Dunbogan’s amphibious cabin wins gold for innovation excellence Camden Haven by News Of The Area - Modern Media - August 11, 2024 Stephen Ritchie and Cicely Sylow with their Excellence in Innovation Award. Photo: supplied. STEPHEN Ritchie and Cicely Sylow knew they had to find alternatives to traditional caravan park cabins after the floods of 2021 and 2022. They just didn’t expect it would lead to them winning Gold for Innovation at last week’s North Coast Tourism Awards. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au Like so many in the Camden Haven, the owners of the Diamond Waters and Dunbogan caravan parks were shocked by the magnitude of the flood damage and its impact on the community – particularly those left without affordable accommodation. They looked for ways to flood-proof their parks but found that raising cabins above potential maximum water levels was not going to work for those with mobility issues. “Caravan parks are typically located near bodies of water and they house both tourists and permanent residents who don’t want to live in something raised,” Ms Sylow told News Of The Area. “They prefer something in keeping with the spirit and aesthetics of a community.” Acting on a local’s suggestion, the couple started looking for cabins that could float. “We wanted to continue to supply a range of short-term accommodation for the area that was not limited to camping and, at the same time, not expose our tourism business to an unacceptable risk.” Amphibious architecture has been the subject of various projects around the world, but this was a first for an Australian caravan park. Supported by a $100,000 grant from Austrade, the couple remained steadfast in their focus on affordability. The project took several years to execute, mostly due to the challenges of meeting plumbing and sewerage regulations, but the result is a flood-resilient, accessible dwelling, installed on a pontoon base with guide piles to prevent it swaying when floating on water. The cabin was installed in the Dunbogan Caravan Park earlier this year and quickly attracted the industry’s attention, winning the Innovation Award at the National Caravan Industry Conference and now the Excellence in Innovation category in the North Coast Tourism Awards. Handed out in Port Macquarie on 1 August, the tourism awards are a partnership between Business NSW and Destination NSW and recognise businesses from the Tweed to Mid Coast and out to Lord Howe Island. By Sue STEPHENSON The amphibious cabin at Dunbogan Caravan Park. Cabins were inundated during the 2021 floods. Photo: supplied.
