Picture this: you’re lying by the pool with a cold drink sweating beside you, thumbing through a paperback while a refreshing ocean breeze cools you down nicely. Cicadas scream from the bushland just beyond the fence, while kookaburras and cockatoos shout a chorus above you.
Did you imagine yourself at a five-star resort on some far-flung private beach? On a holiday that would cost an arm and a leg? You can get this experience for a crisp $20 a night.
Welcome to the year of the caravan park. Last year, Australians spent 19.7 million nights in caravan and camping accommodations, up 14% from the year before. As we’re being hit with alarmingly high grocery bills and rent increases, taking a more stripped-back approach to travel for this year is certainly appealing.
If you took caravan park holidays as a kid, you probably have memories of long sticky afternoons, taking trips to the corner shop to buy an ice cream or biking around the park with new friends. While this style of holiday remains ideal for families with kids, there’s plenty on offer for adults too.
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Holiday parks, as they’re now more commonly titled, have undergone a makeover over the last decade. Shake off your memories of crusty communal BBQs and kidney-shaped pools with a few foam noodles floating on the surface. These days parks offer activities like mini-golf, heated pools, go-karts, waterslides, and arcade rooms. One park in Melbourne even boasts a drive-in cinema.
All the fancy new mod-cons aside, the main drawcard of holiday parks for travellers in their 20s and 30s (alongside the affordable price tag) is that they’re perfect for travelling in groups.
There’s Something For Everyone
Within every friend group, there’s inevitably a mix of people — those who love roughing it and have a loyalty card at Anaconda, and those who prefer sleeping on a soft spring mattress with their phone plugged in beside them.
At holiday parks, everyone can choose their own accommodation, from cabins and glamping to powered sites. No one has to compromise, yet you still get to stay in the same place.
Even if you have the most bougie friends imaginable, there’s a holiday park to suit them. Take, for example, the one at Hawks Nest in NSW that offers tiny homes, safari tents, and cabins equipped with smart TVs and Nespresso machines.
Location, Location, Location
Let’s be real, if you book an Airbnb that’s big enough for a group of ten people, it will probably be in the middle of nowhere. You either have to be happy with a 20-minute drive into town for coffee, or otherwise satisfied with staying on the property for your whole trip.
Holiday parks are usually smack-bang in the middle of where you want to be, whether it’s a small town or bordering a national park. You’re likely to be within walking distance of a general store and a beach or inland swimming spot.
The friends who want to go off hiking and fishing will be satisfied, as will those whose daily exercise on holiday is capped at a walk to get coffee.
We’re Living in the Golden Age of Holiday Parks
The federal government has just announced a $10 million fund dedicated to upgrading over a hundred caravan parks across Australia. As more people choose to travel domestically to save money, the government has recognised that the humble holiday park is nothing short of an Aussie icon.
Funds have already been earmarked for a putt-putt course in Sutton, NSW, and a new pool for a park in the Daintree. Additionally, necessary upgrades in parks nationwide will make existing facilities more accessible.
“Our government is backing in these local businesses to upgrade their facilities and allow more people to experience the magic of a great Aussie caravan park holiday for years to come,” Tourism Minister Don Farrell said of the fund.
Don’t get me wrong, I love a five-star all-inclusive resort as much as the next person. If possible, all my trips would be to private islands in the South Pacific or cliffside mansions in Italy. But sadly, my budget won’t allow for that any time soon.
So until I win the lotto, holiday parks are a no-brainer.
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