Just returned from my first extended trip
Submitted: Tuesday, Aug 17, 2004 at 21:26
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Rick Blaine
On Saturday I was quaffing tea & scones on a
seat overlooking the ocean in 22 degrees and now I'm home in
Canberra where I'm lucky if the house gets to 22 degrees even when the heater is on....We did the
canberra Townsville canberra loop, up via inland , back via coast in 11 weeks and all went very
well but it was my 1st experience with the little "clubs" in van parks made up of
grey nomads who meet in the same place at the same time every year and even shower & eat in perfect unison. My favorite spot was Fraser island ... must go back for longer next time and my least liked would have to be
Carnarvon gorge only for the reason that we found Takkarakka "resort" not as advertised, not enough showers & facilities to go around and very limited hot
water and very expensive ( comparitively).
Met some interesting, friendly people... including some who dont use chemicals in their Thetfords because it cost to much...
Upshot of it all is that we have put a deposit on a newer bigger caravan with space for the washing machine( got more for the Jayco than we paid so we could not refuse... could we)
Reply By: Willem - Tuesday, Aug 17, 2004 at 21:41
Tuesday, Aug 17, 2004 at 21:41
Yes one learns a lot on a trip like yours especially if you frequent caravan parks. The
grey nomads are quaint all meeting up at various
places every year.
I would have thought that you would have enjoyed Carnavon Gorge for its majestical canyons,
cliff faces and hidden life forms in the crevices. I was only there for a short time and hope tp go back one day in the future again to spend more time there
In 5 years on the road we spent 10% of our acommodation in CP's. There rest was
bush camping. We bought a caravan shell and fitted it out ourselves with what we needed and one was a twin tub washing machine run by a small generator.
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Reply By: Member - Brian (Gold Coast) - Wednesday, Aug 18, 2004 at 06:37
Wednesday, Aug 18, 2004 at 06:37
We always "camped" in caravan parks until I convinced my lovely bride to try bush/beach
camping and, although it's usually a lot more civilised to be in a
park, there are definitely a lot of compromises to be made! (We found the "Nomad" clubs highly amusing!)
I can understand your Fraser comments.... what a beautiful place to visit!
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Reply By: Member - Bob - Wednesday, Aug 18, 2004 at 08:32
Wednesday, Aug 18, 2004 at 08:32
Rick,
the great thing about our weather here in
Canberra is you don't have to justify to anyone going north every winter for at least some of the time. I played golf on Sunday morning: sunny calm and cool. Saturday was a dog by any measure: windy, cold, cloudy.
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Reply By: Member - Cocka - Wednesday, Aug 18, 2004 at 14:38
Wednesday, Aug 18, 2004 at 14:38
Gee Rick, 11 weeks !!!! now that's a good holiday. I hear some sometimes brag they had a good trip "We went right around Oz in 7 weeks" they say. Makes me wonder what they "see".
SWMBO & I love the remote
camping & only ever stay in the c/parks for a day when we need to come to town to stock up, do a load of washing & have a long hot shower. We do a bit of a hand wash of the "essentials" most days & I look a real picture standing starkers in the yellow basin out in the bush having a wash. I always have a bucket of
water heating up in the
camp fire ashes every night for such occasions.
Caravans are very civilised but so restrictive and not for us as we have a lot more of the "bush" & outback of this great country to see yet. Might get one when I'm about 90.
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