South Australia Welcomes its First Tourist Eco Tents

Opening Special: $89 per night twin-share valid until 11 December 2009

BIG4 Adelaide Shores Caravan Park is currently putting the finishing touches on six Eco Tents – a first for South Australia’s tourism industry. The Eco Tents are an innovative and sustainable form of accommodation that allows guests to enjoy greater connection with the natural environment, while providing maximum comfort.

The Eco Tents are furnished with a queen size bed and a double bunk bed, internal light and power sources, table and chairs, storage cabinets, an esky and two shaded decks.

Adelaide Shores Chief Executive Officer, Gareth Smith, said today, “We are thrilled to able to offer our guests a new experience – camping with creature comforts, minus the tent pegs!”

The Eco Tents were sourced through Eco Structures Australia in a modular kit form. The tents utilise large window areas to maximise the effect of cooling breezes and the shade from the overhanging roof can reduce the temperature within the tents by up to 6 degrees Celsius in summer.

Eco Structures Australia Sales Manager, Warwick Prestwood, says, “These products have been embraced in Western Australia as a cost effective and environmentally sustainable accommodation option and are well suited to a variety of locations throughout Australia.”

For BIG4 Adelaide Shores Caravan Park, the final stage of the project will be to install solar panels on the adjacent amenity block to draw power for the Eco Tents with the aim to achieve carbon neutral status.

These latest initiatives further contribute to the environmental objectives that Adelaide Shores has committed to in its five year Environmental Management Plan. The precinct already utilises reclaimed water to irrigate its accommodation, golf courses and sports reserves.

The organisation won an environmental award in 2007 for its work in restoring West Beach’s coastal habitat by reversing the invasion of exotic weeds and revegetating with indigenous plants.

BIG4 Holiday Parks Chief Executive Officer, Terry Goodall, says Holiday Parks like BIG4 Adelaide Shores are exactly what consumers are looking for, a unique holiday experience.

“BIG4 Adelaide Shores is a popular park that sees a large number of guests enjoying its facilities each year. The introduction of these environmentally friendly accommodation options will ensure the impact on the surrounding environment is minimal, and that the location remains desirable for years to come,” Terry said.

 “Guests staying in our new Eco Tents will also experience this native sand dune ecosystem as it will be will be imitated in the landscaping surrounding the tents,” Smith added.

BIG4 Adelaide Shores Caravan Park’s Eco Tents are positioned in a prime area of the park, close to a jumping pillow, playground, kitchen and an amenity block.