Seven new cabins at Barwon Heads Caravan Park in Victoria, Australia, have opened with a design focused on tourism, accessibility, sustainability, and connection to Country, with the project developed in consultation with the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation (WTOAC).
The Moonah cabins officially opened last week, with more than 300 nights already booked at an estimated value of $100,000. Barwon Coast expects the seven cabins to generate an additional $300,000 in annual revenue, with the funds intended to support ongoing maintenance and coastal care.
The cabins were designed through consultation with WTOAC, incorporating cultural elements intended to reflect the significance of the area and its history as a gathering place. Design features include colors, textures, and other elements intended to acknowledge Wadawurrung connections to the land and waterways.
Wadawurrung woman and WTOAC co-chief executive Sarah Eccles said the project reflected the importance of continuing cultural responsibilities to Country.
“At the heart of working together has been sharing knowledge, but it has also very much been an opportunity to make sure that we continue to care for country,” she said.
“Many generations of our people have cared for this Warri, or Warri Dja, as we call it, Sea Country, and it is in their footsteps we continue those cultural responsibilities.”
Each cabin’s glass door includes a symbol representing yaluk, or river. Barwon Coast is also conducting an expression of interest process for a Wadawurrung artist to develop an external installation for each cabin.
Sustainability considerations were incorporated into the cabins’ construction and infrastructure. Features include responsibly sourced timber and double-glazed windows, while the design provides for future installation of solar panels and electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
The project also aims to give visitors opportunities to learn more about Wadawurrung culture and the Country surrounding the caravan park. Bellarine MP Alison Marchant said her own experiences traveling throughout Australia demonstrated the potential for tourism businesses to incorporate local stories into visitor experiences.
“I have travelled around Australia before and gone to many caravan parks and many places, but I do not think we have always been great at telling the stories in the Country that we were visiting,” she said.
“This is a really great example of how we can do that. People will come here and enjoy this space and also be learning so much about this area in a traditional sense.”
Accessibility was another consideration in the cabin design. The accommodations include ramp entry, dimmer light switches, step-free showers, and cavity sliding doors.
The first guests are scheduled to check into the new Moonah cabins on September 24, according to the Bellarine Times.
For caravan park and outdoor hospitality operators, the project illustrates how new accommodation inventory can combine accessibility and sustainability features with locally specific cultural interpretation, while also creating an additional revenue stream that can support broader park and coastal management activities.
