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Showgrounds are great places to see historical re-enactments and to camp between shows.

5/29/2019

13 Comments

 
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Reg and I have stayed at the Maleny Showgrounds for two nights. This was our second stay at this lovely location so I thought I would recommend Showgrounds as a great camping and caravan experience that has its one appeal.  Photos are of the Maleny Show grounds. Do check with the local authorities to see if the showgrounds are accepting caravaners.  I can only report on what happened during my visit. I don't know the conditions today, and I'm an artist, not the camping grounds booking officer. Just popping that bit in to save confusion. 

Showgrounds are usually often half the price of caravan parks, and most are dog friendly with large expanses of grass for a dog or children to play and a place for the active nomad to jog or work out.

The criteria for showground caravan sites differs from location to location and in Alice Springs it is when the other caravan parks are full or if they will not accept you due to your dog or rig, being too large.  At Maleny QLD,  when we were there, you could only stay three nights.

The conditions at showgrounds are rarely of the same top class amenities that you find in the five-star holiday parks, but, that's a trade off for a lower cost, and less congested campsite. with adequate amenities.  

These are a few Showgrounds, I have stayed at in the past. I do not know if all still accept travellers between show events.

Armidale NSW
Alice Springs, NT
Boonah Qld
Bendigo VIC
Brocken Hill (St pats race course) NSW
Burra NSW
Cunnamulla Qld
Coffs Harbour
Canungra Recreational Ground Qld
Dubbo NSW
Glen Innis NSW
Grafton racecourse NSW
Gin Gin QLD
Hay NSW
Kenilworth Qld
Kingaroy QLD
Kilcoy QLD
Kunnunarra WA
Kyogle NSW
Lucindale SA (footy oval)
Miles QLD
Maleny QLD
Narrandra NSW
Marburg Qld
Tenterfield
Toowoomba QLD
Sale Vic
Springsure QLD
Samford, QLD
Strathalbyn SA (footy oval)
Yass NSW
Wodonga Vic

Confirm with the local authorities, (not me)  before assuming the conditions are the same as they were when I visited these places. 

You can contact the shires in advance to find out if they allow camping at the show grounds and the available dates.
Showgrounds are used for many community events and will not always be open for caravans.


I'm settled in our rural retreat these days and I'm not travelling due to my focus on putting my seventy-years of experience as an artist into art tutorial video demonstrations, so as to pass on my know-how to new artists. 
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Showgrounds are usually dog friendly for responsible owners

Daler-Rowney FW Acrylic Water-resistant Artists' Ink
13 Comments
Bob Gipp
12/13/2010 01:08:09 pm

Thank you I have put you website in my favorites.
Regards: Bob Gipp

Reply
Cam & Kate
2/24/2011 02:04:13 am

Hi,
Just a couple to add to the list as we work our way around Oz with the family.

Strathalbyn SA (footy oval)
Lucindale SA (footy oval)

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Russ Green
4/1/2011 05:35:50 pm

Just another great showground in country Queensland is Kenilworth

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Motherhen link
8/11/2011 05:21:18 pm

Note some of the showgrounds you have listed are now closed to camping, eg Dalby and Murwillumbah. Closures of showgrounds to casual campers is a growing trend. Some of the spelling of towns in the list would negate any attempts to find the towns in a search :O

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Kathy Shell link
1/23/2014 10:48:59 am

Yes, of course. That post was written in 2010. You always need to confirm at the time with the show ground management as they are primarily there to provide a location for shows and any use by caravans is a minor and occasional usage situation that will vary.

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Thelma
6/27/2013 10:27:21 am

You can add Cabulture Qld ad Milton NSW. We have stayed at both.

Reply
Liz link
1/23/2014 10:18:54 am

Hi
How do we contact Strathalbyn & Lucindale footy ovals?

Reply
Kathy Shell link
1/23/2014 10:46:05 am

Hi, Liz, I don't have any of that information on hand as I don't represent them. This blog post was written back in 2010 and as correct as far as I knew when it was written at that tine. Showgrounds cannot be booked in advance for individual travellers seeking caravan park sites for the obvious reason that they are there for the benefit of the communities in the areas to have a site to stage major events. Allowing camping is usually something reserved for the in between events situation and booked on availability at the time. That is, you arrive and if the showground isn't in use for an event and the management is agreeable, and, (another important consideration) the local caravan parks cannot take your unit, they will often allow short term caravans to stay. I love this way to travel ans it is less crowded than caravan parks but I have never booked in advance no expected to be allowed to as they are not there for caravanners.

To get the contact details, try the tourist information sites in the areas or check out these contact details, however I do think that the bust volunteer secretaries of the local show grounds associations are mainly there to help in organising show ground events and wouldn't want to be bothered with casual travelers seeking caravan site bookings in advance so use these numbers with discretion.
http://www.street-directory.com.au/sd_new/community.cgi?UrlSD=Australia/Keyword/Showground&SearchName=showground%20&SearchBy=keywords&State=2&Force=ok&&keywords=showground&paymentmethods=

I hope that helps. :-).
Best wishes for your travels. Remember this list you are looking at was written in 2010, you need to check when you are in a location, where the showground caretaker may be found and if they take caravanners, at the time that you are there, as they are not there primarily for caravaners and have the right to change and modify their arrangements at short notice.

Reply
Natalie McDonnell
9/24/2014 11:41:46 pm

You can also stay at Daybora showgrounds Qld, dog friendly and very clean. Lawnton showgrounds Qld, dog friendly, Caboolture show grounds Qld, dog friendly

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Kelle stemm
11/25/2015 07:37:14 pm

Cliffton show grounds $10 per night, power, water, toilet and showers.
Very clean and quiet.

Reply
Paul
12/2/2015 11:45:15 pm

People...we really need to get the place names spelling correct... its not hard, a few seconds on Google will confirm. If you are not sure don't do it...be aware also that most, if not all of these places are already fully described on Wikicamps..do we really need more sites like this???

Reply
Fay
4/19/2017 07:47:48 pm

We stayed at Barcaldine showgrounds very good

Reply
Fay
4/19/2017 07:52:29 pm

Naracoorte. SA is another showgrounds

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