Brownhill Creek Tourist Park in South Australia is using this time to work towards a more sustainable future.
Brownhill Creek Tourist Park in Adelaide has been a favourite camping destination for South Australian locals and visitors since the 1950s. Set at the foot of the Adelaide Hills and just 7km from the Adelaide CBD, this place of natural beauty was quiet during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020.
Gavin Dyer, Brownhill Creek Tourist Park.
Owner Gavin Dyer is thrilled to see families reconnecting with each other again while spending time in the bush. “As Australians, camping is what we do. It gives you the opportunity to explore at your own pace, a place that is unique to anywhere else in the world. It gives an unbridled feeling of freedom,” he said.
There has been a resurgence in camping and caravanning following COVID-19 restrictions easing in South Australia. Gavin says he’s seen a positive shift in family holidays.
“I’d see kids here playing online games rather than exploring the bush, climbing trees, or playing in the creek,” Dyer says.
“But it seems that after being in some form of isolation, people had to slow down and re-engage in a way that they’ve never thought they had time to do. The thing that warms my heart, is seeing mum, dad, the kids, and the family dog all go for a walk together. I hear laughter and see happiness that I haven’t for a long time.”.
When restrictions first hit South Australia, the park certainly slowed down, with occupancy rates dropping from around 80% to just 20 or 30%. Gavin took this opportunity to take stock of the park’s facilities and complete some projects that weren’t possible when the park was full of guests.
“I knew people would come back. I would say I’m proactive as a business owner, and it was important to take this time to do things that I’ve never had time to do,” he said.
This included renovating cabins that were usually booked out and upgrading high-traffic facilities that would normally be used by guests every day. As restrictions eased, Gavin says the growing number of people wanting to visit was like “turning a tap on”, but occupancy was still sitting below 50% in July 2020.
“There was definitely a wave of optimism when it felt like things were coming back to normal. People were saying on social media that they can’t wait to get out again – the trick is to be here when they’re ready to come,” he says.
Part of this preparation included contactless check-in options and stringent sanitisation procedures on all common areas and accommodation. Gavin wants to ensure all guests feel confident to visit the park when they can.
Another job that Gavin found time for was reviewing his electricity account. Brownhill Creek can accommodate around 250 guests with 22 cabins, 50 caravan sites, and 50 unpowered camping sites using a substantial amount of power. Gavin contacted us to discuss ways to address the parks energy usage.
Along with a new plan, he was introduced to AGL’s Carbon Neutral option, certified by Climate Active. Gavin was interested in making a difference with the park’s energy usage and Brownhill Creek became our first Carbon Neutral business customer.
“The idea of going carbon neutral on my electricity feels like I can pay it forward” says Gavin.
Gavin’s decision to opt into Carbon Neutral also aligns with his plans for the business:
“We want all new cabins to have solar power. This will reduce the actual electricity use per unit, but the by-product is that it’s environmentally conscious. Every little step I take to reduce our cost by using a sustainable way of generating power is good for the environment and for the business. Why wouldn’t we do it?”
As the park is situated in a gully and in the shade for most of the day, going solar on a larger scale isn’t viable right now. But Gavin is interested in revisiting this option when solar battery systems are more reliable and affordable.
“It’s something people like to see. If they’re walking through the park, surrounded by this beautiful natural environment and can see you’ve got solar panels, you’re using rainwater; you’ve got facilities for separating waste and recycling” he said.
Gavin is also working on a new project with his architect son, designing and building scandi-style, eco-friendly accommodation ‘pods’. These pods can be moved to different parts of the park, depending on where guests want to stay and are 100% solar-powered.
“They look cool and are considerate of the environment, and you have the choice of where you want to wake up in the morning. That’s ideal for the next generation of campers. But it also really speaks to our future, which is all about environmentally friendly accommodation options.”
Want to choose Carbon Neutral for your small business?
AGL offers Carbon Neutral options certified by Climate Active on our energy plans. When you choose a certified Carbon Neutral product with AGL, your contribution is going towards offsets that aim to reduce, sequester, or avoid greenhouse gas emissions.
