Camping and Caravaning around Australia

[Classic Brewing Co]

1 hour ago, iBooz2 said:

I used to have a Sandman back in my late teens.  It was purchased brand new early in 1976, a 5 litre V8 HX model in absinth yellow.  I actually ordered a HJ model, but they took so long to build it, ended being the HX.

Gee I wish I still had it now, be worth a mint.  Pic is a web snip.

Yeah I had on for a while, it was a hotel on wheels, with accommodation & a few necessities if you get my drift. 

[iBooz2]

44 minutes ago, Back Brewing said:

We stayed at Curtin just before the turn off at the back of the pub it was free for the dirt just pick a place and park up and have a couple of beers in the pub

When we travelled we spent about 75% in free camps and 25% caravan parks one night on the Nullarbor we veered off and parked on the cliffs above the ocean and parked behind a pile of gravel

It was fantastic a BBQ under the stars hearing the waves crashing on the cliffs below.

We did the same, an amazing place.  You can see our tug & van in the background of pic.  We also camped at a spot my HSSH calls the Blair Witch Camp.  About halfway across and there was several skeletons of cows or camels lying about, we missed the camping spot we had aimed for due to darkness so just had to park up where we could, and Blair Witch was it.

[Triple B Brewing]

4 hours ago, iBooz2 said:

I used to have a Sandman back in my late teens.  It was purchased brand new early in 1976, a 5 litre V8 HX model in absinth yellow.  I actually ordered a HJ model, but they took so long to build it, ended being the HX.

Gee I wish I still had it now, be worth a mint.  Pic is a web snip.

Arrrr yep, now that brings back memories - my first car was a 1973, white, HQ, 3 on the tree,  173 red motor with a 2 X 50MPH air con fitted (that’s right, it had all the entry level gadgets )

Arrrr them was the days - 17 and freedom in me “ol shagin’ wagon”.  - WOOFRIGINHOO

[iBooz2]

11 minutes ago, Triple B Brewing said:

Arrrr yep, now that brings back memories - my first car was a 1973, white, HQ, 3 on the tree,  173 red motor with a 2 X 50MPH air con fitted (that’s right, it had all the entry level gadgets )

Arrrr them was the days - 17 and freedom in me “ol shagin’ wagon”.  - WOOFRIGINHOO

Yep, I remember those days too, particularly the very hot ones up in the Mallee, in summers when it was better to drive with the 2 X 50 MPH air-con windows up rather than get air fried.  ha ha 

[iBooz2]

Talking about the Nullarbor.  About 18 years ago my son and his mate were doing a big lap of Australia.  They had promised themselves a big lap once they finished both their Uni degrees and apprenticeships.

So, they went to and were in Perth when we decided to drive across to spend a Christmas with them before they continued on heading further north up WA.

We had a couple of weeks there, but it was time to drive back over to the east and home.  When we got to Kalgoorlie, I bought some Chinese take-a-way meals and a couple of bottles of wine and put the lot in the Engel.  Plan was to camp out in the red dirt somewhere on the Nullarbor and have a meal re-heated up in one of the Trangia cookers we were carrying, a few wines and then roll out the swag and have a "very special cuddle" out under the stars in the middle of nowhere.

BUT.  I had promised my son that we would ring him every time we re-fuelled on the way home, so he knew we were ok.  Whilst I was doing that in an old pay phone booth at Caiguna roadhouse, the HSSH hands me a receipt.  I said what that for I have already paid for the fuel.  She said it is for a powered caravan site, tonight out the back of the roadhouse.  I said what do we need a powered caravan site for we only have a double swag FFS. 

So there went my romantic night in the bush.  Done and dusted by a paper receipt.  But we still slept in the red dirt albeit at the very back of a very busy, well-lit and noisy outback roadhouse and did not use 1 watt of the power she paid for.

Edited January 30 by iBooz2

[Triple B Brewing]

11 hours ago, iBooz2 said:

Yep, I remember those days too, particularly the very hot ones up in the Mallee, in summers when it was better to drive with the 2 X 50 MPH air-con windows up rather than get air fried.  ha ha 

Yep that’s what we called “being in evap mode” - “windows down for the count of 10 fellas”  

[Classic Brewing Co]

16 hours ago, iBooz2 said:

I am a big bush camper and hate caravan parks because it's like camping in some else's back yard.  Wiki Camps is your friend.

I know the spot at Curtin Springs you talk about.  My HSSH bought a bottle of port there labelled "F ing Good Port" and we had a pub lunch there.

We came around the back way from Alice Springs via Hermannsburg to Kings Canyon via the Mereenie loop track.  Weather report said they had 1 to 2 mm of rain but when we got out there it turned out to be 1 - 2 inches of rain.  We were the only ones to make it through.  Even the 4 x 4 ambulance from Hermannsburg that left in front of us to attend a roll-over "out there" decided to turn back.  They must have thought we were crazy continuing on with a 3.5 T van in tow, or sometimes the van was towing us.

When we got to Kings canyon, we parked up in the caravan park next to a workers donga and the guy come out, took one look at our tug and van and asked which track we came in on.  I told him the Mereenie Loop and it turns out he was a foreman and was in charge of all the roads out there and shut it down by hanging "closed" on the road signs.  Nearly everyone in the park come over to us to ask us if they might get through the next day.  When they found out the track was closed, they were a bit annoyed with us.

 

Similar has happened to me years ago in WA, it was dark & raining & I left Mt Magnet went through Cue & on to Meekatharra, the road was awful, I nearly got bogged a few times & the weather was getting worse by the minute, but I decided to push on to Wiluna which was my overnight stay.

It is about a 4-hour drive at the best of times with good road conditions, but it took me ages I as I got closer to Wiluna it was almost impossible to move because of all of the mud & water but when I finally arrived the publican said " how the hell did you get here, all of the roads are closed"; apparently the wind had blown the signs down so I hadn't seen them, I was lucky but I wouldn't want to do it again.

[Tricky Micky]

On 1/28/2024 at 3:50 PM, Classic Brewing Co said:

That's my wagon on the right.

Thank God for that Phil, I was gonna say you'd be in the  if you were traveling about in the middle car. 

[Classic Brewing Co]

Just now, Tricky Micky said:

Thank God for that Phil, I was gonna say you'd be in the  if you were traveling about in the middle car. 

Nah, that's Mad Max's. 

[Tricky Micky]

On 1/28/2024 at 3:50 PM, Classic Brewing Co said:

That's my wagon on the right.

Thank goodness for that Phil, I was gonna say  you'd be in the  if it was the middle car you were travelling about in. 

[Oldbloke]

Been camping all my life. We bought a 20' van about 6 years ago but due to illness in the family was hardly used for first 3 years.

Last year 3 1/2 months in S.A. Then another 3 weeks Northern Victoria just before Xmas.

I  just got back from 6 days camping Central Victoria with a mate.

Away again vaning in 2 weeks for a week.

Then driving to Gold Coast to see 95 yr old MIL.

About June, off again for 3-4 months vaning. Then,  if I get my act together and book flights, 2 months in NZ in a mobile home.

 

The down side, way too much factory beer, but he up side is what's in storage is getting betterer. 

[iBooz2]

On 2/1/2024 at 4:59 PM, Classic Brewing Co said:

Nah, that's Mad Max's. 

Not really.  Mad Max car looked nothing like it.  Every time I have been to Silverton they have had different "mock up" cars out the front.  They had a much better mock up of his ford pursuit car from the original MM movie inside the pub on one trip I was there.  Will see if I can dig out the pics and post em up.

[Back Brewing]

On 2/1/2024 at 9:45 PM, Oldbloke said:

Been camping all my life. We bought a 20' van about 6 years ago but due to illness in the family was hardly used for first 3 years.

Last year 3 1/2 months in S.A. Then another 3 weeks Northern Victoria just before Xmas.

I  just got back from 6 days camping Central Victoria with a mate.

Away again vaning in 2 weeks for a week.

Then driving to Gold Coast to see 95 yr old MIL.

About June, off again for 3-4 months vaning. Then,  if I get my act together and book flights, 2 months in NZ in a mobile home.

 

The down side, way too much factory beer, but he up side is what's in storage is getting betterer. 

We are on our 5th caravan but unfortunately I'm going to sell it due to not using it enough we loved doing long trips but I can't anymore and we get bored with a week here and there

[iBooz2]

On 2/1/2024 at 10:15 PM, Oldbloke said:

Very nice looking set-up there @Oldbloke.  I will have to keep and eye out for you on the road, be good to catch up. 

Where was that pic taken?  Murray flood plain area in the background - Arh, I can smell the clay dust and hear the whistling kites now.

If you need any good camping spots along the Murray, just yell as I know heaps of them.  Anywhere from Ned's Corner to Indi upper.  The Murray / Darling is my old stomping ground, its in my DNA.

[iBooz2]

4 minutes ago, Back Brewing said:

We are on our 5th caravan but unfortunately I'm going to sell it due to not using it enough we loved doing long trips but I can't anymore and we get bored with a week here and there

That's no good BB, sorry to hear that.  Maybe try taking a different track and staying just the 3 nights in smaller out of the way places rather than the bigger stops.  Plenty to see and do in a town you have not been to or stopped before.  Turn it into an adventure and not a holiday task. 

[Classic Brewing Co]

25 minutes ago, iBooz2 said:

Not really.  Mad Max car looked nothing like it.  Every time I have been to Silverton they have had different "mock up" cars out the front.  They had a much better mock up of his ford pursuit car from the original MM movie inside the pub on one trip I was there.  Will see if I can dig out the pics and post em up.

Mate I know that I have been there heaps of times & they are only novelty/tourist items.

I have seen some of the original gear as well.

[Oldbloke]

20 hours ago, iBooz2 said:

Very nice looking set-up there @Oldbloke.  I will have to keep and eye out for you on the road, be good to catch up. 

Where was that pic taken?  Murray flood plain area in the background - Arh, I can smell the clay dust and hear the whistling kites now.

If you need any good camping spots along the Murray, just yell as I know heaps of them.  Anywhere from Ned's Corner to Indi upper.  The Murray / Darling is my old stomping ground, its in my DNA.

Lake Ratzcastle. Central Vic. IIRC

[Oldbloke]

3 hours ago, Oldbloke said:

Lake Ratzcastle. Central Vic. IIRC

Sorry, Western Vic

[iBooz2]

1 hour ago, Oldbloke said:

Sorry, Western Vic

Yep, ya threw me for a while.  I know VIC pretty well and had never heard of that place in central VIC.  Had to google map it then checked it out on WikiCamps.  All good OB. 

[Oldbloke]

2 hours ago, iBooz2 said:

Yep, ya threw me for a while.  I know VIC pretty well and had never heard of that place in central VIC.  Had to google map it then checked it out on WikiCamps.  All good OB. 

It's a top spot. Lake only has water for a few months of the year.  Rough Loo & shower, plenty of space. Water & fuel in town. Quiet most of the time.