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Hallooo Mailbaggerrrs! Plenty to talk about over the last fortnight but Tassie and toilets were the issues that really got the blood pressures rising. The ongoing rumblings about the possible axing of cut-price or free council camping spots on the Apple Isle has not won the state’s powers-that-be many grey nomad admirers. “I have cancelled my proposed 2013 Tasmanian trip,” writes Brian. “I had planned for a 5-6 month trip but as I predominantly independent camp I have decided to cancel all future plans to Tasmania till the problem is sorted one way or the other.” Wow! I hope you are reading Tassie big shots …. if it ain’t broke don’t fix it!
Take that, Tassie! Ben is another who is not convinced by the government’s reassurances that $5 will be about the maximum charge for basic sites. “$5 this year, $10 next year, $15 … $20 after that the sky’s the limit,” he writes. “I don’t buy it.” And what about you, Daryl and Renata? “We and two of our regular travelling friends agree that if low-cost and free camping was to go from the Tasmanian scene we would not bother to go to the considerable expense of getting our rigs and ourselves over there,” they say. “The cost cannot be justified unless you were going over for a minimum 4-6 weeks, and if you had to stay in caravan parks, or council run basic camps that were priced similar, it would be far too expensive.” Ain’t that the truth, guys! “We could spend that six weeks travelling the mainland, and spending all that money that it costs to travel for six weeks at a time, in and on mainland petrol stations, restaurants, cafes, shopping centres, tourist attractions, pubs, caravan parks, mechanical repairs, markets, and the list goes on and on,” say Daryl and Renata. “The Tasmanian government should look at the overall picture, and consider all the businesses over there, not just the caravan park lobbyists.” Eeeek! Could the dire predictions of the Spirit of Tasmania becoming a ghost ship about to come true? No, it’s Annie to the rescue. “Am in Tassie right now, have been here since October and am only staying in caravan parks once or twice a week to shower/hair wash in comfort and catch up with chores,” she writes. “So far the free and low cost camps are still very much free and low cost, some have hot showers, toilets and even power.” “I understand how the caravan owners would find it a bit expensive to get over here,” she writes. “I have a motorhome on the small side but, once here, you can have a good time for next to nothing, unless you have Champagne tastes!” OK, Tassie is pretty awesone, isn’t it … and let’s face it the mainland has its issues too. And clean toilets could be one of them, especially in NSW national parks. Our story about budget cuts resulting in rangers beings asked to get the bucket and brush out sparked quite a reaction. Terry says the problem isn’t confined to the ‘Premier State’. Ben is equally unimpressed. “Dirty full dunnies … nothing new,” he writes Jimbo is more sympathetic and says travellers are generally happy to do the right thing. “At our last Grey Nomad gathering at Greens Lake two of us cleaned the toilets with our high-pressured hose,” he writes. “If the rangers make sure there is water, campers will clean.” Ben however sees things differently. “I'm so sorry that the rangers are being asked to take on this work … it will surely interfere with their cruising around in supplied 4WDs just to collect revenue from visitors who already pay huge taxes to cover national parks,” he writes. “Get rid of the fees and you no longer need half of the rangers!” Ouch! The permanent shutting off of what was once free power for campers at a campsite at Leyburn in Queensland also upset a few of you. Most were not surprised however, given the poor behaviour of other travellers. “We have spent a night there about three times and could only get the power once,” writes Kay. “At other times there were double adapters in use by other travellers!” Karol widens the debate and points to unhelpful behaviour by campers at various spots around the country She has seen people camping where there are no camping signs on display, leave broken chairs and tables laying around, and vans and motorhomes staying at places like Morven Rec grounds for a week with power, toilets and hot showers and only donate $5 for the week. “Unfortunately it doesn't seem like a few, it often seems like more than 50% doing the wrong thing,” she says. “Maybe they should close all the free camps and make everybody pay a nominal amount for any facility … even toilets and potable water costs a community and so many take it for granted.” Sigh! Okay, and to finish up the most angst-filled Mailbag of all time, we touch on the spate of prescribed burn that have got out of control in recent weeks. “The public are sick to death of these departments burning off when weather is unstable … they will not listen, they are a law unto themselves costing people their homes when they get out of control,” says an unhappy Denny. “They are the same in EVERY STATE … they have to be made accountable.”
“It's time for the wombats,” writes … um … Wombat. “There are thousands of us out there in the wild but not many have a ‘pooter, even more do not have power down their holes.” Huh! “I will contact as many as I can to ask them to send you an email,” writes the lumbering marsupial in a surely ill-fated attempt to achieve a 100% Wombat Mailbag. “Please do not wait up to late as I don't expect many to reply to my request … lol.” Hmmmm! Nothing yet. Maybe they will all flood in next week. So loooong Mighttty Maillbaggers! Keep those emails coming.
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“Being a pensioner with limited money the cost of the two trips across the gap and then the possibility of having to use caravan jails now puts Tasmania out of my budget range,” concludes Brian. “I will restrict my travels to SA ,Vic, and NSW and this also means that I restrict my volunteering time as well to these states.” 
“In travelling from Sydney to Perth over this last six months I would say a good percentage of camps / rest areas we have pulled up at could do with regular cleaning and upkeep,” he writes. “It seems to be spread across NSW, QLD, the NT and& WA so far … belt tightening, yes, but not penny pinching that leads to a quick deterioration of an asset.” 
Okay, we’ve heard from Bill and Ben, Denny and Karol, and even a Jimbo and a Kay, but our recent request to have an army of same-named individuals attempt to ‘hijack’ a Mailbag appears to have fallen on deaf ears … or has it? 
