Insights from Murray & Deb McLay (Beachside Holiday Caravan Park Yeppoon & Keppel Sands Caravan Park)

Who Are Murray & Deb McLay?

The 3 Non-Negotiables (According to Real Operators)

1. Repeat Guest Recognition & Clean Data Recall

Murray didn't hesitate on the first one.

"It's got to come up as a repeat client automatically... so you type someone's name in, you're not redoing your bookings".

For most regional parks, repeat guests are the backbone of revenue.

If your system can't:

• Instantly find returning guests
• Pull up accruate contact details
• Show booking history
• Prevent duplicate records

...you're creating admin that simply doesn't need to exist.

Most parks don't have front-desk teams of five. It's often Mum, Dad, and a couple of casuals. Speed matters. Accuracy matters. Simplicity matter.

Good repeat guest recognition isn't a "nice to have" - it's operational efficiency.

2. Strong Accounting Accuracy

The second non-negotiable surprised some people, but it shouldn't.

"What I like is a good account keeping system in the background."

Murray specifically referenced correct handling of the 5.5% GST adjustment after 28 days for long-term stays.

Many booking systems don't handle this cleanly.

RezExpert does, and for Murray, that's critical.

"The more accurate you can be, the better."

Accurate financial records mean:

• Correct GST treatment
• Clean reporting
• No awkward accountant conversations
• No compliance headaches

As Murray joked:

"Our accountant's very good. He's kept us out of prison!"

Funny line, serious point. A caravan park booking system must protect you financially.

3. Support & Flexibility - Not a "Set & Forget" System

Deb was very clear about this one.

"The big attraction for me was the backup assistance."

When I asked how responsive support has been:

"Excellent. Excellent. Excellent... you always had a response within a timely fashion."

But it wasn't just about picking up the phone, it was also about control.

"You can fashion it according to what you want... you can individualise it."

And the line I loved most:

"It grows with you as you grow more confident with the system."

That's important.

Most smaller caravan parks:

• Don't need every feature on day one
• Don't want to pay for every button pushed
• Don't have in-house trainers
• Learn the system gradually

A good booking system should grow with the operator, not overwhelm them.

What This Means for Caravan Park Operators

When Murray talks to other parkies (and he talks to a lot of them!), he keeps it simple. If you're under $1 million turnover:

"You don't need a whiz-bang system that's worth ten grand."

You need;

• Clean repeat guest recognition
• Strong accounting accuracy
• Reliable, accessible support
• Flexibility to evolve over time

Not bells and whistles, not gimmicks, just a system that works the way regional parks actually operate.

Why This Matters

Here's the truth - most caravan park booking systems market features, but operators want confidence. They want to know:

• Can I find my guests easily?
• Are my accounts correct?
• Can I get help when I need it?
• Can I run this without an IT degree?

If your system nails those things, you're 90% of the way there.

FAQS

After interviewing Murray and Deb, one thing stood out. The parks that succeed aren't chasing shiny tech, they're building solid operational foundations.

Your booking system is one of those foundations. Get the essentials right, and everything else becomes easier.