Keppel Sands Caravan Park

Client Story: Murray & Deb McLay (Managers)


Keppel Sands Caravan Park is a revitalised coastal park near Yeppoon, on Queensland's Capricorn Coast. After taking over via public tender, Murray and Deb McLay shut the park down, invested heavily in infrastructure, upgraded facilities, and reopened with a stronger family-friendly offering, supported by RezExpert for bookings, operational visibility, and flexible day-to-day management.

About Keppel Sands Caravan Park

Keppel Sands Caravan Park is a regional park with strong “bones” and a high ceiling for growth. Murray and Deb McLay took on the park through a public tender after demonstrating strong outcomes at Beachside Holiday Caravan Park in Yeppoon. They saw a park with solid infrastructure potential — but one that had been under-marketed and under-developed.


Image: Deb & Murray McLay - Keppel Sands Caravan Park grand opening.

The Challenge

When Murray and Deb stepped in, Keppel Sands had limited market visibility and needed significant investment to lift guest experience and increase demand.


The decision was straightforward: to make the park competitive, it needed real infrastructure upgrades - not minor patch-ups.

The Renovation and Reopening

To do the project properly, Murray and Deb shut the park down, upgraded power, and continued improving the park beyond the original plan and budget.


Site expansion: Keppel Sands shifted from:

  • 32 powered sites and 30 unpowered sites
    to:
  • 50 powered sites and 15 unpowered sites
    with room for future expansion.


Guest experience upgrades: The park introduced and upgraded key family-friendly facilities, including:

  • Pool
  • Pickleball court
  • Mini golf
  • Fully renovated amenities (stripped and rebuilt floor-to-ceiling)


“They’re pretty smick actually… we get a lot of rave reviews.” 

- Murray McLay -

Marketing and Growth

A major part of Keppel Sands’ turnaround was starting marketing from scratch.


Murray and Deb built the basics properly:

  • A new website
  • An active Facebook presence
  • Advertising in local and industry publications
  • Online bookings (direct plus via partners, including Good Day Parks)



This helped them build awareness, improve booking confidence, and start reintroducing Keppel Sands to the market as a destination again.

Why RezExpert

Keppel Sands had previously used another PMS (Property Management System) to manage their bookings, but Murray and Deb moved the park onto RezExpert as part of reopening.


They noted the historical data quality was inconsistent with their old PMS, so they focused on building clean, consistent guest data going forward.


RezExpert supported the team with what matters most for hands-on park operators:

  • Support you can rely on when you need help
  • Flexibility to tailor the system as the park evolves
  • Practical booking tools that support small teams


Results and Momentum

After reopening, Murray noted early tracking showed strong improvement.


Their December quarter tracking indicated a 105–106% increase in tourist spend compared with a comparable baseline period (noting the park had been closed for part of the earlier reference period).


“While we’re not talking huge dollars, we are talking huge percentage growth.” - Murray McLay -


Frequently Asked Questions - Keppel Sands Caravan Park

Learn how RezExpert supports one of Queenslands largest park networks.

Who Manages Keppel Sands Caravan Park?

Question: Who manages Keppel Sands Caravan Park?
Answer: Keppel Sands Caravan Park is managed by Murray and Deb McLay.

What Happened When the New Owners Took Over the Park?

Question: What changed after the park was taken over?
Answer: The park was shut down for major upgrades, expanded its powered sites, improved guest facilities, and reopened with a stronger family-friendly offering.

What New Facilities Were Added at Keppel Sands Caravan Park?

Question: What facilities were added or upgraded?
Answer: The park added or upgraded a pool, pickleball court, mini golf, and fully renovated amenities.

How Does RezExpert Help Keppel Sands Caravan Park Operate?

Question:  What role does RezExpert play for Keppel Sands?
Answer:  RezExpert supports online bookings, guest data management, and flexible day-to-day operation - helping the team run efficiently and adapt the system to the park’s needs.

Did the Caravan Park Grow After Reopening?

Question: Did the park grow after reopening?
Answer: Yes. Murray noted early tracking showed strong growth, including a reported 105–106% increase in tourist spend in a measured quarter compared with a baseline period.

 

Want to modernise bookings and rebuild momentum?

RezExpert helps caravan parks simplify reservations, improve guest data, and run smoother day-to-day — with local support when you need it