Canberra Holiday Village

There’s an onsite tavern, kitchen, laundry and two bathroom blocks. They were clean, and the showers were surprisingly not freezing. The area is a bit secluded but not too far out. You get tourist attraction brochures at check-in, and need a tag to enter. It’s a good place to stay if you want to avoid pricey hotels. The one annoying thing was checking out at 10am when staying on the grass, with check-in not until 3pm.

I came as a solo female traveller and, after reading some reviews, wasn’t sure what to expect. Reception staff were welcoming and professional, and they explained the park’s safety arrangements: a swipe-card boom gate at the entrance, management onsite 24 hours, and an after-hours number to call if needed. My 2br standard cabin had a security screen, and I felt safe there. It was clean, with crisp white linen and a comfortable bed. The curtains blocked out the light fully, so privacy was good. There was a ceiling fan in each room, plus a quality reverse-cycle air conditioner in the kitchen living area. The kitchen had a kettle, toaster, microwave, a good-sized fridge with no freezer, saucepan and frypan, plenty of utensils, plates and saucers, and proper-sized coffee cups. I liked that the fridge didn’t freeze my food like one at another hotel had. The bathroom was dated but clean, and the shower was decent and old-school. You just need to adjust the temperature in tiny increments rather than turning it a lot. There was also a dining table for four. The cabin was roomier than a hotel room, and there’s a bistro for meals as well as a tavern. I’d read the food is amazing, though I didn’t try it. I didn’t see any rowdy or inappropriate behaviour. There are permanent residents, but they don’t live near my cabin and were just going about their lives without causing trouble. It was quiet, though I could hear the main road slightly. I slept well. The free wifi was really only available in the rec room, but I switched on roaming in my phone settings and used it as a hotspot for my laptop, so I had good internet each day. The pelmets, three-seater sofa and dining chairs look dated. Still, I appreciated having more space, free parking right by the cabin, and a gas stovetop for cooking. If you want somewhere super modern, this isn’t the place. If you want somewhere safe, practical and affordable when you can find a special, with room to cook, it suited me well. I travel from out of area to see specialists, so it was convenient and affordable for me. I’ll stay again, and hope this info helps anyone who wants a bit more detail. Cheers.

The powered site itself was fine, though it felt tight for caravans trying to get in. I paid for it by phone that morning and was told a form would be sent for our details, but it never arrived, so I had to email and ask. We got there at 4.45pm on Thursday and the office was shut, despite apparently closing at 6pm on weekdays. We’d paid but couldn’t get through the boom gate. A man, seemingly at random, came out and opened a lockbox with a map and fob for us. It would’ve helped to know about the lockbox beforehand. Not great customer service.

A great little caravan park in Canberra, close to everything. We had an unpowered site and found plenty of space to choose from, with lots of shady trees to camp under. The showers and toilets were nice and clean.