30ish in the morning there is always quite a few decked out vans parked up with happy campers at various stages of their morning ablutions !!
That's because Port beach and surrounds is run by Fremantle Port Authority, and they are a little less dilligent in pursuing policy.
Every so often they have a blitz on them but not as often as local councils.
Which pretty much shows that it is most likely a money raising exercise by the looks seeing that the Port Authority are a government cash cow and the local councils are generally cash strapped.
Mind you a few of the free campers stuff it up for the rest by staying there for weeks and doing everything from their dishes to the laundry in the shower blocks and leaving a mess....
Select to expand quotepweedas said..
I prefer to park out in the sticks under a tree for the night, and often do, but almost all shires in W.A. now have a "no camping" policy, and they count camping as even sleeping in your car or camper for 8 hours overnight, no tent, no deck chairs, no campfire, no nothing,.. just sleeping in your car or campervan, doors shut and snoring.
If the ranger is in a sour mood, and they often are, they hit you with a fine of $200 to $500 for illegal camping, not to mention talking down to you like you're some homeless dropkick.
This is the entire east coast. Safe spots are very few and far between and not generally near the beach.
I found Perth north ridiculously easy to find a good free park up spot, even in a rented 2wd wicked van (stands out like a sore thumb) with 3 people so we needed to drop a tent outside too. Didn't get south of Perth but only paid for spots when we needed water/showers on the trip north.
We've have a place down at Preston,Mineral and your right we quite often see the vans and campers in carpark and they always asking if there's a camp close.The shire has now finished up grading the water tank campsites so there's heaps of sites.Unfortunely the minority have spoilt the beach camping down that by not living by the rules and ranger now has a day out most weekends.
We should have state campgrounds spread around the place like the yanks have, free to use but I think you can only stay for a max of 6 days at a time.
