A long-standing fixture of Caloundra’s waterfront is set for a major revamp which has chins wagging in anticipation.
Popular and award-winning holiday Park BIG4 Caloundra has confirmed construction is underway on its exciting multimillion-dollar makeover.
BIG4 Caloundra is the amalgamation of the old Hibiscus and Tripcony Caravan parks that has been a popular camping spot since 1912.
Back in 2010, the park was listed as a Queensland Government Heritage-Listed Site.
Big4 Caloundra’s owners SEQ Properties have been custodians and operators of the park since 1992 and are celebrating their 30th year at the helm.
Onlookers recently took to social media to find out what the building works and noise was all about.
SEQ Properties CEO Angus Booker revealed the works had been designed and planned based on guest feedback and were ” a long time coming”, with a significant upgrade to the pool and entertainment area of the park.
“We’ve completed a lot research to get this far in the market,” Mr Booker said.
“We’ve visited a lot of parks across Australia and Europe, watched the local competition evolve and have had a lot of feedback from guests over the last five years about what they want from a park experience.”
The renovations are set to include; a larger lagoon-style pool and entertainment area, two new waterslides, shaded zones, year-round heating, a 25m lap zone and a new dining experience that’s yet to be announced.
These works will continue to operate through until December 2022.
Mr Booker revealed, during the pool works, the park was also undertaking a significant cabin refurbishment and landscaping program, to create a more luxurious stay experience for guests.
“Cabins will be significantly enhanced to provide the latest in design and furnishings, to create a contemporary stay both inside and outdoors,” he said.
Mr Booker said SEQ Properties’ long-term plan was to incorporate a new food and beverage experience for guests within the park, including in the pool area.
But he said they were currently focused on enhancing the guest experience and access to the Pumicestone Passage.
“We are in the design and pre-approval stages and working with our stakeholders for the future food and beverage facility… there will be more news coming soon about it,” he said.
“We are currently expanding the size of the pool, which we’ve outgrown over the last 10 years, to nearly three and a half times the previous pool. It will incorporate waterplay and facilities for kids – old and young.
“We are working our hardest to get the pool completed during the cooler months.”
It’s not the park’s first makeover — in 2011 it undertook a major redevelopment into its current format, including; new amenities, office and administration space plus communal facilities.
Management announced on BIG4 Caloundra’s website that throughout the works “we won’t have a pool and the construction will be disruptive and for a period, noisy, dusty and potentially messy.”
Mr Booker said noise and truck movements early on during the civil works would have been disruptive to weekday guests, but they had been extremely understanding.
“A lot of guests have enjoyed watching the progress and the works that have been going on,” he said.
The project will have an impact on bookings between June 2022 – November 2022 with a number of BIG 4 Caloundra bookings directly affected.
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