the Times Your news and views? Email us at [email protected]Mating snakes put nomads in a twist e great thing about taking the Big Lap is than no mat- ter how long you have been travelling, something new and completely unexpected could always be just around the next corner. Tanya Tamm and her partner have seen some sights during their multiple trips around Australia … but they were still not prepared for being trapped in their motorhome by two mating brown snakes! ey were well into their cur- rent three-year odyssey when they decided to camp along the River Murray at Toora in South Australia. “We were enjoying the peace and quiet when something caught my eye and I turned to find two brown snakes en- twined in a mating ritual,” said Tanya. “ey were like this for over an hour in front of our motorhome!” While making sure she was safely in the rig, Tanya did pluck up the courage to take some amazing photographs of the ‘incident’. “We were prisoners in our van as we could not leave the area and we watched them the whole time,” she said. “en, when they were through, they slithered away in different directions … it was the most amazing thing I have ever witnessed!” While this was the most memorable reptile encounter the veteran travellers have enjoyed, it wasn’t the first. Back in November, the pair was setting up camp at the wa- ter’s edge at Lake Watchem in Victoria when the atmosphere suddenly changed. “It was a lovely little spot and we were relaxing aſter setting up camp when I noticed some- thing in the water swimming towards us … it was a brown Page 1 snake!” said Tanya. “I went into the van and watched and became quite distressed when the snake came out of the water and headed straight for our van and the green mat we had on the ground.” e couple decided to make a lot of noise inside the van, and eventually the snake headed off into the bush. However, as they were unsure exactly where the reptile had gone to they felt so uncomfortable that they decided to pack up the motorhome again and move to a new camp. Click to comment Issue 164: January 19, 2018 A rare spectacle had Tanya scambling to safety ... and taking some snaps Tanya T was lucky enough to witness and photograph two brown snakes in a mating ritual (happily, from the safety of her van). Pics: Tanya Tamm In this issue: •Couple shares tips from perfect van quest •Discovering Kiama •Too many showers? ‘Laws shouldn’t limit location’ – GNT readers A convincing 72.8% of respondents to our recent GNT poll were vehemently opposed to the idea of it being made illegal to free camp within a specified distance of a commercial caravan park. “Let the freedom of choice be the deciding factor, not financial blunderbuss tech- nology,” thundered Chris T. Tony T agreed. “Oſten shoddily run caravan parks are protected by coun- cils and given no incentive to improve their service,” he said. Alan Porter sensed double standards. “Councils do not stop picnickers eating their cut lunch within sight of cafes,” he said. And that’s the way June T saw it, too. “e caravan parks have ruined lots of motel’s trade with their cabins looking for the big bucks,” she said. Kerry B was slightly more conciliatory. “You wouldn’t expect a free camp next door to a caravan park,” she said. “But, if a town wants to fully benefit from the grey nomad explo- sion, it needs to provide a good free camp with a dump point and access to water.” Click to comment
Mating snakes put nomads in a twist The great thing about taking the Big Lap is than no mat-ter how long you have been travelling, something new and completely unexpected could always be just around the next corner.Tanya Tamm and her partner have seen some sights during their multiple trips around Australia … but they were still not prepared for being trapped in their motorhome by two mating brown snakes!They were well into their cur-rent three-year odyssey when they decided to camp along the River Murray at Toora in South Australia.“We were enjoying the peace and quiet when something caught my eye and I turned to find two brown snakes en-twined in a mating ritual,” said Tanya. “They were like this for over an hour in front of our motorhome!”While making sure she was safely in the rig, Tanya did pluck up the courage to take some amazing photographs of the ‘incident’.“We were prisoners in our van as we could not leave the area and we watched them the whole time,” she said. “Then,
when they were through, they slithered away in different directions … it was the most amazing thing I have ever witnessed!”While this was the most memorable reptile encounter the veteran travellers have enjoyed, it wasn’t the first. Back in November, the pair was setting up camp at the wa-ter’s edge at Lake Watchem in Victoria when the atmosphere suddenly changed.“It was a lovely little spot and we were relaxing after setting up camp when I noticed some-thing in the water swimming towards us … it was a brown
Page 1
snake!” said Tanya. “I went into the van and watched and became quite distressed when the snake came out of the water and headed straight for our van and the green mat we had on the ground.” The couple decided to make a lot of noise inside the van, and eventually the snake headed off into the bush. However, as they were unsure exactly where the reptile had gone to they felt so uncomfortable that they decided to pack up the motorhome again and move to a new camp.
Click to comment
Issue 164: January 19, 2018
A rare spectacle had Tanya scambling to safety ...
and taking some snaps
Tanya T was lucky enough to witness and photograph two brown snakes in a mating ritual (happily, from the safety of her van).
Pics: Tanya Tamm
In this issue: •Couple shares tips from perfect van quest •Discovering Kiama •Too many showers?
‘Laws shouldn’t limit location’– GNT readersA convincing 72.8% of respondents to our recent GNT poll were vehemently opposed to the idea of it being made illegal to free camp within a specified distance of a commercial caravan park.“Let the freedom of choice be the deciding factor, not financial blunderbuss tech-nology,” thundered Chris T.Tony T agreed.“Often shoddily run caravan parks are protected by coun-cils and given no incentive to improve their service,” he said. Alan Porter sensed double standards.“Councils do not stop picnickers eating their cut lunch within sight of cafes,” he said.And that’s the way June T saw it, too.“The caravan parks have ruined lots of motel’s trade with their cabins looking for the big bucks,” she said.Kerry B was slightly more conciliatory.“You wouldn’t expect a free camp next door to a caravan park,” she said. “But, if a town wants to fully benefit from the grey nomad explo-sion, it needs to provide a good free camp with a dump point and access to water.” Click to comment
As the Grey Nomad Times continues to go from strength to strength, we are once again asking you, our readers, if you would like to make a vol-untary contribution to help support its production. As the e-newsletter’s popular-ity – and that of our web-site and busy forum – have grown, so too has the work-load involved in providing our community with insight-ful analysis and up-to-the-minute news, as well as in co-ordinating our ever-bur-geoning Classifieds section. We are a small family busi-ness and last year was the first year that we approached readers requesting a voluntary contribution. The Grey Nomad Times was first sent out nearly seven years ago as a way of helping grey nomads keep in touch and keep informed while travelling or contemplating travelling. We fully understand that the publication’s strength, and its purpose, lies in reaching (and hopefully helping) as many grey nomads as possible, so we are keen not to charge a subscription. Instead, we would prefer to ask anyone
who enjoys the publication and associated website and forum – and who appreci-ates the work that goes into producing them – to consider making a one-off, annual contribution of perhaps $20, $50 or $100 to help us main-tain and improve what we can offer readers over the next 12 months. And it promises to be a very exciting year ahead! As well as 24 fortnightly GNTs we will also be produc-ing a series of six-page ‘spe-cials’ covering such topics as off-road adventures, cruises, health on the road, grey nomadding in New Zealand,
With big plans for 2018, the GNT is asking for donations to help us improve our service
Issue 164: January 19, 2018
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visiting wine regions ... and a whole host of other relevant and interesting topics. We will be offering more competitions, more prizes, more discounts to our readers, more news, more in-depth analysis of topical issues, more letters, more Classifieds ... and a whole lot more fun. We hope you will consider making a donation to help us keep improving the service offered on our website and forum, and to help make the Grey Nomad Times an even more valuable resource for grey nomads and soon-to-be grey nomads.
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‘I leave hubby home’‘Travelling Oma’ has camp-ing in her blood. Some of her earliest childhood memories are of her parents taking her and her sister away in a tent. And then, in her early adult years, she remembers happily loading her camping gear in a little 4-cylinder car and going away for weeks on end.It was something she knew would never stop doing.And then Oma fell in love, got married, had kids … and things changed.“As my husband was in the military, camping was the last thing on his agenda as that was his job,” she said. “Al-though we did manage one or two trips away with our two children, it was nothing like I would have liked.”As the decades passed and the children grew up, Oma realised she had never lost her latent passion for camping. The problem was that, having spent so much time away from home during his long army career, her husband had abso-lutely no desire to travel. For Oma, who is now 58, the solution was obvious. Every now and then she simply packs up her small sedan with her camping gear and heads off on her own into the wide blue yonder.“In warm weather I camp in my pop-up tent or I can sleep on an airbed in my car if I
have to,” she said. “I only use butane gas cylinders for my cooking and lighting and I can live self sufficiently with everything in my ‘rig’ for weeks at a time.”Oma carries several tarps of various sizes so she can set up her campsite in a number of different ways to suit the scenario.“My husband has always been supportive of my solo trips and, to be honest, he prob-ably enjoys his time alone without me getting him to do jobs around the property,” she said. “It’s hard to explain unless you’ve been a military wife, but separation is the norm so this is nothing dif-ferent.”Oma’s last trip took her over 5,500 kilometres from NSW through inland Queensland and up to Cairns, and she is already planning an odyssey to Uluru.“Once you start camping you realise we have so many dif-ferent characters and lifestyles in Australia, and that’s what makes it interesting,” she said.
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Issue 164: January 19, 2018
Oma brings a variety of tarps for her various setups
“And it also reminds you that you don’t really need a lot of materialistic things to be happy.”Oma has not let the fact that she has had two joint replace-ments, with another hip due to be done later this year, prevent her from living her dream.“The one thing that is a ‘must’ is that I always carry a milk crate on my camping trips,” she said. “As much as I can ‘fall’ onto my airbed in my tent, I am not as flexible as I want to be and I need my milk crate to help me get back up again!”While Oma’s innovative set- up allows her to get out and about, she is keenly aware that it does have its limitations.“I hope that one day I will have the opportunity to get onto the beaten track, and see many of the beautiful attrac-tions that our country has to offer in a more suitable rig,” she said. “My dream is to buy a Ute, with a slide-on camper, suitable for one person.”Click to comment
With no one sharing her passion for camping ...
Oma’s happy to go it alone!
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Jellyfish invasionDeadly Irukandji Jellyfish are drifting further south along Queensland’s coast-line. Experts warn warmer sea temperatures could see the creatures becoming regular visitors as far south as the Gold Coast. Croc surpriseStaff at a remote roadhouse in WA’s Kimberley region have used an oven mitt to catch a baby crocodile found hiding in a doorway. The reptile was found on the ve-randa of the Willare Road-house, 50 kilometres south of Derby. It was released back into the Fitzroy River.Goannas guiltyGoannas have overtaken foxes to become the number one predator of the endan-gered loggerhead turtle at Queensland’s Wreck Rock Beach, south of Agnes Wa-ters. A new study has found goannas disturb up to 400 loggerhead turtle nests there each year.
Where do you start?Like many wannabe grey nomads John and Jan Saun-ders found the prospect of spending tens of thousands of dollars on a new caravan an incredibly daunting one.With so many horror stories around, the couple was deter-mined to do their RV research before taking the plunge.Now, after three years of inten-sive investigations, they are finally about to take delivery of their dream machine and hit the open road. But, having learnt so much, they are keen to share their insights into the RV purchase process.John and Jan’s top tips include:• Do some travelling so you know what you can live in, what space you need, what you can live with and what you can live without. Imagine yourself living in the rig based upon your experience, not romanti-cised conjecture and attractive RV magazine videos. It’s called expectation management.• Ask yourself what you want to do and where you want to go. If van parks along the black-top are what lights your fire, then you don’t need the fully optioned off-road rig; but if you are hearing the call of the wild and images of the Gibb or Birdsville are floating in your frontal lobes, then you better know what an on-road, semi-off-road and off-road
caravan is (your insurance company does!), and whether you need to be self-contained. • Shop around and go to van shows. There are squillions of caravans and campervans to walk through. Listen to the sales pitch and learn what questions to ask. Start making a list of features which appeal to you. However, don’t jump at the first ‘Sale of the Century’ and don’t be bullied into buy-ing by an insistent seller. • Remember, the most im-portant part of the caravan/campervan is what you can’t see – structurally and hidden between the interior wall and exterior cladding or under the floor. Do factory tours and see what goes into the rig: is it steel or timber fabrication; are the frames nailed, screwed, welded or riveted; is the Styrofoam insulation thick or thin and is it cut to size or just has loose bits stuck in the wall cavities? Be fussy – you’re going to live in this thing. Have high standards and don’t accept workmanship not done to that standard or comments like
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“Don’t worry mate – they all do that …”• Buy from an established company with a proven track record for quality after-sales service. You’re also buying into the longevity and reputation of a manufacturer, retailer, spare parts supplier and servicing provider. • Think ahead with regard to technological change. If there is new technology emerging, think about incorporating that aspect when you make your purchase. Not only will it allow you to keep up-to-date, it will also mean that your caravan /campervan will probably be more saleable when you decide to stop travelling or upgrade. • Caravanners must think about the cost of the tug, too. Envisage it as a whole package: van and tug. Be conservative in your interpretation of the specifications for your tug, so that what you finally put together is both legal and safe. • What have you learnt from your RV shopping experience?Click to comment
Issue 164: January 19, 2018After a long search for a caravan, John & Jan share
their RV shopping insights
There are a myriad of RV options available
Nomads in Brief Low actThieves have broken into a registration box at Ben Lomond National Park in northern Tasmania, stealing the cash inside. Police say those involved spent some time forcing their way into the box. The theft occurred between Dec 29 and 30.
Seal surpriseA male Australian fur seal caused quite a stir when it crossed a busy road in Launceston, Tasmania, before slipping into nearby water. Fur seals travelling upstream in rivers occasion-ally haul themselves onshore to rest. The public is advised to keep well clear of the wild animals.
Help at handDisaster relief organisation, BlazeAid, has set up a base in Murgon in Queensland’s South Burnett area as it begins clean-up work fol-lowing violent storms there on Boxing Day. Around 150 volunteers – many of them grey nomads – will come and go during the two months the group expects to stay in the region.
Re: charity nomad musicians (GNT: 163). What a wonder-ful way to travel around our country! Having set off with a ‘no plans’ nomadic journey almost a year ago, to a now fully booked five-year music-playing journey is remarkable. Ken and Helen’s story is fasci-nating reading and it just goes to show what can be achieved with a kind heart and open-minded attitude. Good on you guys! We wish you well, much success and most importantly a lot of fun along the way.
Judy & Ben GThat’s a terrific story that really hit a chord with me (pardon the pun). I have recently se-cured a place for my Mum in Residential Care in Canberra as she has Alzheimer’s. Thank you to Ken and Helen.
Sue B What a great pair of retirees giving their all for others less fortunate. May they continue with their success and enjoy the happiness they give to others.
Terry TThat’s true mateship. Giving time to others. Some of us should learn from this.
Steven T
Well bloody good on you, we say. Quite an adventure, guys. And all for a jolly good cause, too. I’ll send the Steinway Grand over in the post … that will get the locals talking.
Nev & Joni C
Re: handbrake hassles (Gadg-ets: GNT 163). Yes, it can be a problem exerting enough force on the operating lever to get a good force on the brake levers to sufficiently apply the van brakes when parking or changing wheels. I have had the embarrassment of a ‘runa-way’ when parked on a slope without chocking the wheels – once is enough and I always chock now! I have fixed a small single pulley block to the brake operating levers, led the operating cable through this, then back forward to a strong dead eye fixed to the van chassis. This gives a double purchase on the brake cable, twice the force on the brake
lever and thus on the brake itself. It doubles the length of movement of the brake lever and halves the force needed to operate the brake. Just ensure the cable is not anywhere near the tyre at any time to prevent possible tyre failure.
Mal CI carry with me an old jack handle that I fit over the exist-ing brake lever to increase pressure when applying the handbrake on my caravan.
Ken SIt’s an excellent idea, even if your strength is okay, to get that extra bit of leverage onto the final ‘cable tight’ tooth of the ratchet lock. I had a half-
metre length of lightweight square tube which slipped over the handbrake on my Trig/Treg hitch. It worked really well but then I replaced it with a McHitch which has a rubber hand grip and release push button on the end of the lever so the tube wouldn’t work without cutting out a slot to get your thumb in. By the way, never rely on a handbrake. Always use wheel chocks!
Cliff BI use a piece of alloy tubing to fit over the brake lever on my Evernew to provide added leverage, so applying the brake is now a breeze.
David NWhy not just use a length of pipe with a big enough diameter to slide over the van handle? Cut it to whatever length you want. The longer it is, the more leverage you get. Plus it helps keep the missus at bay when you refuse to do the dishes!
FrankThe handbrake attachment appears to be a good idea at a cost. A round piece of pipe, which slips over the hand-brake handle, does the same thing. We have been using one for years.
Greg G
To my mind the major prob-lem with handbrakes is the holding in of the button at the same time.
Bill C
Issue 164: January 19, 2018
A massive thank you to Rosetta Faro from Western Australia for sending in this magnificent image of a bird she photo-graphed on her Big Lap with husband, Mike. The first GNT ‘twitcher’ to email in, and correctly identify Rosetta’s feath-ered friend will win a pair of Grey Nomad stickers.
Email us here to enter.
KEEPS FRUIT & VEGGIES FRESHER 2-4x LONGER NATURALLY
The Swag_Newsletter ad_v2.indd 1 28/12/2017 7:41 PM
Re: road scares (GNT: 163). Some years ago I was towing a 22’ tandem van across the Nullarbor. I was probably do-ing about 95-100km/h. I saw a slick of water on the road a very short distance ahead and I lifted my foot. When I got to it, probably doing about 90km/h by now, the car aquaplaned and turned about 45 degrees to the right but still going in a straight line ahead. The van maintained its straight line ahead during the car’s aquaplane event. When I came off the slick and onto the dry, the car started heading off the road to the right in the di-rection that it was pointing at. I applied the manual override for the trailer brakes with my left hand and steered the car back to the left lane with my other hand. I was fortunate that there was no oncoming traffic! I had often practised the action of applying the trailer brake manual override and knowing exactly where it was without having to look. The practice certainly paid off!
Bob BI’ve never been hit by a willy willy, but I have experienced some pretty unnerving cross winds. Even with ESC and proper load balancing it can be disconcerting! We often hear of drivers (including some impatient caravanners) being frustrated by slower moving vans. Chances are, the slower driver is travelling according
to the conditions and their caution should be respected by all … it may just keep every-one out of trouble!
TonyRe: van park fees. When I owned a caravan park nearly 20 years ago, the rules and regulations being imposed by state and council regula-tors made it necessary to look for other means to increase revenue in order to stay viable. These included cabins, perma-nent residents, annual sites, and increased fee structure to cover the new regulations etc. However, in those days, we did not have the same number of older travellers on the road as
there are today. Having toured America the last four years in my 5th wheeler I see similar trends developing here in Australia and feel the caravan park industry and legislators have to make changes to offer more economical sites to the touring public. I stress the ‘touring public’, which is very different to the annual holiday family that only gets away for 2-3 weeks in peak times each year.
Greg SRe: camping choice. If a traveller wants a caravan park, they will seek one out. No-one is trying to undermine the economic viability of caravan
Grey nomad Phillip Robinson has managed to find a softer side to the harsh and rugged cliffs of the Great Austral-ian Bight in this magnificent photograph. Many thanks to ‘Liloking’ for sending it in.
Have you got a favourite pic to share? Email it to us here.
parks when bypassing them. Really, it’s no different than the major supermarkets or banks or service stations setting up within metres of each other. At the end of the day, the con-sumer will make the choice which best benefits them. Let’s just get on with enjoying the recreational vehicle and travel life, hey?
Annette & John FurnerI am on the aged pension and funds must be carefully man-aged. I didn’t get a large super payment as I worked about 20 hours a week as a NSW Rural Fire Service Volunteer. In es-sence, I served my community. I have no regrets and am very proud of how I have spent my life. It’s just that I can’t afford to pay $30 or more per night. Some caravan parks are in the business of getting as much money as they can … I spent my time helping others.
Fred W
Some caravan parks can cater for the ‘free’ camping frater-nity by generating an income from the spare ground within the boundary of the cara-van park. We have travelled around the country and have stayed at caravan parks that do cater for the self-contained, charging just a nominal fee of no more than $12. This nominal amount allows ac-cess to all the amenities if so desired.
One of the things that makes life on the open road so end-lessly interesting is that it is forever changing. Satellite phones, solar panels and internet hotspots are just a handful of the innovations that have revolutionised the Big Lap in recent decades. And, if you travel long enough, what is new eventually becomes old … and what was once unthink-able becomes the new norm.And, so it is – perhaps – with battery-powered cooking. Could the era of gas – or even the campfire – as the cooking king of the bush be about to be ended by new battery technol-ogy? If so, then it is exciting devices like the Morphcooker that will be eventually remem-bered as the trailblazers of this brave new world.The team behind the Morph-cooker is now raising funds to put the portable electric camp-ing stove into full production. The device looks like a shal-
Page 7
low frying pan but it has height-adjustable sides that can transform it from a griddle to a pot. The clever bit is that the bottom of that pan sits on top of an integrated electric heating element, making it a self-contained cooking setup. When it’s time to cook, the de-vice can be hooked up via ca-ble to an external 14-centime-tre-long battery bar. Designers say its battery has 16 cells, where each is 2600 mAH at 3.7 volts, with two parallel groups of eight in series, for a total of 29.6 volts at 5200 mAH.On that basis, and allowing for heating losses, it is calculated that heating 500ml of water from 25C to 100C with a single element will take 12 minutes, and with two elements, it will take six minutes.
The experts say that battery life will be 26 minutes at 100% power and 52 minutes at 50% power. It can be recharged from portable solar cells in around seven hours.The Morphcooker comes in two sizes. The Solo measures 120mm x 120mm and the Family size 200mm x 200 mm.The smaller Solo model is ex-pected to cost around US$96.All things being equal, the de-vice will be available by March. So, is this just an interesting little diversion or the start of something big? Only time will tell. However, even if battery-powered cooking doesn’t emerge to take over the Out-back cooking world, it may still have a part to play in really wet or really windy conditions.Click to comment
Issue 164: January 19, 2018
New
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Blowholes and moreThe town of Kiama on the south coast of New South Wales is synonymous with one iconic attraction … the blowhole!As the southeast ocean swells pound into a natural rock formation on scenic Blowhole Point, seawater spouts spectac-ularly 20 metres or more into the air. The awesome natural spectacle is one of the biggest of its kind in the world and draws visitors by the thousand … and the lesser-known Little Blowhole is 10 minutes down the road, as well.But there’s more to Kiama than blowholes. The coastal town, 120 kilometres or so south of Sydney, is blessed with stun-ning beaches, distinctive vol-canic rock formations, incred-ible walking trails, a fascinating history, interesting buildings, a great tourist infrastructure … and a relaxed seaside vibe.While tourism is now a major driver of the local economy (the permanent population of 13,000 trebles in summer), Kiama originally boomed due to strong demand for rocks from nearby quarries. From 1876 onwards, its harbour was hollowed out to allow larger steamers to enter and the sea trade flourished. Today, the harbour is home to fishing boats and a seafood market where visitors can buy local fish.
The town is full of examples of rich architecture from its prosperous past. There’s the 1887 lighthouse at Blowhole Point, and the Pilot’s Cottage Museum also on the headland near the blowhole. Most grey nomads though are inevitably drawn to Kiama’s Historic Ter-race Houses on Collins Street, which were originally built for the local quarry workers in 1886 and now house a unique selection of crafts, collectables, and eateries. As a major tourist mecca, the town is blessed with a good selection of caravan parks, alfresco cafes, restaurants and shops. There are also some great events to enjoy, and these are headlined by the Kiama Jazz and Blues Festival, which runs from March 9-11 this year. To get an overall perspec-tive of the area’s stunning beauty, a trip to Saddleback Lookout, which sits on top of Saddleback Mountain 7km
southwest of town, is a must. There are wonderful views over the Illawarra Plains and south to Nowra, Pigeon House Mountain and Coolangatta Mountain. However, to really get up close and personal with nature, the Kiama Coast Walk is another must. Beginning at Minna-murra, the 22-kilometre walk weaves past headlands, rivers and beaches to Blowhole Point, before pressing on towards the beautiful bays and beaches around Little Blowhole and the rolling escarpments of Ger-ringong. For visitors looking to escape the coast for a while, the splendour of the Minnamurra Rainforest is a drive of just 20 minutes or so away, and a little further away are the spectacu-lar 50-metre Carrington Falls.To sum up, Kiama has got pretty much anything a grey nomad could want … and it’s got a big blowhole, too!Click here to comment
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Issue 164: January 19, 2018
The Blowhole at Kiama is just one of many beautiful sights therePic: Desitination NSW
Daintree Rain Forest
Last week’s picture puzzle winner was Kent M
QUIZ CORNER
Win grey nomad stickers!Email the solution to the puzzle. Winner announced in Issue 164. CLUE: Are you sitting comfort-ably? On a bumpy trip, these help ensure most grey nomads are.
Do You Know1. Rearranging this outback South Australian town could spell alarm.
2. The NT town of Timber Creek was so named:a) By explorer Augustus Charles Gregory after he cut some tim-ber here to repair his damaged boat in 1855.b) When the railway was being built in 1894 and vast numbers of trees from here were felled to make sleepers.c)In honour of the area’s first popularly elected alderman, Sir Terence Alan Timber.3. Novel Wilts (anagram). It’s a favourite tropical grey nomad getaway. 4. What is the shortest road distance between WA town of Newman and Perth? a)981km b)1,195km c) 1,295 km
5. I am travelling directly between the Queensland towns of Beaudesert and Rathdowney. Which highway am I on?
Dear Jaclyn and Heidi,We spent a fortune setting up our rig so we could head bush for weeks at a time but I didn’t count on one thing … my wife’s a clean freak! To be fair, when we were ‘negotiat-ing’ our Big Lap, Joan always insisted that she didn’t mind where we travelled but she had to be able have a shower every day. And, boy, does she know how to take a shower! We have two 80-litre water tanks but she’ll empty those in a couple of days as she sings and showers while our travel independence disappears down the plughole. She says her daily shower is the only thing that makes her feel civilised and, that while she has compromised on a lot of things for ‘my’ trip, she won’t compro-mise on them. I understand to a point … but this isn’t the trip I planned!
David
A watered down trip Unfortunately, David, the trip we planned for doesn’t always translate into reality. As more grey nomads seek to spend more time in the bush away from mains power and water supplies, this sort of problem will become more common. I think it is important to move away from the confrontational ‘me against her’ mentality and remind yourselves that you are on this adventure together. Try to work out ways you might be able to conserve a little bit of water while still allowing Joan her much-anticipated ‘treat’. Maybe she would be happy to cut down her shower time by a minute or two, or perhaps agree to have a scrub down wash every other day instead of a shower. Take the angst out of the situation, David. Apologise for making an un-realistic promise to Joan, and find away together to get the dream back on the road.
Jaclyn
Ouch! I feel your pain, David. Instead of sitting in the bush listening to kookaburras laugh you’re endlessly trundling into towns in search of H20. And those severely under-utilised solar panels will sit idly on your van as an expensive reminder of your disastrous miscalculation. I’m sure when Joan was insisting on her daily shower clause, you were only too eager to tell her it wouldn’t be a problem … while sneakily thinking she would give them up when she actually got out there. Well, the chickens have come home to roost, haven’t they David? Princess Joan isn’t going to budge any time soon. Give up your dreams of dirt tracks and remote campsites, and start getting used to the prospect of amenities blocks, plug-in power … and a happy, clean wife! Rule Number 1 of pre-trip spouse discussions … be honest!
Heidi Click to comment
Issue 164: January 19, 2018
CLASSIFIEDS
DISCLAIMER: The Grey Nomad Times team is not responsible for any sale, trade, or other transactions between vendors and vendees or advertisers and respondents. All parties enter into transactions at their own risk.
The Grey Nomads has launched its Instagram page … and we’d like to invite you all to join us on the next leg of our social media jour-ney. Please click here to follow us – and keep up with all that’s best about life on the open road. We hope also that you’ll send us your Big Lap images to showcase and share.
CLASSIFIEDS KILLKIVAN, QLDLocated on the picturesque Black Snake Mountain 20km behind and above Killkivan, Qld, we are looking for farm sit-ters for the following dates.24th March 2018 through to 10th of April26th Of June 2018 through to 16th of July.20th of August 2018 through to 4th Sept.18th of Sept through to 15th of October.All that will be required is the feeding and watering of a range of farm animals including: horses (many), cows (8), sheep (6), goats (3), chickens and dogs. Click here.
***CARDWELL, QLDFree accommodation in return for farm sitting duties on a 60 acre hobby farm in Cardwell, Far Nth Qld. Familiarity with animals is a requirement as we have a few cattle, horses,& parrots that require feed-ing daily, & there would also be the normal daily care taking duties. Duration would be for a few months from approximately March to June or August to Nov times & duration are negotiable. Click here.
***WARRA, QLDCouple or single sought to farm sit while regular caretaker is away from end Febru-ary to end of March 2018. Assist farmers with gardening, watering, mowing and odd jobs including feeding the farm dog, chooks, aviary birds, pond fish, hang and take in washing. Nothing too onerous and at your own pace. Handy to Toowoomba, Kingaroy, Bunya Mountains, Dalby, Chin-chilla. Will need own caravan/motorhome. Access to power, water, laundry, shower and loo. Click here.
***RUTHERGLEN, VICHouse sitting required at Rutherglen in North East Victoria from 18/05/2018 until 01/09/2018. There is one cat to be fed and cared for, a few plants may require watering and the grass may require cut-ting once, providing the house sitter is comfortable with a ride on mower.Two acre block so there is plenty of room for a caravan. Rutherglen over winter can be cool to cold so if potential house sit-ters would prefer to live in the house that is fine by us. Click here.
***GREAT SOUTHERN, WALooking for experienced farm sitter from the 27th of January till the 3rd of Feb 2018. Click here.
***BADGINGARRA, WAIs anyone interested in spending 3 to 4 weeks on farm at Badgingarra this year some time? Look after 1 cat, no farm duties, water lawn and garden occasion-ally. Dates are flexible (not May), as long as its not in the school holidays. 30 mins to coastal town of Jurien Bay, Swimming and fishing. Click here.
***LOWER CHITTERINGOur beautiful quiet home is located in Lower Chittering – North of Perth in the hills. We are looking for an usual arrange-ment. Hubbie works in the city and I am about to embark on business in the city which will require me early hours so will stay in the city most of the time. We need someone who is stationary for awhile and can take care of our animals (2 dogs and 2 horses) plus water our plants in lieu of water and electricity. A van situation would be ideal (flat – sanded area or area near house to use shower and toilet and laundry facilities). Studio without kitchen facilities where you could take a room and have some space. Click here.
Issue 164: January 19, 2018
PROPERTY SALE
NORTH QLD CATTLE STATION Governess on Cattle Property Nth Qld want-ed. Based on a family cattle property 2 hours from Charters Towers, we are looking for someone to teach our two children in Year 2 and Year 5 through distance education in 2018. The position comes with plenty of opportunity to experience a different lifestyle and have a real impact on the education of two bright, engaging young children. It would suit someone with a teaching qualifications who is energetic, organised and loves children, so ideal for a retired teacher, or someone seeking a break from the mainstream classroom. Fully resourced classroom, separate living and accommoda-tion area. We can accommodate a single or couple. Must have Blue Card/Working with Children check. Click here.
***CORAL COAST, WALong Term Situation Vacant. Active retiree (s) required for gardening, pool and tennis court upkeep on large beachfront residence on the Coral Coast in return for a double, self-contained apartment. Click here.
***MACKAY AREA, QLDSeeking help to move our Crossroads fifth wheeler from our current property to our new place 12 km down the road. We will pay someone to help as we have sold our tow vehicle. We live at Kuttabul, 30 min noruth of Mackay. Any travellers or residents with a hi jacket hitch on their tow vehicle or even just the bed rails in their vehicle. If you can help, phone 0427 595 512 or send an email to:[email protected].
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WELLINGTON, NSWHousesitting required for our garden and an-imals. We live 20 minutes out of Wellington on the Yeoval Road. We will be going away on 5th March and returning on 9th March 2018. We will need the garden watered and the animals taken care of and fed: 3 work dogs, 1 cat, 1 housedog, 10 chooks and 2 guienea fowl. We have a pool. Click here.
***KYOGLE, NSWFarm sitter required on 26 acres at Kyogle NSW. For 7 weeks 24th July to 18th Septem-ber 2018. Clean and tidy home & property 5 minutes from town. Backs onto Richmond River. Required to look after 18 head cattle and chooks. Care for affectionate kelpie dog & Siamese cat. Lawns & Gardens may need some attention over that period. Plenty of room to accommodate caravan etc. next to house amenities Sorry would prefer no other pets. Click here.
***SOUTHEAST QLDWe are looking for some one to house sit for 2 weeks from second week in February.We would prefer some one who has their own Van and or motorhome, looking after, feeding and watering horses and maybe one dog on the property. Access to power, water, shower and toilet. Located South East Qld.We don’t mind if the person/persons have pets. Click here.
***YEPPOON, QLDWanted: Someone with self-contained caravan to park on our large, well-kept residential yard from 01/06/18 to 31/07/18. Plenty of room to park caravan with privacy from all neighbours. A quiet location and only 5 minutes to town and 10 minutes to beach. Water and toilet provided. Small fee for electricity required. Pets ok. Click here.
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BOWRAL, NSWSeeking grey nomads that are able to work for some food, plenty of laughs and are be able to assist my wife and I on our property, located at High Range in the Southern Highlands, we are about 20 minutes from Bowral, 80 minutes fron the CBD of Sydney, We run Dorper sheep, horses as I play Polcrosse and Polo. We are currently setting up a B&B, so we have power and hot showers. We would like to have a couple that are able to assist in the garden and the B&B, some general farm work would be involved, if your interest is also horses, that would be outstanding. Prefer a the person or people to stay for at least three months. Click here.***MISSION BEACH, QLDIf you are travelling near Mission Beach, and are looking to stay for a while, we may have a great oppotunity for you. We are located in the Hinterland, about 15 mins from the beach, on a dirt road. If you are self contained and would like to stay in the area for a bit, we are looking for a little help in the yard – spraying weeds, build-ing a chook pen and other maintenance and general duties around our small property. As there is a lot of yard work to be done, we are flexible as to the time you are able to stay with us. Click here.***MONTO, QLDHelp wanted with gardening and property maintainence in exchange for free park-ing, electricity and water, with shared bathroom, toilet and laundry facilities. Very fit and active senior female living alone on 30 acre lifestyle block, 4 km from nearest neighbours, would like the com-pany for safety reasons. One week stay initially, and longer stays negotiable by mutual agreement. Property is 32 km from Monto in Central Qld. 3 km of dirt road to the property, Click here.
***VARIOUS LOCATIONS IN QLDAFL Queensland are encouraging anyone who has previously umpired or may be interested in umpiring AFL football across Queensland, in particular regional locations. With the AFL season across most of the leagues running from April to September during the Winter months, it is a perfect time to make your way to sunny Queensland and make a difference to our great game. Matches are generally played on a Saturday and the roles that are required to be fulfilled include field, boundary and goal umpires; a role suited to anyone whether you have umpired or not before. AFL umpiring is a perfect way to stay active, earn some cash and meet some great friends whilst also making a difference in supporting AFL across Queensland. Click here.
***MORNINGTON PENINSULA, VICSeeking a travelling couple to stay on our property on the Mornington Peninsula in for a week or two in exchange for help around the property. Plenty of room for your caravan or mobile home and annexe with free power, water, washing machine, clothes line and toilet available close by. Unfortunately no pets. In exchange, we ask 10 man-hours per week which easily allows plenty of free time to explore this beautiful area. The property is walking dis-tance to café’s and shopping centre and a short drive to all the delights of the area. Position available all year round apart from July and August. Click here.
PROPERTY RENT HELP WANTED
HOUSESITTING
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