Tips for Finding a Safe Caravan Park in Australia

Do you plan on staying in a caravan park and enjoying a camping adventure? There are some things you need to take into consideration before heading off. Please take the time to read our tips below for finding a safe caravan park.

Australia is a great place to explore in a caravan, but as you head off the beaten track it can be tricky to find safe and fun places to park for a night or to use as a base for your hiking and exploring.

In most parts of Australia, you cannot simply pull over by the roadside or park in a car park and spend the night.

There are some quite-strict by-laws relating to camping (which caravans count as) in public areas.

There are some rest areas on highways, but caravan parks are a much better choice since they often have their own amenities, are generally secure, and they are places that a lot of other tourists will be staying at so you may have the chance to meet a lot of nice people.

What to Look for in a Caravan Park

Caravan parks can vary massively in terms of their atmosphere, amenities, and even staffing levels.

In general, the closer you are to popular tourist hot spots the busier the park will be and the greater the risk of running into rowdy tourists.

As you go further off the beaten track, you should look for parks that are quieter, which can be a mixed blessing.

At a quiet park, you’re more likely to meet other people who are just off on a road trip and looking to use the park as a base for a night or two while they relax and explore the area.

However, the risk of theft or vandalism can be greater when there are fewer people around.

There are a few things you should look for in a caravan park to ensure that you enjoy your stay:

• Clear fire safety signs and health and safety warnings re: gas cylinders, etc, are a good sign that the park is well run
• Having a staffed reception and regular security patrols indicates that they care about their guests
• Well-maintained play equipment for children
• Fences and warning signs around potential hazards such as gas supplies, pools, etc
• Parks with a mixture of long-term and short term residents tend to have good communities

Crime and Caravan Parks

The Centre for Rural Crime published a report into crime and caravan parks, which looked at patterns of crime against residents and tourists, as well as risk factors and ways of mitigating that risk.

The report found that while crime against tourists does occur, caravan parks which have a mixture of long-term residents (such as farmworkers, labourers, miners, retirees, etc) and short term tourists tend to have close-knit communities.

There are some unspoken agreements between the users of the park, and there is a strong sense of shared purpose which helps to make the parks a nice place to stay.

There are a huge number of caravan parks in Australia. There are some big chains that operate parks, and there are hundreds of independent parks too.

Staying in a park that belongs to a well-known chain such as Top Parks or Big4 Holiday Parks can be a good choice, but independent parks are often affordable and have a charm of their own.

Should You Call Ahead?

If you are travelling at a peak time of year then calling ahead can help to maximise the chances of you getting a good pitch at your first choice of park, but during quieter times of the year calling ahead is not always necessary.

Try to plan your trip at least a day or two in advance, mapping out where you want to go and checking the reviews of parks before you stay at them.

The vast majority of people in the camping and caravanning community are great people who all help each other, so you should be in for a fun trip.

If you are thinking about camping anywhere in Australia, then there is no better way to do this than with your very own caravan.

For the best caravans in Australia, then you can’t go past Retreat Caravans. 

Please check out our range of caravans below, all carefully designed with you in mind:

• Whitsunday – Touring caravan
• Keppel – Compact caravan
• Fraser – Semi off-road caravan
• Hamilton – Luxury caravan
• Daydream – Off-road caravan