Weekly Wrap

MOST EXPENSIVE CAMPSITE?

What’s the most expensive overnight campsite in Australia? One strong contender is a 4m x 4m site on Sydney’s Cockatoo Island on New Year’s Eve, at $300.

The hefty overnight fee includes some of the best views of the spectacular Sydney Harbour fireworks, after which you can fall asleep in your sleeping bag rather than battle the hordes at other prime fireworks viewing spots around the city.

But now there’s a new contender, with the swish Smiths Beach Resort in Yallingup, Western Australia, being accused of charging up to $600 a night for the privilege of staying at one of its caravan and camping sites nestled in the pristine beachfront location.

Local Busselton shire councillor David Binks told the Sunday Times that the camping fees were "disgraceful" and were a way of discouraging budget travellers from mixing with the resort's five-star clients. By comparison, nearby Yallingup Beach Holiday Park charges from $32 a night for a powered caravan site.

TOP TOURIST OPERATORS HONOURED

Barbara and Phillip Camm of Swan Hill Riverside Caravan Park in Victoria have been awarded a prestigious Top Tourist Parks of Australia Hugh Diedrich Award.

Only a handful of people have won the award, which recognizes "exceptional effort over the long-haul for the benefit of Top Tourist Park members", according to Top Tourist Parks of Australia CEO Bill Pycroft. It was presented recently at the Top Tourist Parks conference at Jupiters on the Gold Coast.

The Camm's Murray Riverside park has been recognised in the Swan Hill Regional Business Awards for Excellence, and also featured on TV programs including The Great Outdoors, Postcards and Coxys Big Break.

The Camms have also owned the Hay Caravan park in NSW and joined Top Tourist Parks of Australia in 1989. Despite no formal accounting background Phil Camm acted as treasurer of Top Tourist Parks for seven years, while the industry veterans have provided mentoring and assistance to many TTP members over the years.

ADRIA DEALER OF THE YEAR

Melbourne & European RVs in Frankston, Victoria, has taken out the Adria Australian Caravan Dealer of the Year Award for 2010.

Chris Swann, the General Manager of R.V. Asia Pacific, the Aussie importers of the European-built vans, said that Scott Webster and his team at Melbourne & European RVs have proven their dedication to the Adria brand with excellent sales and aftermarket support, and achieved a high level of repeat Adria customers. The Melbourne dealership beat out 10 other Adria dealers located around Australia.

Check out Melbourne & European RVs current inventory of new and used Adria vans for sale on its dealer homepage on this website.

GREAT OCEAN ROAD PROTECTED

The spectacular 243km stretch of coastline road between the Victorian towns of Torquay and Warrnambool is on the ‘must do’ list of most Aussie road travellers. Now the Great Ocean Road has joined other coastal icons including the Great Barrier Reef, Bondi Beach and Shark Bay by being placed on Australia's National Heritage List.

The Federal Government has given the Great Ocean Road including the Twelve Apostles and world-famous Bells Beach, heritage listing due to its extraordinary historic and natural significance to the nation. Around 7.5 million visitors from Australia and overseas experienced the Road's stunning natural beauty in 2010.

More than 3000 returned servicemen worked on the construction of the road for 13 years from 1919 to 1932 and it’s regarded as the world's largest war memorial; dedicated to casualties of  World War I. 

MAJESTIC DONATION

Majestic Caravans is once again digging deep for a very worthy cause this Easter.  The Victoria-based manufacturer has donated an up-spec Majestic Knight van to the online auction of Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal.

It’s the fifth year that Majestic has been involved with the appeal, its previous donations raising more than $140,000 for the Royal Children’s Hospital, and Majestic owners Liz and Laz Naumoski, and Vince and Vesna Mitreska, said they were delighted to be involved in the appeal again.

The auction site will open one week before the Good Friday Appeal for early bids and continues until 6pm on Good Friday (April 22), when the final bids are announced during the Channel 7 telethon. See the Good Friday Appeal website for further details.

STAY AT A QUEENSLAND PARK AND WIN

As part of the general push to encourage tourists back to Queensland after recent floods and Cyclone Yasi, Caravanning Queensland is running a competition with the prize a Jayco caravan worth $50,000.

To enter the comp, you have to stay in a Caravanning Queensland member park anytime from March 1 to January 31, 2012, upon which you will receive an entry form. The more parks you stay in, the more chances you have to win. 

The competition applies to all styles of accommodation from unpowered camp sites to luxury cabins. See the Caravanning Queensland website for full details.

SCAM ALERT

West Australian police has issued a timely warning to buyers and sellers of caravans and other big-ticket items, after scams involving heavily-discounted advertised caravans have been discovered online and in newspapers.

According to WA police, a recent incident involving this type of scam saw a victim answer an advert depicting a Jayco caravan worth approximately $40,000 selling for a heavily reduced price.

The victim was instructed that in order to complete the purchase of the caravan he was to transfer $12,000 to a foreign bank account via a money transfer agent and await further instructions.

The WA police warns buyers to never transfer or hand over money before first establishing that the caravan is genuinely for sale, and sighting the caravan either personally or through a reputable agent.

For more on scams and how to avoid them, see the special section on the Carsales website.

POPULAR POP-TOP UPDATED

One of Jayco’s most popular family models has been updated for 2011.

The Expanda pop-top and caravan range, which sold 1500 last year, has three new layouts, available in Touring and Outback versions.

Interior updates include new timber furniture styling, tile and bamboo finish floor vinyls, two new, optional laminex benchtop finishes and European door handles.
Exterior changes include updated alloy wheels, and new coloured graphics on the Outback model.  All Expanda models come with a vacuum bonded fibreglass body and hot dipped galvanised chassis.

The Touring model also comes with Jayco’s 24/7 Roadside Assist Program which is now provided free for three years.

TOP PARK TO SHUT

Another caravan park will soon be lost to redevelopment with Apollo Gardens holiday park in Melbourne’s western suburbs set to shut its gates in late June.

The Top Tourist park is located just 42km from Melbourne’s CBD on the Hume Hwy in Craigieburn, set amongst 18 hectares of bush and grasslands. Facilities include a swimming pool and spa, playground, cinema room, and free wireless internet.

The park’s powered sites and camping areas have already closed with only limited availability of ensuite sites and tourist cabins. According to the park’s website, Apollo Gardens will cease to trade on June 30 and "the site will be developed for an alternative use".

"We would like to thank all our customers that have supported us over the years and sincerely wish them well with there travels in the future," the site says.
 
ULTIMATE PRIZE WON

Congratulations to Don Singleton who has won the major prize in the Ultimate Nissan Adventure Giveaway competition.

The Jindera, NSW resident takes home more than $115,000 in prizes, including a Nissan Patrol ST and Cub Campers Supermatic Offroad Camper Trailer plus dozens of offroad and camping accessories including a Viking Kayak, pair of Oztrail camping gear swags, Yamaha generator, six Cooper ATR Tyres, Exedy Clutch Safari Clutch, Hema Navigator GPS and $10,000 ARB gift voucher.

The four runner-up prizes of Pat Callinan's 4x4 Adventures DVD Box Sets, were won by Michael Carey of South Australia, Ben Wandmaker of Victoria, and Chris Zambelli and John O’Sullivan of NSW.