Just in time for the Easter break and the April school holidays, the Great Ocean Road Tourist Park at Peterborough has been voted Australia’s Best Holiday Park in a national competition run by Turu.com.au and Woman’s Day magazine.
Great Ocean Road (pictured), between Torquay and Warrnambool in Victoria, is around 200 kilometres long and one of the great ocean drives or walks in the country. Great Ocean Road is Heritage listed.
Park managers Dean and Sarah Hellessey were surprised and delighted to win from a strong field of parks right around Australia.
Their idyllic coastal hide-away scored morethan 2,000 votes in the inaugural search for Australia’s Best Holiday Park.
Their park is located approximately 50 kilometres east of Warrnambool and is within easy reach of the Twelve Apostles and the other scenic delights of Great Ocean Road.
Turu.com.au general manager, Robert Gallagher, said the Great Ocean Road Tourist Park – and all the finalists – exemplified the 1,800 outstanding holiday parks listed their website.
“Any one of these great parks would make a wonderful holiday destination,” he said.
“We are introducing the joys of holiday parks to a whole new audience who might not have considered parks before, and the winners show how many great parks there are.”
Dean and Sarah attribute their win to great support from their many loyal patrons and their little local community of Peterborough – and to major upgrades in recent years.
“In the past three years or so, we’ve had a major capital program including a new camp kitchen,barbecue, TV room and games room, plus a jumping pillow and a proper basketball ring,” Sarah said.
“Previously we just had a small barbecue hut, and the new all-weather facilities have really been appreciated by our guests, especially the campers.
“We’re not a fancy resort – we’re more a really good family park – but we do have little extras like hand towels and toiletries in the bathrooms, and we get amazing feedback.”
Other winners included:
* Adelaide Caravan Park (SA)
* Big4 Maroochy Palms(Queensland)
* Kings Canyon Resort (NT)
* Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort (WA)
* Scamander Tourist Park (Tasmania), and
* South West Rocks Tourist Park(NSW).