Needs Pictures: 0
Picture(s) thanks: 0
Results 1 to 15 of 382
Thread: All the way around Aus
-
23rd September 2013, 10:54 PM #1
All the way around Aus
Well it's getting real close now and I'm heading off for 13 months to discovery Australia on a clockwise route, or at least most of the coasts anyway . I will be travelling in my Mazda BT-50 6x4 with slide on camper and trailer full of fishing, woodworking and milling gear . I am self sufficient in the camper, with toilet/shower/kitchen etc etc so will be staying at free camp sites where possible, friendly forumite's driveways/blocks/street , and the odd caravan park. I have house sitters organised to look after my place, and keep a close eye on my wood stash .
I have no real timetable apart from leaving here on 3 Oct, 10-14 Oct at Muswellbrook for Camper get together, Perth start of April for my daughter's 30th birthday, and early November at Procerpine for the woodturning get together, then back home by end Nov 2014 (although I may then just head straight off again down south, depending on how sick I am of the confined quarters). I also will be calling in to Melbourne/Adelaide/Darwin (not Sydney).
I have planned the first part of my trip down to Canberra/Cooma (see map), but from there I may head back over mountains via Tumit and inland to Melb, or down the mountains via the coast. It will depend on the weather, offers for catch-ups and family/friends requirements.
I will be giving regular updates in this thread on where I am and where I am going next, as well as a few photos of sites and people . If anyone would like me to call in for a cuppa, feed or even provide some where to pull up the rig overnight, please post here and send me a PM with contact details. I am also happy to provide demos of woodturning (small things), casting and milling.
CheersNeil____________________________________________Every day presents an opportunity to learn something new
-
23rd September 2013 10:54 PM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
- Join Date
- Always
- Location
- Advertising world
- Age
- 2010
- Posts
- Many
-
23rd September 2013, 11:17 PM #2
Fantastic...... except you're heading in completely the wrong direction. Why on earth would a Queenslander head south? You do know that in rural NSW they throw rocks at the moon and Victorians still eat the first-born child? And South Australia was populated by Tasmanians that learned how to swim!
If you'd gone in the proper direction your first stop could have been here in Bundy; the distillery tour can't be beaten and you could sleep it off either somewhere in my 1acre back yard or the Granny Flat.
Still jealous but.
-
23rd September 2013, 11:23 PM #3.
- Join Date
- Feb 2006
- Location
- Perth
- Posts
- 27,791
Good luck Neil, make sure you post plenty of pics.
-
24th September 2013, 03:34 AM #4Banned
- Join Date
- Jul 2013
- Location
- Perth
- Posts
- 665
Ditto
Ditto - make the most of it!.
Should be interesting to follow.
Pics of the rig would be good...
And anywhere along the way takes your fancy.
Lots of discrete camp spots in WA once your out of the citys, but its getting harder and harder to find them nowadays.
The caravan park owners don't like missing out on revenues so they ge via their local business assoc / chamber commerce and pressure the councils to pass no camping ordinances and get the rangers to fine people and move them along....until they comply and stay in the van parks and pay their fees!
The good ol days of discrete camping in the bush in Oz are fast declining....
That said the grey nomads can sniff out a few spots without too many problems.... and have a few favorites all up and down the WA Coastline for camping / fishing etc.
If your at all traveling alone - PLEASE take extreme caution with strangers....
It seems that some of these 457 visa backpackers might bump you off for your vehicle soon as look at you - if your remote camped alone - so as to use your vehicle to solve their immediate 'transport' problems if this recent example is anything to go bye.
The car of a man reported missing in February has been discovered in another state - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Just can't be too carefull these days is all!
It seems things aren't quite what they once were, in this fair land... unfortunately...
Fore-warned is fore-armed. (If it were me I'd be packin' heat)!
Good luck.
-
24th September 2013, 09:51 AM #5
So are your house sitters open to bribery?
Have a great trip Neil and a safe one.
Cheers mate.
Steve
-
24th September 2013, 10:22 AM #6GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Jan 2010
- Location
- Melbourne
- Posts
- 2,636
Safe trip Neil, you lucky bugga! I think you've already have an abode in Melbourne to stop at however if you ever need a place to park, give me a PM etc.
I'm currently sitting in a caravan park in Deniliquin wnjoying the milder weather and cooling my feet in the water.-Scott
-
24th September 2013, 10:30 AM #7
See ya next year.
Cliff.
If you find a post of mine that is missing a pic that you'd like to see, let me know & I'll see if I can find a copy.
-
24th September 2013, 10:37 AM #8
Enjoy the trip. I expect by this time next year we will see a road train coming down the M1 with three extra trailers piled high with slabs?
-
24th September 2013, 01:06 PM #9SENIOR MEMBER
- Join Date
- Nov 2008
- Location
- Sydney
- Age
- 93
- Posts
- 570
Have a great trip, mate. Would love to do something similar but too late now. Any pics would be welcome. Take care, Bill.
-
24th September 2013, 02:38 PM #10
Sounds like a great trip Neil , give us a yell if your in the Newcastle area there's room for a camper in my back yard if you need a night or two stopover to catch some of the newcastle group.
RussellAshore
The trouble with life is there's no background music.
-
24th September 2013, 07:30 PM #11
Because Queenslanders know how hot it gets in the wet
yep
Yeh know what you mean, if there are any caravan parks, unlikely to be freestays although usually no issues away from cities or beaches. I did find quite a few in Vic/NSW on last trip though and hopefully they will stay. There are a number of books/mags by campers/grey-nomads etc giving locations of freestays.
No . They have photos and full details of dodgy forumites too
Plenty of offers in Melb, but thanks for yet another. Deniliquin is a nice spot and brings back some memories of wild country girls when I was a teenager , unfortunately usually with even wilder boyfriends
Thanks for the offer Russel but I was that way at the start of this year, hence why I am heading inland to Melb this time , although if I do extend my trip and head south again I will be heading your way.Neil____________________________________________Every day presents an opportunity to learn something new
-
24th September 2013, 07:41 PM #12Banned
- Join Date
- Jul 2013
- Location
- Perth
- Posts
- 665
Yup
There are a number of books/mags by campers/grey-nomads etc giving locations of freestays.
When you get to WA - you have to pay 'discrete camping fees' to stay even in national parks (down southwest) etc by the river (usually something token like $15 a night) and the park rangers come round and collect it and give you a receipt at your camp spot usually.
BUT
Its free to camp in "state forest" which has just as many nice spots if you hunt them out they just aren't publicized well.
When you get up to the north west of WA - the Nomads all hit cleverville and balla balla etc - some good fishing and free.
Cheers
-
24th September 2013, 07:46 PM #13
Have you seen Independent Camping
-
24th September 2013, 07:49 PM #14
-
24th September 2013, 08:16 PM #15
Have a good trip Neil, sounds wonderful, you're welcome to pop in if you are in the neighbourhood.
On our recent trip to FNQ one of the apps we used, in addition to Ozcamps above and Camps7, was WikiCamps.
Still some rough edges and because it is user generated some errors, but overall quite useful for the $2.99 cost.
There is also a PC version I believe, but I only used it on my Android tablet.
I also made extensive use of the digital version of Camps7 (actually I still have the Camps6 version) in conjunction with my GPS. They sell as et of POI files that you can upload to your GPS.