Anchorage Holiday Park

Holiday Fun In Iluka

2012-01-22T23:45:00.000-08:00

Pelicans at Iluka

Christmas 2011

What a great season we had this Christmas. Lovely, friendly people... some we know of old, some we have just met. Everyone enjoyed the sun, sand and surf.

The weather was kind and our visitors made the most of it! We hope you all have a safe and happy year and we look forward to seeing you all back here for Christmas 2012!

New Year's Eve at The Anchorage

We had a fantastic crowd for our New Year's Eve Disco. The dance floor was rarely free and DJ Echo even kept the New South Welshmen grooving until 1am.

Kids Fishing Comp at The Anchorage

The kids' fishing competitions are always a hit and this year was no exception! Karen is buried under the crowd there somewhere... measuring and weighing the fish - some were still alive! A honker of a bream won this year's comp and winner Ashleigh was very excited.

Inaugural Beach Trip!

2011-10-16T20:47:00.000-07:00

We Gaudoins had a great time at the beach yesterday. First time we've had the time to venture to the beach since Winter! We went to the Iluka Bluff. Had fish and chips at the picnic tables at the information shelter, walked up to the top to see if there were any whales - but the kids wanted to swim, so didn't stay up there long enough to see any. Perfect waves, just big enough for boogie boarding. The water was crystal clear and the sky so amazingly blue - photos were just taken from our (old) phone, so they really don't do it justice. Only a handful of people on the beach...snorkelling, swimming, rock pool hunting. The dolphins were hanging around too. Wonderful.

Newsletters

2011-09-21T23:46:00.003-07:00

We are trying to stay ahead of the times and so we have moved into the world of electronic newsletters. Our first one will go out next week, all things going well. For those of you who wish to receive our news on a regular monthly basis, please go to our website http://www.anchorageholidaypark.com.au/ and subscribe.

Spring At The Anchorage And Iluka

2011-09-02T00:38:00.000-07:00

Spring!

Historically, spring in Iluka can be expected to be gorgeous days, not too hot, not too cold. There is usually a bit of a wind that picks up after lunch, but all in all, a really lovely time of year. We are hoping that this year will prove the same! Baby ‘everythings’ start to appear and we spend a fair bit of our time rescuing tiny birds who have been blown out of their nests. Already, we have a family of ducks who are enjoying the pond down the back of the park...mum, dad and 9...yes, nine...ducklings! Two swallows have built their nest in our workshed again...we think it’s in a most inappropriate place, but it’s the same location as last year, so we guess it’s a good one for them. Anne and Graeme think there are baby lorikeets in their bird house at Amarco—they haven’t seen them yet, but mum and dad have been acting very protective, so presumably the babies are in there. Soon we will expect the dolphins to bring their babies to our end of the river, where they use the shallow water near our jetty to teach the young ones how to fish. What a great time to be in Iluka!

September in Iluka

This is a busy month for the Clarence Valley. For those of you visiting our area, there is something on every weekend. Among the events there are: Grafton Music & Arts Festival on Sept 8-11th; Causley Gate To Plate on Sept 10-11th; Iluka Race Day in Grafton on Sept 17th; Living The Good Life Festival on Sept 17-18th and the Iluka Pool & Sports Association’s Family Fun Day on Sept 24th. Visit www.clarencetourism.com for a detailed list.

Mad Hatter's Tea Party

2011-07-21T22:19:00.000-07:00

We had a great day at the Anchorage Holiday Park's annual Winter Function.

This year's theme was Mad Hatter's Tea Party...and boy did everyone get involved with the dressups!! The day started with a fashion parade led by the White Rabbit who, after a false start by leading them down the garden path, finally managed to take everyone round in a nice orderly fashion! Categories included Best Hat, Most Mad, and That's Sad. There were so many good outfits that we couldn't pick just one winner...so there was a few!

There were games which everyone joined in with gusto. Tweedle Egg Race saw no eggs break during the race (despite much interference on behalf of the Tweedles!)...but one or two staff members seemed to be targeted at one stage! We can't remember the winners - it all degenerated into an egg mash!

Pin the Grin on the Cheshire Cat was the next game...and all the entrants had a good look at the cat before, thought they had their strategy to win...and none of them did! Winner was Marie with a wonderfully close grin. The other Marie (!) came last - with a grin on cat's a...se!

These games had warmed everyone up and there was no shortage of participants for the Queen's Croquet. Mallets were pink flamingos and Alice in Wonderland characters dotted the field as croquet arches. The first heat was nice and polite but that didn't last long! There was a bit of argy bargy, and a lot of cheating!

Lunch finished off the day, with the cake pictured above being the crowning glory. Willie entertained us as we all recovered enough to break out the dance moves.

It was a fun day.

For more photos...go to our Facebook page or our website - click on one of the links below.

Anchorage Facebook Page

Anchorage Holiday Park Website

Beautiful Sunsets

2011-06-19T22:51:00.000-07:00

Winter usually brings the best weather for us here in Iluka. Chilly nights followed by clear, warm days. Great fishing and friendly visitors.

This year, the weather has let us down somewhat. There have been some pretty wet days and it has been frustrating - not the least for our poor campers who have battled through some dodgy days! We have been both amused and pleased to see kids and adults using our heated pool throughout - even in the rain! We suppose as long as it is warm it doesn't matter whether it is raining!

On days like today, when the rain stops, the sun is glorious. The past week has been wonderful, hot enough for t-shirts and shorts. Everybody has come out of their caves and have been sitting soaking up the sun. There is good weather forecast for the rest of the week too, so why not take a short break and come and join us?

Great Fish!

2011-05-26T21:12:00.000-07:00

With the improvement to the weather has come great fishing. One of our customers went on a fishing charter with Reel Time recently and brought home these great snapper.

He said he had a great time on the boat.

For those who prefer a relaxed activity on the water that doesn't involve fishing...Reel Time not only takes you fishing, you can also enjoy a cruise up the back waters of our beautiful Clarence River where you can view all manner of birdlife and beautiful scenery.

View from our office!!

Some more ideas for enjoying our wonderful area:

Take a sunset cruise on the sailing catamaran Rockfish.
Meander up the river listening to great music on the Clarence River Ferry's Jazz Cruise on Sundays.
Hire a bbq boat, catch and cook your own lunch!
Take a stroll along Bluff Beach and up to the look out platform - it's whale season.
Play around of golf.
Play a game of bowls.
Hire out the tennis court.
Hire a bike and ride around the town and out to the beaches.
Drive your 4wd up the beach and have a picnic.
Cruise over to Yamba and watch a movie in their quaint cinema.
Follow the shipwreck trail to Grafton.
Go to Angourie Blue Pools where fresh water sits adjacent to salt.
Take the day to explore all the wonderful galleries and museums in the Clarence Valley.

Where's the sun?

2011-04-28T21:20:00.000-07:00

Where's the sun? Not here, at present! However, Easter weather was surprisingly good, we had some glorious weather and people even went home with sunburn! But, true to this year's pattern, the good days were followed by...rain! Still, it wasn't cold and the kids didn't care, they still swam and played happily.
We have another busy Saturday and Sunday coming up, with QLD's long weekend. There are only a few caravan sites still available - and tents are okay to go on those slabs too so give us a call if you need a site.
Fishing has been excellent - lots of fish, particularly at the beach - conditions for the fisherman though, is not so great! They've been coming back tired, wet and cold...but happy! Tailor and black-tip off the beaches, mud crabs in the river and snapper out wide. Feel free to give your excess to us!!!

Availability for Easter

2011-04-18T21:12:00.000-07:00

Well, Easter is nearly on us, and apart from one cabin...we are fully booked. We really hope the weather is kind to us this Easter. Historically, it always rains at Easter, no matter where you are in Australia, but this year the weather has been anything but normal, so here's hoping Easter will be an anomaly...and not rain!

We hope everyone has a happy Easter and that Easter Bunny finds you at your campsites!

Special Deals

2011-02-07T18:27:00.000-08:00

Need a holiday? We've got a special that you're sure to like!

Check out our website http://www.anchorageholidaypark.com.au/

QLD Weather

2011-02-01T14:36:00.001-08:00

It has been a distressing start to 2011 for many people with flooding, particularly in QLD. Our thoughts have turned to our customers, friends and family in northern QLD as they await the arrival of Cyclone Yasi. We have experienced cyclones so we know what it is like to 'wait and see' and it is always a nervous time.

We hope that the strength of Yasi dissipates as it hits the coastline and that you all remain safe.

Come And Play!

2011-01-28T19:31:00.000-08:00

We're waiting for you!

Weather is hot.

Sun is out.

Beach is good.

Fish are on.

Check out our specials page on http://www.anchorageholidaypark.com.au/

Flood Update

2011-01-14T19:48:00.000-08:00

Contrary to what Sky News has apparently been reporting, Iluka is not flooded! The flood waters at Iluka thankfully never amounted to more than a really huge high tide. Nor are we cut off. We were for a short time, but north re-opened quickly and while south is still blocked between Maclean and Grafton, the Summerland Highway is open and operating.

In fact, visitors trying to get to Yamba for their holidays are coming to Iluka and then crossing to Yamba on the ferry. The river here at our northern arm has calmed and while it is still has too much fresh for fishing, the fish are now at the beaches...good flatty, massive herring and the occasional fat happy bream have been caught. The ocean water is clearing rapidly and people are swimming at the beaches, but we have a pool anyway, so the kids currently in the park have made great use of that!

So we would like to reassure our customers that Iluka and by association, the Anchorage Holiday Park are open for business, with no flood damage.

Christmas...and the weather.

2011-01-09T23:03:00.001-08:00

We have been lucky. While rain has fallen, we have not experienced the terrible deluge that poor Queensland has endured. Our caravan sites and cabins are high and dry and until this week, so was our campground. We were lucky to have the week after Christmas with glorious sun and hot days - sunburnt faces everywhere!

Since New Years Eve (which was dry and a LOT of fun...see our website for photos), we have had a fair bit of rain. Total for Jan so far is around 208ml, with more showers to come apparently. Bureau says that it should be clear from the weekend...we hope so!

Surprisingly, the fishing has not been too bad. Species ranging from the good old flatty and bream in the river, to massive herring and a jew or two that have been caught on the beaches. The river is muddy, we suggest no swimming, but the fish don't seem to care that it's raining. Recently though, the fresh has brought some catfish down-river, so you’ll need to be cunning!

Christmas is nearly here!

2010-11-26T13:59:00.000-08:00

This year and in particular, the past month or so, has definitely been an interesting one. The staff at The Anchorage have had a busy year personally, with house building, travelling, sport, school, births, deaths & marriages! We celebrated many births towards the latter half of the year (It appears there wasn't much on tele last Christmas!), there were a few marriages thrown in the mix, and sadly, such is life, some friends passed on. Death always makes one reflect on life and get a reality check...that is, not to sweat the small stuff and appreciate what you've got, while you've got it! Marriages are always lovely, it's so nice to see people eager to begin their lives together. And births just make us all smile. The cycle starts all over again with little baby softness and the wonder of endless possibilities.

We've had a quiet month in the park - which has been great for our behind the scenes work - although the weekends have proven very busy, particularly in the cabins. We have a couple of great specials that are still applicable until the 15th December which is when our busy period kicks in. So if you can sneak away, take a look at those first, see if one suits you and beat the rush.

The fishing has been quite good recently, with some good size tailor being caught at the beaches, along with some good flathead. There's been turtles in the river and at the headlands and of course, the dolphins are always about.

We've had many foreign visitors recently and they've been glad to see all the wildlife about. Our resident possums have been active at night, a big brush tail comes to the bird feeder at Reception to eat whatever bread the birds leave. Bandicoots can often be seen around the amenities block and they are not shy, you can get quite close to take a photo. Our goannas and echidna have yet to make an appearance though and this is probably because the weather is confusing them. Now it's sunny again, they'll probably come out to play!

Anchorage Cup Day

2010-08-19T23:59:00.000-07:00

What a great day! We had over 70 people for our annual event this year, when guests and residents enjoyed a Racing Carnival with a difference.

Held to coincide with the Grafton Spring Racing Carnival, about 70 people 'dolled' up in their finery to enjoy themselves. There were 3 'maiden handicaps' run with both jockeys and 'horses' given to cheating! The bookies were active and...honest?

The Anchorage Cup was fiercely contested but the outsider won.

Fashions on the Field were stunning – thanks to our local OP Shop 'Wellspring on Charles' and the Fashion Parade with our Internationally Famous models (including Graeme and Karen) will go down as an event to remember!

Good music, good food and good fun was had by all and $210 was raised for the Westpac Rescue Helicopter.

(The Helicopter service is a valued one in our area, where many townships are remote and trips to the hospital may take half an hour or more.)

We look forward to next year's event and for those of you who like to have fun, we hope you will come and join us next winter!

Caravan Camping Show

2010-06-24T17:05:00.000-07:00

Well, Graeme and Anne are back now (briefly) from the Brisbane trade show...they reported it was a good show, but very cold! Apparently the guys outside the pavillion selling fleecy lined drizabones did very well!!

We had quite a cold snap here too, it was around -7 up on the mountain (Glenn Innes, Dorrigo etc) and whenever it is that cold or snowing, up there, then we get that bitter chill down here. However, it soon changed into glorious days so warm that the kids could actually swim at the beach instead of in the warm pool!

We'll have more information about the show to put in our next blog. But in the meantime, why don't you come down and try your hand at fishing...or walking along one of our wonderful beaches? The whales are around, and usually not too far from the shore...bring your binoculars because they have been very playful, breaching and wallowing on top of the water. Great photo opportunities.

Long Weekend and Fishing!

2010-06-14T17:32:00.001-07:00

The long weekend (Queen's Birthday) has come and gone. We had a great group of people, and lots of dogs! Almost every site in the camp ground had one or two, but apart from when our neighbourly kangaroo decided to go for a run through the campground one night and got everybody excited (dogs and kids alike), you would never have known the dogs were there. Thanks to everyone for a great weekend.

The tablelands had a bit of a cold snap -7 to -10 degrees in some places, and whenever the mountain gets that cold, we get the fallout. So this weekend was beautiful sunny days, but with a chill in the air. Perfect for rugging up at night and toasting marshmallows over the campfire!! The heated spa got a good workout too - with many campers warming their toesies before dinner!

There are some good low tide gutters at present and good sized tailor were caught off the main beach - 30-50cm - they are always good for a fight and are lots of fun. While the tailor are on, the river bream appear to have taken a break and the flatty are a bit quiet too, but in the Clarence River, the patient angler will always come home with a feed. Some of our customers are heading up Shark Bay beach tonight to see what's around up there, so we will report on the fishing there too in the next couple of days. The good fishing season starts around now, so don't leave it too late to come and try your luck!

2010-05-16T23:31:00.000-07:00

The Brisbane Caravan, Camping and Touring Show is on next month from 9th - 15th June. This is usually a great show, with everything from caravan sales to knicky knack stalls. These shows are always good if you are looking to buy a van, starting out on your holiday or even just browsing.

If you take the time to chat to the accommodation stall holders, you'll pick up some good tips as well as get an idea of what type of caravan park will suit you and your requirements.

Graeme & Anne will be there, manning the Top Tourist stand, so make sure you pop by and say hello if you're attending the show.

Caravanning in style

2010-05-15T22:51:00.000-07:00

The weather this past week has been fantastic during the day and chilling off a bit at night. Just enough to snuggle into a blanket.

The heated spa has been a hotspot...for young and old...and the young ones have also been in the pool a fair bit too!

This weekend we had a wonderful group of people in, some botchi on the front lawn, a massive cricket game (not sure who won) and numerous basketball matches...it all looked like a lot of fun.

That's what holidaying in a caravan park is all about. Spending a relaxing time with your family, doing fun, safe stuff that everyone enjoys!

Why not treat yourself and your family or partner, and pay us a visit? We're not far away and there are some great special deals on the website - have a look and see if one suits you.

Beautiful Weather

2010-05-04T20:18:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend with all our visitors from (predominately) Queensland. The weather wasn't as dodgy as the Bureau had predicted, a couple of drops of rain at night, clearing to sunny days. Everyone got out and about fishing, swimming, jetskiing etc and at night...they must have been exhausted because it was early to bed!

The weather today is wonderful. We had a rainy day yesterday, but today has dawned sunny and hot. The mullet fishermen have taken a couple of fantastic hauls and The Anchorage is lucky enough to be situated not too far from where they bring them in. It is a fascinating thing to watch...no new-fangled equipment with this type of fishing - it is 'back to basics', jump in, get your feet wet and pull the nets in by hand!

We are beginning to fill up with our winter long-term visitors, but we still have vacancies so if you are planning to holiday in Iluka, or just travelling past, why not visit our website or call in and stay for a while?

May Day Weekend

2010-04-28T23:02:00.000-07:00

It's a long weekend for Queenslanders this weekend and we've had many make bookings already. There are still vacancies though, and it is a great time to visit Iluka, still hot during the day but cool enough at night to be pleasant if sitting outside.

We have a Spa Cabin available for Friday/Saturday night only, and we have one of either the Deluxe Cabins or Queen Cabins still available all through the weekend. Caravan and camping sites are still available, although if the phone calls taken today are any indication, they won't last long!

The fish are starting to bite, flathead & bream are always around in The Clarence River - not always the big ones but Karen can confirm there are some to be caught...she went fishing with her kids and between keeping the boat off the wall and re-baiting their lines as well as her own, she managed to snag a 48cm flatty...pan size. Very nice.

Mullet season has already begun and school Jewfish have been caught on the beaches. One local we know caught a massive Jewy off the beach recently. (But he won't tell us where!)

So, you may as well take advantage of the long weekend...and even if you don't have the long weekend, come for a short one!

Let's try again!

2010-04-24T00:15:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone.

We got ahead of ourselves last time...started a blog then life happened and nothing got posted!

Well, here we are again! And we promise to be posting on a regular basis. We'll be notifying you of special deals, letting you know what's happening in the park and around town and just giving general information. We're new to all this, so if there's anything in particular that you would like us to address, let us know and we'll do our best.

We are also now on Facebook, so check out our page. For those of you who don't use Facebook, don't forget we still have our personal website, where you will find all you need to know about our park. http://www.anchorageholidaypark.com.au/

Hope to see you soon! Happy Holidaying!

From The Anchorage Team: Anne, Graeme, Sel, Karen and all the staff.

Anchorage Blogspot Launched!!!!!

2009-01-20T20:57:00.000-08:00

A new blogspot for the Anchorage Holiday Park was launched today