Surfside Holiday Park (Lady Bay) Warrnambool

Jayne and I differ in our opinions of this park.

The park has large established Norfolk Pines dotted around and through the park that are older than me, and in better nick! Some of the sites in this park are surrounded by well tended hedges on three sides which provides a level of privacy that many parks lack. We were lucky enough to grab one of these for our 3 night stay.

The park is right on the beach and next to large gardens and a lake, while being close enough to town to easily walk.

There is a bike/walking track between the beach and the caravan park that affords beautiful views of Lady Bay. The track is newish and well maintained. A real bonus in my view.

The amenities are large and clean and well maintained (mostly). The staff are helpful and friendly and there is free wi fi. There is also a large kiosk that is open a few days a week.

The park is next to a rail line but it poses no problem as it is hardly used. I heard about three trains in three days so no problems there.

It is a lovely park.

Jayne rates this park 7.5/10 while I rate it 8/10

Happy Camping!

Apollo Bay, Big 4 Caravan Park

There are 4 parks in Apollo Bay. Three weren't much chop, in our opinion. This one appeared to be the best of the bunch and they had an ensuite site avaialble, which is a bit of a treat!

The staff were helpful, the price was ok (we got our 10% discount) the position was alright with views over the ocean, but it was across the main road from the beach.

The place was really clean and generally quite ok. Not a very pretty park? It didn't really 'float my boat' so I was ok to leave.

Not much to say really.

Jayne and I rate it 7/10 Whimsy's

Bicheno East Coast Holiday Park

Bicheno is beautiful, truly beautiful.

This park is well maintained with paved roads and grassy sites. We were lucky to get a huge site away from the crowds with water glimpses and NO NOISE!

The park is run by a lovely family who just happen to have a little poodle.

The amenities are clean but as we have said the ensuites have been opened up as shared amenity  blocks. That is ok, but mmmm not really.

The park is just opposite a beautiful beach, next to the shops and close to lovely walks and marine parks. We really did love this spot and if we hadn't booked a return on the Spirit we may have stayed longer.

We rate this 8/10 Whimsy's  (this spot takes the cake so far!)

Treasure Island Caravan Park - Berriedale Hobart

Treasure Island? I don't think so. Its dusty, the amenities are not gender specific. Guys and gals sharing the same space. Its not pretty.

Most of the sites are supposed to be grass but that is long gone so they are just dust bowls. There are a few slab sites, but not enough.

The position is clearly open to strong winds without any attempt at providing appropriate wind breaks.

Its old and needs a lot of work but it is 15 minutes from Hobart and close to a pub and bottle shop. The big plus is that it's on a bus route and Jayne and I made use of that to get into and out of Hobart. About 1/2 hour by bus and $2 all day if you are a senior.

In addition, and on a more positive note, I discovered that there is a brilliant bike and walking track across the road that runs for 80 klms. Hobart to New Norfolk. Council have managed this by reclaiming a rail line and using the already reclaimed land for this track. Clever use of a disused rail line me thinks.

I wouldn't say not to give this this park a try because it is handy and you are close to water....its just that the water is so polluted they suggest you don't ENTER! There are also great views to Mt Wellington. Its open, and when not windy quite pleasant.

We rate it 5.5/10 Whimsys (added the extra .5 due to the walking track)

Discovery Park Strahan

The township is an easy 10 min walk from this park. Its a very pretty walk that just skirts Macquarie Harbour. (See photo I took at 8am this morning, the reflections are splendifilous.)Plus, there is a coffee shop, bottle shop and takeaway just across the road, so for us its great, everything we need in walking distance.

The park needs work but it has only just been taken over by Discovery. Its clean, the service was great and its in a lovely spot just on the edge of the harbour.

The sites are small but we don't need a great deal of space unlike cars with caravans. It seems there is little room for the cars once the van is parked up.

The camp kitchen is a joke if you compare it to Cradle Mountain, but it has a sink and a stove. It is very unattractive and looks like an oversized outhouse. I'm sure there will be upgrades soon?????

Although the park is old and not really up to scratch we think the position is perfect.

We rate it 6.5/10 Whimsys

Discovery Park, Cradle Mountain

This park is quite unique and well laid out. It is just opposite the Cradle Mountain Information Centre where all the activity for Cradle Mountain gets organised. This is where you buy park passes and where you pick up shuttles that run every 10 minutes or so to get to whatever walk you plan to do. There are a variety of walks that take from 10 minutes to 8 days!

The sites in the park are secluded so you are not on top of anyone and you really can't see any other vehicle from your own site.

The customer service is excellent and the Office/Reception is also a little shop that provides groceries, alcohol etc.

The Camp Kitchen is magnificent with Pizza Ovens, with stone, metal pizza plates, BBQ plates, Hot Plates, Microwaves and large benches for communal eating. The kitchen has two sides and each side has its own open fire. It really is very special and Jayne and I enjoyed spending a night in the space while we were here, cooking , drinking and playing Trivial Pursuit. We called it a draw at 5 cheeses each!

We would not drink the water here and we made sure we brought casks of water with us for all contingencies. (The water here is an interesting colour and we were told on arrival that a fellow camper became quite sick after drinking the water without boiling it). Even after boiling the water the colour is offputting. If you plan to come here, bring water.

The amenities are good, plenty of hot water and they are cleaned often. For a remote location, and folks it is quite remote, the facilities are great.

We are glad we chose this park and we would recommend it for Motorhomes. The cabins here look nice from the outside but we have no idea what they are like to stay in. Might be worth considering though if you don't want to pull a van or drive a Motorhome up here...

Oh yes, the drive up to Cradle. Well, that was an interesting and exciting journey. Hairpin bends of 15klm an hour were in abundance but Whimsy handled them with aplomb and grunt.

We rate this park 8/10 Whimsy's (the highest rating so far on this trip)

See Gallery.

East Devonport Discovery Park

Hi all.

This park is 3 minutes from the Port in East Devonport and it was brilliant to be able to drive off The Spirit and be parked up in about 5 minutes. Top position.

Plus, the next morning, I was up and about  and noticed the  Spirit that sailed overnight off into the distance heading towards the Port, which is just up the road. It was a real treat to see the vessel arrive the next morning. See photos in Gallery. What a ship she is. I think I'm in LOOOVE.

Back to the park. The position is great ,with views of Bass Strait, the amenities are ok, the staff are welcoming and helpful. There is a great walking path right next to the park that runs for over 5 klms.

The only real issue we have is that the grass has died and there's an awful lot of dust that plays havoc with my sinuses. I know they can't grow grass easily here but they could spend the money on synthetic grass to make our lives, as consumers, a whole lot easier. A bit Picky? yeah, Na.

All in all we have enjoyed the space here. However, to get across to Devonport (a very narrow waterway crossing)  a ferry or water taxi would be grand. Evidently there was one but it lost its funding two years ago, so unless you have a car its a little inconvenient.

We rate it 7/10 Whimsy's

PS. The morning we left I was unable to stay in the Amenities block for long due to the smell, and I'm the one with the strong stomach! So me thinks a 7/10 might need rethinking!

Ashley Gardens, Melbourne

Ashphalt Gardens, oh sorry, Ashley Gardens is a very convenient well run park with excellent facilities. Staff are very helpful and friendly, though a little stressed.

The facilities are modern and clean and there are gardens, really there are, and they are dotted around the park.

The Camp Kitchen is huge and air conditioned which really is important here in Melbourne especially for the campers in their tents.

We rate the park the park 7/10 Whimsys because it does deliver what we need for the night before sailing.

Warrugal Care ( where they don't really care at all!)

I'm being facetious here. Its Warrugal Gardens and Retirement Park in Warrugal (on the way to Melbourne)  We read some great reviews on this park on Trip Advisor, but oh my, were they wrong. In all honesty, it best suits permanent caravaners. The park is full of retirement cabins (which are quite lovely) and folk who stay here permanently in their vans. Not going to go into detail but I wont be back.

It would be a great place for a tobacco health promotion intervention though. Mix 35 degree heat, caravans jammed together like sardines and second hand smoke coming from every angle and you have Warrugal Gardens.

We rate it 3/10 Whimsys

Bairnsdale Riverside Park

In our humble opinion, its one you should give a miss. Too close to the highway, extraordinarily noisy with small sites. Service really really bad, if it exists at all and the city pretty ordinary.

We rate this park 1/10 Whimsys.....

Twofold Bay Beach Resort

This Big 4 Caravan Park is just 7klms south of Eden. Right on Twofold Bay Beach. Jayne and I have really enjoyed the space here. Its a huge park which means you have a good deal of choice re preferred sites. We chose to be as far away from the pool as possible and close to the beach. The park is lovely and open with lost of trees around the perimeter. We have been lucky with no neighbours closer than about 5 sites away. Nice.

The sites are all flat, grassed and well tended. The amenities are clean and handy. Staff are friendly and helpful. We would come back, and I would recommend it if you were heading this way with a van or motorhome.

We rate this 7/10 Whimsys!  (It would be more if you could see the Bay from the sites but you need to walk through the trees to the beach. Its not far, about 50 metres. Its also way out of town, and hey we have to rate these sites somehow!)

Off to Lakes Entrance tomorrow!

Surfbeach Holiday Park Narooma

Staff are friendly, amenities are old, but very clean. It is a nice QUIET spot with lovely coastal views - just not from the sites. That is not an issue though as its a little more protected than it would be if all sites were on the edge of the cliff!. The park itself is dotted with lovely old trees and we were offered a choice of sites and chose one without a large tree overhanging it.

The Golf Club is just up the hill and the township is a 10 minute walk away, which works well for us.

This site was reasonably priced at $33 a night plus NRMA 10% discount, so well within our budget.

Would we stay here again? Yes we would. Nice spot.

We rate it 6.5/10 Whimsys

Dolphins Point Review

Arrived at Dolphins Point Tourist Park with much excitement. Clearly the staff weren't quite as excited to see us as we were to see them. We arrived 5 minutes before closing... at 5pm, so customer service was somewhat cool.

The amenities are newish and clean but you have to have 2x20cent pieces for a warm 4 minute shower. Although not expensive, Jayne and I had to scrounge around to find coins for the shower. We found 2 so it was a joint shower on the first night. Lucky we can both go into the ladies hey!

The roads around the park are potholed and narrow and the powered sites are all grassed and a bit shabby.

However, this is a top spot. The lake has been opened up and the water is crystal clear and full of fish of all descriptions (that you can see). The views from the park to the lake entrance are superb.

This is a perfect spot for swimming, fishing and relaxing. It's a small and quiet park that we would definitely come back to. It is a few klms out of Ulladulla the closest township, but there is a bus service you can pick up if you walk a klm from the park back to the highway.

See Gallery for pictures!

We give it 6/10 Whimsy's.

First park will be Dolphins Point

Hi All

We plan to rate all the Caravan Parks we stay in. It will be a simple system, the Whimsy Scale! We will use the following criteria;

1. Position  2. Customer Service 3. Amenities  4. Cost  5. Asthetics 

We need to start somewhere so we have booked into Dolphins Point to rest  for a few days after all the prep, packing and stress of leaving family, friends and Pearl the Poodle. 

Will keep you posted.