BIG4 Yarra Valley Park Lane Holiday Park

The lower level caravan site was close to the amenities and camp kitchen, a great choice as the weather was turning ugly. We spent hours in that space comfortably. It had clearly been well thought out, with a good range of cooking and dining gear provided. The loos and showers were clean and modern, though I'd say that block needs more of them. It could mean a wait when the park is busy.

It was surprisingly quiet and pleasant at night despite all the camping, and the creek at the back and jump track kept the kids busy. There was lots of room for them to kick a ball and scoot around, and the Superior 8 cabin we got after an upgrade from a 6 was spacious, with a decent kitchen and bathroom. It's a great base for exploring the Yarra Valley and surrounds. The upgrade put us at the back of the park, where WiFi didn't reach. Our 4G and 5G kept cutting out too, so using WiFi meant sitting outside the cabin. We didn't need an eight person room, and losing WiFi was disappointing. The front staff didn't seem to care, and we couldn't use the TV with Netflix. The beds were really uncomfortable, and my kids overheated in the bunks. Luckily there was an extra double bed. One sheet was dirty, and there were lots of insects in the room, as if they'd been there a while. The room should be sprayed before the next stay. The kids were disappointed that both jumping pads were unavailable, so they shouldn't be advertised if they can't be used. The pools are very small for the size of the park, and the 14 person capacity wasn't being managed. The games room was useless and needs better activities. The air hockey was out of order.

There's a creek beside the caravan park that's delightful to sit in and relax, though its rocky bed isn't suitable for very little kids or children who aren't confident on rocks. The playgrounds, tennis courts and bike track are really good for kids. The park is close to Healesville and activities, but not close enough to walk, and there are lots of accommodation options. We had a powered water site with our caravan and came as a group. We had to pay an extra $25 per site to guarantee places together, which felt uncalled for. When we booked, we could be grouped together, but a week before arrival, when confirming, we were told about the fee. The pool setup felt too small for a park this size: one warm shipping container pool and a smaller one with a shallow area for little ones. On a 40 degree day there was no room to move. Both pools were very cloudy, and in the lower pool you couldn't see the bottom, let alone your knees in the water.

We keep coming back, and this is the best caravan park we've visited. There's room around each site, so even when it's busy you don't feel crowded, and there are spots to suit different caravan sizes. The location is great and it has everything you need, with lots of activities for kids, a great pool, and an even better clear river with several shallow areas that work well for children of all ages.