THE KIND of accommodation you choose when on holidays can make all the difference to the kind of day you have when you’re ‘at home’ between bouts of sightseeing.
At the Longreach Caravan Park, many friendships have been made, yarns told and travel information exchanged during the laidback smoko time at the Longreach Caravan Park. The smoko bell rings twice a day – 10.00am and 4.00pm – and guests wander over to have a cuppa and biscuit supplied by park hosts Shane and Kerry Morgan.
For the Morgans, it’s a chance to be with their guests on a personal basis and to tell them about some of the attractions around Longreach. And they have local maps and brochures to back it up.
If you arrive by train, coach or plane, you can easily organise a transfer to the park through the Morgans. Book an en suite cabin for your stay, or there are air-conditioned vans on site as well. If you’re camping, there’s a camp kitchen where you can cook up a storm. A small kiosk carries bread, milk, cold drinks and icecream and there is a supermarket just two streets away.
A special concession rate encourages pensioners to stay, and a bonus of a night free in a week-long stay is available to all.
During the main visitor season from Easter to October, entertainment of some kind is held most nights. It’s always a treat when Wilf Elliott gets out his guitar and sings. On other nights, locals come along to recite traditional and contemporary verse, and people who write a little poetry while they’re on the road are invited to give their work an airing. So if you like the rhythm and humour of bush poetry, you’ll enjoy the laidback entertainment. Impromptu music nights happen quite frequently too, so staying there can be quite entertaining!
Shane and Kerry have had the park for 11 years, so they like their visitors to feel that the park is a home away from home. It’s comfortable, with grassed and shaded areas and a relaxed welcoming atmosphere.
“We get a lot of repeat visitors because of our attitude – we really like to look after people,” Shane said.
“If someone needs a part for their car or something for a caravan, we’re always happy to give them advice on where to find what they need.
“When people come for the first time, they always think that it’s not a very big park, but we get 13,000 visitors a year, so we must be doing something right. We reckon it’s the really personal service we give and the fact that we’re genuinely friendly people.”
Shane said he also knew where the local fishing holes were. And he’s happy to tell his guests about them too. He just can’t guarantee the fish will be biting on any particular day!
He said favourite attractions for park guests to visit included the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame and the Qantas Founders Museum. They also enjoyed a cruise of the Thomson River during their Longreach visit.
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