Ingenia Holiday Parks - bye bye Lake Conjola !

[Macropod]

We have been staying at Lake Conjola Big 4 for many years now and noted with interest their sale to Ingenia a year or so ago. Just booked in for a week or so and noted that the site we had booked (and fully paid) for Easter (we travel with a group and book adjacent sites) now featured a 2 storey cabin. So I trotted off to the office to ask where they planned to put us for Easter - (and June long weekend). Felt sorry for the office staff who had to try and explain that we have been plonked at the opposite end of the park in between a bunch of permanents - it was a don't shoot the messenger conversation.

So as it turns out - Ingenia have had DA's approved for ALL tourist sites at Lake Conjola and once all the sites are sold - there will be no more tourist vans in this park. Most likely by next Christmas. If you are booked in to this park then I suggest you check your booking as while you might be looking forward to that nice waterfront site - you may actually end up somewhere very different. I was also told that even sites booked for Easter that are currently OK - might not be by the time Easter hits. Takes 4 weeks from sale to cabin.

To say we are disappointed is an understatement. We booked the site to be with our family and friends - not the be 300 meters away. There was no intention to contact us to let us know about the change in good time to allow us to decide if we want to keep the booking. We love staying at this park - great sites, great facilities, fire pits allowed, on the lake etc etc.

Anyone else seen Ingenia make this sort of "improvement" ?

 

[Bellbirdweb]

Never heard of Ingenia till now.

Looking at their web site they appear to be all about community living and aged care not tourist parks.

Hopefully not a sign of things to come as companies try to get their tentacles into some of the caravan park real estate

 

[Dobbie]

Thanks. I'll now avoid anything to do with them in the future....unless I need assisted living in a lovely spot.

Their public relations people need a good kick in the rear end....or maybe they don't know anything about customer care...so maybe I'll go elsewhere for my assisted living needs....whenever that is.

Who owned the park originally? I'm assuming a local with a Big4 affiliation? If it's the local council, I'd be surprised as changing land use has to be tabled, gazetted and consulted with the stakeholders.

That's disappointing for you and your group ....and almost impossible to get another booking at that time...they're like hen's teeth.

 

[Drover]

It's something thats happening a lot to the coastal parks, quite a few the van sites are getting pushed out and replaced with cabins or in some cases refurbished miners huts and in some places council seems complicite with the changes and locals get up in arms about the tourist loss but to no avail.
The coast down there is screaming for more sites as it's always jam pack and has been for decades.

 

[Dobbie]

It's not only the coast.

We were talking with the latest managers at Wilcannia ...Warrawong on the darling...the newish oasis in the middle of nowhere but goats. You'd think they'd want to expand their caravan sites to get maximum return for the dollar but the expansion is into more cabins. There's more demand for government workers to stay overnight while dealing with the multiple social problems in the area....and their cabins are very very good.

The good 'Ol taxpayers foot the bill.....again.

Sorry @Macropod ....off topic .....again



:focus:

 

[Pauly]

Oh that's just not cricket!!!
Oh oo
We have site ps1 booked for the week before Easter . Specifically asked for this site and told yep it's available so we paid in full then to be told it ain't guaranteed . Arrrgh we wouldn't want another site if that's the case I said (politely I might add) , she was very optimistic that we wouldn't be moved so we left it at that. Hmmm now getting a bit concerned after hearing your scenario...

We've been here once on a recommendation and liked it but I still wouldn't want to stay being Jamed between two vans.

 

[Johnno48]

No pet friendly parks in Lake Conjola anymore either