Another c/park & caming ground to close

Submitted: Sunday, Jan 17, 2010 at 18:48

ThreadID: 75283 Views:7624 Replies:6 FollowUps:12

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bennyzbit

We live at Bargara, coastal suburb of Bundaberg Qld. The closure of the Mon Repos Turtle Sands caravan park and camping grounds from Easter 2010 has been in our newspapers with barely a ripple. Of course not... locals do not use it.

Today we took a short drive out there and got talking to an inter-stater who comes up every year. He didn't know prior to his arrival and he is devastated.

The reasons claimed for the closure are. Caravaners and tenters disturb the loggerhead turtle laying habits. Cabin ers apparently do not. The cabins are to remain open all year.

We read a sign today. A boardwalk out to the beach across swamp land is "locked 6pm to 6am daily, November to March to protect the turtles from being disturbed whilst laying" but National Parks people take up to 300 people a night (paying of course) on guided tours of the turtles even down to observing their laying at close quarters.

OK so IF the PRIVATE owners of the caravan park who claim they have not been pressured by National Parks to change their tenancy practices were fair dinkum then outside of turtle nesting season they would be open to caravaners and campers April to October. Not the case. All year closure to the likes of us at EO.

Sad news for the many "mexicans" who visit our bowling club and our region contribute to its bottom line every winter (June July August) and especially those that stay at Mon Repos.

Benny

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Reply By: rumpig - Sunday, Jan 17, 2010 at 20:11

Sunday, Jan 17, 2010 at 20:11

sad to hear of it's coming closure. we stayed there a couple of years ago, and whilst it wasn't the fanciest and most modern van park around, it's location and the beach it fronts onto more then made up for that, unpowered site right on the beach front. we only ended up at Mon Repo because the other van parks were booked out, but after driving around those areas whilst we were in town, i'd have been happy to make Mon Repo my first choice instead for future stays at bundy.
i was just telling some friends about that park this weekend, will have to update them about it now.

AnswerID: 399917

Reply By: Mikee5 (Logan QLD) - Sunday, Jan 17, 2010 at 20:18

Sunday, Jan 17, 2010 at 20:18

We stayed there in 1982. There was no NP people. A few uni researchers. We were able to see the hatchlings come out of the sand. Now if this was such an impact there would be no turtles now. Funny how cabins don't effect but caravans do???

AnswerID: 399918

Follow Up By: Dave(NSW) - Sunday, Jan 17, 2010 at 23:23

Sunday, Jan 17, 2010 at 23:23

Caravan parks make more money out of cabins than they do out of tent sites. All the parks out here are adding more cabins.
Cheers Dave...

GU RULES!!

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FollowupID: 669011

Follow Up By: bennyzbit - Monday, Jan 18, 2010 at 07:57

Monday, Jan 18, 2010 at 07:57

No problem with Cparks making money or switching to being a cabin park.

Just let the spin doctors tell it like it is $$$$, not "caravanners and tenters have more impact on the turtles than cabiners" and show no consideration for allowing out of turtle season use by caravanners. This out of turtle season includes all the winter months. The southern staters escaping to warmed climes help the local economy.

Benny

FollowupID: 669033

Follow Up By: bennyzbit - Monday, Jan 18, 2010 at 08:19

Monday, Jan 18, 2010 at 08:19

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Reply By: craig2 - Sunday, Jan 17, 2010 at 21:23

Sunday, Jan 17, 2010 at 21:23

Has nothing on thier website about them closing down.

AnswerID: 399931

Follow Up By: Member - Old Girl (QLD) - Sunday, Jan 17, 2010 at 22:40

Sunday, Jan 17, 2010 at 22:40

It was in or local rag up here in Rocky. $$$$ i say.

FollowupID: 669004

Follow Up By: bennyzbit - Monday, Jan 18, 2010 at 13:37

Monday, Jan 18, 2010 at 13:37

Hi Craig2,

I checked your observations "not on their webside" out. You are 110% correct.

I thought I could enlighten you by ginvng you the links to Channel 7 wide Bay (hard copy) news site and or the local paper Bundaberg News Mail site but neither archive their stories

So I rang Turtle Sands this morning to ask " I have heard you are closing to c/van and campers is it true" Yes from the May Long Weekend (QLD Labour Day).

I went on, that people are complaining to me that they didn't know. answer.. it has been in the local paper and on TV, that is all we have to do.

What about out of towners let say Victorians. It is on our web site.... No it isn't... Well it will be.

She went on to claim they had written to all those people who leave deposits to come back next year. I cannot test the validity of the claim because I don't necessarily know which caravan park the Mexican winterers using our bowls club are resident at.

Benny

FollowupID: 669078

Reply By: stumbly1 - Monday, Jan 18, 2010 at 02:47

Monday, Jan 18, 2010 at 02:47

Hi Benny,

We stayed at Bargara on our first trip to Q'land 2 years ago and loved it. We weren't caravanning at that time (quick flying trip for a wedding and stayed at a hotel on the waterfront) and really liked the whole area.
We are about to embark on our second trip to Q'land this July and it was one of our "must go there again" places and we were planning on staying 4 - 5 days in the caravan park, so this has put a dent in our plans...
Very sad thing when $ comes before every thing else - we will not be taking advantage of their "cabin" accomadation.
Could you suggest another caravan park in the area we could use? preferably not in the centre of Bundy but on the outskirts somewhere? doesn't have to be fancy, but the nicer the better...

Cheers, Keith

AnswerID: 399958

Follow Up By: cycadcenter - Monday, Jan 18, 2010 at 06:37

Monday, Jan 18, 2010 at 06:37

You could stay at Woodgate Beach south of Bundy

Woodgate Beach

Nice quiet beach about 10km long, fishing, some 4WD tracks,

Bowling Club for meals plus a resturant up towards the river entrance.

It's busy in the summer but pretty quiet during the winter.

The only problem is that kangaroos outnumber people 2:1 they are everywhere

FollowupID: 669022

Follow Up By: bennyzbit - Monday, Jan 18, 2010 at 07:48

Monday, Jan 18, 2010 at 07:48

Hi Keith,

I have no argument with Cycadcentre's recommendation of Woodgate CP but totally disagree with his "quiet in winter" June to August is Oz winter. Up here it is about 26 daytime temp. The Southern state people eascape in masses. Woodgate is booked solid by these folks year to year during "the winter" Amusingly we were down there on car ride and got talking to a cvan traveller from Coffs Harbour. He said ,"I hadn't wanted to come (to WCP) this time for my usual 6 weeks but it took me 10 years to get the same assured site yeach year so I thought I had better come."

We re biased of course but we love Bargara, it is a forgotten paradise and only a 12km drive from Bundy past cane fields rippling in the wind on either side. Bargara gets better by the day

Our favourite in Bargara is "The Absolute Oceanfront Caravan Park" Oceanfront is no misnoma. It is sited next to a wave cut platform and I swear you think from the sound the next wave will be "a close friend" It is not in the RACQ cvan book so here is the number 07 41592436. They have website with tempting pictures and strangely they often have the odd vacancies even across our winter period whereas Bargara Beach Caravan Park is like Woodgate re its annual returnees,

If you get stuck or want me to try oil in a booking nearer the date call me on 0419218763.

Regards

Benny

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Follow Up By: cycadcenter - Monday, Jan 18, 2010 at 08:37

Monday, Jan 18, 2010 at 08:37

Benny,

Woodgate seemed pretty quiet to us when we went there for lunch in July compared to the Christmas Holidays. We had lunch at the Cafe with the CP and we were the only ones there.

We live in San Diego most of the time but have a couple of farms in the Childers area and try to go over to Woodgate when we are there,

Regards

Bruce

FollowupID: 669038

Follow Up By: bennyzbit - Monday, Jan 18, 2010 at 09:02

Monday, Jan 18, 2010 at 09:02

Hi Bruce,

I will bow to your more recent knowledge.

San Diego to Childers is sure some trip to do the slashing.

Regards
Benny

FollowupID: 669040

Follow Up By: bennyzbit - Monday, Jan 18, 2010 at 13:48

Monday, Jan 18, 2010 at 13:48

I rang Woodgate Beach CP this morning. "Do you have a powered site vacancy for June July August. No. Pretty much fully booked maybe a site or 2.... Tell your friend to ring within 48 hours an he (mnager) would see what he could find...but no promises

FollowupID: 669086

Follow Up By: stumbly1 - Monday, Jan 18, 2010 at 20:18

Monday, Jan 18, 2010 at 20:18

Thanks for that,
We will try and book a site when the time gets a bit closer - not real sure of dates yet.
Definetly don't want to miss this part of Aus, as we have friends coming with us and they haven't seen this part of Q'land before. I think any where on that lateral line is just about ideal weather wise, and could quite happily retire there!

Thanks again, and sorry to hijack your post. Keith

FollowupID: 669206

Reply By: Carlin - Monday, Jan 18, 2010 at 08:45

Monday, Jan 18, 2010 at 08:45

WHAT????? I have not seen any of this in Gladstone? i am very dissappointed to hear this. it is one of our weekend get aways.
:-(

AnswerID: 399965

Follow Up By: bennyzbit - Monday, Jan 18, 2010 at 13:40

Monday, Jan 18, 2010 at 13:40

see my reply to Craig2 above.

FollowupID: 669081

Reply By: Member - Tour Boy ( Bundy QLD) - Monday, Jan 18, 2010 at 12:26

Monday, Jan 18, 2010 at 12:26

Personally I prefer Elliot Heads but it can get busy.

But it is a shame none the less.
If a commercial operator has a monopoly like NP does it would cop a flogging from the government for locking off a public space. Interestingly the NPWS in NSW does tag a long tours and takes paying passenger out in it's troop carriers with out the appropriate transport accreditation. Where as commercial operators have to jump thru lots of hoops for their accreditation. (I know as I'm accredited in NSW)

Cheers
Dave