Closing a Chapter at Groper Creek Caravan Park

A warm, and friendly Garvey smile has welcomed locals and travelers alike to the Groper Creek Caravan Park for a little over five years, and although Jeanette Garvey isn’t saying goodbye to the community, she’s made the decision to step out of the management role, and leap into retirement.

In October of 2019, Jeanette and her husband Danny took up the role of Managers of the Groper Creek Caravan Park within the Home Hill Boat Club as soon as the position crossed their radar. After relocating back to the region in 2009, the pair purchased their Groper Creek home in 2010, and immediately fell in love with the laid-back nature of the small, friendly community, through becoming valued and active members of the Home Hill Boat Club. Almost two years ago, Jeanette’s husband, Danny suddenly passed away, leaving Jeanette to continue as Manager on her own until she welcomed her new business partner, fellow community member, and friend, Wendy Coplick, into the fold. Now running and operating the park together, Jeanette and Wendy have worked closely together since 2019 and have established a functional workplace agreement with one another.

“Wendy and I have an agreement – she doesn’t go near my computer, and I don’t touch her mower!” explained Jeanette.

Together, with the unwavering support of Wendy’s husband Dave, Jeanette’s son Dallan, dear family and friends and the Home Hill Boat Club, the pair have raised the standards and reputation of the Groper Creek Caravan Park far beyond the expectations of both locals and travellers.

“Wendy and I both feel confident that we will be leaving Groper Creek Caravan Park in an improved state, and we are always receiving high praises from visitors that the park has never looked so good, the office has never run so professionally, the amenities have never been so clean, and that the managers are so friendly- our WikiCamps reviews have been outstanding!” shared Jeanette.

“We’ve certainly proven those knockers wrong - who would have thought two chicks could have run a caravan park so successfully?”

Jeanette and Wendy can testify its undoubtably true that no day managing a caravan park is the same, however with the sporadic burst of a water pipe aside, the pair both reflect fondly on annual State of Origin rivalries, daily antics and shenanigans, and the long-term friendships they have made with people from across the country.

“We built the park up, gaining Australia wide recognition, named Finalist in the National Grey Nomads Awards’ Small Caravan Park category for three years, and have put Groper Creek well and truly on the tourism map.

We're also extremely proud that we were able to fundraise and see the completion of "Our Front Yard Shelter" in honour of Danny, which we opened earlier this year.”

Once Jeanette welcomes retirement, she plans to remain an active member of the Groper Creek community, and both herself and Wendy are very much looking forward to days filled with sleep ins, walks on the jetty, casting a line, and spending time with family and friends.

“I’ll miss engaging with the varied travellers who role into Groper Creek from across the nation and abroad, everyone always has a story to tell, and people love discovering Groper Creek off the beaten track, initially booking in for a couple of days, then staying for a couple of months.

But then again, I’m not going anywhere – I’ll still be living at Groper Creek, and will just have more time to hear their stories.”

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Wendy Coplick and Jeanette Garvey are excited to soon leap into retirement.

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