'Nomadland'

STRETCH ARMSTRONG · Senior Member

'Nomadland'

Long Weekend · Guru

The youtube address didn't work for me.

However, Googling the 'Nomadland' movie brought up quite a bit of info. The movie is American about people forced into the nomad lifestyle after job loss, house loss and other circumstances. In other words, not as we understand the nomad lifestyle here in Australia when we do it for the love of travel and seeing the country.

Murray

-- Edited by Long Weekend on Monday 28th of December 2020 08:28:36 PM

Whenarewethere · Guru

It worked on my android.

STRETCH ARMSTRONG · Senior Member

Hey Murray, it is about alot more than the surface message. Anyone who follows Bob Wells u-tube channel will understand. Its a quiet rebellion about our societies values. The American dream. The Australian dream. About working our life away for a few years of freedom before death. For me anyway its not about travel. Its about freedom.

sherbert · Member

Thank you so much for that link STRETCH ARMSTRONG , I will definitely watch that movie / Kind Regards and Happy New Year wherever you park the rig .

Farmhat · Senior Member

I will watch it. It has won quite a few awards. The scenery is being touted as first class.

Yes, Bob Wells has got quite a following, sprouting around the 2008 GFC with the loss of housing and jobs in the USA by the millions.

Like you, to me it's about the freedom, but I also love the travel part as much as anything.

I remember last year, leaning over the viewing platform rail at Wallerman Falls in QLD, (Australia's longest waterfall drop) peering down at the canyon one thousand feet below, and feeling a bit queasy. Just don't seem to get that feeling when seeing it on youtube.

One of the many reasons I love travelling, and for me, when being able to travel, the freedom comes along with that.

A bit off topic sorry.

Regards, Joe.

STRETCH ARMSTRONG · Senior Member

Hey sherbert,

l'm looking forward to seeing it. There was a limited release for boxing day with main release in march from what l've discovered. Hope the new year is the best ever for you.

Hey farmhat, the reason l mentioned the film is in an attempt to discover other nomads thoughts on the sub culture in question. I agree there is nothing better than waking up every day in a beautiful location. Thanks for your input,

Andrew.

-- Edited by STRETCH ARMSTRONG on Monday 28th of December 2020 11:01:42 PM

Farmhat · Senior Member

No worries, STRETCH ARMSTRONG.

I think the term 'nomad' has many connotations.

For some, it's freedom, for others it's travel, or both, and lots of other things as well.

I feel that this film might depict, for many, IE the Bob Wells tribe, that nomadism, is perhaps an almost forced way of life that seems to be exponentially increasing, especially in the south western desert areas of the USA.

I think it is great that this plight/movement is bought out more into the open.

Thanks for putting up this post.

Joe.

-- Edited by Farmhat on Tuesday 29th of December 2020 12:34:15 AM

Tony LEE · Guru

The real Nomad land in America is not places with nice scenery, but the local Walmart parking lot where people sleep in their cars or wrecks of old motorhomes

STRETCH ARMSTRONG · Senior Member

Hey Tony LEE,

l hear you. Evedently Walmart has been cracking down on people staying the night due to the growing homeless problem. The only difference l see here is the people doing this are in true poverty. They possibly would not be living in a broken down vehicle or cardboard box if they had options.

The people in the movie have options, the means to earn a small income, a pension or part time seasonal jobs etc. They end up choosing to live a nomadic lifestyle that they can maintain on a low income.

I love the idea of the tribe and the caravan where people find community.

dogbox · Guru

Long Weekend wrote:

The youtube address didn't work for me.

However, Googling the 'Nomadland' movie brought up quite a bit of info. The movie is American about people forced into the nomad lifestyle after job loss, house loss and other circumstances. In other words, not as we understand the nomad lifestyle here in Australia when we do it for the love of travel and seeing the country.

Murray

-- Edited by Long Weekend on Monday 28th of December 2020 08:28:36 PM

maybe not as you understand it . i come across a lot of solos who could relate to the movie from what i saw of it .

watsea · Guru

In March this year, while heading home from WA through SA to QLD while borders were closing, we listened to ABC ra for news. On one radio session, a nomad had telephoned in to remark his concerns about where to Isolate for COVID.

I understand that he had been freecamping for nineteen years. Probably there are few who have been going longer.

Tony LEE · Guru

Watsea, talked to a couple here in Tasmania that said they had been given a very hard time by police for being out in the bush during the original lockdown. Fines issued, multiple visits etc, but apparently common-sense prevailed and the fines withdrawn. NSW was a bit the same until they realised that many grey nomads had nowhere else to go and relented and allowed caravan parks and some free camps to take "essential travellers"

Farmhat · Senior Member

Having now watched Nomadland, I am not sure of its Academy Award status that has been marketed.

I think that viewers that are not aware of the situation that the film's storeyline covers, may not get a full understanding of what is being depicted.

It is a slow tale, the acting is good, the scenery is dramatic and I got much more out of it upon the second viewing.

You will need to make up your own mind with this movie.

I am glad to have seen it.

Joe.

Tony Bev · Guru

I am glad that I watched it, so thanks for putting it up Andrew

Although it was American, I could see the similarities of some Australians

I think that the common denominator, was that they had adapted to the Nomad way of living, and appeared to be happy

When they could laugh at their first mistakes, especially their effluent spills, then they will be able to laugh at anything thrown at them

Below is a link to the full YouTube vid, of 1 hour and 22 minutes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzyWyH9r-To&list=PL7jrEekPerj8SOeQX5971rmt9Iu5bwLD4

Farmhat · Senior Member

Hi Tony Bev.

Thanks for putting up that link, but it is not the movie that this thread is about.

Nomadland stars Frances McDormand and is a proper feature film.

Regards, Joe.

-- Edited by Farmhat on Monday 4th of January 2021 01:47:43 PM

Tony Bev · Guru

Farmhat wrote:
Hi Tony Bev.
Thanks for putting up that link, but it is not the movie that this thread is about.
Nomadland stars Frances McDormand and is a proper feature film.
Regards, Joe.

-- Edited by Farmhat on Monday 4th of January 2021 01:47:43 PM

Thanks for that info, Joe

There must be two films with the same name

I have now, just found the one which stars Frances McDormand, but have to register for free, to watch it

My Anti-Virus sees the register link as a threat, so unfortunately I will not be watching it, unless someone puts up a working link

Farmhat · Senior Member

Hi again Tony Bev.

Don't want to sound like I am harping on, but the name of the movie on the link you supplied, is called RV Nomads, not Nomadland.

Nomadland started showing in theatres this week here in SA.

Regards, Joe.

-- Edited by Farmhat on Monday 4th of January 2021 05:15:35 PM

-- Edited by Farmhat on Monday 4th of January 2021 05:16:17 PM

Tony Bev · Guru

Farmhat wrote:
Hi again Tony Bev.
Don't want to sound like I am harping on, but the name of the movie on the link you supplied, is called RV Nomads, not Nomadland.
Nomadland started showing in theatres this week here in SA.
Regards, Joe.

Hi Joe

smile smile smile I am glad that I like bacon, as I seem to have plenty of egg on my face smile smile smile

Thanks for pointing out that I had looked up the wrong name of the film

Regards

Tony

Farmhat · Senior Member

Hi Tony Bev.

Sorry, I didn't mean to be throwing egg on your face, but while we are on that topic, I recently come across a new to me sauce.

A brand called Three Threes. Their tomato sauce, and BBQ rib sauce are outstanding. :)

Regards, Joe.

msg · Guru

I am really concerned by this.

No disrespect intended to those who are homeless. In the current climate they have little choice.

But, increasingly there have been reports from friends out there bravely carrying on with their nomad travelling, of ünprecedented rubbish left at rest stops, people faeces all over the place, thievery and just plain bad behaviour.

The knee jerk reaction of councils seems to be to (rightly) close the rest stop in the name COVID because its too costly to follow the requirements of cleaning facilities.

Hopefully, after we have contained the virus, things will change back to the way it was, or will the influx of young travellers who are rich (by my standards)and have high tech jobs they can do from their vans put the nomadic lifestyle out of the means of pensioners and low income groups.

Those that have put their life savings into a proper rig in order to enjoy travelling that they didn't have the time to do when they were younger. Will travelling Australia in a caravan become far too expensive?

Remember, there was a time when pensioners who wanted to travel with a caravan stayed at caravan parks and they could afford it? but today where the average cost of $40 is way out of pensioner reach.

So, the issue is two fold. One the homeless and two those high tech workers overwhelming the nomads. Can we do anything?

Gundog · Guru

msg wrote:

Will travelling Australia in a caravan become far too expensive?

Remember, there was a time when pensioners who wanted to travel with a caravan stayed at caravan parks and they could afford it? but today where the average cost of $40 is way out of pensioner reach.

I dont know where you choose to stay, but we stay in caravan parks a majority of our nights, the rest is at showground and other like places, our average nightly cost would be between 20 and 25 dollars per night, and we are pensioners who choose to live the good life 365 days a year.

Part of the secret is not staying at the glitzy chain caravan parks or tourist hot spots, if you look hard enough there are plenty of value for money CP's who even offer you a better deal for longer stays, we rarely stay less than 7 days at any destination and some times that could extend to 3 months or more if we like the place.

Why do we stay so long because whats the rush, we have the rest of our lives time is not important.

msg · Guru

Gundog, thats all very well. But those types of CP's on the coast with access to the beach are few & far between.

My mum and dad used to go to Tweed Heads every summer and stay in a caravan park when they were on the pension.

Yes, if you want to stay in parks that are old and not very attractive you can find them. They will also be near a main road with trucks going by all night or next to a train track. Or outback with the dirt and dust. Though the one at Quilpie was $32 a night two years ago. Wonder what it is now. They are cheap for a reason. The one in ST George was asking $40.

Farmhat · Senior Member

msg, yep some rest stops do make you cringe, that's for sure.

About the High tech workers overwhelming the nomads.

I don't really see it happening here, at least in the foreseeable future.

I see them all over Youtube (american?) but on my travels here in Aus, anywhere I pull up is pretty much full of,

dare I say it, - us older farts.

Of course school holidays skew that somewhat depending where you are, but then again, I don't think the school holiday crowd

are those hi-tech lot making a living online.

It appears that a majority of the online crowd are selling their travels with a cut from Youtube advertising and sales from various links etc.

What can we do you ask?

Hmm, all I can think of off hand, is if you don't view their channels they make nothing off of you.

If no one watched them, they make no money, and will eventually call it quits.

Just my thoughts,

Joe.

I hope I am right in thinking they will not overtake us nomad types.

dogbox · Guru

it has been my limited experience, the homeless nomads tend to stay in different places to the holiday nomads.
i have read on this forum and others , of the people who complain about people who overstay their allowed time at various locations and complain to councils to have them moved on. the grey nomads with their $100,000++ shiny rigs who stay in rest area because they can, then pay $40 ++ per nite to stay in a u-beaut caravan park for a week or two at destination, then home to park van up till next year or the other nomads that live in their older vans or campers usually with a blue plastic tarp somewhere ,who find it hard to pay the cost of a caravan park that is priced to keep them out .

so we have basically we have 3 types of nomads

1) those whose circumstances put them just above the homeless person who lives on the street

2) those who choose to live the nomadic life style an can afford it to do it in reasonable style

3) those who travel in holiday mode a couple of weeks or months a year enjoying life

so being a nomad (grey or otherwise) will mean different things to different people. some out of necessity ,some for the pure pleasure of it

travel well, travel safe

-- Edited by dogbox on Wednesday 6th of January 2021 11:12:55 AM

msg · Guru

I hope you are as well Farmhat.

I have been travelling for about 12yrs, travelling about 6 months from May to Oct every year. Not a full timer but.. @ $40 a night, thats double what they were commonly back when I started out. I know, we have had pension growth but not to that extent.

Even Parks & Wildlife are getting in in the act. Local spot near home is $15pn per person the only facilities are one Long drop loo and a very prettily marked out camp site. They used to be about $6 or heaven forbid free. Where am I going with this? Not only are prices going up but also free and donation camps are being closed. The only alternative left in the future may be the Caravan Parks that are even now out of our reach.

For those that like CP's and use them almost exclusively that's probably OK. For me, I like the bush and the remoteness, the clean air (dust excepted) the sights of native flora & Fauna (except spiders and snakes) The beautiful vistas from the top of a hill having a cuppa with no rush to be at a CP before nightfall. Yes, I am a free camper, not because I am mean but because I like the freedom of lifestyle. CP's do seem to have a lot of rules.

I am also aware that the tech travellers videos etc are largely American but don't we always follow America.

As well this makes sense to me. In fact I sent the video to my daughter and son in law. Just the exact right demographic. They both work from home most of the time. The response was "thats great, but not just yet". Maybe when they hit 50 (5yrs) or so and are starting to wonder what they are running round on the treadmill for.

I say to all Grey Nomads get out there and do it. It may be over before you can blink.

jeepnudger · Senior Member

Went to see this movie, what a disappointment, nothing like the write up. It says a lot about American society and how a large chunk of American population have not thought of retirement and the financial responsibility to survive. It also gives an insight into the countrys decline and not looking after their people. I came out feeling very depressed and also thinking the scenery was not enticing to must see. Dont go for an enjoyable outing