September 2010

TV presenters behind unique event

Great family challenge offers weekend of fun

Frankie and his family: all set for the challenge

A NEW South Wales caravan park is searching for Australia's greatest caravanning and camping family.

Tathra Beach Family Park on the Sapphire Coast between Melbourne and Sydney will stage its inaugural Great Family Challenge from September 27 to 29.

And behind the novel event is well-known caravanning personalities Frankie J Holden and Michelle Pettigrove, who present the popular Saturday afternoon What's Up Downunder television show on the Seven network.

Frankie told Caravanning News: "Basically, this is an idea of mine that will start small this September ... but may well grow into a national promotion of caravanning, camping and family parks."

The Tathra Beach Great Family Challenge is an opportunity for families to experience three days of fun and friendly competition.

Events, for fun-people of all ages, include a slalom caravan reversing competition, blindfold reversing, a family bucket relay, family sandcastle building competition, instruction-less tent erection time trials, bed race and best decorated campsite.

Frankie said the unique event was designed to be an 'Olympic Games' of all things camping.

"We aim to unearth Australia's champion caravanning and camping family," he explained.

"And to cover all bases we'll have first aid on hand … and divorce lawyers! We'll all be at the Games and we're inviting you to come along to test your family's strength and skills in all things camping!"

For more information or to register your family, telephone 02 6494 1302 or log onto www.tathrabeachtouristpark.com.au

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Tathra Beach Family Park: soon to host Australia's inaugural Great Family Challenge

How Frankie discovered the pleasures of caravanning

FRANKIE J Holden and Michelle Pettigrove this year became partners in Tathra Beach Family Park, located in the small but busy seaside town of Tathra on NSW's Far South Coast.

They have spent the last 18 months with daughter Georgia travelling around this vast continent presenting Australia's only national caravanning and camping television programme, What's Up Downunder.

Along the way they explored a remarkable array of outstanding caravanning and camping parks.

As a child, Michelle spent every Christmas holiday she can remember with her family in a tent or caravan at Pambula Beach, just south of Tathra.

But it took Frankie a lot longer to sample the pleasures and fun of staying at a caravan park.

"I'd never been a caravan park fan," he admitted. "In fact, my idea of roughing it is a television without a remote.

"But doing What’s Up Downunder opened my eyes to the fantastic family atmosphere and camaraderie inherent in this kind of holiday. Now I’m a huge fan."

The opportunity to live the nomadic lifestyle and the relaxed pace synonymous with holiday parks inspired Frank and Michelle to take the plunge and invest in the industry themselves.

"When the opportunity came up to actually get involved in the industry we jumped at it," they said.

And they are the first to admit that Tathra Beach Family Park is not huge or state-of-the-art but stands tall when it comes to offering a friendly family atmosphere and a commitment to ensuring guests have a special and memorable holiday.

"What we're aiming to do,” Frankie explained with that typical larrikin grin, "is to pinch all the best ideas from the best parks we've visited all around the country and use them at Tathra Beach Family Park. I have had one original idea though."

This will expand park’s family activities to include the inaugural Great Tathra Beach Family Park Challenge, designed to be an Olympic Games’ of all things camping.

The event promises to provide lots of laughs, family fun and some great prizes too!