Mining Boom Vs. accommodation for travellers!
Submitted: Sunday, Apr 01, 2012 at 17:26
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Member - Boo Boo (NSW)
G'day all
We have just got back to
St George after a pleasant weekend in
Hebel.
On the way back I started thinking, ( a rare occurence my my tells me).
Anyway I am going on a fishing trip off
Gladstone later this year and our group is having a very hard time finding accommodation due to the fact that motels and pubs are being booked out for 12 months in advance by mining and construction companies.
The organiser of our group has been trying to get accommodation from September last year and gets the same reply.
That is the motels are unable to book that far ahead because their rooms are booked out
well in advance by mining and construction companies.
Some times some of the rooms are not required, but the motels are only advised a few days in advance.
Even in
St George accommodation is very tight with workers for mainly non mining work live in their large caravans in the caravan parks in town. Many are here to fix flood damage, but seasonal workers also affect accomodation.
And please don't think I'm knocking the workers,,,,,I'm not. I am merely wondering how many travellers have found it difficult to get accommodationin towns influenced by mining and the like.
We are travelling to
Normanton in the near future and we will not be taking the van so we will need accommodation on the way.
I will be booking our accommodation tomorrow and see if any difficulies arise.
Reply By: gbc - Sunday, Apr 01, 2012 at 17:42
Sunday, Apr 01, 2012 at 17:42
Rockhampton has been taking overflow bookings from
Gladstone for the last 12 months. Rocky gets booked out too.
There's no easy answer. A mate has a legal firm. He send his juniors to
gladstone and
roma for local trials complete with a britz bus. The juniors think its a joke until he throws them the keys.... Nil other options.
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Reply By: Rockape - Sunday, Apr 01, 2012 at 17:51
Sunday, Apr 01, 2012 at 17:51
Boo Boo,
Lady down the road told me today that a lass that came to Mackay is moving into her sons new
home. She has had to stay in
Airlie beach as she could not get permanent accommodation in Mackay.
Boo Boo. It is a pity about the
Hebel pub.
RA.
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Follow Up By: Member - Boo Boo (NSW) - Sunday, Apr 01, 2012 at 18:55
Sunday, Apr 01, 2012 at 18:55
Sorry RA I missed your point about
Hebel Pub.
However, we did find it to be a fairly ordinary outback pub.
The caravan park and the general store were quite good and had excellent meals and a great atmosphere.
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Follow Up By: Rockape - Sunday, Apr 01, 2012 at 19:29
Sunday, Apr 01, 2012 at 19:29
Sorry mate,
Last time I went through
Hebel the pub had closed and part of the roof was missing.
Good to see it is operating again as it is devastating for a small town to lose their pub.
Have a good stay in
St George. It is a nice town.
RA.
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Reply By: Member QLD Steve & Lorraine Mc - Sunday, Apr 01, 2012 at 18:07
Sunday, Apr 01, 2012 at 18:07
Hi Boo Boo,
You are pretty right with the workers in
St George, a lot of road crews will be here for a while too, cabin availability will be tight until the cotton picking is over at the end of May. We have kept 33 powered sites for the caravanners as we dont wont to be seen biting the hand that feeds us.
Advice for anyone travelling out this way is to book well in advance if they need cabins
My two bobs worth for the day!!!
Cheers Steve.
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Follow Up By: Member - Old Girl - Sunday, Apr 01, 2012 at 18:18
Sunday, Apr 01, 2012 at 18:18
Im thinking good on you Steve.
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Follow Up By: GT Campers - Sunday, Apr 01, 2012 at 18:33
Sunday, Apr 01, 2012 at 18:33
Good advice Steve, and good on you for thinking long-term with keepig sites available for caravanners/campers
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Follow Up By: Member - Boo Boo (NSW) - Sunday, Apr 01, 2012 at 19:04
Sunday, Apr 01, 2012 at 19:04
G'day Steve what caravan park are you running? I am at Kamarooka and would like to meet another EO member.
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Follow Up By: Member QLD Steve & Lorraine Mc - Sunday, Apr 01, 2012 at 19:15
Sunday, Apr 01, 2012 at 19:15
Boo Boo The Pelican Rest
Cheers Steve
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Reply By: Member - Old Girl - Sunday, Apr 01, 2012 at 18:36
Sunday, Apr 01, 2012 at 18:36
Sure have in
Emerald. Parks full. They wouldnt allow campers in the show ground. The free camp under the bridge was full. Light was fading. Rang around motels, as there is 5 of us they wouldnt let us use swags on the floor because of insurance. Ended up with the last family acc available. $250 had to unhook the camper out the front and take off the roofbag and swags to fit under the roof. That morning leaving Barcy it rained so the camper was damp and was looking forward to opening it up. We now have a caravan thank goodness. When leaving early there were people right next to the roundabout in their campers, heavy vehicles driving within meters of them.
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Follow Up By: Rockape - Sunday, Apr 01, 2012 at 19:38
Sunday, Apr 01, 2012 at 19:38
Young Thing,
We had just decided this afternoon to go north to the Towers and across to the Isa instead of going west and south via
Emerald.
Mining is making everything very hard Aussie wide, as small and big companies seek their fortune.
RA.
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Follow Up By: Member - Old Girl - Sunday, Apr 01, 2012 at 20:51
Sunday, Apr 01, 2012 at 20:51
Yes RA I am still youngish. My husband is one of those contractors utilising caravan parks. Currently based in Biloela. They don't have such problems yet regarding caravan and camping sites.
Enjoy your trip.
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Follow Up By: Rockape - Sunday, Apr 01, 2012 at 21:29
Sunday, Apr 01, 2012 at 21:29
Old Thing,
I love Bilo and have sent you a message on the subject. I recently saw an old truck I drove many years ago there.
RA.
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Reply By: Member - Fred B (NT) - Sunday, Apr 01, 2012 at 19:40
Sunday, Apr 01, 2012 at 19:40
Gooday Boo Boo,
I had a similar problem coming back to
Darwin (from
Brisbane via Gympie). I got the last bed in Mt Isa in a donger at Sunset Caravan Park... Reason.. a miner who was supposed to have the room had rung to say that he had missed the plane from
Brisbane and wouldn't be in until the next day. Everywhere I went in Isa visitors were being turned away.
As I was driving out of town the next morning, listening to ABC radio, people all over QLD were ringing in to complain that they were being forced out of their own town because of increased rents, no increase in pay (non mining jobs), and pressure on communitity
services being utilised by miners and associated industry workers.
It really is a difficult problem for communities to deal with.
regards
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Reply By: rumpig - Sunday, Apr 01, 2012 at 19:51
Sunday, Apr 01, 2012 at 19:51
towns being booked out isn't a new thing....
in 2006 we went up to The Cape from
Brisbane, the first night we planned to stop at a free camp just north of Rocky to set up our tent, but it was raining so pushed on to
Sarina for the night. arriving at
Sarina we could not get a spot to pitch our tent anywhere due to everywhere being booked out, we eventually got the last Motel room in town at
Sarina Beach at 6.00 P.M as the light dissapeared for the night.
upon asking why we couldn't get accomodation anywhere, the Motel owner said the builders had booked
places for 6 months at a time to house the contractors.
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