AusLeisure

Australia's largest holiday park provider, BIG4 Holiday Parks, has welcomed a new location to its 180-strong network of parks with the addition of the Stuart Range Outback Resort in Cooper Pedy, South Australia to the BIG4 family.

Giving travellers another superior accommodation option when choosing to holiday across Australia, the Outback Resort is situated near the corner of the Stuart Highway and Hutchison Street, Coober Pedy, just 30 kilometres south of the magnificent Breakaways.

The family owned and operated park boasts access to an impressive range of facilities including a swimming pool, childrens' playground, BBQs, a brand new camp kitchen and an onsite pizzeria.

After arriving in Australia from Greece in the 1970s the park's founders, Yanni (John) and Maria Athanasiadis, decided to open the first of what would be four pizza bars in Melbourne before moving to Coober Pedy to try their luck with opal mining.

The couple decided that Coober Pedy needed a pizzeria to cater for the vast number of coaches passing through to Alice Springs and Ayers Rock/Uluru so they opened a pizza bar in the town centre before eventually selling it to build the park in 1989. The park constructed and owned by Yanni and Maria along with their son Paul and his wife Felicity, serves up delicious pizzas every evening from 5pm using the original recipe and secret sauce at the newly built 'Nostimo Pizza & Restaurant'.

The park has taken a hands-on approach to supporting local tourism by hosting daily coach tours of Coober Pedy and the beautiful desert surrounds. The informative guided tours include the Breakaways, Dingo Fence, opal fields, Moon Plains, Opal Mine and Museum, underground Home, underground Church and the Coober Pedy town area. Tours leave early afternoon daily in the high season and start from $65 for adults and $28 for children.

After exploring the outback, guests can rest their heads in a comprehensive range of accommodation options including one and two bedroom apartments and a superior king spa suite featuring a luxurious living area, full modern kitchen and dining with a separate laundry. The park also offers cabins and motel-style rooms that offer guests a cost effective accommodation option which includes 24 hour use of a communal kitchen, BBQ facilities and laundry. Campers and caravanners are also catered for with a choice of 160 powered and unpowered sites.

The Athanasiadis' decided to join the BIG4 group to be part of a national organisation that is as dedicated to providing the ultimate holiday experience as they are.

As Paul explains "BIG4 sets the industry benchmark for exceptional holidays so we're thrilled to be part of a highly regarded national network that travellers love and respect. We're especially looking forward to offering our guests the exclusive benefits of the BIG4 Loyalty Club."

Welcoming BIG4 Stuart Range Outback Resort to the group, BIG4 Holiday Parks Chief Executive Ray Schleibs says the resort is a great addition to the network, providing holidaymakers in South Australia with an another exceptional accommodation option.

Schleibs stated "BIG4 Stuart Range Outback Resort underpins what the BIG4 brand promise is all about: excellence in customer service, park presentation, superior facilities, cleanliness and safety, and ultimately, delivering a unique holiday experience in diverse Australian locations.

"We look forward to working with Paul and Felicity to further build on the success of their business."

For more information about any of the BIG4 Holiday Parks around Australia visit

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