Pine Ridge Campground proposes new campsites, cabins near Mount Gambier
Two farmers who run a peaceful, off-grid campsite are proposing new cabins for their tourism venture in the heart of the country.
Mount Gambier
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The operators of peaceful, off-grid campground just outside Mount Gambier are seeking to expand into a caravan and tourist park by adding cabins.
Natasha and Damian Srpcic of Pine Ridge Campground at Yahl, about 7kms out of Mount Gambier, have applied to turn a paddock on their 80-acre farming property they use as a campground for travellers into affordable, family-friendly and spacious campsites.
They are seeking to extend the campground facilities into a caravan and tourist park comprised of RV/camping sites, a toilet and shower block and cabins.
“We started Pine Ridge Campground a few years ago as we wanted to offer affordable camping for travellers that is kid-friendly, dog-friendly and spacious,” Ms Srpcic said.
“Because it’s been going really well, we wanted to extend our facilities to accommodate people who want to stay with us but might not enjoy – or have what’s required – to stay at a self-contained campsite.”
If approved, the development of the park would be carried out in two stages over four years.
The first stage includes creating seven camping and recreational vehicle sites and constructing of a toilet and amenities block.
Stage two would see the construction of seven single-storey cabins, each having three bedrooms, a bathroom, an open-plan kitchenette, living and dining space, a veranda/deck and carpark.
Each campsite would be 30m x 25m in size and separated by plants.
The campsites and cabins would be available all year and managed by the Srpcics, who balance running the campground with their farmwork.
Ms Srpcic said while they hoped the conversion from a campground to a caravan park would provide visitors with a more comfortable stay, they wanted Pine Ridge to stay true to the charm and experience people love about their site.
“At the end of a day we’re a paddock and we’re not going to do anything that’ll stray too far away from that,” Ms Srpcic said.
“We don’t want to lose what people love about us – the family-friendly, pet-friendly, private, spacious campsites that travellers can stay at on a budget.”
She said they were working towards offering more “farm-based experiences” for guests down the track.
“We’re thinking one day, for a small fee, we’ll be able to offer feeding experiences as well – let people get up close with our animals – and also let them visit and pick produce from the orchard we recently planted.”
The campground currently hosts eight, tree-lined campsites about 20m x 20ms – suitable for tents, cars, caravans, camper trailers, RVs and even buses.
Public submissions for the application close on August 12.
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