Ballarat Travel Articles

The BIG4 Ballarat Goldfields Holiday Park is a very popular holiday destination in Ballarat, within walking distance of the famous Sovereign Hill Outdoor Museum which tells the story of the discovery of gold in this region.

We were lucky enough to spend a few days at this lovely holiday park and received a warm welcome at the front counter - in fact we found all the staff the this BIG4 park to be friendly and very helpful. Each guest is escorted to their cabin or site in the park and given assistance to back on if required. The staff make sure that caravans and camper trailers approach the site from the appropriate direction making it easier to back onto the slab.

One thing you will notice upon arrival is how neat and tidy the park is, with lawns, gardens and hedges trimmed and beautifully maintained. It was not particularly good weather during our stay but we found guest areas to be well heated - camp kitchen, indoor play land and amenities block. This caravan park has a large range of cabins and some have been created to look like miner's cottages - after all it is call Goldfields Holiday Park and sits in one of the most historically important gold mining areas in Australia. 

Our powered caravan site had a small concrete slab for the wheels of the van and a large slab for the annex - very flat. Double slabs have been provided for motor homes. All the roads of the caravan park are sealed - no dust or mud, a great feature.

There is  large children’s playground near the reception area which is fully fenced and leads into an indoor Play Land for younger children 1-5 years. The Play Land features brightly coloured play equipment to climb and slide or crawl through - all housed in a replica miner’s cottage. Within this room is a large screen TV showing children’s programs and round tables with seats for the parents to watch the toddlers. Along the front of the building and overlooking the outdoor play equipment is a large covered verandah - plenty of space for parent to relax and supervise little ones at play. You will also find a jumping castle, half tennis court, basketball ring, games room and beautiful pool area with plenty of seating.

I smiled when I saw the dump point in this park which consists of a toilet housed in a funky old 'outhouse' complete with a chain pull flush system.

A Herb Garden sits behind the camp kitchen and barbeque area  – a rusty watering can points to the herbs that are available for guests to use. The camp kitchen is fully enclosed and heated for comfort on cold days in Ballarat – this was most welcome during our visit as one day only got up to 10 degrees. Outside the camp kitchen you will find food and drink dispensing machines, barbeques and a giant chess set. 

This is a really lovely BIG4 park and we look forward to visiting again in the near future.

BIG4 Ballarat Windmill Holiday Park is easy to access as you travel along Remembrance Drive in Cardigan, Ballarat, (entry via Ibis Garden Circuit that runs parallel to Remembrance Drive). There is ample parking space available while checking into to the park. Boom gates sit either side of the entry with lovely garden featuring, of course, a windmill which actually spins when windy. Jacqui (the Manager) or one of her staff escort visitors to their cabin or site.

The amenities in the centre of the park have been beautifully refurbished with showers and toilets in separate spaces either side of the hand basins. This is the same in both the men's and lady's amenities. A radio station is piped through speakers during the day which I find very good - helps me catch up on the news.  

A gym is located near reception in a separate room (hexagonal shape) with a sauna attached – containing a treadmill, rowing machine, bike, weights, step bases etc.  Everything you need for a good workout on holidays.  On the other side of reception is a camp kitchen and games room with lounges, TV, Pool table, table tennis and a lovely fire for winter months. The camp kitchen can be closed off from the games room if needed.

Alongside the games room is a bigger area called ‘The Great Room’ which is available for functions or meetings. It can been booked for an hour, day or longer if you wish to organise a conference. This room is popular with dance groups as it features a fully sprung dance floor.  

Plenty of activities for the children at the BIG4 Ballarat Windmill Holiday Park with a tennis court, basketball court, jumping pillow, indoor play area for cold rainy days, outdoor children's playground and an amazing indoor heated pool complex.

The pool complex has a lap pool, spa, kids pool and splash play area - all fully enclosed with plenty of windows allowing natural light. There are timber bench seats at either end of the enclosed area and some sun lounge chairs for guests. This is a fabulous facility. 

The park has a range of cabins including a lovely three bedroom cabin called Bluegum for larger families or couples travelling together. There are a range of powered caravan and camping sites including drive through and ensuite options. A good size camping ground is located at the rear of the park with a covered barbeque area. Also near the rear of the park is a kitchen garden with fresh herbs for guests to use, and some resident chickens - ask at reception for a visit to the chooks.

There are plenty of trees providing shade during the hot weather and these looked quite stunning during our visit in Autumn as the leaves were changing colour. BIG4 Ballarat Windmill Holiday Park is a great place to base yourself while visiting Ballarat with easy access to tourist attraction like Sovereign Hill, MADE (Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka) and very close to the lovely Ballarat Botanical Gardens.