Holiday park etiquette – how to be a carefree caravan camper
Escaping the everyday norm with the lure of regional roads that lead to some of the most picturesque and remote locations in Australia is too great. However, well-planned holidays can quickly turn into horror stories when neighbouring holiday-makers don’t consider those around them (especially during peak travel periods). Whether you’re a young couple, parents with active kids or nomads with a furry friend, good manners in shared holiday spaces, like our holiday parks, are important.
While there are no hard and fast rules printed in the bitumen, to avoid your holiday going from carefree to careless in one laid back moment, Jacky from Discovery Parks - Barossa shares her park manager tips on how to practice good etiquette while ensuring you enjoy some well-deserved timeout.
Confirm check in and out times
Phone ahead to confirm what time you can arrive. Sometimes we may be doing some park maintenance, such as watering or mowing your site, to make sure the welcome mat is ready for your arrival.
Obey the park’s speed limit
Parents feel comfortable letting kids roam alone within our park limits and lots ride around on bikes, trikes, skateboards and the like. Keep moving vehicles to a walking pace for everyone’s benefit and safety.
Size does matter
It’s worth knowing how long, wide and tall your complete setup is so that your vehicles and belongings are within the site boundary. Also, if there are any tree branches or limbs that may affect your set up, come see us at Park Reception and our staff will be able to assist with any tricky manoeuvring and potential gardening.
Set up safely
We appreciate when vans or trailers are parked with the tow bar facing the road, as this allows for easy access if the park needs to evacuate all guests in an emergency. Keep your camp site organised by ensuring that power cords and water hoses are neatly arranged to avoid them becoming trip hazards for others. It’s also courteous to use the designated dump stations, drains and grey waste traps to discard of any waste.
Stick to your space
Stick to the roads and walkways to avoid upsetting anyone or damaging someone else’s belongings. While cutting through your neighbours’ site might get you from A to B faster, just be mindful of their personal space.
Be pet conscious
If you’re travelling with a pet, clean up after them and keep them on a leash in shared spaces. Not all pets are as friendly as yours, so it is important to socialise them carefully.
Keep the noise down
As a rule of thumb, quiet time is 10pm till 6am and we encourage our guests to get a good night’s rest during these hours so you can tackle a day of sightseeing in region. Caravan, tent and camper walls are paper thin and, in the still of night, you can hear everything from music playing, board game tactics, snoring, movies being played on screens. Not only that, for those caravans that come equipped with ensuites, you might like to consider singing lessons for those in-shower ballads. Noisy generators can also pose a sound issue so book a powered site where you can.
Clean up after yourself
Treat your site like your home and please leave the space as you found it. Pick up and bin any rubbish or, if provided in the shower cubicle, use the mop and bucket. If you’re using shared facilities like the Camp Kitchen or BBQ areas, be sure to clean up and wipe down surfaces once you’re done. Also, make sure you take all your gear with you if using the bathroom amenities, especially your towel, no one needs to see a nudie run back to your site!
Make friends with your neighbours
Parks are great places to get to know people from all over Australia and even from around the world so take the time to say hi. Who knows, you just might make a lifelong friend to add to your Christmas card list or a travel companion to meet up with at park year after year after year. If the friendship doesn’t blossom this far, we’re sure you’ll at least enjoy a happy hour drink (or two!), swap travel tips, increase your social media following and have someone to keep an eye out for your valuables when you’re away from site. Same goes for the park team, we’re here to make your stay as comfortable as possible so make sure you give us a wave and stop for a chat.
Sharing is caring
Last, but not least, we highly recommend sharing any baked goods with your park managers.
Come find your space at our place.
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