No more roughing it: Aussie holiday parks aren’t what they used to be

It’s a cloudless day – the heady waft of lilies fills the air with the promise of summer. We’re enjoying a wine on the spotted-gum deck of our eco cabin overlooking a saltwater pool. A butcher bird swoops in and sings for his supper. Clearly, he’s done this before as his performance works a treat. A bush turkey struts over to investigate, kookaburras laugh high in towering gums while the roar of the ocean can be heard in the distance.

Views of the resort-style pool from a superior villa at Reflections Jimmys Beach.

We’re staying in a superior villa at Reflections Jimmys Beach in Hawks Nest, NSW. It offers all the luxuries and mod cons of a hotel – Wi-Fi, three smart TVs, air conditioning, dishwasher; even a Nespresso machine – yet we’re connected to nature and are a stroll away from a sweep of beach that reminds me of Hawaii. My how caravan parks (ahem, holiday parks) have changed.

The new precinct of nine deluxe cabins overlooking a resort-style outdoor heated pool opened in 2022 as part of a $5 million upgrade. Underpinned by a sustainable focus the design includes solar panels on each cabin and rainwater collection tanks for flushing toilets. Also on offer are 10 tiny homes (four of which are premium and dog-friendly), five safari tents, a communal firepit and upgraded internet enabling travellers to work onsite. The icing on the cake is easy access to a curve of white sand and turquoise sea stretching from the Myall River to the Yacaaba Headland.

Reflections Jimmys Beach underwent a $5 million upgrade in 2022.

Reflections, NSW’s largest and Australia’s only certified social enterprise holiday park group, offers travellers the chance to explore the state’s beauty and enjoy a healthy dose of nature without breaking the bank. With a focus on nature-based stays (all of its 40 parks are on crown land) they’re part of a resurgence of parks offering a fresh take on holidays in the great outdoors.

Peter Chapman, Reflections chief marketing officer, said the holiday park market is more discerning than ever. “There’s a whole cohort who don’t own a caravan nor want to own one but still want that quintessential, nature-based holiday.”

Chapman says the thing holiday parks have always done well is bring people together. “Post COVID, people are looking for environments to connect rather than hotels, for example, which are typically closed off and where you don’t necessarily talk to anyone,” he said.

Tiny home accommodation at Reflections Jimmys Beach.

This trend, Chapman says, has ushered in a whole new type of holiday park traveller; one used to the trappings of a hotel or resort. “We’re creating products that suit them such as eco cabins, tiny homes and glamping. Glamping is huge because people like the nostalgia of camping but they want nice linen, an ensuite and a kitchen under canvas, and we celebrate that”.

Holiday parks across the country are enjoying a revival. Budget conscious travellers are flocking in droves, many for the first time. Everything from swanky and pet-friendly cabins to safari and bell tents, tiny homes, retro Airstream trailers, firepits, kid’s clubs, converted shipping container stays, resort pools through to full-blown resort facilities are on offer.

BIG4 Holiday Parks chief executive Sean Jenner said their parks have evolved well beyond the traditional caravan park or campground with diverse accommodation options and resort-style facilities including heated swimming pools, water parks, mini-golf, playgrounds and kids’ activity zones.

Jenner said the trend towards affordable, value-packed holidays is largely driven by rising financial pressures on Australian families. “Our research shows that 76 per cent of Australians cite financial constraints as the main reason they’re limited in their ability to travel. At BIG4, we’re addressing that by creating a holiday experience that’s both affordable and memorable”.

Bell tent accommodation at BIG4 Castlemaine Gardens Holiday Park.

He says the popularity of BIG4’s glamping tents is the perfect example of travellers wanting to enjoy the outdoors without compromising on convenience or comfort. “These setups are ideal for families or couples who want to escape to nature without the traditional hassles of camping”.

And it’s not just the major players shaking things up. On the Sunshine Coast, privately owned Sixty6 Acres is expanding its luxury farm stay offering to include camping and caravanning, with glamping tents or self-contained “farm pods” to follow.

Luxury farm stay Sixty6 Acres on the Sunshine Coast is expanding to camping and caravanning.

Sixty6 Acres’ second stage sees the addition of 93 powered sites, pools and onsite dining showcasing local producers and brewers. “Think platters of Woombye and Kenilworth cheeses with a Sunshine and Sons cocktail or a bucket of Your Mates or Ten Toes brews. Feedback shows guests are looking for a destination with a range of facilities and activities – not just a Hipcamp – and we offer the perfect combination of coast and country in the heart of the Sunshine Coast,” she said.

Set to open by Easter 2025, stage two will include a communal “Packing Shed” inclusive of a restaurant, bar and cafe area with alfresco dining and lounges, flanked by seven heated plunge pools perched on the hill with farm vistas. “We’re also building several play areas for the kids, a new pitch and putt adjacent to the horses, bush walks and a self-guided tour taking guests from the animal stables, through the pineapple patch (a nod to Woombye’s agricultural history), past miniature cows and donkeys to the northern creek and waterhole where you might just spot a platypus,” she said.

The luxe interiors and styling that sets Sixty6 Acres’ existing farmstay accommodation apart will be incorporated across the new development. Guests will be free to explore the property by bike, handfeed animals, collect eggs or paddle the lake.

“We know holiday parks have evolved into so much more these days. This is about so much more than pulling into a narrow caravan site and looking at the neighbour’s awning”.

The details

Stay

A two-bedroom superior villa (sleeps five) at Reflections Jimmys Beach costs from $323 per night, minimum two-night stay. See reflectionsholidays.com.au

Jimmys Beach is located in Hawks Nest, NSW, just under three hours’ drive north of Sydney or 50-minute drive from Newcastle Airport. See barringtoncoast.com.au

Five other new-wave holiday parks

Pinky Beach at Discovery Resorts Rottnest Island.

Discovery Resorts Rottnest Island
Quokkas, sundowners and beachfront glamping are on the menu at Discovery Resorts Rottnest Island in Western Australia, overlooking Pinky Beach. The 83 eco-friendly tents feature air conditioning, heated blankets (some include a kitchenette) while there’s also a 30m pool, restaurant, bar and firepit onsite. See discoveryholidayparks.com.au

Discovery Parks Cradle Mountain
Eleven new luxury mountain cabins have been unveiled as part of a $20 million dollar overhaul of Discovery Parks Cradle Mountain set on the edge of the world-heritage listed Lake St Clair National Park. The upgrade includes 30 new cabins, 40 new tourist sites and improved amenities. See discoveryholidayparks.com.au

BIG4 Ingenia Holidays Soldiers Point
This park in Port Stephens NSW offers everything from a purpose-built bike track, two pools and a bowling alley through to retro Airstreams fitted out with double bed, bunks, air conditioning, TV and kitchenette. See big4.com.au

Bellarine Bayside Holiday Parks
Adults-only beach pods offering uninterrupted views across Port Phillip Bay to the You Yangs mountain range and Melbourne beyond are on offer at Bellarine Bayside’s Portarlington holiday park. See bellarinebayside.com.au

BIG4 Castlemaine Gardens Holiday Park
Expect everything from luxury family villas, glamping and safari tents along with a specially designed accessible villa. There’s also a Sensory Garden, Bush Hut Camp Kitchen with pizza oven and open fire, pedal kart hire, adventure course and games room. See big4.com.au

The writer stayed as a guest of Reflections Holiday Park.