Well Guys, I've lived in a camper-van for 2yrs whilst building a new house near Kingaroy in Qld & didn't have any problems with Council. It depends on where you are I think, as I know the Council at Tara Qld built a new toilet block in the overnite camping area & provided solar hot water & showers to cater for both tourists & locals who live on scrub blocks around the area & don't have electricity, water, or showers & make it a regular get together BBQ once a week at the camping area to utilise the new Council facilities. I spoke directly with an council employee & complimented him on the clean facility who proceeded to tell me the story.
I think you would be reasonably safe living in a camper-van or shed provided you are not within the town area, or on a main road where everyone can see you, as there are hundreds of people in the South Burnett and Tara areas who live in sheds & caravans on bush blocks.
I also noticed the same Council tolerance in an area south of Ravenshoe on the Atherton Tablelands, towards Innot Hot Springs where there is a large subdivision off the main highway (left) & out of sight where there is a large combination of shed dwellers, houses & other camping (living) arrangements.
After building my house, I found that I could not live in it as it was too big & required to much effort to maintain so I have put it on the market. You can see it at www.owner.com.au property No. 47410.
I have since purchased 700 acres of bushland near Chinchilla Qld & set up my base camp from which I travel. I am back living in my camper-van & shed & am happy as the proverbial pig in . & have just offered this property to other Grey Nomads for free camping, & you can get the details from this website under New Free Camp Site.
Some travellers want their homes to go back to, others don't, & the choice is yours. Just remember that we will all be living in Aged Care Homes at some time in the near future, so the question of home ownership is subjective & debatable at our age.
Happywanderer said
03:45 PM Jul 10, 2010
Love your attitude Dougie, when I finally get up your way I will call in for a stop over. Cheers.
Rolly said
04:15 PM Jul 10, 2010
Dougie wrote:Homeless by Choice
.........Just remember that we will all be living in Aged Care Homes at some time in the near future,........
Not if I have anything to do with it, Dougie.
lilly said
05:38 PM Jul 10, 2010
I am same rolly ...no aged care for me i be hideing out somewhere close to the beach where my kids cant find me lol
Happywanderer said
05:39 PM Jul 10, 2010
Can I join you lilly??? We will hide together!!!!
Zoomtopz said
06:54 AM Jul 11, 2010
Especially , after seeing the article on aca th other night on retirement-resorts .
lilly said
08:20 AM Jul 11, 2010
Sure can happywanderer lol u sound bit like me just need some time out from life as we have knowed it lol
Dougie said
11:06 AM Jul 11, 2010
Good one guys, lets see what happens when you get there!!
lilly said
11:42 AM Jul 11, 2010
where that dougie old age or our hiding spot lol
Dougie said
12:22 PM Jul 11, 2010
Without sounding disrespectful let me say, my mother who is 87 now, & a tough old bird, said the same thing only 2 years ago whilst living in her own unit in Mildura. She vowed & declared she would never live in Aged Care, but unfortunately the dreaded dementia & macula degeneration altered the course she had set, & I can tell you that I sought advice from several health professionals as her Power of Attorney as to what to do, & the ONLY course of action possible was Aged Care with the medical & practical help she required.
Needless to say, she has no memory at all now, & doesn't even recognise her own son, having sat with her recently for 10 days when she apparantly had a spark between nerve ends & said: " nobody told me you were here" to which I sadly had to advise her of the fact that I had been sitting with her every day for the last 10 days.
Sometimes it's not what you want, but what others deem necessary for your own good.
Foolhardiness is neither sensible nor practical. Just Google the subjects to see your chances of ending up the same way, it's frightening!!
By the way, the waiting list to get into Aged Care is up to 2 years, so who will be the unfortunate person who has to look after you until then?
lilly said
01:28 PM Jul 11, 2010
yes dougie i know all of that worked in aged care see it all ....but your comment just makes me more egar to get myself on the road and live a bit before i dont have the choice to do what i want to do with my life ,...think we all probley feel bit same way
Dougie said
01:43 PM Jul 11, 2010
What's that Lilly, don't want to face reality, or think we may be spared? I like the name of one Grey Nomads rig I saw in far north Qld last year: "Adventure before Dementia" How appropriate is that!! I had to laugh at the sensibility of it.
lilly said
02:37 PM Jul 11, 2010
No i think i live in the real world .. we all get old something no one can excape but hopefully .we all have lots of good years left before we may or maynot have to depend on other to live a life I say let just do out best to stay as healthy and as active as we can for as long as we can
Dougie said
03:53 PM Jul 11, 2010
Here, here. Problem is we might not remember it all!! Damn frightening when you look at the predictions that 1 in 4 over the age of 85 are going to suffer dementia of some sort.
Better enjoy ourselves now & forget about ??? what was that I was thinking about!! & I'm only 65.
You know the feeling I'm sure having worked there, spend some time with these poor devils & you leave feeling you have the symptoms yourself!! Travel & avoid severe depression & stress, that may be the answer.
Gerty Dancer said
04:22 PM Jul 11, 2010
I feel for you, Dougie, its dreadful to visit your Mum when shes like that. And I understand how scary it can be. But its not inevitable. My Mum died with the Big A (Alzheimers), in her 70's, at home. My Dad lived to 103 quite clear-minded, (although grumpy!) and stayed at home till the last week. One thing that affects our generation is that theres rather more of us, and waiting times for aged care facilities are likely to be impossibly long. So, I'm with Lily... best to look after our health as much as possible, body and mind. Travel is great, our brains stay active while we are learning new things. And as Lily and Happywanderer suggested, "being there" for our friends/neighbors/fellow travellers is a great idea. May I join you?
Happywanderer said
06:46 PM Jul 11, 2010
Great idea, we will organize a meet in Chinchilla soon after I get my campervan, where we can all sit around the campfire working out ways to stay out of retirement homes.
I worked in them for years and years, some people I looked after were on 100. Couldn't do it anymore after my dear mum passed away at the age of 67 in 1989. It wasn't fair. My husband died of a sudden heart attack at the of age of 61 while at work.
I am going to hit the road and follow my dreams and the ones they weren't allowed to have.
Pejay said
07:38 PM Jul 11, 2010
Yep Dougie, know exactly where you are at - my Mum had massive heart surgery 5 years ago, crashed, was revived (against her wishes - she was too busy to worry about those papers and besides maintained she didn't need them!) and as a consequence her mental capacity was affected and my Dad cared for her at home for three years 'til he sucumbed in 2008 - just plain worn out - and we had to place my mum in care AND implement the EPOA at the same time - real trying time. But last week when we went to visit her, and we took down some photos, she sadly did not recognise a photo of herself and Dad, and yeah..... there are other bits but I would rather not go into them, only to say that it is so sad to see a woman who was very firey at times and so on the go to be in this state. The ultimate thing is that I really wish she was not rescusitated (?) 5 years ago, I think I could have handled that a lot better than what we are going through now. A hard and rotten thing to say? no, I personally don't think it is, but that's my opinion.
In the meantime Dougie, my heart goes out to you and I truely do feel how you must be feeling.
June
Dougie said
10:09 AM Jul 12, 2010
Thanks Gerty Dancer, Happywanderer & Pejay. Comforting words indeed & I know the problem is prevalent, & is only truly meaningful & hurtful for those who have been thru it all.
Yes Pejay, I've just had to make the decision not to give life support in future for her benefit, as there is no quality of life left & we all know the outcome, hence my decision to down tools, so to speak, & get on with living.
Homeless by Choice
Well Guys, I've lived in a camper-van for 2yrs whilst building a new house near Kingaroy in Qld & didn't have any problems with Council. It depends on where you are I think, as I know the Council at Tara Qld built a new toilet block in the overnite camping area & provided solar hot water & showers to cater for both tourists & locals who live on scrub blocks around the area & don't have electricity, water, or showers & make it a regular get together BBQ once a week at the camping area to utilise the new Council facilities. I spoke directly with an council employee & complimented him on the clean facility who proceeded to tell me the story.
I think you would be reasonably safe living in a camper-van or shed provided you are not within the town area, or on a main road where everyone can see you, as there are hundreds of people in the South Burnett and Tara areas who live in sheds & caravans on bush blocks.
I also noticed the same Council tolerance in an area south of Ravenshoe on the Atherton Tablelands, towards Innot Hot Springs where there is a large subdivision off the main highway (left) & out of sight where there is a large combination of shed dwellers, houses & other camping (living) arrangements.
After building my house, I found that I could not live in it as it was too big & required to much effort to maintain so I have put it on the market. You can see it at www.owner.com.au property No. 47410.
I have since purchased 700 acres of bushland near Chinchilla Qld & set up my base camp from which I travel. I am back living in my camper-van & shed & am happy as the proverbial pig in . & have just offered this property to other Grey Nomads for free camping, & you can get the details from this website under New Free Camp Site.
Some travellers want their homes to go back to, others don't, & the choice is yours. Just remember that we will all be living in Aged Care Homes at some time in the near future, so the question of home ownership is subjective & debatable at our age.
Sure can happywanderer lol u sound bit like me just need some time out from life as we have knowed it lol
But its not inevitable. My Mum died with the Big A (Alzheimers), in her 70's, at home. My Dad lived to 103 quite clear-minded, (although grumpy!) and stayed at home till the last week.
One thing that affects our generation is that theres rather more of us, and waiting times for aged care facilities are likely to be impossibly long.
So, I'm with Lily... best to look after our health as much as possible, body and mind. Travel is great, our brains stay active while we are learning new things.
And as Lily and Happywanderer suggested, "being there" for our friends/neighbors/fellow travellers is a great idea. May I join you?