Family Activities Bridgewater Public Caravan Park

Published on 20 October 2017

Park the car, stow the keys and settle in for a grab-bag of varied visitor experiences.

That’s the invitation from the Bridgewater Public Caravan Park, a recently rebuilt tourist facility on the banks of the Loddon River in Central Victoria.

With 98 powered sites, 17 tent places and a two-bedroom cabin on offer, there’s plenty of room to move around, enjoy the park’s offerings and explore the area.

Visitors who revel in the outdoors will find a multitude of options for things to do.

The park has five adult canoes and two for children for discounted hire, covering skill levels from expert to beginner.

Pushbikes and children’s pedal trikes can also be hired for poking about the town and surrounds or, for the more adventurous, sightseeing along the river.

Strollers and cyclists alike can discover the Bridgewater River Walk, a trail established by Loddon Shire Council several years ago stretching downriver from the caravan park and taking in such points of interest as the swimming hole and fishing area, old blacksmith’s shop, mill race and rapids and sites of the old brewery and historic mill.

On the western bank, intricately carved wooden figures are set into the foreshore, carved from pine trees removed from the botanic garden at Inglewood.

The swimming hole is a popular spot in summer, with its grassy picnic area, deck, toilets and barbecue, and the nearby fishing hole is usually a reliable place to wet a line, with gear available for hire at the park.

Gold detecting is another drawcard for the district, with an increasing number of amateur prospectors keen to test their skills in nearby bushland.

Park patrons can also hire clubs for a round at the local golf course or bowls for a game at Bridgewater Bowling Club on certain days.

Other attractions for the youngsters at the park include a games room with a mix of machines, jumping pillow, playground, swimming pool and communal fire pit, next to the double-sided camp kitchen.

The pit provides the opportunity for people to bring along their own wood and enjoy time chatting with others around the fire.

Free barbecues, both in the park grounds and along the foreshore, encourage visitors to eat outdoors, but another option is the Bridgewater Hotel in the main street.

The highly popular Bridgewater Bakehouse is just a short walk away, and the park has also just opened its new café for coffee, cakes and light lunch orders, as well as establishing a small general store for campers’ grocery needs.

For visitors who would like to take a short drive, it’s just 7km to Inglewood’s renowned antiques and collectibles stores, Eucalyptus Distillery Museum and Kooyoora State Park.

Council provides free self-drive CDs to guide travellers around the Shire.

For more information, phone the Bridgewater caravan park on (03) 5437 3086 or the Loddon Visitor Information Centre on (03) 5494 3489. www.loddon.vic.gov.au