Coober Pedy

Has been the norm in Coober Pedy for many years

How bad would it be if the water stunk at least it don't smell.
We have stayed in the same park in Coober Pedy yeah it's a shock but you don't waste it when you have to pay.

We stayed at Cunnamulla Caravan park in 2007 and the water was on the nose it smelt like rotten eggs.
Could not even clean your teeth with that water our whole family was dry reaching.

Cheers Scoof . :-)

We stayed there in April.
The owner was away and a young couple were running the place.

We paid an extra $5 for water we would have used in the ablutions anyway.

The site wasnt even big eough to put our awning out.

I know water is scarce but to charge extra for what you would use is a bit off.

As well as that the front ablutions were closed due to no water and no one was doing much about it.

Also the young couple were having matrimonal problems and once my wife went to the office and they were having a spat Throwing things ALL the words etc. No apology when they realised she was there .

Will be the subject of a letter to the Big 4 organisation

We stayed in the same caravan park recently. If one cannot have a complete shower in 2 minutes it is no wonder some cities are running out of water. If you grew up with only rain water to shower in, you would learn to have a quick shower.
As someone else said, you are lucky you did not get the aroma as well as the 20 cent extra charge.
We stayed in a so called resort caravan park near Alice Springs and it was the most expensive and probably had the hardest water and least facilities. Sure we did not pay for the water but just as well as it had an aroma for free.
Get used to unusual charges as you move around. It is just part of traveling in remote areas.
Enjoy your travels.
DW

20c is too cheap

It should be $2.

Hi Jeff
You will find that all the caravan parks in Coober Pedy are the same and has been that way for as long as we have been staying in Coober Pedy, more than 35 years. Back then you would have to buy a token - now that was a real pain, because if you ran out of them, your shower was then good and truly over. One of the parks explains this when you book in and gives you a minimum of $2.00 in 20 cent pieces in your change.

It is the old Boy Scout Motto - Be Prepared and make sure that you have few 20 cent pieces in your shower bag and you will never get caught out.

Cheers

Stephen

Stayed there in March, Didnt mine paying for it It was only costing 40c max so it was OK. I do agree though it should be advertised a little better as we didnt know either till we arrived.

They could always charge $5 extra a nite for non pay showers but then there would be a lot of wastage.

I like the user pays idea. Its good water(prob the best ive seen coming out of a tap thats not tank water) and it reduces wastage. Just advertise a little more.

Cheers Wilko

Loved Coober Pedy and everything that went with it when we were there three years ago. I was quite surprised how cheap the water was when we filled the c'van tanks when leaving, something like 5c a litre from memory.
I guess people who take short showers wouldn't be too happy if they had to put 40c in for a 4 minute shower, wasting the second 20c.

kenD
bris

User (you) pays.

The last time we stayed at CP in June 2007 we had an ensuite site, from memory there was no restriction on water usage and no extra charge for water. We did pay $33 site fee per night though. This was at the Oasis Tourist Park.

Kevin

Just a learning curve - last time I stayed there with a tent, I asked if the had a bit of grass for us to pitch it on - that caused hoots of thigh slapping laughter !
Submariners only get 2 minutes for a shower - it can be done :-o)

I think it's more a case of water saving than the $$$. What amazed me was you could load some of these things up with about 10 coins... so 20min shower if you really wanted! When showering my sons I used to take them seperately (as they annoy each other so much they annoy me!) and I'd have them washed and shampooed in well under 2 mins. They then got to stand there waiting for the water to run out! I usually managed with one '2 bob' but always had another ready as getting caught without washing shampoo out of your hair is not good! The Mrs was a 2 coin proposition... applying conditioner takes a bit extra!

Cheers, Nige

Name and shame the supplier...LOL

I would like to install a couple in my house so I don't have to keep knocking on the door to get my lot out of the shower pronto.

It would be very effective on $2.80 a week per person!

Cheers ;)

Have experienced pay showers in places on the Nullarbor, too. Doesn't worry me, in places where water is so scarce and expensive to produce. We would be complaining more if they didn't provide showers at all!

Not sure if availability of water is the issue. Were camping at Lake St Clair in Tassie in February of this year and had to pay for showers there - no shortage of water at that place (being on the banks of the country's largest freshwater lake). Most of us have quick showers and don't waste water, but some of us don't so it's a good way of making people think about how long they stand under the tap I reckon. Can think of heaps of other places where we've had to put coins in for a shower and we are always surprised when we camp somewhere that has unlimited showers.

After living in Brisbane for 6 years and supposedly having 4 min showers I cant believe the number who stand in the shower for 10 mins or more.

One kid in Geraldton had been in there for 25 mins and the whole room was steamed up from him in the shower.

Seems the attitude is Im paying for it so will stand here all day.

If I owned a camp I would have timers on all taps and once they go off they stay off for a while.

The water charges they have must be astronomical due basically to selfishness.

We shower in our van and still take less than 4 mins to do it.

I agree however that you should be told or at least read the rules on the paper they should give you.

This park leaves quite a bit to be desired in more ways than one.

See my reply above.

Cheers

My family did a trip around the eastern Central Australia last year which was excellent, the public showers outside the Innamincka Store & Pub, cost $2 for 2 minutes, usually we finished in 2 minutes just in case we had the extra coin. We didn't mind paying we had to wash somewhere, jumping in Coopers Creek didn't look too inviting. We had a great time there, visiting the Burke and Wills sites definetely worth a visit if you are going that way.