If you are looking for a definition, see the Glossary.

Oops, I selected the wrong page - or I want to go back to the previous page.
Oops, I submitted a report more than once or I need to correct it.
I can't find popular tourist towns in the listing.
Is there a Search facility to find a park by just its name?
Can I search for parks within a radius of where I am?
Is there a quicker way to scroll through the Location names?
What is the bracketed number beside the contributors name in reports eg Badger (24)?
What are the symbols to the left of the Park Name in the reports?
Is there an easy way to see reports from a certain contributor?
How do I register so I can submit reports?
Why do I need to register?
I have changed my Email Address - what do I need to do?
I wish to change my current Nickname - what do I need to do?
I do not need a copy of reports I submit emailed to me.
I submitted a report but it does not appear when I Display Reports.
When is a report not accepted?
How long are reports kept for display?
Is there an easier way to view reports on an iPad or iPhone?
Reports are not displaying on my iPad device.
There used to be a What's New page that listed the new reports - where is it?
I am having trouble deciding how to rate a park or campground.
How do I report on a park/campground that is not listed?
I run a park as the owner/manager - can I comment on my park or on a report?
Is the Rating used in the reports anything like the STAR rating advertised by parks?
Why the Banner Ads above reports?
What is the link between Australian Caravan Park Reports and My Park List?
Planned enhancements.

Oops, I selected the wrong page - or I want to go back to the previous page.
Simply press the BACKSPACE key on your KEYBOARD.

Oops, I submitted a report more than once or I need to correct it.
You will get an email for every report you submit (unless you have chosen to opt-out of this - see I do not need a copy of reports I submit emailed to me) below. If you realise a report has been submitted more than once, you do not need to do anything. Admin will delete the first report/s. If you see an error in the report, just email admin (from the link on the home page) describing what you want done and they will fix it for you.

I can't find popular tourist towns in the listing.
Try looking under the name of the tourist area, e.g. Lake Macquarie, Port Stephens, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Flinders Ranges, Kimberley Region, etc.  Also, if you know the park name, use the search facility to locate its listing (see below).

Is there a Search facility to find a park by just its name?
Yes. Go to Display Reports then Search By Park Name.  Using the search box, you can find a park by various methods:-
Enter Riverside to get all parks with Riverside in their name, or
Enter Riverside Caravan to get all parks with Riverside AND all parks with Caravan in their name, or
Enter "Riverside Caravan" (within quotes) to get only parks that have the string Riverside Caravan in their name and not something like Riverside Tourist Caravan Park.
Note that entering multiple words without using quotes could produce a massive list.
Once the list is displayed, click on a Park Name to display reports for that park.

Can I search for parks within a radius of where I am?
Not within this site specifically, but you can in My Park List. On that site, under the Caravan Parks tab, click Caravan Parks Near Me. This function is for those travelling with their Laptop or Tablet. If you allow it to access your location it will show you the location of caravan parks within 60km.  The listings will point back to a report on this website.

Is there a quicker way to scroll through the Location names?
Yes. After selecting the State, the Location (town) names pick list is populated. You can then click on the Location list and then type in the first few characters of the Location and the pick list will jump to that Location. EG Choose NSW then click on Location and type "til" and the pick list will jump to "Tilpa".

What is the bracketed number beside the contributors name in reports eg Badger (24)?
It is the number of reports that that contributor has submitted since I started keeping tally in 2007.  I never kept count of my own reports so my count is fictitious.

What are the symbols to the left of the Park Name in the reports?
It is the park designator:
CP denotes it as a Caravan Park
CG denotes it as a Campground
SS denotes is as a Station Stay
DFP denotes it as a Dog Friendly Park (this can be displayed as well as one of the other three).

Is there an easy way to see reports from a certain contributor?
Yes. At the top of each report is the Contributors Name. Clicking on the name will display the last ten reports by that contributor.

How do I register so I can submit reports?
You only need to register if you wish to submit a report.  You do not need to register to display any park report.
To register, click Submit a Report. The next page asks for your email address. When it realises you are a new contributor, by not knowing your email address, the next page will say If this is your first report, please Click Here. Click that button and you will be taken to the registration page.

Why do I need to register?
You only need to register if you wish to submit a report.  You do not need to register to display any park report.  Registering asks for an email address so that I can contact you if necessary and a Nickname used in the reports to identify you as the contributor.  I also ask for a name because I like to liaise with a person and not a nom de plume if I need to contact you.  These questions are only asked the first time you register.  To submit subsequent reports, you just need to use your email address and the system will then remember you - it will then add your Nickname to the report and update your report count.
Note: Upon registration, you will receive a "welcome" email.  If you do not receive this email, it probably means that the email address you entered at registration had a typo.  Use the email button on the home page to contact me to confirm. See also when a report is not accepted below.

I have changed my Email Address - what do I need to do?
Enter the Contributors Area using your current Email Address and Nickname, then click the button to edit your details, where you can change your Email Address to the new one.

I wish to change my current Nickname - what do I need to do?
Enter the Contributors Area using your current Email Address and Nickname, then click the button to edit your details, where you can change your Nickname to the new one. The new Nickname will replace the old one in all existing reports, and your report count will be unaffected.

I do not need a copy of reports I submit emailed to me.
Enter the Contributors Area using your current Email Address and Nickname, then click the button to edit your details, where you can opt-out of receiving emails of submitted reports.

I submitted a report but it does not appear when I Display Reports.
A report is generally held for moderation by Admin before being added to the database, though it should only take a few hours for the moderator to action the report (we could be mowing the lawns, so please be patient).  The exception to this rule is that regular users can submit a report and have theirs added to the database without moderation.  However, any report that includes a private comment to me at the top of the report will be held for moderation - so that I get to see the comment. See also when a report is not accepted below.

When is a report not accepted?
If you entered an invalid email address at registration, all your reports will be automatically rejected.  If your first few reports to this website rate the parks badly, they will be rejected.  If there is an apparent bias with no explanation as to why, the report will be rejected. If you do not reply to a query I email you concerning a report, the report will be rejected.
Note: Upon registration, you will receive a "welcome" email.  If you do not receive this email, it probably means that the email address you entered at registration had a typo, therefore all your reports will reject.  Use the email button on the home page to contact me to confirm.

How long are reports kept for display?
The system will automatically "drop-off" reports that are four years old.  The reports are still in the database and accessible by Admin, it's just that you cannot see them when they become four years old.

Is there an easier way to view reports on an iPad or iPhone?
If you are a contributor, you can access the Contributor Area where it explains the use of a free application you can use that makes viewing the reports much easier on such devices.  You must have submitted over five reports to gain access to the application.

Reports are not displaying on my iPad device.
The website uses javascript and cookies, so check the following:-
Go to Settings, find Safari and Select.
In Privacy & Security, check the "Block Cookies" setting. It needs to be "From third parties and advertisers" or "Never". I recommend "From third parties and advertisers".
Still in Safari, down at the bottom, select "Advanced" and check that it is on (slide to right, green showing).

There used to be a What's New page that listed the new reports - where is it?
It is found under Display Reports in the link List Recent Reports, which is a list of reports added in the last three months.  The list is dynamically updated, so that as soon as a report is added, it will appear in this list.  Clicking on a link will take you to the reports for that park.

I am having trouble deciding how to rate a park or campground.
When rating a park, I personally think of a 5-star park and a 1-star park I've stayed at and compare the current park against them.  I take into account if the park would be suited to an overnight stop on the way to somewhere else, or as a holiday destination.  I take into account the cleanliness and state of the main facilities and the existence of things that most caravanners/campers want, such as the amenities block, annex slabs, drive-through sites for overnighters.  Things like pool, playground, laundry are usually thought of for long-term family stays and don't affect the rating as much unless they are of poor service and/or the park declares itself family-orientated (rather than suited for grey nomads).

As far as price is concerned, I compare them with other parks in the town or area - if they are good value or very poor value compared to similar parks (for no reason) then it will affect the rating.  Having said all that, what retired couples look for on extended trips can be quite different to that of a holidaying family.  Some people may simply use the rating as "value for money" based on the cost versus amenities provided - 1 is poor value, 5 is excellent value.

Cabin accommodation users are generally not interested in level sites, amenity blocks, etc.

Rating a campground takes into account the facilities and cleanliness of these, and the location. The facilities available can be varied, from a single bush toilet to hot showers and free BBQs.

How do I report on a park/campground that is not listed?
After you log-in via the Submit Report page, you have the option to submit a report for an existing park, or below that, to submit a report for a new park.

I run a park as the owner/manager - can I comment on my park or on a report?
By all means - see the link Park Operators Info.  On the home page is a link in the text to what people have said about this website and it includes congratulatory comments from park operators for my assistance in handling their query.  You can email me directly using the button on the Home Page - I can then add a comment to the website on your behalf.  My goal is to be fair - which is one reason why I don’t accept "bad reports" from first-time users.

Is the Rating used in the reports anything like the STAR rating advertised by parks?
Absolutely not.  The STAR rating awarded by the AAA to parks and other accommodation establishments is based on the number of facilities, and after the AAA representative rated that park (after giving them two weeks warning of the inspection) the quality and cleanliness of those amenities can change - which is why having up to date reports by people paying for the use of the park is invaluable.

Why the Banner Ads above reports?
They are to defray internet connection costs. I have no control over the type of ads that appear. You can install ad-blocking software which integrates into your browser. A popular one is called Adblock and is accessible via the Add-Ons or Extension link within your browser, under Tools or Settings.

What is the link between Australian Caravan Park Reports and My Park List?
My Park List is owned and run by Gary Stratton on his own dedicated server.  ACPR first started on Geocities in 1998 (and was the first caravan park review website in the world), then was transported to Vicnet at the State Library of Victoria in 2005.

In 2009, Gary and I started to link to each others site - in my park headers I would link to the park listing on his site, and inside his listings he would link to the applicable report on my website.

When Vicnet ceased hosting websites in January 2014, Gary offered to host my site on a partition on his server, hence acpr.myparklist.com.  At the same time we decided to change the website from a manual code-based site to a database.  The main reason was that the old way required me to manually add every report to the website - a laborious, mind-numbing task.  The database now allows users to add their own report - it practically runs itself, with quick moderation of some reports and then adding with a click of a button.

Gary did the entire coding and software gobbledegook to transition my old website to a new database version.  Gary still owns and runs My Park List and I still own and run ACPR.  Neither site is profit-making and both are 100% voluntary.  Both our wives think we are complete lunatics.

Planned enhancements.
All enhancements have been implemented as at May 26, 2014.
Suggestions welcomed - use the email button on the Home Page.