Pushing up the coast? Ease your travel-weary shoulders in the artesian spa camping onsite at the Goondiwindi Holiday Park. What’s Up Downunder editor Alison Huth explains.
Life is busy, so instead of leaving on Wednesday we chose Thursday. But Thursday slipped away. Leaving us with a 450km push from the Sunshine Coast to our favourite camping haunt in Goondiwindi to meet with friends.
We got into the Goondiwindi Holiday Park at 5pm, a good drive by any standards, and found our way to our drive-through site. Nice, I like drive-throughs.
We’d been here before but were keen to check it out since the park had changed hands. And the first thing that struck me was how comfortably clean it was.
The two amenities blocks each feature four individual toilet/shower rooms; with one block featuring a disabled suite. Very nice, clean and with plenty of space.
The laundry is huge, again comfortably clean, and decorated with gorgeous, uplifting paintings. And if you’re hanging around for your laundry, enjoy comfortable seats. Just another well-thought out idea.
There are many cabins offering a range of layouts for a range of people. And many powered and unpowered sites in addition to the 17 drive-throughs.
A short walk reveals the swimming pool and the 36-degree artesian spa, and there really is a difference in the feel of the water. Marg Halliday in the office says the artesian water feels silky and it does.
Guests congregate around a wonderful fire-pit close to an ‘outback’ kitchen, where park management host damper three nights a week during the winter season. The area, known as the Emu Pit, is sheltered by a fence just high enough to pop your nose over, and say hi.
Topping the whole experience at this beautiful Goondiwindi camping ground is the lovely herb garden for guests to use, which also has a barbecue in it and another set of tables and chairs. So many places to relax and enjoy.
It is a beautiful town, filled with really friendly people. I found a pop up shop that relieved me of some cash. We walked along the main strip and thought the town and community, seem to be very healthy with no empty shops.
We found an excellent café for a late breakfast–called Neems–and had one of the best eggs Benedict I have had for a long time. Plus, the coffee was so hot that it was perfect to drink after we had eaten although that came before the food. Everywhere we went in the town, there we people who smiled and said Hi.
I am sitting here, in the park, with the washing drying, quietly wishing we had time to spend a couple more days here. There are markets on soon, and I am sure I saw a community party of some description coming up.
Maybe next time we can spend a couple of days enjoying the park and the town.
You’ll find heaps to do at Goondiwindi. For insight into cotton production from farm to finished product, check out the Farm and Town tours at Goondiwindi Cotton.
You’ll can also learn about Gunsynd, the ‘Goondiwindi Grey’, at the Gunsynd Museum opened by his final owner, Bill Bishop, in 2007.
State: Queensland
CIAA Accredited: No
Pet Friendly: Sites
Barbeque(s)
Camp Kitchen
Dump Station
Ensuite Cabins
Large Motorhome Sites
LPG
Swimming Pool
Wifi/Internet