PRESS RELEASE
12 July 2011
Australia’s favourite holiday park provider, BIG4 Holiday Parks is delighted to announce a second BIG4 Park in Swan Hill, expanding the options for guests travelling to the region and beyond.
Dianne and Dennis O’Bryan, who also own BIG4 Swan Hill, decided that taking on a second park, BIG4 Riverside Swan Hill provided a great business opportunity to host a wider range of visitors to Swan Hill. The new park will give guests the option to holiday with their dogs, being part of the first group of BIG4 Parks to embrace the new change in policy.
Dianne and Dennis are keeping it in the family by handing the managerial roles at BIG4 Riverside Swan Hill to their son and daughter-in-law, Dan and Ainsley O’Bryan, while their daughter and son-in-law Clare O’Bryan and Heath McCurdy manage BIG4 Swan Hill. The two parks, located about five kilometres from each other, offer unique experiences to all visitors to the region and the O’Bryans believe working side by side will be great for both business and guests.
“With all of the wineries and local produce in the area, we wanted to open up the holiday park experience to more mature visitors and also give guests the choice to bring along their dogs and stay right on the river, while maintaining the family-friendly atmosphere that is delivered down the road at BIG4 Swan Hill,” Ainsley says.
“Dianne and Dennis have seen great success working under the BIG4 brand, and now we look forward to offering visitors to Swan Hill the choice of two amazing holiday parks, depending on the type of holiday they are looking for,” adds Ainsley.
BIG4 CEO Ray Schleibs says he is pleased to be welcoming BIG4 Riverside Swan Hill to the BIG4 group and recognises the O’Bryan family’s smart business decision to accept dogs at the new park in light of BIG4’s decision to change its long standing policy.
“It is always great to have an existing BIG4 Park member bring on another, as it represents the success they have already had being part of the BIG4 group. We are looking forward to working with the O’Bryan family to further develop the holiday park experience that they have already delivered to the Swan Hill region,” Schleibs says.
“Families looking for the option to bring their beloved dogs can now do so at BIG4 Riverside Swan Hill if they want to, which opens even more options for a lot of guests travelling to Swan Hill.”
For more information about any of the other BIG4 Holiday Parks around Australia, please visit BIG4.com.au
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GUEST POST
Travelling can be expensive, but just because you have to watch your budget, don’t let that stop you from going round the world and enjoying numerous adventures. To make it affordable, try backpacking and staying in hostels for the experience of a lifetime that will give you fond memories to last for years. The hostels will provide many opportunities to make new friends, so stay in them as often as possible.
When you plan to go round the world, you will need a variety of clothes because of the various climates you will encounter. Just remember, you will have to carry everything around with you for quite a while, so pack as light as you can without leaving out any essential items.
When you want to bring some things that would be easy to buy as you travel, you may consider not packing them and getting them as the need arises. You will have enough to carry on your back without bringing something that you won’t need very often. In addition, you should leave some space for souvenirs that you purchase along the way.
The fun starts when you begin planning for your amazing journey, and lists can be very helpful as you make your preparations. You will need to alter this list to fit your particular needs and circumstances, but it will give you a place to start and may remind you about other items you want to include.
When you are backpacking, you won’t want all of these things unless you plan to pull or push a cart to lighten the load on your back, so try to take only necessities, and improvise where you can.
Packing List
- Carriers
Backpack
Small backpack for day trips
Combination padlocks with strong wires
Handbag
Money pouch
Secure your belongings with strong wires attached to combination padlocks. Keys are too easy to lose, so the combination type is recommended, but be sure to remember your combination. Wear a money pouch under your clothing to keep valuables safe from pickpockets.
- Sleeping
Sleep mask, earplugs
Sleeping bag
Pillow, pillowcase
Sheets
Tent
Mosquito net
When you share rooms with others in hostels, your sleep mask and ear plugs can be invaluable if some of those people snore or like to keep a light on when you want to sleep. When the sheets on your bed look or smell questionable, it would be great to have your own sheets if there is enough room for them in your backpack.
- Food and drinks
Water bottle
Snacks
Canned food
Foldable cooler
Ice packs for cooler
Can opener
Plastic bowl
Plastic knives, forks, spoons
Small plastic containers
Water is heavy, so buy bottled water as you go if possible, but be sure to drink enough to keep hydrated.
- Entertainment
Laptop computer, charger
iPod or small radio, batteries
Paperback book
Deck of cards
Paper, pen, envelopes, stamps
Journal
Camera
- Clothing
Sunglasses
T-shirts, tank tops
Slacks, jeans, shorts
Hiking boots
Tennis shoes, sandals
Socks
Underwear
Sleepwear
Gloves, hat
Light jacket, rain jacket
Sweaters, warm coat with hood
When packing, try to bring mostly wrinkle free clothing if you are concerned about wearing rumpled clothes. Rather than pack a coat for each of several different temperatures, try layering them for added warmth as needed.
- Toiletries
Toilet paper
Tissues, handkerchiefs
Nail clipper, file
Scissors
Toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss
Soap
Hand sanitizer
Moist towelettes
Deodorant
Towel
Feminine hygiene needs
Razors
Lip balm
Shampoo, conditioner
Brush, comb
Moisturizer
Hand lotion
Some countries do not supply toilet paper in their facilities, so it’s best to bring your own. A large bath towel would be great for showers but takes up lots of valuable space. Although not as efficient, a hand towel or thick washcloth will do the job and leave room for other items.
- First aid
Insect repellant
Sunscreen
Medications, vitamins
Antiseptic cream
Band-aids or gauze and tape
Decongestant cold pills
Laxative or diarrhea remedy
Painkiller
Insect bite cream
Tweezers
Water purifier tablets
You can get sunburn in cloudy weather as well as on sunny days, so use sunscreen even when you think you don’t need it. You may not get the nutrition you should while traveling, so take a good multivitamin every day to help you stay healthy.
- Other
Cell phone and charger
Universal sink plug
Laundry soap, sturdy string with hooks
Flash light, candle, matches
Safety pins, needle, thread
Swiss army knife
Duct tape
Maps
Compass
Whistle
Large piece of plastic
Plastic bags, twist ties, rubber bands
Many sinks do not have drain plugs, so bring a plug that fits any size drain to hold water in the sink for washing clothes by hand. A strong string can serve as a clothesline. Duct tape is so handy to make all kinds of repairs and hold things together that you should have some in your backpack. Wrap some around a pencil or similar item to conserve space. You can use a whistle to frighten animals away or help others locate you if you get lost. Place a large piece of plastic under your sleeping bag to protect it from damp ground, or use it as a rain cover.
You will be surprised how many uses there are for simple plastic bags, even the free grocery store variety. They weigh next to nothing and can be stuffed in the smallest spaces. Put trash in them until you find a garbage can. Keep wet garments in a bag until you can hang them to dry. Keep dirty clothes in plastic bags to segregate them from your clean clothes. Sit on a plastic bag if the ground is wet. Put one over your head, but not your face, when it rains. Store your soap in a bag to protect your other items. Keep matches and candles dry in bags. As you travel, you will find many more ways to use these cheap travel accessories.
- Needs for round the world travelling
Youth Hostel card from Hostelling International
International drivers license, drivers license from your home
Contact list along with emergency numbers
Information about how to report a stolen credit card
Student card
Universal adapter
Passport
Tickets
Vaccination certificate
Health insurance card
Photocopies of credit cards, passport, insurance card and other documents
Many places in Europe offer discounts to young people with Youth Hostel cards, and many tourist areas in various countries offer discounts to those with student cards. A universal adapter that will work for all your chargers is better than a different adapter for each item. Keep photocopies of your important cards and documents in a place separate from the documents themselves.
- Money
Credit cards
Travellers cheques
Most well developed countries accept payment by credit card, and using an ATM to get cash will give you local currency at a good exchange rate. However, in many countries like those in Asia and Africa, you may find it difficult to use credit cards. Travelers checks are usually accepted round the world, and if they are in US dollars or another major currency, they will be easier to exchange.
Before you leave on your backpacking journey, check regulations for the countries where you will be traveling to see if there are limits to the amount of cash you can bring into the countries or take out of them.
How to Pack
Either fold or roll your clothes. Folding clothes usually causes fewer wrinkles, but if you choose to roll them, start the roll very tight and keep it tight to save space. Placing your folded clothes in Ziploc bags or airtight bags will save space if you press or vacuum the air out of the bags.
When you pack your bag, put the items you will need last on the bottom and the things you will need first or often on the top. This will help you avoid the hassle of unpacking and repacking.
Use all available space by stuffing things like socks and underwear inside shoes. To avoid smelling like sweaty tennis shoes, put the socks and underwear in thin plastic bags before inserting them into your shoes, and put the shoes in plastic bags as well to keep the rest of your clothing clean.
Hostels
Getting a good night’s sleep is important when you want to enjoy the next day to the fullest. Following is a list of what to look for to make your stay more pleasant when choosing a good hostel.
- A safe lockable place to store your valuables
- Shower with hot water and soap
- Friendly staff
- Free breakfast
- Reading lamp at each bed
- An enforced quiet time at night
- Internet service
When a shared bathroom does not have a place to hang your clothes or set your toothbrush, put those items in a plastic bag with handles, and hang the bag on the doorknob.
You may find the experience of sleeping in a hostel to be more fun than staying in a posh hotel with all the amenities, and backpacking around the world is more adventurous and exciting than driving an expensive car to your destinations.
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