My wife and I have just completed a trip from Cooma, up the coast through Brisbane to Bundanerg and then west through Longreach to Tennant Creek and then South to Alice, Port Augusta and then home. A really good trip (it was a long time since we have been out that way).
We had good weather for most of the trip. We even had tailwinds for most of the time as well - how about that! We missed the bad weather by days - either got there a day or two after the event, or left a day before another event. We missed the massive storms in Alice - we were at Yulara and it was a lovely sunny day, not hot, but pleasantly warm
What amazed us was the sheer number of caravans heading North on the Stuart Highway. Not one or two, not even tens or twenty, but HUNDREDS of them. At virtually any time of the day, but especially in the morning and late afternoon. The line-up to refuel at servos was at times up to 10 vans waiting. And the size of the vans - they are bigger than many on-site cabins. It made out "little" Jayco Poptop look like a dinky toy. Of course, all those vanners heading North meant that we had to check in to a van park early or miss out. On top of all that, we happened to arrive in Alice Springs just in time for the Finke Desert Race. It was an interesting week, although we went the other way whilst the race and its preparations were on. Even so, there were lots of tourists out in the regular spots whilst we were visiting them. Alice was certainly busy.
I hope the tourist venues do well from the GN's - they deserve a break, although the fees they charge for a caravan site are geting to be very high, but I guess it is a case of supply and demand. Places like Yulara are way over the top. So many people and no hot water at times. And $49 per night for this privelige.... Everything out there was expensive, but then again you could always go to the opposition.... Certainly the demand is there. Hopefully a few more "plain" places will open up rather than up-market themselves (jumping pillows, water slides etc). I don't know fo too many GN's who use those facilities.
We're flying up to Darwin in early September, hiring a 4x4 & spending 3 weeks around the Top End/Kakadu. Why do so much monotonous driving from Melbourne when we can fly? We'd never consider driving up there with our caravan. Each to their own though.
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Cheers Keith
Our land abounds in Nature's gifts, of beauty rich & rare. We'll be out there enjoying it somewhere, camped by ourselves much of the time.
I have heard people saying 'Oh, nothing to see there'!! As far as I am concerned there is something exciting to see everywhere, even when I leave my front door!!
Flying to Darwin? Give me the beaten highway any day. I have met so many outback characters that can tell some real tales!!
It is ALWAYS the journey and not the destination that matters
Besides - my previous career required me to fly regularly around Straya and overseas. Now that I have embarked on my newest 'career' (retired full-time traveller), to fly and stay in motels/hotels is just like being back at w**k (sorry can't say that four-letter word )
Who wants to be back there
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
Rocky you better take a cleaning rag and your own red there hasn't been anyone in the naughty room for quite a while
Woody
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When the power of Love becomes greater than the love of power the World will see peace ! 24ft Trailblazer 5th wheeler n 05 Patrol ute and Black Series Dominator camper trailer ( for the rough stuff)
We like to vary our retirement travels flying to Alice Springs, Cairns, Lord Howe Island & Norfolk Island (3 times) as well as ferry to Tasmania doing 15 nights in cabins. These types of trips make a nice change from dragging a ''box on wheels'' around listening to other campers telling you their life story. That's real boredom!
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Cheers Keith
Our land abounds in Nature's gifts, of beauty rich & rare. We'll be out there enjoying it somewhere, camped by ourselves much of the time.
We like to vary our retirement travels flying to Alice Springs, Cairns, Lord Howe Island & Norfolk Island (3 times) as well as ferry to Tasmania doing 15 nights in cabins. These types of trips make a nice change from dragging a ''box on wheels'' around listening to other campers telling you their life story. That's real boredom!
Good on you Desert Dweller but we're all different.
Interesting replies... Due to medical reasons (both my wife and I), we haven't been able to get out very much in recent years, and this was the first attempt at a "real" trip. As it turned out, we did more than the Alice trip.
Before Alice, I had to go to Melbourne for a surgical procedure, and then 2 weeks later had to go back for a checkup. We had planned to go to Alice and beyond immediately after that, but our Granddaughter summonsed us to go to Brisbane for Grandparent's day 2 weeks after Melbourne. What to do for that 2 weeks? Drive to Brisbane in reverse? I jokingly suggested Tasmania and my wife jumped at the idea. We had been there numerous times before, and this time simply visited friends and went to places which we had been before. Weather had been attrocious before we got there, the crossing on the Spirit was dreadful, but everything turned out nearly perfect for us . We didn't take the caravan, and used Motels this time. We came home for 2 days and then set off in our caravan, so we got the best of both worlds.
Frankly, I prefer dragging my little Dinky caravan with me. We managed to sneak into a few caravan parks simply because of the size of our van. We would phone ahead, and they would ask "How big is your van?" Our reply - "16 ft". They would reply "No problems - we cannot fit any more big vans in right now". It seems that the new bigger vans are creating problems for a lot of caravan parks because the sites were not meant for such juggernauts. And believe me, at least 80% of the vans on the way North were BIG. I guess they were bush camping instead of caravan parks. I wish that we could do that too, but we are sort of stuck with our Dinky toy for quite a while.
Again a personal thing .. I am SO surprised how many GM and younger for that matter traveling around the top end . Up the west coast, Broom to Darwin I guess 80% of people on the road are GM . Camping grounds etc up here must be doing well . What ever way you it .. Life's too short get out there . Motorhome, Van, camper or fly, it didn't matter . Enjoy life !!
Don't worry. we said the same thing 30 yrs ago. and 20. Caravaners of all sizes. Mainly a lot smaller. and lots of falcons. Holdens and Cortina's with tents and 6x4's.
Not too many Valiants unless you had a big van or boats. They were too thirsty.
PS Back on my first bike trip round. there were a LOT of us doing it, Mainly big Dirt bikes. Suzi Dakar 600 myself. Take Annual leave. 3 or 4 of you get on bikes and blast round the block kipping under a tarp. with barra rods slung like a rifle, with a 12g or .22 on other side for meat and blackfella's. Let off a shell at night. they left your camp alone.
Maybe not "politically Correct" nowadays, specially with these do modern day gooders, but the truth in those days, '70's and '80's. I carried a Remington 870, short. Didn't even have licences. just recp't for weapon to prove you didn't steal it.
Also did Adel to T'ville a few times on the bikes for barra and Spanno's. 37/8hrs from Adel to Townsville regularly. Up to three ways. chuck a righty and stop at end of road. No speed limits most of that trip then. Was great. and sometimes hairy dodging roo's Emu's and bulls at night. Bigger sprocket, my bike cruised at 140 and topped out at around 165/170 on the flat.
Did it regular till '94. then when in Adel a tin can got me at the lights. 2 1\2 weeks in Intensive care/hospital then near 6 yrs to get over it. Nowadays it's manageable with patches and lots pills. Mostly.
Don't regret a second of it. Any bike rider, specially cruisers will say the same. Racing is just an Adrenalin rush. Loved it.
Idiots in tin cans are expected. The second you sit in the saddle.
Ahhh Nostalgia. Only thing I don't miss is the bouncing when you came off racing in the dirt.
-- Edited by macka17 on Wednesday 29th of June 2016 01:03:44 PM
Ahaha yes slidding, thinking I hope the bike is ok ..Ahh !! That's part of learning people don't do these days.. In the concrete jungles .. Keep in mind fuel prices back then wasn't an issue to prevent us from traveling . It was mainly road conditions . Solar elect and most modern appliances didn't exist .. Going to local beach was a big deal back then . Depending where you live ?
We like to vary our retirement travels flying to Alice Springs, Cairns, Lord Howe Island & Norfolk Island (3 times) as well as ferry to Tasmania doing 15 nights in cabins. These types of trips make a nice change from dragging a ''box on wheels'' around listening to other campers telling you their life story. That's real boredom!
Good on you Desert Dweller but we're all different.
EXACTLY! It'd be pretty boring if we all thought the same.
-- Edited by Desert Dweller on Wednesday 29th of June 2016 07:58:35 PM
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Cheers Keith
Our land abounds in Nature's gifts, of beauty rich & rare. We'll be out there enjoying it somewhere, camped by ourselves much of the time.
Well desert dweller has a good point. Yes we are all different. Different also in that some of us are indeed friendly but we shy away from long winded conversations.
We travel long distances to a location and can't wait till we settle and have some tucker and while you are busy lowering legs and erecting the solar panel along comes Mr avachat. He can't wait 15 minutes can he. ?
But that's a price we've paid for tugging an amusing homebuilt van. Like driving a GT falcon..."awe...I remember them...what's it go like"?. " err well its fast"...
Yes I've noticed the guys congregating talking about gvm and towball weights. I'm over it. Its done to the death.
Now where's the beach?
Tony
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Be nice... if I wanted my school teacher here I would have invited him...
Yes it's a fine line between being friendly and arrogant . It's often not the other person to a point . It's the things you have on your own mind at the time . But let's not get too single minded, set in our ways. As we get older . Being grumpy old phart . Remember when we where teenagers . 50- 60 year olds where grumpy old barstards . Lol
Don't worry. we said the same thing 30 yrs ago. and 20. Caravaners of all sizes. Mainly a lot smaller. and lots of falcons. Holdens and Cortina's with tents and 6x4's.
Not too many Valiants unless you had a big van or boats. They were too thirsty.
PS Back on my first bike trip round. there were a LOT of us doing it, Mainly big Dirt bikes. Suzi Dakar 600 myself. Take Annual leave. 3 or 4 of you get on bikes and blast round the block kipping under a tarp. with barra rods slung like a rifle, with a 12g or .22 on other side for meat and blackfella's. Let off a shell at night. they left your camp alone.
Maybe not "politically Correct" nowadays, specially with these do modern day gooders, but the truth in those days, '70's and '80's. I carried a Remington 870, short. Didn't even have licences. just recp't for weapon to prove you didn't steal it.
Also did Adel to T'ville a few times on the bikes for barra and Spanno's. 37/8hrs from Adel to Townsville regularly. Up to three ways. chuck a righty and stop at end of road. No speed limits most of that trip then. Was great. and sometimes hairy dodging roo's Emu's and bulls at night. Bigger sprocket, my bike cruised at 140 and topped out at around 165/170 on the flat.
Did it regular till '94. then when in Adel a tin can got me at the lights. 2 1\2 weeks in Intensive care/hospital then near 6 yrs to get over it. Nowadays it's manageable with patches and lots pills. Mostly.
Don't regret a second of it. Any bike rider, specially cruisers will say the same. Racing is just an Adrenalin rush. Loved it.
Idiots in tin cans are expected. The second you sit in the saddle.
Ahhh Nostalgia. Only thing I don't miss is the bouncing when you came off racing in the dirt.
-- Edited by macka17 on Wednesday 29th of June 2016 01:03:44 PM
You would be the biggest bigot I have ever read on here!
'letting of guns at night so the BLACKFELLAS don't come near - THEY OWN THIS COUNTRY!! EVER SINGLE BIT OF DIRT IN IT!!
MACKA - TAKE YOUR GUNS, CONCRETE. POLITICAL VIEWS AND PISS OFF BACK TO 'MOTHER COUNTRY'.
I'm with you Redhead Helen 
)
