Beechworth Holiday Park

Stayed on site 11 and loved the peace and quiet. There’s a lovely little creek, trees and walking tracks, and everything was clean and tidy. A fabulous little park, highly recommend.

The cleaner was friendly and tried to help, and there seem to be some nice sites in a good location. But my experience was deeply unpleasant. I booked a powered site at short notice, then drove around several times before finding that the spot I’d been assigned was already occupied. There was no apology, though I accepted that mistakes happen. The replacement looked like a gravel pad in a junkyard, with the area in serious disrepair and resembling a homeless encampment. The groundsman confirmed it was my spot, though he wasn’t sure whether people were living there. I said I couldn’t stay, and heard him swearing at me as I drove away. About ten minutes later I got a one-way text saying I’d been given the wrong spot and they had another one. By then it was too late. I also doubt that explanation, since the person marking the map had seemed very clear. I felt uneasy about having any kind of confrontation with them, so I left the park and lost the exorbitant $55 fee. From the moment I arrived, the welcome felt poor. I’d been extra friendly because the person on the phone had given me an “I’m very busy” vibe. Customer service is part of the caravan park experience. Staff deal with all kinds of people, day and night, and need patience and a positive attitude. If they don’t have that, they should be doing something else. A camera in reception could also show whether people are waiting there. They’re cheap and easy to install.

We loved the position of the accommodation. We crossed the little bridge for a walk up the hill, and the kids had fun looking for gold. It was too cool for us to use the pool, but I can’t wait to come back. I spent three nights there with my daughter and my grandchildren, aged 6 and 8. Viv upgraded our accommodation after a cancellation, and we were so grateful. She was a wonderful hostess and did her best to make us comfortable. I’d also received a clear email with arrival instructions. Thanks again, Viv.

We’ve been coming here for 14 years, and this was easily our worst stay. We were told we couldn’t book the same sites for next year through the office and would have to pay the full amount upfront straight away, even though we’d paid for our current stay the day before. That meant we couldn’t secure our usual spot, which was especially disappointing after so many years. We also wanted to move into a glamping pod for a more comfortable bed. My wife is pregnant, and we were happy to pay an extra $400. The park was quiet and the pod showed as available online, but at the office we were told it wasn’t available. When we pointed out the online listing, the manager said, “well if you can book it online, go do that,” and wouldn’t help us or even unlock the office. The system had already greyed out same-day bookings, so we couldn’t book online either. We were told that meant someone else must be arriving, but nobody ever did. Trying to explain that at the time felt pointless, as if admitting a mistake wasn’t an option. The campfire rules were another frustrating example. We were told fires weren’t allowed, despite CFA guidelines saying they were permitted under the “Can I or Can’t I” rules during the fire restrictions in place at the time. We calmly showed this information, but were dismissed and told the area “hadn’t had rain all summer,” which we checked and found simply wasn’t true, and that “she knew better” and these were “her rules.” She only backed down after several campers raised the issue. We also saw another family told they were “ill-prepared” for the cold, with the comment, “didn’t you bring enough warm clothes?” It lacked basic courtesy and empathy. Even check-in set a bad tone. We were told we’d arrived too early, despite having booked an unpowered tent site that was plainly vacant. We knew because we’ve been coming for over a decade and checked before going to the office. The response was unnecessarily abrupt. We know the park was taken over in September by the group that owns Camp Krusty in Bright and other parks around Beechworth. It’s frustrating to see recent negative reviews blamed on the takeover when some were written around three months after the group had been running the park. At some point, a transition period stops being an explanation. These problems seem to come down to poor management. Our family has supported the park for well over a decade, yet we were met with rudeness, inflexibility and a shocking lack of basic customer service. There was no willingness to help, understanding, or effort to make us feel welcome.