What's the one thing you would change about caravan parks or camping spots?

by Mandy
(TAWK)

What is the one thing that you would change about caravan parks or camping spots? Be reasonable though and make it a real thing (try to limit it to one thing - but if you really feel passionate about 2, then go for it!).

You never know we might be able to make a change like we are with the TAWK Supporter Program.

Comments for What's the one thing you would change about caravan parks or camping spots?

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Mar 22, 2023
 100% No Smoking Caravan Parks
by: Anonymous

Caravan Parks should be 100% No Smoking or vaping, and that includes inside or outside of caravans or cabins. The smoke wafts over from the allocated smoke zones hurting and damaging small childrens lungs, people with Asthma, chemical pneumonia, elderly weak lungs,and other lung conditions.
Please park owners, allow us to have our heart/lung health.
May 22, 2022
 Lighting
by: Anonymous

I hate caravan parks that are lit up like Xmas tree at night. How the hell are you supposed to get any sleep???
Oct 13, 2018
 Self contained
by: Anonymous

It would be great if they had a 'self contained' area. Where you dont use power or use facilities but just need somewhere to park. unpowered sites are typically only a few $ cheaper than powered, even though we dont use power or toilets.

That and of course the usual complaint of kids being too expensive! Why you would need to charge more than $5 per kid is beyond me!
Oct 13, 2018
 Family bathrooms
by: Anonymous

As a single parent travelling with both male and female children the inclusion of a family bathroom where we can shower/toilet etc without my 9yr old son having to use the men’s room alone or the ladies which he finds demoralising.

I think this is not just a preference but a safety issue.
Oct 09, 2018
 Cant pick one
by: Hayzee dayz

Smoking / non smoking areas,
more dog friendly and dog areas.
Simple fun equipment for kids aka nature play - open ended fun.
No charges ever for kids!
Family bathrooms.
Planned and prepared layouts that actually accommodate the types of rigs people drive and live in nowadays.
Parents supervising their kids and enforcing park rules / curfews etc.
Communal camp fires
Pancake sundays
Pizza Fridays
11.30 checkout for all 😁😁
Oct 08, 2018
 No Splashing in the Pool
by: Lisa

I know this isn’t life threatening and I should probably just suck it up, but I can not stand it when my sons are told (always by the older generation), not to splash in the pool.
Young kids often use water to play and let off some steam - especially after a bit of a drive. Why can’t they splash?

My thoughts are that if you’re in a pool area, an area designed to get wet, you should expect to do so. If you’re in said area and there are kids enjoying themselves by splashing and playing, remove yourself if you don’t like it - do not expect them to change their behaviour.

Am I expecting too much?
Oct 08, 2018
 10am checkout
by: Andrew

I would like to change the 10 am checkout that so many parks seem to have. In a camper trailer at 10am everything is still wet in the cooler months. A guy had a go at me once in a Melbourne caravan park. It was late April, frost was covering the ground, the park was empty and we dared leave at 11am.
Oct 08, 2018
 Grey nomads!!!
by: Anonymous

Firstly, TAWK is awesome!!! Thank you soo much for your initiative!
Now for the whinge, it's multi pronged so here goes...
1) Why do Grey Nomads insist on travelling so slowly on single lane roads, seriously, while travelling in the NT, we often got stuck behind and had to overtake them while they were doing 50km/h under the posted speed limit!!! Come on guys, pick up the pace just a little!

Secondly, it hurts my head a little bit to see GN's pulling up at parks in a couple of hundred grand's worth of car and van and then getting massive discounts, it's like us families are still subsidising their travel and their pensions. On top of that, some of them then have the gawl to say our kids are the "entitled generation"! Rant over!
Oct 08, 2018
 Bathroom facilities
by: Anonymous

Having travelled with toddlers I would love to see 1 toddler size toilet and hand basin in the bathrooms. Even now I still have to lift my 5 year old up to wash his hands.

I would love to see this in more public spaces as well.
Oct 08, 2018
 Designated smoking and non smoking sites
by: Two Kids Us and a Caravan

SOMEONE READ MY MIND.

It’s been a conversation that’s been had so many times of this trip I’m starting this with, I once was a smoker.

Most of us go camping to get outdoors, spend time as a family, get one with nature etc etc. it would be great to have a choice if you wish to inhale someone else’s smoke or not. Having children and also children with previous respiratory issues it would be nice to sit in our caravan (poptop) or just sit in our annex and not inhale the smoke. At times we have gone for a walk to escape the smell.

Let’s be honest having to tell someone, who by rights or law can smoke anywhere they want to in a caravan, to smoke somewhere else or to be mindful of our children etc is uncomfortable and at times is met with conflict by both ends.

If there was a choice then this would make non smokers happy and ensure the health of everyone that choices not to smoke.
Oct 08, 2018
 Caravan park changes
by: Anonymous

No extra charge for children
Oct 08, 2018
 Smoking
by: Anonymous

I wish there were non smoking designated camping areas.

I hate it when we are already set up and another rig pulls in with smokers right beside us.

I know a lot of smokers and they are very nice people, its the habit I hate. It's not fair to the health and well being of my family.

WHS Act says an employer must provide a smoke free zone for their workers, wouldn't this apply to their customers as well?
Oct 08, 2018
 Smoking
by: Anonymous

I agree with the designated smoking areas!

I have been an asthmatic all my life and am very sensitive to cigarette smoke. Nothing worse that sitting under the awning or in the van and having smoke waft all around me!!!
Oct 08, 2018
 Smokers
by: Anonymous

Having a smoking section. So many times we’ve been stuck on a site next to smokers, I thought that requesting being close to the playground would eliminate the problem but not so.

Nothing ruins a stay when you’ve travelled thousands of kilometres to get warm weather and you cannot open your van windows or let the kids play outside the van without getting smoked out.
Oct 08, 2018
 Decent office hours
by: Anonymous

It really is hit and miss with caravan parks office opening hours. We came across quite a lot that still close at 5pm in peak seasons!!!

We like to be able to ask lots of questions at check in to be able to plan our days ahead. A lot of people are still arriving after 5pm. 5pm in non peak times fair enough from a business point of view but in peak and those with daylight saving etc I think staying open a little later would be great. 👍😀
Oct 08, 2018
 Vehicle/site fee
by: Anonymous

Having a price per vehicle/site rather than per person. My kids shower with me so other than a couple of extra flushes of the toilet we really aren’t using any more resources than we would without them.
Oct 08, 2018
 Facilities in parks
by: Doug

I would like to see an en suite unit (shower, toilet, space) for those families with young children so a parent could stay and the other parent just put one in and return the previous.

I saw a few in the Daly Waters pub caravan park and think they'd be great in any park. Have a few keys so just the families with young children can access them.
Oct 08, 2018
 Staff Awareness
by: Anonymous

I am sick of just being a number in a caravan park. Some parks have no idea who is in their park and who isn't.

We recently stayed at a park and decided to extend our stay by two nights. I thought hubby went to the office and he thought I did. It wasn't until we left that we realised neither of us of had informed the office, and they didn't know we had stayed extra time - actually they told me there was no way I could have stayed an extra night.

We recently stayed in a another park and paid one night upfront. One of the kids got sick and we stayed an extra night. Again, miscommunication between sheet washing and cleaning vomit from the van, neither of us attend the office, and no one noticed.

If you are a van park manager or owner, get out there and talk to your guests. Do the rounds of the park. I know why people lie about how many kids they have and their ages now - as no-one would ever know in many parks who is in the park and who isn't.

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