South Australia caravan park wins ‘game changer’ award for 2021

A caravan park in South Australia has taken out a ‘game changing’ award — and it’s easy to see why.

Once considered the summer holiday owned by the grey nomads, campervan and caravan trips have never been so popular — and it’s all thanks to the boom in domestic roadtrips thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic.

With borders such as South Australia and the Northern Territory beginning to reopen ahead of Christmas, a new award has crowned some of the best camp and caravan grounds you can find around the country.

The 2021 G’day Group Business Award winners listed some of the best parks around the country to visit now that travel restrictions are starting to ease.

Pine Country Caravan Park now have some dog friendly cabins. Picture: Frank Monger

Pine Country Caravan Park has introduced glamping as park of their experience

With the hard border in place between South Australia and Victoria sporadically over the past two years, the ‘Game Changer’ award couldn’t have gone to a more deserving — or in need — caravan haven.

On the outskirts of Mount Gambier, Pine Country Caravan Park has been cut off from the bulk of its regular visitors – with people within SA the only likely ones to have visited the grounds in the past 12 months.

Now, for the second time in three years, owners Emma Vorwerk and Nathan Seal took out the award beating out 300 caravan parks across the country.

“I’m very honoured and privileged … a lot of the hard work has been paying off,” Mr Seal told The Advertiser.

Emma Vorwerk and Nathan Seal from Pine Country Caravan Park, Picture: Jessica Ball

“We couldn’t have done it without the great team that we’ve got.”

Mr Seal has spent the past 12 months focused on expanding the caravan park’s digital marketing presence, given the foot traffic across the border was so low.

According to Border Watch, Mr Seal coupled this with a new website and paid advertising across search engines and social media platforms.

But Mr Seal said his park prides itself on providing a great experience to travellers with an array of amenities and park facilities, with the addition of glamping tents and dog friendly cabins.

“The award looks holistically at your entire park,” he said.

Caravan and campervan holidays have boomed over the past two years,

“It’s all got to do with the overall concept of what you’re doing to better your park and operational excellence and experience for your customers.

“We’ve added a jumping pillow, playground, painted all of our cabins inside and out, we’ve done new fixtures and furniture, updated the camp kitchens, updated security with a new boom gate and CCTV.”

Some of the other 2021 G’day Group Business Awards Winners include:

YOUNG ACHIEVER AWARD (for excellence in youth creativity and innovation):

Jack Bennett, Lake Brockman Tourist Park WA

ELEVATE AWARD (for excellence in park development, design and innovation):

Experience Lancelin Holiday Park, WA

GAME CHANGER AWARD (for excellence in destination marketing):

Pine Country Caravan Park, SA

In addition, the G’day Rewards Travellers’ Choice Awards handed out a string of recognitions to parks voted in by the G’day Rewards members:

NATIONAL WINNER: Discovery Parks – Cradle Mountain (TAS)

BEST IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA: Mandalay Holiday Resort, Busselton

BEST IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA: Discovery Parks – Lake Bonney

BEST IN QUEENSLAND: Discovery Parks – Fraser Street, Hervey Bay

BEST IN NEW SOUTH WALES: Blue Dolphin Holiday Resort, Yamba

BEST IN VICTORIA: Discovery Parks – Echuca

BEST IN TASMANIA: Discovery Parks – Cradle Mountain

BEST IN NORTHERN TERRITORY: Riverview Tourist Village, Katherine