When you’re planning a holiday, the best experiences can sometimes be found close to home (or your home away from home!). A lot of our holiday parks are much more than just somewhere to sleep for the night, and play host to range of unique experiences that you can have without even setting foot outside of the park! Read on for our list of favourite parks that will make you go ‘I wouldn’t expect that in a holiday park!’.
ANCHORAGE HOLIDAY PARK, NSW
Stillwater Wellness Day Spa
Treat yourself, and add a little luxury to your next holiday at Anchorage Holiday Park by indulging in a range of treatments at the onsite Stillwater Wellness Day Spa. With a range of massages available including Remedial, Relaxation, Deep Tissue, Sports and Pregnancy massage with their fully qualified therapist, as well as a range of facials, you will leave feeling refreshed and relaxed! Wind down after a busy day of beach activity, and book into the Spa for unequalled relaxation.
Blue Dolphin Holiday Resort, NSW
Swim up Bar
Sit back and relax in the stunning resort style pool at Blue Dolphin Holiday Resort, complete with it’s very own swim up bar! The ultimate indulgence, snag yourself a seat at the bar, or relax in the in-pool booth with a cold one. An added bonus for the parents is that it’s conveniently located next to the kid’s waterpark, so you can keep on eye on the kids having a ball while you’re getting to relax.
Ashmore Palms Holiday Village, QLD
Exotic Bird Collection
Ashmore Palms Holiday Village is home to Australia’s largest private collection of South American Macaw Parrots, with a stunning range of varieties including a rare Lutino Macaw! You can stroll through the tropical lagoon area and along the manmade rainforest walkway, where you’ll find aviaries housing these colourful Macaws. With a healthy diet and good care, these amazing parrots can have a life span of up to 100 years! There’s also aviaries housing Australian Native birds and other parrots, who have a special diet which consists mostly of fresh fruit, nuts and vegetables, prepared daily by Ashmore Palms’ dedicated Bird Team.
Fossickers Tourist Park, NSW
Gem Fossicking
The Tamworth region is historically renowned for its gold, gems and mineral discoveries, and all sites at Fossickers Tourist Park have access to the Peel River for fossicking. Gold can still be found in the area, usually in the sand and gravel at the river’s edge, as well as precious gems including sapphires, zircon, crystal and prase. You can also head to The Gil Bennet Rocks, Gems and Minerals Collection in the Nundle Visitor Information Outlet, which houses one of the finest collections in the world.
Gundagai Cabins & Tourist Park, NSW
Weighbridge
If you’re into practical park features, then check out Gundagai Cabins & Tourist Park’s weighbridge! It’s important to make sure you know your vehicle’s towing capacity, as well as your caravan’s aggregate trailer mass (ATM) to make sure it’s legal and safe to be towing. Gundagai Cabins & Tourist Park is the only park in Australia with a weighbridge so you can “stay and weigh” to ensure your rig complies with weight restrictions, which is a definite added bonus for caravan and heavy vehicle guests.
Tasman Holiday parks - Rollingstone, QLD
Barramundi catch & release lakes
For the fishing lovers, you can’t go past Tasman Holiday Parks - Rollingstone. With 3 catch & release lakes located in the park, you can pick a spot to settle down and see how many barramundi you can reel in. All fish must be returned to the lake after catching, so you might be lucky enough to catch the biggest barra you’ve seen! You can even book into a lakeside site so you can wake up and take just a couple of steps outside, ready to start the day with a catch!
Discovery Parks – Lake Bonney, SA
Water trampoline
Situated right on the foreshore of the lake, Discovery Parks – Lake Bonney is a water lovers dream! With so much to keep you and the kids busy all year round, a real highlight of the activities is the Water Trampoline. The kids (and kids at heart!) will have endless fun bouncing into Lake Bonney from this giant inflatable water tramp.
Larrimah Wayside Inn, NT
Native Animal Zoo
The Larrimah Wayside Inn is much more than just accommodation! Check out the free Native Animal Zoo while you’re there – the inn’s former owner rescued many injured wildlife and rehabilitated them back to good health. Check out saltwater crocodile Sneaky Sam, Ray the Croc, the aviaries with a range of birds from cockatoos and parrots to owls and hawks, Redman the Roo and Winnie & Lucy the Wallabies, as well as emus and a collection of snakes!
Riverview Tourist Village, NT
Katherine Hot Springs
A visit to the top end isn’t complete without checking out the Katherine Hot Springs, located a short stroll from Riverview Tourist Village on the banks of the Katherine River. These natural thermal springs are made up of a number of pools which have an average temperature of 25-30 degrees Celsius. Enjoy a picnic on the large, open grass areas shaded by beautiful native vegetation - it’s the perfect spot to relax.
Kimberleyland Waterfront Holiday Park, NT
Gummy the Crocodile
Kimberleyland Waterfront Holiday Park is nestled on the banks of the Lily Creek Lagoon in the East Kimberley region. Surrounded by nature and native wildlife, you can also check out the rare finch aviary, which houses stunning rare Gouldian Finches, Star Finches, and Painted Firetails. However, one of the most popular residents of Kimberleyland is toothless freshwater crocodile, Gummy. He is estimated to be nearly 60 years old, and he loves if you take a selfie with him during his daily appearance on the foreshore!
Coffin Bay Caravan Park, SA
Emus
Centrally located on the Esplanade in Coffin Bay, the Coffin Bay Caravan Park has plenty of local wildlife calling the park home. From Western Grey Kangaroos with patterned faces to Emus with their chicks, as well as a friendly Willie Wagtail, you never know just quite who you’re going to bump in to! Surrounded by National Parks and just a stones throw to the beach, enjoy getting back to nature at Coffin Bay Caravan Park.
Discovery Parks – Airlie Beach, QLD
Rainbow Lorikeet Feeding
For the animal lovers, Discovery Parks – Airlie Beach is an Australian wildlife haven as the ‘locals’ regularly pop past to say g’day. See kangaroos, wallabies, possums, goannas, scrub turkeys, parrots and the dazzling rainbow lorikeets. Head to the pool area at 8am every morning where the park team feed the beautiful and friendly rainbow lorikeets. All park guests will have the unforgettable opportunity to feed these beautiful and playful birds and see up close their bright red beak and colourful plumage – just amazing!
Hit the road now and experience the unexpected, all from within the comfort of a G’day Park!
