Come back caravanners, urges Queensland

Caravanning Queensland is launching a new campaign today to lure road travellers back to the flood and cyclone-ravaged state.

The $400,000 campaign aims to show travellers Queensland’s open for business following the devastation of widespread floods and Cyclone Yasi that left 75 per cent of the state declared a disaster zone.

Caravanning Queensland chief executive Ron Chapman said the campaign is an Australian first that will hopefully set the pace for tourism sectors to be proactive in the recovery program.

"Road travellers are the lifeblood of tourism in many areas and are worth hundreds of millions of dollars to our economy," he said. "Caravanning and camping is estimated to be worth $5 billion to the national economy and a large proportion of this is spent here in Queensland."

Caravanning Queensland represents about 700 businesses throughout the state including 350 caravan and tourist parks.

Meanwhile, Australia’s major holiday park chains are also urging holiday makers to return to Queensland and stay at members’ caravan parks, most of which are operating normally.

Top Tourist Parks Executive Manager Bill Pycroft, said the Cardwell Beachcomber park located on the beach between Townsville and Cairns "would have been the park that suffered the most in our group... the other parks aren’t too bad, other than that there’s a reasonable amount of cleaning up to do and  depends on when the power goes back on".

The Cardwell Beachcomber copped the full blast of the 290km/h cyclonic winds. The owners were forced to leave and, days after the cyclone hit were still unable to return, with reports indicating severe damage to the restaurant, office and lower motel units and recently refurbished beach huts.

The August Moon park in Innisfail, which was rebuilt to cyclone standards after being flattened by Cyclone Larry, suffered no major damage or loss of power.

Likewise other Top Tourist parks including the Coral Coast and Charter Towers parks in Townsville, Harbour Lights park in Bowen and Kurrimine Beach Holiday Park near Cairns, had only wind damage and trees down, but no structural damage..

Big4 Holiday Parks said via its Facebook page: "All Big4 parks are open for business and ready to welcome guests except our park in Mission Beach. Beachcomber Coconut Caravan Village was affected by Tropical Cyclone Yasi, but the park is busy cleaning up, making repairs, and will be open before Easter."