One of the most common complaints from grey nomads as they chew up the kilometres on the country’s highway and byways revolves around what they see as a severe shortage of suitable areas to pull up and take a decent break.
Given the massive surge in the number of long-term caravanners and motorhomers on the road in recent years, travellers say that not only is there not enough places for them to stop but that not enough thought has been given to their needs in the ones that do exist.
However, times they could be a-changin’.
A giant new Mobil-branded Highway Service Centre is being built at Coolac in New South Wales and it is putting RV users front and centre of its plans.
Among other things, the site will boast a free dump point for travellers, as well as a public laundry, ample parking for caravans and trailers, and a dog walking park. It will also make provision for electric vehicles into the future, and its food court will host a number of eateries.
“There is a changing pattern to regional travel with more and more people taking to the roads with their caravans and motorhomes,” Developers’ Representative, Ian Farrar, said. “What we knew as ‘truck stops’ are developing and need to cater for a broader customer base of recreational travellers.”
He said that it was being acknowledged that with more people away from their home bases for extended periods, highway service centre developers needed to do more meet the needs of these customers.
“Into the future we will be looking into a greater of diversification of services offered in highway service centres,” he said. “We are currently looking at a number of innovative ideas to improve the traveller’s experience at a number of our projects … and we would also welcome any ideas or suggestions from recreational travellers as to what services they may appreciate.”
Developers say the free dump point in particular is currently quite unusual for a highway service centre and offers the Coolac site another point of difference. They hope the state-of-the-art facility located on Muttama Road at the Hume Highway on/off ramps will become a ‘must stop’ location for travellers heading both north and south.
The Mobil Highway Service Centre Coolac is due to open in early 2020 and will be a 24-hour facility. However, due to development restrictions, it cannot provide a camping facility at this stage.
They have a dump point , parking and laundry at nambucca heads service centre.
A pay to use shower room….one suitably sized so as to be able to dress without clothes getting wet!….
Seems a smart idea to get Grey nomads to stop. More thinking out side the box please
Hot Showers, love the laundry, dump Point, dog park and 24 hour food
WOW Congratulations to the servo to go outside the square!!!
Free or cheap overnight parking areas and that way there will be more income for the service centre because people will spend money there. They won’t do that if they have to move on somewhere else! We spend where we stay. Laundromat great, dump point great, ready food to purchase great. Hot showers great. Not much more we need at all
Like all your comments this is what this area needs, along with a cheaper fuel outlet than what is in the area at present. I travel this part of the Hume very regularly and never fill up at its stations as they are way to expensive and are a monopoly on the Hume. Far cheaper to drive a little further into a town centre.