W.A. Caravan park fees

I would think word has already got around Bill with only 3 vans in the park.

It is these sorts of stories which have made me rethink the trip around the block, I can no longer see the point when people rip us off with those sorts of prices.

As someone said, you can rent a house for less money than it costs to hire a bit of grass to park your van on.

Cheers, Bruce.

"It is these sorts of stories which have made me rethink the trip around the block, I can no longer see the point when people rip us off with those sorts of prices."
Reason don't use caravan parks. Nearly always free camp or use community operated sites $5 to $10. Spent This year accommodation costs have been under $50
Wouldn't go around the top again. To many big ripoff prices, to many travellers now, to many places locked off or locked up, to much distance of little to see. There is plenty of other places in Aus.

And seeing that it was a Big 4 the owners probably have to pay a licensing or franchise fee as well.

Big 4 charge what they like, recently did 6 weeks work at a big 4 in Qld, when the school holidays came up the owner told the girls in the office to double the price as they will still come, nothing more than a blatant money grab.

Hi Bernie,
Yeah like you we are now pensioners, be nice to be on $57,000 a year.
I guess you need to have a look at who makes up the bulk of the average park's customer base. Sure most of them have higher rates during peak holiday times. Not everyone is in a financial position to afford whatever the park manager thinks the average punter will tolerate or cough up but just maybe there is a a difference between Grey Nomads who may be doing extended trips and working families who only go away maybe 3 or 4 weeks a year. If I was in the situation of taking the wife and kids away during the school holidays there is no way I would buy a caravan, have it sitting around most of the year and then pay inflated rates for a patch of grass and an ablution facility.
Different altogether if you are on the road full time or much extended holidaying.
I would have thought anything up to maybe $40 per night with an extra few dollars per head for over 2 people to be a fair price for somewhere like Ledge Point.
If it starts getting to $50+ per night as a norm I will start to look at alternatives to dragging a van around with the capital outlay of van and larger vehicle, extra fuel usage, licence fees and insurance.
Overseas starting to look better all the time.

Cheers
Pop

Pop


The cost of developing a single caravan site (that is one spot) has been conservatively estimated to be as high as $40,000 and this only accounts for the costs of providing the necessary infrastructure. Including, cement blocks, power to and underground power within the site, underground sewerage and toilet blocks. Not to mention other additional requirements to meet the Caravan Park and Camping Ground regulations.

It doesn’t include the cost of land, which is the other major upfront expense , particularly on the most desirable locations where land prices are highest, such as along Australia’s coastline.

Even taking a conservative approach to the cost of developing a caravan site, at approximately $35,000 per site, a caravan park with 100 sites would cost $3.5M just to develop the infrastructure.

My point is simply…Australia has a high cost base because of the wages we pay, and the value we have put on our land, from which many people have benefitted, caravan park operators are not magically insulated from this.

Whenever these posts arise there is plenty of subjective comment on how we are getting ripped off, but no analysis of the real costs involved in providing the service.

And I get it that we all want to travel as cheaply as possible, especially those who might be on a pension or who aren’t as fortunate as others to be earning the “average wage”. But surely, it isn’t the role of caravan park operators to subsidise the cost of the travelling public?

I don't own a caravan park, rarely visit them, don't invest in them and I don't even know someone who does... but I do like to see some balance in this discussion about the cost of staying in a caravan park.

And the reason is simple, if we don't pay the price they need to stay in business, they will close, and there is plenty of evidence of that happening as they change the land use. Where will that leave the 50/60% of the travelling public that use them?

Landy,
Say the average house costs $350,000 (we know they don't!), then to say the rental should be 10 times the rental of our $35,000 CP site, would you fancy paying $500 per night for house rental (less a discount for regular or long term house rental)?
Let's face it, it is right put of proportion to be paying $50 per night for a patch of grass and access to shared facilities, and the CP location is only a marginal factor. I know there are overheads and fees which are significant to CPs which distort my analogy, but some-where between there must be some truth.
Voting with our feet is the only real argument we can use.
Cheers, Bob

Landy,

Having been in one business or another for most of my adult life (no caravan park) I fully appreciate that the owner/operator of any commercial venture has a bottom line. Unfortunately not many people outside your business gives a rats about whether you business model is a success or not. Everyone, other than the well off have only a certain amount of disposable income. A caravan park is not like a water, power or property rates bill or your weekly groceries. For most of us visiting a caravan park is not obligatory. It's a luxury. As per your last paragraph if we don't pay the price they will close and unfortunately the income is dictated by what the public in general will pay. Whether this is inline with the owners needs/expectations or whatever is somewhat irrelevant. Putting the unit price up to compensate for lower volume is only going to end one way.
This principle is just as applicable whether a caravan park, the local deli or GMH.

Cheers
Pop

Hi Bob & Pop

There may very well be some truth in it, and I guess that is the point I was making earlier in this thread, but let’s see an analysis of the numbers, some facts, because seemingly, all too often many on this forum are disparaging of caravan park operator’s and quick to call their business rip-off’s, but with little evidence other than a viewpoint that it is “more than we want to pay”.

And I’m not suggesting either of you have taken this approach!

I’ve no desire to be either right, or wrong, on this topic but I do like to see some fairness in any debate that attacks the credibility of others, after all, isn’t that the Australia way?

Voting with our feet is an absolute right we have, but the end result may well be the ongoing closure, or change of use, of caravan parks and the resultant reduction in the availability of places for people to stay – that will impact many people who currently rely on this form of accommodation, for whatever reason.

And without doubt, there have been calls from many to have local authorities provide low cost options in communities to cater for budget travellers. Governments have a poor record on infrastructure investment, so if the caravan parks close, who will replace them, and where will that funding come from, the local community? We are already seeing substantial pressure on low cost, or free camp sites, and I think it is folly to believe the provision of these will continue on a “free” basis, especially when you see the overcrowding and the state many are often left in…

As a final comment, I often feel that instead of degenerating these business people, it might actually be more worthwhile to write to your local parliamentary representative and ask them to remove some of the red-tape that caravan park operator’s face, this may actually be more productive and eventuate in a better outcome for all, rather than simply “voting with our feet” as eventually, the “voting with your feet” strategy will impact us all..

And with the weekend approaching, enjoy.

Cheers, Baz, The Landy

G'day Baz,

Mate, not trying to have a go at you personally but as you may already know any prudent person or entity, before laying out 1 dollar to invest in any potential business venture requiring the outlay of significant financial resources will initiate a process of due diligence.
To stick with the caravan park scenario take the situation where there are 3 towns say 100 k's apart. Each has a caravan park with similar facilities and a beach front location. The first and third in line charge $36 a night and pushes that up to $42 a night for holiday season. The guy in the middle, for whatever reasons, charges $50 a night and adds another $6 a night for peak periods.I would suggest that over time people will vote with their feet (or wheels) and his numbers will suffer. To say that those who can't or won't pay the extra and go elsewhere are somehow responsible for that parks demise is in my opinion laying the blame at the wrong door step. Further to assert that anyone who feels the charges are excessive or just plain can't afford to pay have some responsibility to use that park anyway so that another can keep frequenting it is in my opinion unrealistic.
It's not a matter denigrating anyone or their business it's a matter for those people to have a good hard look at themselves and their business model if their custom is dropping off. Maybe they made the wrong decision in the first place or maybe they are getting just a little greedy.

Cheers
Pop

By the way Baz, luv the picture of your ute. Probably my next vehicle in a year or two.

Safe travels
Pop

Thanks Pop, still a work in progress, but almost finished!

And on parks, don't worry, I never take it personally, healthy debate usually provides healthy outcomes!

cheers, Baz

A friend of mine owned a caravan park & made this comment:

"I wish people would bring their dogs & leave their kids at home, at least they train their dogs!"

He went on to add that a large majority of parents seemed to abandon all responsibility for their children after arrival & expect the caravan park staff to become babysitters.

Dogs in caravan parks and any camping area should be banned.
99% of dog owners are inconsiderate towards others.
Dog owners need to realise majority of people don't like their dogs.
Dog owners only ever look after their dog the first day.
Dog owners cannot read and understand signs.
Dog owners cannot understand the words NO DOGS or DOGS MUST BE KEPT ON LEASH means.
Dog owners dont care where their dogs wee or crap and few clean up after their dogs.

Andrew,
Some of us really enjoy travelling with our dogs and even think the following:

Children in caravan parks and any camping area should be banned.
99% of children are inconsiderate towards others.
Parents need to realise majority of people don't like their children.
Parents only ever look after their children the first day.
Children cannot read and understand signs.
Parents cannot understand the words NO CHILDREN or CHILDREN MUST BE UNDER ADULT SUPERVISION means.
Parents must not care where their children wee or crap as they leave their disposable nappies everywhere.

EXCELLENT, get rid of the kids and the dogs, peace at last

Enjoy reading all your posts. This is true in both replies. Andrew& Lyn. I love my dog she is part of my family too.
Bernie

Andrew and Lyn, you guys have nailed it. Bloody dogs and kids. Should ban the lot of 'em.

Oh, except for my grandkids who are all adorable little angels and wouldn't annoy anyone.
Their two Alaskan Malamutes who are cute as and hardly ever poop should maybe get an exception too (;=))

Cheers
Pop

Um, what about Grey No…

…No sorry, just joking!

Seriously, joking!

Kids are generally OK and they get tired and sleep.

Pet hates in camping areas
Dogs
Drunks
Smokers
Chainsaws
Generators
Walking pigs
Inconsiderates that make unnecessarily large fires
Inconsiderates that park on top of you when no need
Inconsiderates that have to start fire on good grassed area

Loath them all equally

Saw a sign outside a caravan park earlier this year(Mildura I think)
Basically said


Family friendly park.
Older people also welcome.

Agree Ian x 2

Having a tray-top I generally gravitate towards CP's, however in a couple of places having been quoted the price for fixed accommodation in a CP, decided it was too expensive, and wound up finding a room in a local Hotel or Motel for less than half the price...

Motherhen

Good advice (as always from you). I am a bit of a wheatbelt fan, not so much from now on, but certainly in late winter and spring when the flowers are about.

Cheers

and you forgot to mention ExplorOz.... (Places) has all the campsite locations for free ;)

We just spent 6 nights at Gracemere Caravan Park.
We have never spent that long in a caravan park before but this time we were there to visit someone in hospital. Simple and Basic and exactly just what we needed