Discovery Parks - Gerroa

The pool was clean and nice, and reception and the little shop there were clean too. The staff seemed nice enough in the brief contact we had, though there weren’t many staffed hours when we arrived. The cabin was a real disappointment. It was sold as a “budget” option, but I didn’t expect “budget” to mean falling apart. I’ve had a serviced apartment for four at Abode in Malua Bay, 150m from the beach, for the same price. The stove and oven didn’t work, and the shower screen wouldn’t move, so it was hard to angle the shower head without flooding the bathroom. Half the windows wouldn’t shut all the way, letting mozzies in. The front deck was lifting and could trip someone, and the table on the porch was rusty with sharp edges. Inside, parts of the wall were peeling and every wall had dirty marks. A light switch was missing its casing, and the curtain had no hooks, so it didn’t work very well. There’s almost no mobile reception when you arrive. Wifi is available, but if you don’t get online before peak hour and stay connected, you won’t get wifi either. That may suit people wanting to be off grid, but finding out only after arrival was far from ideal. Two single beds hadn’t been made. I found out why when I tried, it was almost impossible. Anyone with back, hand, or arm injuries shouldn’t even try. If you want to raise an issue, the choices seem to be disturbing the after-hours manager or putting up with it. People on a budget should still be able to expect basic, safe accommodation. The park roads are full of potholes and loose stones, which made it tricky to get around safely on bikes, scooters, or skateboards. The roads also seem to serve mostly long-term sites and surf school participants. We won’t be coming back.