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 Regent Caravans set to be resurrected: rumour

REGENT Caravans, which went bust in April, will soon be trading again, according to a reliable source. The insider told Caravanning News: "It will be resurrected, dusted off and put back on the shelf." Founded in the early 1990s, the well-respected company shocked the industry when it closed its factory in Victoria on April 3, throwing dozens of staff out of work. Caravanning News understands a new breed of Regent will be manufactured at the same factory in Cambellfield and that workers will be offered their jobs back. The news comes as Caravan and RV Works at Forest Glen on Queensland's Sunshine Coast said it was willing to take on staff who had lost their jobs. "If any staff are looking for a sea change, I have jobs available in my workshop," owner Gary Scamber said. "We offer great conditions and the Sunshine Coast is a great place to live." Have your say

Wily 95-year-old has everyone on the hop

WILY old Douglas Pyne had everyone on the hop after disappearing from a Northern Territory caravan park. But despite a police hunt for the grey-haired 95-year-old adventurer, Mr Pyne was quite unperturbed when eventually discovered nonchalantly ambling along a Darwin street 23km away. Mr Pyne, who walks with the aid of a walking frame, had checked into the BIG4 Howard Springs Holiday Park but left next morning, saying he would walk to Palmerston. Police later reported him missing and put out a media alert for people to be on the lookout for him. But it appears Mr Pyne, who has a hearing impairment but is otherwise in good health, had changed his mind about going to Palmerston and headed for the state capital instead. A police spokesperson told Caravanning News he had befriended a motorist at a servo near the caravan park who gave him a lift into Darwin. "He's a very remarkable and independent person who hates being constrained," she explained. "He is now being cared for in temporary accommodation in Darwin." A spokeswoman at the BIG4 park denied all knowledge of Mr Pyne and declined to comment further.  Have your say

Grey nomads hurt in outback smash

THE remains of what was once the pride and joy of a Victorian couple lie scattered in a thousand pieces as rescue workers struggle to free  one of them from the wreckage of their tow vehicle in outback Queensland. The grey nomads were badly injured in the smash on the Gregory Development Road, 50km north-west of Clermont, and were airlifted to hospital by an RACQ CQ Rescue helicopter.

'Ridiculous,' says park's new owner

FURY OVER COUNCIL'S LEGAL ACTION MOVE

By Dennis Amor

THE new owner of a Queensland caravan park has come out with both guns blazing after the local council voted to launch legal action following complaints about conditions there . . . just three weeks after he took over.

"This is ridiculous," the flabbergasted new boss of the 82-site Atkinson Dam Waterfront Caravan Park west of Brisbane, James Lapham, told Caravanning News.

"I've only owned the park for a matter of weeks and now I've got this hanging over my head."

Somerset Regional Council members decided at its recent meeting to take legal action against the park at Coominya after being told of alleged "non-compliance with development approval, unlawful building work, substandard plumbing work and unclean amenities and the like".

The council accused the park of making "no noticeable progress" to remedy the situation.

But the furious Mr Lapham, who paid $1.5 million for the 25-acre park, said: "How can they take legal action against someone who has only owned it for three and a half weeks. Surely this should go to the previous owner."

'Closing council-provided services never our intention'

Reassurance on Apple Isle budget camping

THE Tasmanian Government has reassured caravanners they will continue to enjoy budget camping on the Apple Isle. Minister for Local Government Bryan Green said the state's councils could continue providing low cost overnight camping for recreational vehicle users in compliance with National Competition Policy. He said the Statewide Directions Paper – Review of Council Recreational Vehicle Overnight Camping Services had been completed but found that councils had a responsibility to adhere to the policy. "The aim of the review was to ensure councils who operate camping services are aware of their responsibility to comply with the principles of competitive neutrality," Mr Green said. "Closing council-provided camping services was never the intention of the review." But he warned that council-provided facilities could unfairly impact on private caravan parks. "I encourage councils to work with local businesses to find ways of meeting tourist and community needs," he said. "Councils have already indicated they want to keep prices as low as possible for low-service facilities – in the vicinity of $5 to $15 a night – which means there will still be low-cost options available for travellers in the State." Have your say

BIG4 receives government tick of approval
THE corridors of power in Canberra have given the tick of approval to Australia's biggest chain of caravan and tourist parks. BIG4 Holiday Parks – which has more than 180 holiday destinations nationwide – has been awarded T-QUAL accreditation, the Australian Government's quality benchmark for the tourism industry. Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson said that as an industry leader, the chain had transformed the humble caravan park into a modern holiday experience with a commitment to quality.

Travellers trapped on Apple Isle ferry
SCORES of caravans and motorhomes were trapped on board the Spirit of Tasmania in Melbourne when a shore-based unloading ramp failed. Over 800 vehicles were unable to leave the ship after an overnight voyage from Apple Isle. One grey nomad told Caravanning News that passengers received complimentary breakfasts and hot drinks while technicians feverishly struggled to repair the ramp. Unloading finally began at about 10am, with all caravans and motorhomes on garage level five having to reverse towards the rear of the ship before driving down a ramp to garage level four and out at the front of the ship. Have your say

Company's new concept in speedy
caravan manufacture

A frame from the finished time-lapse video showing Concept staff with their finished caravan

 A VICTORIAN caravan manufacturer has come up with a new concept to reduce the time it takes to build a caravan. In fact, five days of hard work constructing a caravan have been squeezed into just five minutes! Melbourne's Concept Caravans, founded in 2003, thought it would be a good idea to show customers how one of their caravans is built from scratch ... using a time-lapse video. The company engaged advertising specialists CDMediaVideos for the novel project. A camera was installed on 10ft-high wheeled scaffolding at Concept's factory in Somerton to capture a bird's-eye view as building progressed down the production line. Images were captured every 30 seconds during the five-day shoot. The fascinating result is now on YouTube and has already attracted around 2000 viewers. Click the image to see the video. Have your say

National club clarifies deregistration move
THE National Association of Caravans Clubs has now clarified why the Australian Securities and Investments Commission intends to strike its name from the register. ASIC recently announced it would take the action unless provided with "an acceptable reason" not to do so. But, it appears, the announcement is all about the words "incorporated' and 'limited' in the club's title.

Consultants pour cold water on new park plan
CONSULTANTS have poured cold water on plans for a new caravan park on the NSW Coffs Coast. The property consultants, Hill PDA, have told Bellingen Shire Council that the proposed holiday park in the riverside town of Bellingen, which boasts a turn-of-the-century "main street" village atmosphere, was unlikely to be financially viable.

Leading chain strengthens network with new parks
AUSTRALIA'S biggest chain of caravan and tourist parks has welcomed five new members to its fold. BIG4 Holiday Parks has strengthened its already robust network by adding the parks to its portfolio, giving travellers even more options when choosing to holiday across Australia. Three are in Queensland, one in SA and the other in NSW.

RALLY WOES AS CLUBS BATTLE RISING FEES

Rising costs are hitting club rallies

CARAVAN clubs are struggling with the rising cost of site fees for their get-togethers. Rallies are one of the highlights of many caravan clubs' social calendars. But it seems some caravan parks are not only increasing overnight fees but scrapping discounts for group gatherings as they battle to meet rising overheads. One club being hit hard is NSW's Shoalhaven Caravan Club. President Dick Loney said he had spoken with rally master Ray Baxter about the 2012 rally programme. "The big thing to come out of my discussions with Ray was the increase in costs of caravan parks," he writes in his club's magazine: "We all know that the day of the $20-a-night park is gone. Well, so has the $25 park and it now seems as though it is becoming almost impossible to get a park under $30 a night ... and Ray has had trouble getting a discount from them." Have your say

Park owner subjected to 'land grab', claims pollie
A FEDERAL politician has accused the government of attempting to "blackmail" a Victorian caravan park owner into giving away his land. Opposition spokesman for regional development Barnaby Joyce claimed the owner was told he would have to donate 155 acres in exchange for having just five acres rezoned so he could expand his park.

Fleetwood chosen to build workers' village
THE Perth-based Fleetwood Group, which manufacturers Coromal and Windsor caravans, has been chosen to construct a giant workers' camp in Queensland. One of the largest park home, transportable home and portable accommodation providers to the retirement and resource industries in Australia, it will build, own and operate the "transient workforce accommodation village" in Gladstone. The port city is the major processing and export hub for many sizeable and diverse resource projects in the region. In a statement, Fleetwood said more than $50 billion was being spent by major resource companies on LNG, coal and aluminium related projects, with other schemes at various stages of evaluation. Accommodation units for the village will be built and installed by BRB Modular, the east coast-based manufactured accommodation business acquired by Fleetwood in 2010. Construction of the village is expected to begin during the first quarter of the 2013 financial year, the company said. Have your say

Keeping in touch while on the road

CARAVANNERS depend on three main devices to keep in touch while on the road, according to an online poll. The survey on Australia's leading caravanners' forum revealed that 34 percent of respondents carried mobile 'phones, 28 percent had wireless broadband while 26 percent used UHF radios. Only one respondent admitted to having a satellite 'phone.
Have your say

Couple cheat death in highway tyre terror
A CARAVANNER has told how a wayward tyre almost claimed the lives of himself and his wife on a Queensland outback highway. Stephen Hughes and his wife Roslyn, from the Sunshine Coast, were heading west along the Capricorn Highway towards Emerald at 100kph with their caravan in tow when the tyre fell from the back of an approaching truck.

Caretakers needed for 'boutique' park
The Yorke Peninsula District Council in South Australia is looking for caretakers to take over the day-to-day operations of its caravan park. It says the successful applicants will help plan the future of the 20-site Yorketown Caravan Park, which it describes as a "boutique park" set in a picturesque setting of trees, manicured lawns and beautiful rose gardens.

Close shave for ATPM's financial controller
GOLD Coast-based Australian Tourist Park Management's staffer Luke Porter didn't turn a hair while raising money for charity. The financial controller sat placidly as local hairdresser Reanna from Coolangatta hair salon Beeba skillfully removed every hair from his head. Luke, whose father fell victim to cancer a decade ago, was taking part in the World's Greatest Shave. ATPM colleagues entered into the spirit of the occasion by colouring their hair for the day or sporting hair accessories. Luke, whose sacrifice raised more than $600, was among more than 125,000 Aussies who shaved, coloured or waxed their hair to help vital research and free services provided by the Leukaemia Foundation. Have your say

Former CSIRO research site set for big rigs
AN OLD research station on the Victorian-NSW border may soon be welcoming big RVs which have difficulty pitching in caravan parks. A Queensland developer is understood to be planning a recreational vehicle park for large motorhomes and fifth-wheelers at CSIRO's former research station at Mebein. Caravanning News understands that old buildings on the 35ha Sturt Highway site will be used for accommodation. Have your say

Scammers target SA

Cunning crooks continue to con caravanners out of thousands

CUNNING crooks continue to con bargain hunters out of thousands of dollars by offering cheap caravans for sale in newspapers and web-based classifieds. The scammers have struck all over Australia but it seems they have now set their sights on South Australia, prompting an urgent warning from the state's police. Superintendent Jim Jeffery, who heads the Commercial Electronic Crime Branch, said the fake advertisements for used vehicles, including caravans, has recently snared 12 victims who had collectively lost $156,000.

Anger over ban on long-term home sales
FURIOUS caravan dwellers at a Queensland park have protested after being banned from on-selling their homes. Bargara Beach Caravan Park near Bundaberg has written to long-term residents informing them they must remove their homes when tenancies run out. It is believed about 30 moveable dwellings would be affected. Have your say

Helping you plan your show visits
THOUSANDS of enthusiasts are already flocking to this year's round of nationwide caravan and camping shows. The events showcase the RV industry's latest models and range of must-have accessories. Caravanning News has compiled a list of dates and venues of upcoming events.

Family holiday ends in tragedy
A FAMILY holiday at a Victorian caravan park ended in tragedy when a 61-year-old grandmother drowned in the adjoining river. Police were preparing a report for the coroner after the Geelong woman's body was found in the early morning under the Porepunkah Bridge on the Ovens River. She had been staying with about 20 relatives at the four-star Porepunkah Bridge Caravan Park, where she had holidayed with her husband for about 30 years. "They just loved the area and she loved it so much up here," a park spokeswoman said. It is believed the woman could have hit her head on rocks below the riverbank. Have your say

Mother plans special tribute

Gas blast victims' ashes to be scattered on beach they loved

THE grieving mother of two teenagers who perished when a gas bottle exploded at a West Australian caravan park is planning a special tribute on the anniversary of their deaths. Fiona Spies says she will scatter Ben and Georgie's ashes on the Mondurah beach they loved so much ... just a year after they died. And she has invited friends to share the special pre-sunset celebration of their short lives by turning up at the fourth groyne on May 4. Ben, 16, died when a tent erupted in flames at 3am at the four-star Top Tourist Timbertop Caravan Park at Mandurah, south of Perth. Georgie, 13, and their 48-year-old father Brett later died in hospital. All suffered dreadful burns. The beach is steeped in memories for Mrs Spies who said she could always find her children there when they were growing up. Have your say

Founding chairman of Aspen Group resigns
REG Gillard, founding chairman of the Aspen Group – which has a chain of caravan parks under the Aspen Parks banner – has resigned from the board. Meanwhile the group has announced the appointment of Hugh Martin and Clive Appleton to its board of directors. In a statement, Aspen described the pair as "individuals of the highest calibre" who would complement existing members in leading the group into the future. The new appointments and resignation of Mr Gillard completes the board renewal process outlined at the group's 2011 annual general meeting. Have your say

For stories from the last six editions of Caravanning News, click on the appropriate month:

April 2012	March 2012	February 2012	January 2012	December 2011	November 2011

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Editor: Dennis Amor
PO Box 678
Caloundra
Queensland 4551
Australia
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