General News
23 February, 2026
Retro van weekend creates vintage vibe
RESCUED caravans and restored cars took over Bridgewater Caravan Park for a weekend of vintage nostalgia.
The annual heritage caravan park rally was being run for the first time by park owner Kristy Hourigan and managers Darren and Rhonda Marshall.
They stepped in after long-time organisers stepped away from the event. Kristy said: “The vintage caravanners created an iconic weekend in Bridgewater every year and they all asked that we keep the event running.”
Among them Shirley-Anne Day who arrived for a second time with her Millard caravan named Maud bought from Judith Blow, showing off a scrapbook charting the caravan since it was made in 1978 and its restoration.
“There’s a beautiful energy for the weekend and the people are really interested in the old vans, their stories and their cars,” she said. “We all remember holidays with grandparents ... there are some great characters here this weekend.”
And Shirley-Anne said she was pleased the weekend had again been opened to the public. “People are interested and popping in for a chat”.
Kelly and Joyce Boyle, of Amherst, arrived for the weekend in a 1938 Chevrelot towing a 1948 caravan that started life as an onsite van at Heathcote.
“It was later vandalised, bought by a friend who did the first restoration and then we did a second, taking it on a lap of Australia,” said Kelly.
The Boyles are planning to sell the 1948 van. “We have a bigger vintage caravan back home and that one has air-conditioning and a fridge,” said Kelly.
The caravan weekend included a quiz night, entertainment and a Saturday run for the vintage cars to Inglewood.
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