Whilst we still enjoy being in other places (especially if its warmer than home) and we have seen some amazing scenery and want to see more. crowded campsites certainly slowed our enthusiasm for it. Glad we didnt sell our house to go on the road, now we are selling it for a sea-change. ie.. permanent holiday.
The posing of those feelings, I think, permeate each of our minds from time to time.
As a full-time traveller, now for almost four years, I mainly get those feellings during the "Grey Nomad" season (April/May to August/September), and I can't avoid being near main highways or main towns for some reason and the "nomad traffic" is at its peak.
Should those instance require me to make use of the 'rest areas' near these highways and/or main towns I find the 'camping experience' very unrewarding. I do understand, and accept, we are all different. However, to spend my night in a 'wayside-type' stop near main roads, even if that stop is close to a stunning beach etc, I find abhorrent and only tolerable due to circumstance.
The solution, for me anyway, is to head inland as soon as possible and find a small, friendly country town. If there is a creek, or lake or a natural feature to camp by then the joyful, fulfilling love of life returns. I do try to find camp spots that are actual "camp spots", rather than "rest areas" (CAW definition).
Even during the "season", the majority of "RVs" thankfully stay away from those minor inland roads and towns so I don't see too many RVs. The downside of that could be that I encounter quite a lot of 'truck traffic' but I just stop off the bitumen and let them have all the blacktop, and then resume my languid journey.
So, I guess, in answer to your question - yes, there are times when I wonder why I do it. However, when I get away from the humdrum of "seasonal travellers" in the "tourist areas" my lifestyle attitude is restored.
Cheers - John
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2006 Discovery 3 TDV6 SE Auto - 2008 23ft Golden Eagle Hunter Some people feel the rain - the others just get wet - Bob Dylan
Throughly agree with you on that. We have a few "hosts" around the country, who provide us a spot to park up for a while just to leave the maddening crowds behind. A couple of farmers, who love us to death because we help them out while we are there. An a couple of other 'hosts' who have large acreage blocks where we can park and plug in, again they love us for the company and help around the house. I think they save up 'The List of Oddjobs' until we arrive..
Thanks for the insightful feedback everyone. I have been using RV's on the road since about 1980, and before that "occupational" camping with the Army. Tend to agree about the inland parts or those areas off the beaten tourism track, much nicer.
I am not sure in my case whether I have had enough or just getting a bit jaded and maybe need a break from it all, time will tell.
Once that lovely spring weather kicks in it could be a different story.....
I can understand all the comments, especially Johns. There are times when I think maybe I will sell the van and go back to a car. Then I remember Greens Lake and how it affected me and know there has to be more experiences out there like that and I haven't got there yet. Before I bought Myrtle, my plan was to give it 2 years out on the road, that two years are nearly up and I haven't even started yet.
---SNIPPED--- Before I bought Myrtle, my plan was to give it 2 years out on the road, that two years are nearly up and I haven't even started yet.
Gday...
I know the feeling totally Marj. After four years there are still huge holes of "undiscovered territory" in my maps and I began with no idea of no end date.
cheers - John
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2006 Discovery 3 TDV6 SE Auto - 2008 23ft Golden Eagle Hunter Some people feel the rain - the others just get wet - Bob Dylan
I have had my Winnie for seven years and only just starting the nomadic lifestyle. Hopefully it will be a few years before I have had enough. There is so much of this beautiful country I have yet to see and explore.
It's still personal choice. Part time travel or full time travel. My van is my home, and where I park is where I live - my base. That's why I prefer caravan parks. I lived in my own van onsite in Broome for 9 years. Then I hit the road in '06, moving to places I wanted to see or see again. Now with my work I still get to travel, free camp or park camp, AND get paid. I think I have the best of both worlds, and I'm still free to hitch up the van and move on if I want to. There is less urge to move the van since doing the pilot work. I haven't felt the need to have real estate or furniture for many years. I rented wherever I lived, and treasured the house and developed the garden to my satisfaction, with pride, for me and my children. I think I'm a genetic gypsy though. Probably the result of being relocated many times during my early life. The caravan gives me the "luxury" of having my own house and furniture and parking it where I want to live. Only the address changes. There will come a time when I can't get up or down the van steps. I will have to review my lifestyle when that happens. I wouldn't expect my kids to look after me, and I wouldn't ask them. It will mean public pensioner housing. When that happens I'll still find some way of travelling if I'm able.
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20ft Roma caravan - Mercedes Benz Sprinter - SA-based at the moment. Transport has no borders.
Management makes the decisions, but is not affected by the decisions it makes.
While I couldn't get my chauffeur back into a house (he says a house is just somewhere to store all the things you don't need) we do sometimes feel like a change so that is when we do a house sit for a few weeks (as we are doing now in Goombungee for 6 weeks) & then sometimes we go off on a cruise (become ocean nomads). But we do still like life 'on the road'
