02 May, 2024

New and improved parks with Reflections, BIG4, NRMA and Discovery

by Amelia Mansell, Photography: Supplied

To make planning your next holiday adventure easier than ever, we’ve located some brand new and refurbished parks that offer lux experiences and beautiful surrounding areas to explore.

Eco luxury at Reflections Hawks Nest, NSW

Nestled between the ocean and lush coastal bushland in Port Stephens, NSW, Reflections Hawks Nest is a premium holiday destination for families, beach-lovers, surfers and outdoor enthusiasts of all ages and abilities. And this beautiful park has added another gleaming feather to its cap of luxury features with the completion of its new eco cabin precinct, which opened on 22 December 2023.

The precinct boasts 14 contemporary styled cabins, featuring recycled timber batten screens and flooring, plantation-grown plywood interiors and materials that withstand coastal weather conditions, all of which blend beautifully into the park’s natural environment.

Living up to the ‘eco’ status in more than appearance, each cabin has a solar power system and rainwater tanks are used for toilet flushing.

Of the 14 cabins, three have boat parking car parks, two are accessible and wheelchair-friendly with ramps and all-access bathrooms and six are dog-friendly and include lockable enclosed decks. For those travelling with friends or family, the cabins have plenty of space. Six of the cabins sleep four, another six accommodate six people and the two accessible cabins sleep six.

This new precinct was a $5.075 million investment by Reflections Holiday Parks with the goal of improving the existing park and its facilities and is part of a larger park improvement program aimed at diversifying the accommodation options for guests to ensure there is something for every visitor’s preference and requirements.

Throughout this year, Reflections Hawks Nest’s improvements will include a heated outdoor pool and pool area and a native plant garden. Other areas, such as amenities block, will be refurbished for a refreshed and more modern environment.

Coastal appeal

The ideal holiday spot for those who love sand, sun and sea, Reflections Hawks Nest is located approximately one hour north of Newcastle and is primely situated with Bennetts Beach opposite the park and easy access to plenty of water-based activities — from surfing and swimming to fishing or kayaking, there’s something for everyone.

While its convenience to Reflections Hawks Nest is part of its appeal, Bennetts Beach has also been awarded as one of Australia’s best beaches. With views of the nearby islands (John Gould Nature Reserve and Boondelbah Nature Reserve), plenty of white sand and great surf, this beach is an absolute must. And for those who like sand driving, Bennetts Beach offers 4WD access (permit required).

Jimmys Beach is nearby and offers a quieter, more sheltered environment perfect for young families. And once you’ve finished exploring the beach, you’re perfectly placed to go swimming or kayaking in the Karuah River.

Myall Lakes National Park is another one for the bucket list. Take your kayak along to explore the Myall River and enjoy stunning views of the bushland and keep an eye out for the local wildlife, which includes pelicans, playful dolphins and, if you’re lucky, an eagle. If you haven’t brought a kayak with you, they can be hired from one of the local outfitters.

For those more inclined to land-based activities, there are plenty of hiking trails to explore, including the Dark Point Walking Track through Myall Lakes National Park and to the nearby beaches. Two other favourites for locals and visitors alike are the Tomaree Head Summit Walk in Port Stephens and the Yacaaba Headland Walk which offers fantastic views over Bennetts Beach.

Offering beautiful coastal bushland, surf and family-friendly beaches, nature walks and much more, it’s easy to see why Reflections Hawks Nest attracts 58,535 visitors per year, visitors who contribute upwards of $3 million annually to the local economy.

And with the added perk of Reflections Hawks Nest’s sister park, Reflections Jimmys Beach, being a short stroll away, you’ll never miss out on exploring this beautiful area or enjoying the welcoming atmosphere of Reflections parks.

Big changes at BIG4

If you’ve travelled anywhere in Australia, chances are you’ve seen or had the opportunity to stay at one of BIG4’s many caravan parks, and 2024 is the perfect time to visit BIG4’s latest addition or revisit some favourites that are sporting some exciting upgrades.

BIG4 Rules Beach Holiday Park, Qld

With a whole year of holidays to plan, don’t miss checking out BIG4’s brand-new park — BIG4 Rules Beach Holiday Park. Located right on Rules Beach, one of Queensland’s best-kept secrets one hour north of Bundaberg, this park features luxurious turfed grass easy-access sites that are ideal for every style of camping, from rolling out a swag through to caravans and motorhomes.

Guests can enjoy the modern camp kitchen, which is equipped with state-of-the-art appliances, as well as the spacious amenity blocks.

This new park is ideal for travellers of all ages and abilities, and the communal firepit is the perfect place to gather in the evenings to meet fellow guests and keep warm on cool winter nights. The park is also pet friendly, so don’t forget to bring your furry friends.

Once you’ve finished exploring the park and its many all-new facilities, head to the nearby pristine ocean, which offers an aquatic playground for boating, fishing, canoeing, stand up paddle boarding and swimming.

BIG4 Yarra Valley Park Lane Holiday Park, Vic

If you’re a frequent reader of Caravan World, you might remember this particular park was the host of our Caravan of the Year 2023 event, and needless to say, we’re fans. Nestled in the luscious forests of the Yarra Valley outside Melbourne, Victoria, this park is perfect for exploring the region’s many nature trails, wineries and much more.

BIG4 is excited to welcome visitors into a new area of the park, which has been developed from the ground up. The new area features 14 spacious and modern ensuite camping sites with slabs, 50 powered slab sites serviced by state-of-the-art amenities, a magnificent modern camp kitchen and community hub with a lovely outlook, lounge and cafe-style seating and undercover barbecue area. There is also a new adventure playground for the kitchen. For those familiar with the park, it’s located behind the existing reception building and enjoys shade from the towering eucalypt forest that surrounds the park.

If you aren’t travelling with a van in tow, check out the two beautifully renovated 1920s trams that have been converted to beautiful accommodation options or the 13 modern, well-appointed family cabins, which sleep up to four or six people.

And last but not least, this park has also recently added a fully accessible family cabin to its lineup, ensuring visitors of all abilities can have a comfortable and enjoyable stay.

BIG4 St Helens Holiday Park, Tas

Tasmania is jam-packed with iconic locations to explore, and the BIG4 St Helens Holiday Park is ideally situated high on the island’s east coast. It provides the perfect basecamp for day trips or an extended stopover on your road trip down the eastern coastline.

And there’s no time like the present to check it out, particularly with this park’s most recent additions. In preparation for another year of adventures, the park has welcomed an amazing new glamping area featuring safari tents that make it all too easy to immerse yourself in nature while still enjoying the luxurious side of life. The area has been beautifully landscaped into the park’s gently sloping hills, with rocks and grass areas designed to give each glamping area its own outdoor living area complete with firepits for camp fires.

The park’s recent refurbishments also included new luxury ensuite RV sites, a large number of new cabins, a modern and well-equipped exterior kitchen and retiled amenities.

Guests can enjoy convenient access to the St Helens township. Family-friendly bike paths run between the park and St Helens and around Georges Bay, allowing visitors to truly experience the beauty of the Tassie coastline. And if you enjoy casting a line, head to one of Georges Bay’s many jetties.

If you want to head a little further afield, the iconic orange lichen covered rocks of the Bay of Fires are an easy 30-minute drive north of the park.

Exciting upgrades at NRMA Dubbo Holiday Park, NSW

Overlooking the Macquarie River in Dubbo, NSW, and only a five-minute drive from the city centre, the NRMA Dubbo Holiday Park is a great basecamp for anyone looking to explore the area, especially now that it has introduced some exciting upgrades.

Dubbo can be found on the Newell Highway in NSW’s Central West and is a fairly easy five-hour drive from Sydney. This regional city has plenty on offer for travellers of all kinds and is well worth exploring. Families will love the various parks and gardens — the Adventure Playground and Shoyoen Japanese Gardens are particularly good — while visitors of all ages can have fun touring the Dubbo Gaol in the main street or trekking, riding or driving around the famous Taronga Western Plains Zoo which covers 300 hectares just outside Dubbo.

To help highlight this park as one of the star attractions for travellers exploring Dubbo, NRMA Parks and Resorts has undertaken a major refurbishment plan ready for 2024 and is now proudly welcoming visitors to see the new environmentally sustainable features and various park upgrades that have been completed.

These sustainability features include three new family-sized safari tents and outdoor facilities which will allow visitors to enjoy a true country NSW camping experience … with a little bit of luxury thrown in. Each safari tent includes its own private bathroom, firepit, outdoor dining area complete with barbecue, kitchenette, air-conditioning, TV and sleeps up to four people.

In order to cater for electric vehicles (EVs) and to boost the park’s sustainability features further, the upgrades have also included seven new EV charging stations for guests to use, and an additional three are scheduled for installation next year. Solar power to the capacity of 40kW has also been installed in conjunction with the chargers.

Smart LED solar streetlights have also been added throughout the park, and energy-efficient heat pumps will be rolled out in the coming months.

Families will be spoilt for choice when it comes to accommodation, with three additional three-bedroom cabins now completed. Meanwhile, all guest cabins have been repainted and refurbished for a fresh new feel going into 2024. For those with a van in tow, you can enjoy the additional 10 powered sites that have been created.

The communal areas of the park have also been upgraded — and in many cases expanded. The communal camp kitchen has tripled in size and now features upgraded cooking facilities, the barbecue and dining shelter and the pool shelter have both doubled in size and capacity, while careful care has been taken to improve the park’s landscape to increase green spaces and guest privacy. Guests can also enjoy the introduction of complementary wi-fi.

And the refurbishments won’t stop there. More upgrades have been scheduled for the coming months, including a rolling refurbishment program for cabins, additional family cabins and ensuite bathrooms for select campsites.

Discover something new

With locations all around Australia, Discovery Parks has something to offer every kind of traveller, and these six parks each have something extra special and new to enjoy during your stay.

Discovery Parks – Harrington Beach, NSW

Located on NSW’s central coast, Discovery Parks – Harrington Beach enjoys having the beach to one side and the stunning Crowdy Bay National Park to the other, making it the ideal destination for anyone who loves the great outdoors.

As part of Discovery Parks’ recent upgrades, Harrington Beach boasts 10 new deluxe powered sites which offer guests a premium camping experience. Each site features a double-size slab with a private firepit (seasonal use) and a cosy seating area that is lit up by festoon lights at night. The new deluxe powered sites are conveniently located near the park’s many amenities, including the pool, playground and well-equipped camp kitchen.

Discovery Parks – Narooma Beach, NSW

From the comfort of Discovery Parks – Narooma Beach explore the natural wonders of Narooma, a coastal town on the NSW south coast that is famous for its pristine beaches, abundant wildlife and stunning views of Montague Island. This park is surrounded by beautiful eucalyptus forest and is only metres away from Handkerchief Beach.

Guests can choose from the park’s range of accommodation options, from ensuite powered sites through to safari tents and deluxe three-bedroom cabins for those without a RV.

The park’s newest attraction is a giant adventure playground, which features a zip line, slides, swings, climbing equipment and a new waterplay area, all of which are situated alongside the park’s pump track and bouncing pillow. The adventure playground is fenced and shaded and will provide hours of fun and entertainment.

Discovery Parks — Nagambie Lakes, Vic

Enjoying waterfront views and access to the Goulburn River in Nagambie, Discovery Parks – Nagambie Lakes has plenty to entice visitors of all interests, particularly those who enjoy fishing, boating and kayaking.

Following the recent devastating floods, Discovery Parks has put in place a large refurbishment plan for the park and introduced 12 new stilted cabins which offer guests a unique and picturesque accommodation option. Each cabin has two bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen and living area. The stilted design has the great benefit of offering guests a panoramic view of the lake and surrounding landscape.

Discovery Parks – Cradle Mountain, Tas

Cradle Mountain is one of Tasmania’s most iconic and spectacular natural attractions, and a must-see for any visitor to the island state. And nestled in the wilderness just north of its namesake, Discovery Parks — Cradle Mountain is the perfect location to soak up Tassie’s natural beauty. The park offers a range of accommodation options, from camping and caravan sites through to deluxe cabins.

Looking to enhance the park even further and appeal to a wider range of visitors, Discovery Parks has invested $20 million into this property over the past year. These upgrades have included 30 new cabins, 40 tourist sites and upgraded amenities. The premium cabins each include a fireplace, spa bath, kitchenette, queen bed and have been designed with modern touches and bespoke finishings.

Discovery Parks — Clare, SA

The charming town of Clare is in the heart of the Clare Valley, one of Australia’s oldest wine regions, and Discovery Parks — Clare is primely situated to enjoy it all. Surrounded by vineyards, rolling hills and historic buildings, this park offers a relaxing getaway for wine lovers and nature enthusiasts.

Discovery Parks has recently added a new waterpark to this holiday destination, and as the largest waterpark in the region, it’s certainly become a highlight for all visitors. The waterpark is suitable for all ages and abilities and features splash pads, water slides and tipping buckets. Best yet, the waterpark is heated and open all year round, so guests can enjoy it in any season.

Discovery Parks – Broome, WA

A tropical paradise on WA’s northwestern coastline, Broome is renowned for its pearl industry, rich culture and stunning natural beauty. And Discovery Parks – Broome is ideally placed to enjoy it all. Located on the beach with uninterrupted views of Roebuck Bay, the park offers a variety of accommodation options to suit any type of traveller.

Returning guests and newcomers can enjoy the 22 new deluxe cabins and the lagoon-style pool that have been added in the past 12 months. The new deluxe cabins boast views of the ocean, canopy or the pool and have been fitted with new furniture, appliances and bedding. Meanwhile, the new pool area enjoys beautiful landscaping featuring tropical plants, rocks and water features.