Forrest Holiday Park

The camp kitchen is new, though it feels too small for a long holiday weekend, and the basic toilets and showers may not have enough capacity when the park is busy. We stayed on a powered site in a great spot in the foothills of the Otway, set back from the road beside a large paddock, so it was quiet. The facilities were generally well looked after. There are lots of signs asking guests to call if something needs attention, but management should do regular rounds instead of waiting for someone to report an issue.

The new camp kitchen was a real plus, with two separate kitchens and all the appliances, utensils, pots and pans. Our unpowered site was a decent size with plenty of grass, and the amenities were dated but clean. Staff were accommodating and professional with our last minute one night booking. At $70 a night, it felt steep for a small town. Other guests’ kids were noisy around midnight, smashing up the site toilets and carrying on beside our car, which made for a rough night. Then diggers and other machines started up around 7-8am, so it wasn’t a peaceful wake up. I’d have rated the stay about four stars without the noise.

The place felt neglected, and the price made the poor standards even harder to accept. Toilets were extremely dirty, bins were overflowing, there was no hand soap in the bathrooms, and the BBQ facilities were filthy and unusable. Basic cleanliness and facilities should be the minimum, but that wasn’t what we found. I wouldn’t recommend this campsite.

I’ve been coming here for 15 years to ride mountain bikes and have seen some good improvements. But prices have jumped from $15 to $80, which is too expensive for families. It feels overpriced, and I’m being priced out of coming as often.