By Mikayla van Loon
Sitting on 10 acres in Lilydale, which was once a paddock filled with pine trees, a caravan park has been transformed into a peaceful destination to stay and visit the region.
Lilydale Pine Hill Caravan Park, owned and operated by the Wescombe family for 25 years, is a central link to the Upper Yarra, the Yarra Valley and even the Dandenong Ranges.
Having undertaken multiple years of extensions to provide more accommodation options and amenities, the $2.1 million project was completed earlier this year ready for the busy spring and summer season.
Granted $525,000 from the Victorian Government’s Regional Tourism Investment Fund to make the project possible, Janette Wescombe said it gave them the confidence to proceed with such a large upgrade.
“We could have completed the cabins, but the amenities building was a very big cost and the grant just enabled us to go in and get it all done in a timely way,” she said.
“Otherwise we might have been going for another 12 months just to build up funds to complete it. It gave us confidence to just get it done.”
Adding an additional 14 cabins, two that are pet friendly, two that are fully accessible and two that replicate an affordable motel-style, Ms Wescombe said it provides more opportunities for people to stay, at a cost they can justify and catering to their individual needs.
“Part of the push for cabins was because of the Warburton Mountain Bike Trail which is a big project happening,” she said.
“We’re hoping we can attract people because 25 cabins now have bike racks where people can put their bikes on to secure them if they’re staying and the other thing is there’s the bike wash and maintenance facilities as well.”
With many of the trails around the Yarra Ranges being redeveloped, including the Yarra Valley Trail, connecting Lilydale, Coldstream, Yarra Glen, and Healesville, with a vision to link with the Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail at Seville East and Woori Yallock, Pine Hill Caravan Park will be at the centre of each of these networks.
Catering also to larger groups, the new amenities block has already seen caravan groups, car clubs and Probus clubs come for weekends or longer, using the new function room, camp kitchen and games room.
“We do have a lot of groups, and these facilities have been fabulous for groups. We can leave the function room open for general use, but if there’s groups in, it’s a private function.
“So they’ve got a bit of a kitchen and facilities, and they do utilise it and they really love having it. We’ve got more tables they can put up if they need but they’ve also got all of the outdoor area which leads up to the fire pit and the barbecue.”
Ms Wescombe said the caravan park has also always been popular with family and friend groups coming to the Yarra Valley for a wedding or other function.
“Sometimes we’ll have a wedding group and you have 10 or more cabins booked. So family events have been another one that have made it easy for people to stay in one place and I think the rates, when you compare it to motels or BnBs, are very competitive.”
All cabins are fitted with a king size bed which can be changed into two singles to suit every stay, with essential cooking equipment creating a comfortable kitchen for easy meal preparation or to enjoy a cup of tea on the balcony listening to nature.
“We’ve had some really good feedback on these cabins being comfortable for people to stay in and to have a bit of space.”
When the Wescombe family began building the caravan park in 2000, Ms Wescombe said there was an immediate need for accommodation of all kinds, with demand only growing in the region.
Seeing the change from paddocks and pine trees to a beautifully landscaped park over two decades, Ms Wescombe said it feels wonderful to have made it to the completion but the next stage is engaging with people and encouraging them to stay.
“It’s just a whole sense of satisfaction because it has been a lot of work since 2020 and you seem to be constantly doing something but now all we have to do is grow things and maintain it and market,” she said.
“So it’s a whole different feeling about where the pressure comes from. We’re very happy the construction side of it is finished and we can get back to our normal every day.
“For the next 12 months, two years, it should be a fairly steady routine, hopefully, if people still keep caravanning and camping and staying.”
