Good on you Fire Fly, you'll be travelling in luxury now!

Great pics FF........looks a big van to me...maybe its just the duel wheels.....

Happy travels

Nice rig Firefly. I'll bet you have many hours, days and weeks of camping with that set up.

Biggles, you see the bush as I see it. The eyes of the night cast a caring eye over me by the campfire.
I did some camping on the way north last week, sleeping in my camp bed between the truck and my Rosy. No campfires though.
The bush is in really good condition at the moment. The foliage is lush, of all colours of greens, greys, golds and purples of autumn, with the flush of golden wattle up north.

I'd be interested in your reports on the roads around Lawn Hill. Do you intend to go on to Kingfisher Camp?

Firefly wrote:

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Thanks GS, we intend to try mate.

Starting in July we hope.

When are you off again?

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 we are taking a 4 day jaunt around SE Qld. in about 3 weeks, free camping all the way, just to try the van out and then in August off to Tara for the camel races then Emmaville fossicking, Hill End gold prospecting and on to the coast at North Haven and Red Rock for the beginning of summer, back home late Nov early Dec. ready for Christmas with the family

Firefly wrote:

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I'm not sure what he has in mind right now Jim, he is still researching mate. Have you been there and if so is it worth a look?

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 Went there on a 4WD tag-along to Western Gulf/Arnhem Land in 2000 so I'm a bit out of date with any info.  We went from Lawn Hill to Kingfisher Camp via Bowthorne Station on some back tracks, wasn't towing anything at the time, just tenting.  It may be necessary to detour via Doomagee if towing a van, not sure, would be interested to find out.  Worth a look if you're heading for NT after L.H.

More info at http://www.kingfisherresort.com.au/

I probably won't get back up that way until next year as I have a few issues at home to clear before setting out this year so I'm doing my usual escape to FNQ this year. Would be doing the trip in convoy with friends who have a Jayco Sterling ("Outback") similar size to your new rig, hence my interest.

I did several guided tag-alongs in the early 2000s and that's how I came to "Grey Nomadding"

cheers,

Jim

The tag-alongs I did were 4WD ones, Gulf, Arnhem Land, Kimberley, Simpson Desert, Gunbarrel, Tamami, Plenty, Cape York, Flinders Ranges. A couple were tent jobs, others were camper-trailer (box trailer type). I'd be reluctant to take the Goldstream on most of them let alone a full size van. The first few were with John and Jan Tait and a couple of others with Great Divide Tours. John and Jan retired from the business several years ago and subsequently did the book "Explore Australia by Caravan" Great Divide are still in business.

They're not cheap but can be an excellent way to get to places one might not otherwise visit, especially for a solo like me. I have made some good friends with some that I have met on the tours and the friends I referred to in my earlier post I met in 2004 on the Cape York trip.  We have travelled together regularly since then.

Most of the operators do training and short trips as well and I doubt there would be a living in long trip tag-alongs alone.  I think there is also a lot of red tape involved as well as insurance issues as they are classed as professional tour operators.  As well as a good knowledge of the treks they take you on they have to have good bush mechanic skills and first aid qualifications.

If interested in hosting you could make approaches to some of the operators already in the business.

Firefly wrote:

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We did the Tanami in '08 and took the Hawke across there but it was very rough I have to say. Was beautiful though mate, really enjoyed it.

We camped all along the Gibb last year and left our van in Darwin because we thought it may be too rough. Went all the way to the Mitchell Plateau and the only van up there was a Bushtracker. That was hard work driving there, never again.

If I had thought I would like doing this camping thing ten years ago Jim, I may have done as you suggested but my ambitions far outweigh my capabilities now mate.

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 I laughed when I read your post, you always make me laugh FF.

I like the rough runs & have been into a few remote places in my day.  I remember going along this track, rough as hell, rougher even & when I got to the end of the track there was this couple in a 70 cruiser with a bushtracker in tow.  I remember thinking to myself, HOW DID THEY DO THAT?

Ever since that time Ive wanted one of those suckas......and ive already got the 70 series

Thats a good idea FF, I will let 9 of you help me buy one, then since it was my idea to get it I will take it for the first run, lets say, 10 years, then will hand it over to you .

 

Actually, I would like to get one of those garbage trucks converted into a motorhome, they are big overseas & really look the business, although I imagine their height might be a problem for a few trees when trying to sqeeze down those offroad tracks.  

-- Edited by jack biggles on Friday 13th of May 2011 11:33:13 AM

jack biggles wrote:

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Actually, I would like to get one of those garbage trucks converted into a motorhome, they are big overseas & really look the business, although I imagine their height might be a problem for a few trees when trying to sqeeze down those offroad tracks.  

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The Garbage truck sounds like a great idea,  just imagine how much stuff you could fit inside one of those...    especially if you left the compactor in it....

Quick to empty too......

Here is a youtuber link.  I hope it works.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnmCZ00mfdE

 

-- Edited by jack biggles on Friday 13th of May 2011 08:31:01 PM

Yeah not bad for a garbage truck. I think they are fairly expensive those sort of things, so while I save up the coin I might just push on with my cruiser & kmart tent

-- Edited by jack biggles on Saturday 14th of May 2011 12:59:02 AM