Ingenia Holidays Lake Conjola

We spent five days here in our motorhome with our 11-year-old daughter, who absolutely loved the water park. The pool was warm, and the lake was shallow and reasonably clear. There was plenty to do on site, from kayaks, tennis and the games room to a treasure hunt and jumping pillow. The pool shop staff were lovely and clearly working hard, but our hot chips took 45 minutes. The ordering system could use a tweak. Otherwise, it was a great success.

Fishing was good and the spot itself was good, but the service was horrendous. I went to borrow a basketball for free, and the blonde lady at the front office told me there weren’t any, even though several were sitting just past the counter. Security will also kick you out for walking around late at night.

The bugs were a real nuisance. We turned on the outside light and it filled with bugs that spilled onto the outdoor table. Good thing we noticed before eating there. At lagoon lodge, the family setup is good, with a swimming pool and water play area, plus two jumping pillows, one for smaller kids. You can hire the three- or four-wheel bikes, which are great fun, and it was quiet at night. One TV didn’t work. It was still a good stay, though we liked our experiences at Soldiers point/Port Stephens and Kiama better.

The park facilities were the one good thing for us. We had a caravan site on an old permanent pitch, where the concrete slabs were at different heights. That made it hard to use the space and left us with very little room to sit outside. There was also a constant sewerage smell from the nearby amenities. The cafe felt more like a kiosk. Every time I ordered a large milkshake or thick shake, I got a different size, despite them costing $10. Staff need better training. During a holiday period, we stayed six days and there was just one activity, cookie decorating. When I asked reception on arrival, they said activities depended on how busy they were. It’s holiday season and the park is affiliated with big 4, so why not plan ahead? Their parks run several activities a day. For what you pay, this place is overpriced. I also asked about booking a site for one night for a friend passing through. They said none were available, although four sites weren’t in use then. I pointed out an empty one behind me, but was told it was an “emergency site” and couldn’t be booked. Two days later someone was setting up there for the week. I’d strongly recommend booking elsewhere. There are plenty of caravan parks nearby with better facilities, experiences and customer service.