New owners of Sapphire caravan park love life in the Gemfields
“The pictures for once didn’t do it justice”.
Central Queensland
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A Brisbane couple found their own hidden gem at a Sapphire caravan park after making a tree-change to the small Central Highlands town.
Darrell and Victoria Bentham purchased the Sapphire Caravan and Cabin Park in December and have loved every minute of the journey since.
They originally dated as teenagers in England, but met up again years later after Victoria made the move to Australia, and as they say, the rest is history.
Mr and Mrs Bentham were living in Melbourne before moving to Brisbane, and soon after had their worlds flipped upside down by an unexpected diagnosis.
“I was diagnosed with cancer about three years ago, and the bottom of my world fell out,” Mrs Bentham said.
“I went through 18 months of treatment and then Darrell sat me down and said ‘life's too short, we’ve got to go and do something for ourselves’.”
After thinking long and hard about what to do, the couple decided to purchase a caravan park in Australia.
They looked at places all over the country but finally came across one at Sapphire, the Sapphire Caravan and Cabin Park, which turned out to be a hidden gem.
Nestled high in the hills on the outskirts of town, the park is like a hidden oasis in the middle of the Gemfields.
“The pictures for once didn’t do it justice, it was just beautiful,” Mrs Bentham said.
“We were really excited. We thought we’d just go on the journey and if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be, and everything just fell into place.
“We came up in December and we’ve loved every minute of it.”
Mr Bentham said it was a long-term plan that allowed the couple to spend more time together, while working on their own schedules and getting to know the range of people who visited along the way.
“It was mainly just so we had time together, not that we’ve had much because it’s been so busy, but that’s a great issue to have,” he said.
“[The cancer] was a big realisation that we’re not here forever, so let's do something where we can be together and something that we both enjoy.
“It’s great getting out and talking to people and hearing about their stories. It goes to show you just don’t know where life’s going to go.”
While summer months were generally quiet, Mrs Bentham said they were thrust straight into action with some pretty consistent visitor numbers in the early months, followed by their first fully-booked night in April.
“So many people have come back for a second visit since we've been here,” she said.
“One family has been out here three times in 10 weeks.
“We’ve also got a couple staying who have been coming out every year for 35 years, they’ve found stones and had jewellery made over the years and now we’re learning all about their story.”
Like all the owners who have run the park over the years, Mr and Mrs Bentham are working to make it home, adding their own personalised features for visitors in years to come.
“This is home, it's not a five-year plan,” Mrs Bentham said.
“I think this is the best move [Darrell’s] ever talked me into doing – just focusing on living and enjoying this, having a lot of fun and hopefully finding some sapphires.”
Sapphire Caravan and Cabin Park is pet friendly and boasts 31 sites, eight cabins, four with ensuites, a camp kitchen, two undercover BBQ areas, a herb garden and a pool.
At 5pm every night, visitors flock to the feeding area to feed lorikeets, cockatoos, wallabies and kangaroos and anything else that wanders into the park.
“The recycling that we do – bottles and plastics – pays for the bird feeding, which encourages others to recycle as well,” Mr Bentham said.
For more information or to visit the park, head to the website, search Sapphire Caravan & Cabin park on Facebook or give them a call on (07) 4985 4281.
Originally published as New owners of Sapphire caravan park love life in the Gemfields
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