The Nomad … news, views, comment, opinion

September 3 (cont'd from front page)

unimaginable. Nearby Quondong Point is another gem of a camp and no doubt other communities like Beagle Bay and Cape Leveque and indeed the whole Kimberley region will be severely and permanently affected by this decision.
I am no politician and I am no economist and I know that jobs will be created by the plant but, as someone who has spent a lot of time in that part of the world and who genuinely loves its unique character and unique beauty, I instinctively know that this is a massive mistake that future generations will most certainly despise us if we allow it to happen. And the terrible thing is there are viable alternatives.
The WA Premier, Mr Barnett, says he has not taken the decision lightly. I should jolly well hope not!
However, some of his comments would seem to suggest that he isn’t as well informed as he should be.
He said the James Price Point site was "literally a pinprick" in the Kimberley, comprising only 2500ha on land that wasn't spectacular coastline! And he said the project would be developed to ensure as little environmental impact as possible.
Good luck with that, Colin!
“I have a responsibility to ensure that major investment projects, such as liquefied natural gas are not lost to this state,” he said. “Not only the investment but literally the hundreds if not thousands of jobs that they create for decades to come.”
However, local Aboriginal groups, environmental groups and a string of high-profile celebrities are preparing for battle.
Award-winning musician John Butler described the decision as “shocking” and said it would reverberate around the world.
"Some things are worth more than money," he said. "This is our land and our culture, this is one of the most pristine places in the world."
Hear, hear! John.
Environs Kimberley director Martin Pritchard said Mr Barnett, in his "rush to riches", has ignored community concerns about damage to the environment and to the local tourism-based economy.
"Compulsory acquisition of the land shows how desperate the premier is to industrialise this part of the Kimberley coast, regardless of the cost to traditional owners and the environment," he said.
He called on Woodside and its joint venture partners to abandon the James Price Point site and pipe Browse Basin gas south to the Pilbara. Australian Conservation Foundation spokesman Paul Marshall agreed. "This could be the thin end of the wedge for further industrialisation of the Kimberley, including bauxite and uranium mining," he said.
WWF spokesman Paul Gamblin said the government should be exploring other reasonable options such as piping gas to the Pilbara or processing gas offshore using floating platform technology.
And Greens Member for Mining and Pastoral Robin Chapple MLC accused the Premier of riding roughshod over the concerns of conservationists, local tourism operators and the Broome Shire Council.
“Having witnessed the destruction of the heritage values on the Burrup Peninsula as a result of the North West Shelf and Pluto gas developments, I am firmly of the opinion that James Price Point is a wholly inappropriate location on which to build the Browse gas hub, not to mention the industrial precinct that will inevitably follow,” he said.
Oh … but the Broome Chamber of Commerce says it will be a boost for local business and ensure the town's long-term prosperity. Well, I guess that’s all right then.
Shameful!
The compulsory acquisition could take up to 18 months and requires the Government to conduct formal negotiations with the Kimberley Land Council.
If you are concerned by this move I urge you to do what you can to prevent it from coming to fruition. Visiting the following sites would be a good start: Save the Kimberley and
Ten Reasons why Development should not go ahead
And, if you have not travelled in this part of the country yet, then I implore you to do so now … while you still can and while it is still paradise!
Any thoughts one way or another on the WA Government’s plans? We really want some feedback on this one. Email us here.

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September 2

Wheel of Misfortune
Here’s one to make us all think. A pair of grey nomads on their way home to Victoria after three months in Bowen in Queensland, were lucky to escape serious injury after the wheels snapped off their caravan.
David and Vivianne New were travelling on the Bruce Highway on their way to Howard this week when the wheels and axle snapped about eight kilometres north of Marmor.
“It was pretty hairy,” the shaken driver told the Gladstone Obsrever. “It was bucking around back there like a bucking bronco.”
The couple was travelling at 85kmh when they heard a loud bang and saw lots of smoke. Three cars following pulled over to help. One driver told David the caravan leapt into the air and bounced around dramatically.
Marmor police attended the scene and a truck towed the caravan back to Gladstone.
It certainly seems like there’s been a spate of caravan/motorhome/grey nomad accidents over recent weeks in all corners of the country. Let’s all make sure we take care on the roads, do our regular maintenance and safety checks and get to where we’re heading safely.
Have you ever had an axle break while out on the highways, byways and tracks of Ausralia? Email us here to share your adventure.

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September 1

Appreciated at Last
Surprise, surprise! Research has proved what we already knew … grey nomads provide a massive economic boost to regional areas. New figures suggest that we are spending an average of $386 a week per vehicle on things such as food, petrol and accommodation.
Rosemary Leonard, from the University of Western Sydney, said travelling retirees had become an essential source of revenue for Outback towns.
"If Outback towns can attract the travelling retirees and persuade them to stay in the region for an extended period, the grey dollar would be extremely beneficial for the local industries and the economy," she told the Brisbane Courier-Mail. "They often go 'round the block' and they tend to travel slowly and, if some run out of money, they just sit on the same spot until the pension comes through. They then have enough money for petrol and food for the next leg."
I hope all those caravan park owners and local authorities who begrudge grey nomads the odd free camp are reading!
Researchers from the university, Volunteering Australia and the University of Technology Sydney surveyed 314 grey nomads about their interests, goals and motivations.
And it seems our benefit to the community as a whole rather than just our financial input are also being recognised. Certainly, grey nomads who use their skills and experience as volunteer workers to boost the social life of regional communities are being acknowledged.
Researchers helped six towns in Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia to build volunteer programs and monitored them for three years.
Professor Leonard said the programs were successful, not only because projects were completed but because grey nomads engaged with locals.
At Barcaldine in western Queensland, 33 grey nomads took part in 23 volunteer projects this winter. Projects ranged from painting the jump rails for the local pony club to helping out in school canteens and repairing furniture and facilities for hospitals, schools, churches and museums.
Douglas Stewart, the Barcaldine Regional Council grey nomad co-ordinator, said the program had been instrumental in attracting travellers.
"Every year a small group of grey nomads meet and stay on the Alice River in Barcaldine," Mr Stewart said. "The group consists of a number of couples who travel from as far afield as Tasmania."
Barcaldine Regional Council has produced a handbook to advise other communities on attracting grey nomads to their townships.

August 31

Feathers Fly
Birdwatchers on the trail the Princess Parrot have been prevented from travelling into the desert west of Alice Springs to see a freak explosion of what is one of Australia's rarest, most enigmatic and most elegant birds.
The Central Land Council, which represents Aboriginal groups, has refused to issue travel permits to dozens of birdwatchers who travelled to Alice Springs after the birds were discovered near Mount Winter in the eastern Gibson Desert late last month.
The Melbourne Age reports that about eight other groups of birdwatchers, known as 'twitchers’, are believed to have gone to the area without permits and face possible convictions and fines of up to $1000 for illegally entering Aboriginal land. After a bumper season in central Australia, the population of the parrots exploded in what birdwatchers say is a once-in-a-lifetime event.
Birdwatching is a favourite pastime for many grey nomads and the discovery by Tasmanian couple Ian and Pat May of the parrots in an isolated area several hundred kilometres west of Alice Springs had excited the entire birdwatching community.
The nomadic parrots, expected to disappear as mysteriously as they arrived, were commonly seen around Alice Springs 50 years ago but their numbers have declined dramatically, possibly as a result of collection for the pet trade and the increased numbers of fires.
The long, slender birds with mostly green plumage, pink throat, bluish crown and bright green shoulders are classified as vulnerable because they are at risk of extinction in the wild.
The Central Land Council, pointing to the fragility of the area's environment, warned that ''visitors blindly walking around sacred sites and possibly accidentally damaging them can cause great offence and hurt to traditional owners''.
The council said it was open to discussing a ''manageable process'' for birdwatchers to enter the area but no talks had taken place.
A reminder then that, no matter how exciting the attraction, we must still all respect and honour the regulations and processes that have been put in place for visiting certain locations.
Have you seen the Princess Parrot? Email us here to tell us when and where.

August 30

Trail Bike Bogged
The Outback is too unpredictable an adventure to take on unprepared or under-equipped as the three trail bike riders who have been stranded in far south-west Queensland for three days can testify.
The two men and a woman set out recently from Nappa Merrie near the South Australia-Queensland border for Arrabury, around 100 kilometres away to the north. However, just 35 kilometres along the four-wheel drive track, they got bogged and spent the next two nights sleeping rough in cold and wet conditions before a search plane spotted them.
A helicopter has now dropped supplies – a few loaves of bread, cans of food and a pallet of water – and they will ride to the nearest town as soon as the weather improves. The incident has prompted police to remind adventurous motorists like grey nomads to take basic precautions when travelling to remote areas.
Senior Constable Neil McShane from Birdsville Police says the Outback is not to be taken lightly.
"It can be very dangerous - it can fatal," he said. "It's not like someone is going to come along every half-hour - sometimes you can be on roads that no-one has travelled on for months.”
The message is the same.
"It's really important that people have communication and also that someone knows where they are travelling in remote areas,” said Senior Constable McShane. “So, if something like this does happen, police can go looking for them and find them."
Certainly, with all of the wet weather many areas have had this year, the warnings should be taken all the more seriously. If you are among the many attempting to make their way to the Birdsville Races this week, drop us a line here to let us know what conditions are like.

August 26

Not Off the Hook
Well, you can’t say you weren’t warned! Last week, the Nomad said the fisheries department were stepping up their bag limit patrols and that they had grey nomads in their sights.
Hopefully, most of you have been doing the right thing … but there are certainly some who haven’t!
The Townsville Bulletin reports that a couple of grey nomads were nabbed on Monday allegedly leaving the Burdekin with more than their fair share of whiting fillets on board.
Acting Townsville District Officer Karl Roebuck said Boating and Fisheries Patrol officers intercepted the southern-bound vehicle and caravan on the Bruce Highway south of Home Hill with 126 whiting over the legal bag limit.
"As there were two occupants in the vehicle, it means they were 66 over the 30 per person limit," he said.
Mr Roebuck said this was the second incident of over the bag limit catches involving caravans in the Burdekin.
In June, Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol officers executed a search warrant on a recreational fisher's caravan and found 328 whiting in his possession.
In both instances, the fish had already been filleted and were seized as evidence by officers.
"There haven't been many instances in the Burdekin, with most choosing to do the right thing, but these were two glaring circumstances, demonstrating a blatant disregard for our regulations," Mr Roebuck said. "It's a warning that vessels, vehicles and caravans can be checked on the road … fishing rules and regulations are enforced to ensure we preserve the species and fishing continues to be a popular pastime for generations to come."
Summer, golden lined and northern whiting have a combined bag limit of 30 and a minimum size limit of 23cm.
The maximum penalty for exceeding the bag limit is $100,000.
Mr Roebuck said FINS (Fishing Infringement Notices) were normally handed out between $200 and $500, depending on the severity of the offence.
He said information on Monday's alleged illegal haul had been handed to police and the matter would be dealt with in court.
Hmmm! It certainly can make for a very expensive ‘free’ meal, can’t it?
Burdekin regular fishers and visitors have been warned patrols of the area will continue.
Last year, Queensland officers carried out 43,687 fisheries inspections, which resulted in a total of 1094 fines or prosecutions for illegal fishing, while 670 people were also cautioned.
Information on fishing regulations is available via DEEDI's website, deedi.qld.gov.au or phone 13 25 23.

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August 25

A Lucky Escape
It is every caravan-towing grey nomad’s worst nightmare. One minute you are cruising down the highway enjoying the sights and sounds of a new adventure, the next your vehicle is out of control and your very existence is in the lap of the gods.
The nightmare came true for Vince and Carol Foley late last week, and they can count themselves very lucky to be still here to recount the story.
The Victorian couple, aged 67 and 62, had been travelling along the Capricorn Highway about 20 kilometres west of Blackwater, headed for Duaringa when the car behind them, also towing a caravan, attempted to overtake.
Vince told the Rockhampton Morning Bulletin that he was surprised at the attempt as they were on a 100kmh stretch of road with double lines and there was an approaching vehicle towing a caravan.
“Then he must have seen the caravan coming the other way and he pushed us off the road,” Vince told the paper. “It's just like a film in your head of the accident. The bang, the roll, the noise and then the quiet. It just goes over and over and over. You just can't shut it out.”
The accident left a trail of debris, destroying the other caravan and causing major damage to Vince and Carol’s car and caravan.
Vince also suffered a nasty gash to the head in the crash, and is recovering in Rockhampton.
 “I think the car's a write-off but we don't know,” said Vince, who has been around Australia three times. “I don't know how I'm going to feel about getting behind the wheel and towing a caravan now.”
The couple face an agonising wait as their insurance company assesses their claim.
“It's our home, the caravan is our home,” Carol said. “We've got no family here and the hospital said you've got to leave and we had nowhere to go.”
The couple is eager to get back to their family.
“Our whole world has just been shattered,” Carol said. “I want to go back to my family, I want to go back to my daughter where I know I can get some help.”

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August 24

Nomads Rained In
Ongoing rain in the Outback is certainly adding to grey nomads’ sense of adventure this year as they head off into Australia’s famously ‘dry’ interior.
About 80 hardy travellers are currently stranded at William Creek, in South Australia's north-east, after downpours at the weekend cut all roads in the area.
Among those stuck at the town's only hotel are many who travelled to William Creek for Saturday's bronco branding competition.
But Mim Ward, from the William Creek Hotel, said there were also other tourists and grey nomads caught out when several centimetres of rain fell over a short period.
As you might expect, most were taking the delay in their stride.
"Some of them are sitting in the bar, having a beer," Ms Ward said. "We've had someone knitting all day, people playing cards, people just all just having a chat with each other, different groups talking to each other.”
William Creek has received more than four times its average annual rainfall this year, and the weekend’s rains quickly flooded roads that had already been softened by earlier rain.
"It's one of those things, I think people appreciate where they are and that there is nothing they can do about it anyway," Ms Ward said. "They also accept that the road closures are for their own safety and they like the fact that the country is getting a good drenching … people are pretty content to just sit and wait it out and it's an experience for them.”
Ms Ward said she would do a stocktake to ensure adequate supplies of water and food were on hand.
If necessary more could be flown on in.
Roads closed by the rain included those linking William Creek to Oodnadatta and Marla to the north, Coober Pedy to the west and Marree to the south-east.
Some roads should reopen shortly if no more rain falls.
The heavy rain followed floods in Queensland earlier this year which helped fill Lake Eyre and other usually dry lakes in South Australia's north, bringing more tourists to the area.

August 23

Our Helping Hands
Grey nomads are well known for their generosity and a new initiative launched in Queensland will help them to make even more of a difference as they travel.
Would-be tourism volunteers searching for opportunities to lend a helping hand in the Sunshine State will find it much easier to do so, thanks to a new website.
Tourism Minister Peter Lawlor and Community Services Minister Karen Struthers were very excited to launch the new Tourism Volunteering portal.
"Queensland's tourism industry relies heavily on volunteers to support events, festivals, visitor centres and tourism organisations throughout the state," Mr Lawlor said. "This web portal provides a central point for new and experienced volunteers to find out about upcoming opportunities in the tourism industry … it also highlights opportunities for people who want to combine their holiday experience with volunteering.”
He said that currently volunteers were needed for such events like the Bridge to Brisbane, Brisbane Festival and the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers.
Community Services Minister Karen Struthers said organisations seeking volunteers could register and promote their volunteering opportunities and events on the site.
"Volunteers enrich our communities and help individuals and organisations on a daily basis through their energy, skills and life experience," she said. "Volunteering helps to build strong, healthy and inclusive communities and this portal will save volunteers valuable time in their search for upcoming events."
To find out what tourism volunteering opportunities are available, visit www.tourismvolunteering.com.au
To find out more about volunteering visit www.volunteeringqld.org.au

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August 20

We are not the First
As we travel this amazing country in our often luxurious rigs with guidebooks and roads to follow, it is easy to forget those who blazed the trail through this dry and unforgiving continent for us.
It is 150 years ago to the day that explorers Robert O'Hara Burke and William John Wills and their team began their ill-fated journey into inland Australia. Farewelled by some 15,000 well-wishers, the two men led an expedition to cross Australia south to north in an effort to find new pasture land and water for Melbourne which had grown rich during the gold rush.
Their journey came to a tragic end after the pair reached the Gulf Of Carpentaria but died of starvation as they trekked back to Melbourne towards the end of June 1861. Five other members of their 19-strong party also perished
It is still one of the most ambitious expeditions ever mounted in Australian history and although beset by poor organisation, infighting and questionable preparation, the expedition's basic goal was a success. Nonetheless, the duo are probably best remembered as ‘heroic failures’. While they were successful in exploring the interior of Australia, the demise of Burke and Wills also underlined its sense of threat for Europeans.
They would certainly be amazed to see the volume of grey nomads who now follow in their footsteps, lured into the Outback by its mystique and the thirst for adventure that they shared. What they would make of our solar panels, detailed maps, water tanks and rest areas is anyone’s guess.
The achievements of Burke and Wills, who both died as single men and left no children, will be remembered at a number of ceremonies across the country.

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August 19

Broome or Bust
Hmmm! It seems that that one of the most iconic grey nomad hotspots of all … Broome in WA … is falling a little short of its big-spending tourist targets this year.
Certainly that is the case in the hotel bookings department as the numbers of room-seeking visitors nosedives. It is interesting to note that while accommodation bookings for July in Broome are down a staggering 44 per cent, the stats from the local visitors centre show visitor numbers and tour bookings are actually up on last year.
Could it be that the town’s bid to attract more upmarket  (but what could be more upmarket than a grey nomad) has floundered … at least for this year? Certainly, there were rumblings a while back that the powers-that-be in the ridiculously beautiful old pearling town were a little over-eager to reject their humble origins to chase the big-spending, fly-in tourists. The backpackers and grey nomads who put the place on the map in the first place - so the argument went in some circles – were being pushed aside.
Well, if that was the case, the worm has certainly turned now.
Visitor Centre manager Natasha Maher says it most definitely appears to be the big-spending tourists have dropped away ... and guess who is still propping  the local economy?
"I'm sensing from a bit of anecdotal evidence and from seeing who's coming in that we're getting a lot more caravanners and backpackers in than before and perhaps they're not spending money on accommodation," she said.  "Also, our traditional resort market is perhaps going to Bali."
Paul Comino owns a laundry company that services almost every hotel and resort in Broome.
He says his turnover and many of his customers have dropped as much as 25 per cent this year.
"Everyone is very worried. A few of them are talking about what they can do to get people to come back to town and if they feel it, we definitely feel it as well," he told the ABC. "Tour operators, boat charters, fishing charters - people do want something done. I guess someone has just got to put their hand up and get the ball rolling."
The figures echo Tourism WA's quarterly snapshot, which found the total number of visitors to the region dropped eight per cent in the first three months of the year.
Thoughts anyone? Email us here.

August 18

Fish Flooding In
I hope all you outback anglers are resisting the urge to stock up the freezer in one fell swoop because the authorities are reportedly cracking down big time on overfishing.
Their message – as floodwaters return native fish to remote waterways –  is “No matter where you are, we will be watching!”
South Australian Fisheries Minister Michael O'Brien said for the first time in 20 years large numbers of fish had returned to Lake Eyre and the Cooper Creek as floodwaters streamed down from Queensland.
The rare event has prompted authorities in South Australia, NSW, Queensland and Victoria to pool resources to patrol the area.
"The floodwaters are bringing with them fish like Lake Eyre golden perch, Cooper Creek catfish, grunters and yabbies," Mr O'Brien said. "It's quite a rare and unique ecosystem in this area of Australia … that's why it's so important we protect the local fish stocks from those looking to exploit the rules."
Mr O'Brien said the partnership with other states meant all areas of the Lake Eyre basin were being patrolled.
The Innamincka-based senior ranger with South Australia's Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Darren Wilson, had also been given fisheries officer authority, ensuring there was a permanent presence in the region.
"People need to realise that, just because it's an isolated area, it doesn't mean we don't travel up there," Mr O'Brien said.
You have been warned!
Drop us a line here to tell us how the fishing has been for you this year in the Outback! We promise not to reveal your secret spots.

August 16

Cost to Coast
Another winter, and another coastal caravan park has parked itself into the hands of a builder.
Media reports say an as yet undisclosed developer paid $6.21 million at auction for the Flinders Caravan Park on the Mornington Peninsula, about 90 minutes by car from town.
The two-hectare site was sold with a lease to the existing occupiers until next June.
After that, options for the new owner could include a subdivision and sell-down of land, through to rebuilding the site as a much higher density project, with a shopping centre, offices and apartments.
In recent years, developers have snapped up coastal caravan parks at Barwon Heads, Torquay, Portsea, Rhyll and Cowes – with view to exploiting their central locations with major apartment-based redevelopments.
According to real estate experts, this trend is expected to become more prevalent as rising land taxes, and recently amended Victorian State Government legislation affecting annual fees, makes it unviable for some caravan park operators to continue providing budget accommodation.
Blimey! If this trend gets any more prevalent, there soon won’t be a caravan park left within cooee of the coast!
Prior to Flinders, the largest caravan park site sale occurred last August, in Inverloch, when a developer paid a speculated $6 million for the waterfront Moller’s Caravan Park.
Thoughts anyone? Email us here.

August 12

And It's On
The date of the iconic Birdsville Races moves ever closer … and organisers are desperately hoping that persisting floodwaters don’t deter grey nomads from making the event.
For the first time in 20 years, Cooper Creek has cut the Birdsville Track and travellers are relying on ferries to cross the floodwaters.
Birdsville in Outback Queensland grows from its population of 100 to more than 6,000 people during the race weekend.
Race club spokeswoman Lisa Pearson says roads from the east are open, but floodwaters to the south are persisting.
"It may impact on the people coming up from South Australia, but certainly a lot of those from Victoria still have the option of coming up and most of them generally do anyway through Broken Hill and Innamincka," she told the ABC. "We are hoping that it won't have too much impact, but anything that creates uncertainty can always make people a bit cautious."
However, Ms Pearson says visitors have already started arriving in the outback town, more than three weeks ahead of the renowned bush race meeting.
"I think it is one of those things on everyone's 'must do' list and we also do have a number of people who come back every year; we have people who are doing their 10th, 12th and 15th Birdsville races," she said. "It is looking marvellous up there because of the rain that we had earlier in the year, and on and off since then - it's just looking so green … the desert is looking absolutely amazing."
The Birdsville Races take place on September 3-4.
Are you making the trip this year? Email us here to share memories of, and thoughts about, the Birdsville Races.

August 11

Paradise Lost?
Okay, the Nomad is certainly not a forum for pollies to spruik their views – particularly during an election campaign – but I do think some issues raised by a Queensland MP about Fraser Island are worthy of debate.
The Liberal National Party’s Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability, Glen Elmes, has attempted to shatter Fraser Island’s traditoinal image as an idyllic paradise where the dingoes run free … and he says the island’s problems are papered over.
“Fraser Island is an island under great stress where erosion is widespread, the water supply is becoming increasingly more polluted, the land behind camping areas has been turned into an above-ground septic system,” he said. “Residents and tourists are held like prisoners behind fences and electrified cattle grids and Australia’s native dog, the dingo, is routinely shot, poisoned, hazed, run over by 4WDs and starved to death.”
Powerful stuff … but is that the way you see it?
Mr Elmes says tours of the Island have beens carefully stage-managed and show visitors and image makers only what the government wants them to see.
“I have been to Fraser Island on a number of occasions … I have seen the exposed human waste behind the beach camping grounds, I have seen the erosion along the Island’s so-called roads and at Indian Head,” he said. “I have stood beside the fences and electric grids that make prisoners of locals and tourists and deprive the dingo of its food sources, and  I have photographed starving - not thin – dingoes.”
He says he has read the autopsy reports acquired from the government which give the causes of death as ‘shot’, ‘poisoned’, ‘lethal injection’, ‘run over by 4WD’ and ‘starved’.  
“Queensland and Australia has much to lose by ignoring the issues facing Fraser Island because it is unique and it is special and the dingo on Fraser Island is the last pure strain of Australia’s native dog in the country - it must be protected and saved,” Mr Elmes said. “There is no ‘natural selection’ for Fraser Island’s dingo; there is only the planned destruction of the species.”
Wow! This politicin is seriously upset. Indeed, Mr Elmes says he has been so concerned about the fragile state of the island that he has been in communication with the Director-General of UNESCO in Paris about his fears.
Are things really that grim on Fraser Island? Do you feel like ‘prisoners’ when you are camping there? Is the ‘human waste’ issue really that in your face? Do you share Mr Elmes’ concerns about the way the dingo population is being treated? Would you recommend your fellow grey nomads put Fraser in their Big Lap itinerary? Email us here to share your views and let’s get to the truth here.

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August 10

A Bolt from the Blue
Well, it’s official … the Northern Territory dry season climate isn’t as predictably perfect as it once was.
Darwin even copped for some virtually-unheard-of-at–this-time-of-the-year lightning and rain last week. But it’s not just the unseasonable wet stuff. The weather bureau has officially confirmed that last month was the hottest July on record in the Northern Territory capital.
The average maximum temperature for last month was 32.6C. That is two degrees above the average maximum for July of 30.5C.
Over the nights of July 25 to 27 the mercury soared above 25C. It hit a top of 26.6C on the night of July 26, making it the sweatiest July night since weather recording in Darwin began in 1941. Darwin also got a bit of rain, with 0.2mm recorded over July at the airport.
Other parts of the NT experienced a wet July, with Alice receiving 100.6 mm, the highest rainfall in 24 years, while Nhulunbuy had 31.6 mm, the most since 1993.
Tennant Creek received 37 mm, the first time it has rained in July for four years.
While Katherine was dry, the town has not received rain in July since 1968 when it had 37.9 mm.
So, how was the NT for you this dry season? Was the climate a disappointment? Do you think it was just a one-off or is this the end of the dry season as we know it? Will you be spending next July in Tassie instead? Email us here to share your thoughts.

August 9

Many Like it Hot
It’s hot, hot, hot in more ways than one.  There has reportedly been a surge in the number of grey nomads exploring the Pilbara, particularly Marble Bar, this year.
Of course, the town is famous for setting a world record for the most consecutive days of maximum temperatures of 37.8 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Farenhiet)  or more. The mercury nudged that mark for an incredible  period of 160 days from 31 October 1923 to 7 April 1924.
But  the warmth can’t claim sole credit for the tourist boom that has seen more than 700 tourists visit the town in July, compared to just 380 at the same time last year.
The local tourist bureau has attributed the rise in figures to the temporary closure of the Iron Clad Hotel, the only pub in town.
Tourist officer Sue Owen says there has been great interest from tourists about Marble Bar's only pub.
"Marble Bar was on the radio all the time and so I started asking every tourist, 'why have you come to Marble Bar?'” she told the ABC, “They said, 'oh, we've come to see the pub with no beer' and we made the second page of the London Times with this too, so it's worldwide that we made it."
The Ironclad hotel was built in the 1890s out of corrugated iron and was given the name by American miners who were reminded of the ironclad ships from the United States. The hotel was listed on the Western Australian register of heritage places in 2006.
Have you been to Marble Bar recently? Was the town hopping with grey nomads? What’s the story with the Ironclad Hotel? Is it worth a visit? Email us here to share.

August 6

A Turn for the Worse
Gosh! These crazy stories of people placing blind faith in their GPS systems in the Outback just keep on coming. Apparently, a family of four has just spent three nights stranded in their ute after ignoring warning signs and following their GPS navigation system on to a closed dirt road in the NSW far north-west.
Police said the family, which included two teenage boys, were travelling with their dog across Australia, between Brisbane and Perth.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, they followed their GPS navigation system on to the popular and picturesque Darling River Road but ignored numerous signs indicating the road was closed due to heavy rainfall.
The ute and trailer eventually became bogged down about forty kilometres north-east of the town of Wilcannia. The family called police but were forced to wait for three nights before emergency services could reach them.
Police said rescuers braved "extremely difficult and treacherous" road conditions to rescue the family and their dog.
The Darling River Road is a 700-kilometre route along mostly dirt roads that traces the Darling River through the NSW outback between the towns of Bourke and Wentworth. It is a popular trail among travellers, including adventurous grey nomads, but is known to become dangerous in wet conditions.
An information website maintained by the Central Darling Shire and updated the day before the family became bogged down shows the road between Tilpa and Wilcannia is closed.
The shire council also operates a 24-hour road condition telephone hotline.
Most tourism information websites warn that "4WDs are recommended because rain can transform the road surface into a mudbath in a matter of hours".
Police warned travellers to abide by road closures, take extra care on the road during periods of bad weather and use common sense when using in-car navigation devices.
In other words, use your commonsense!

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August 5

Another Croc Caught
News that another saltwater croc has been captured near Wangi Falls in Litchfield National Park in the Northern Territory will no doubt give a funny feeling to all of you who have enjoyed a dip in the area.
It’s a reminder that crocodiles are there, can travel big distances, and certainly don’t always do what the parks service expect them to do.
The ABC reported that a two-metre salty was removed from a trap one kilometre downstream from the falls, which have now been temporarily closed to swimmers. It is the third crocodile removed from Wangi Creek this year.
Rangers will survey the area for more crocodiles over the next three days before deciding whether to reopen the falls to swimming.
And over in Western Australia, a saltwater crocodile has been spotted in Lake Argyle near Kununurra. The three-metre crocodile was seen by a specialist observer in a helicopter close to the point where the Ord River meets the lake. It is the first one seen there for several years. The Department of Conservation and Environment says it will take some time to remove the animal due to the remoteness and size of Lake Argyle.
So, are you happy to take a dip in popular swimming spots such as those in Litchfield? Or do you take the view that it’s water, it’s the Northern Territory … why wouldn’t there be crocs in there? Drop us an email here to let us know your swimming-in-croc-country policy?

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August 4

Fishing for Campsites
The large numbers of grey nomads that have been visiting a remote East Arnhem Land fishing spot has persuaded the Parks and Wildlife Service to build an official camp ground there.
Tomato Island near Ngukurr on the Roper River has become an increasingly hot spot for travellers looking for some good fishing.
Parks and Wildlife says large numbers of grey nomads have been staying there even though there is no formal campground or facilities in the area.
The ABC reports that this has caused some concern about the amount of human waste and rubbish being dumped in the area. Parks and Wildlife chief executive Graham Phelps says he has not heard those concerns firsthand, but he says they are now looking to set up a proper campground.
"This campsite has developed unofficially because of the presence of the boat ramp," he said. "We'd like to develop a formal campground at the site."
He says the development will include toilets.
Good news for all of you adventurous fishers. Have you been to Tomato Island? Is it getting busier than it used to be? Email us here to share.  

August 2

And the winner is ...
…..The exceptional shot entitled Lake Hart has taken out the inaugural grey nomads photographic competition.  The atmospheric image which our judge, Travel Today editor Steve Jones, described as “stunning” and “endlessly fascinating” was the clear winner despite strong public support for all six finalists.
“I think the voting public has chosen wisely,” said Steve. “Lake Hart really has got the lot … it’s beautifully framed, technically perfect and it just tells a story. For a website devoted to the joys of exploring Australia  there could be no more fitting winner.
For all its obvious attributes, Lake Hart still had to hold off strong support for our runner-up, the cheeky, quirky ‘Frog in a Downpipe’ which was a surprise late addition to our final six.
“I don’t know what to say about  ‘Frog in a Downpipe’ except to say it has certainly got something,” says Steve. “I think the fact it was taken by someone who simply put a camera down a pipe to see what would come out just adds to its irreverent appeal  ... I think grey nomad voters enjoyed the maverick spirit.”
While, as previously mentioned all six of our finalists received strong support, a special mention must go to 'Walking on Water' which missed out on the runners-up spot by just two votes.  It was not until the stroke of midnight when the voting lines closed that the result could be declared with any confidence.
Thanks again to everybody who took part in the competition. It was a lot of fun and plans are already afoot to get the ball rolling with another photographic shoot out. Watch this space.
A set of Caraview Towing Mirrors will soon be posted to our winner and  a copy of the Grey Nomad’s Guidebook to our runner-up. Congratulations to both of you.
We invited the photographers of the final six photos to tell us a bit more about their photo such as where it was taken, what they were trying to capture when the took the shot and anything else they thought was interesting about the process.
Click here to see what they said.

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July 30

Brake for a Brake
A scary recent incident in which a coach driver allegedly fell asleep at the wheel during a Northern Territory day tour has brought into sharp focus the need for long-distance motorists to take proper rest breaks.
While the spotlight is currently falling on the pros and cons of regulating the driving hours of professionals, grey nomads taking on long journeys in large rigs should certainly also take note.
The APT bus driver allegedly fell asleep briefly twice while returning to Darwin after a one-day tour to Kakadu. Company management are investigating the complaint, but say so far it appears the driver was adjusting his seat, causing the large bus to veer into the oncoming lane. While passengers were obviously alarmed by the incident, there was no collision and no one was hurt. The NT and WA do not have regulated driving hours - instead relying on a voluntary code of practice.
Transport Workers Union NT secretary Alex Gallacher said it was a difficult situation, but that regulated hours wouldn't work in the Territory.
"It just simply isn't practicable ... where would you overnight people?'' he asked. “You could quite conceivably work 14 hours and have to camp on the side of the road. There are no facilities to take regulated breaks.''
And, he said, the NT had an extremely safe coach travel record.
However, a former Northern Territory tour bus driver says lack of regulation in driving hours for heavy vehicles is dangerous and it's only a matter of time before it results in "multiple fatalities".
The man - who did not want to be identified – told the Northern Territory News that he quit several years ago after management pressured him to increase his 18-hour days from three to either six or nine days in a row.
"About five or six drivers quit because of the fear of actually falling asleep behind the wheel,'' he claimed.
He said his working days through the summer months in Alice - with earlier sunrises and later sunsets - were particularly taxing. A normal day would allegedly involve rising at 3.30am, working throughout the day with a couple of hours break, and finishing no earlier than 9pm.
Both the NT and WA say they have a unique situation thanks to long distances and lack of facilities, and say the current flexible approach allows drivers to choose when they need rest.
Any views anyone? Obviously we all support sensible actions to make driving our roads safer but do you understand why the NT and WA don’t regulate driving hours? Have you ever been tempted to drive longer than you should have while in remote areas? Should more rest facilities be available in these areas? Email your views here.

July 29

Scene Too Green
The unexpected and highly unusual Outback rain has brought a few bonuses for adventurous grey nomads this year ... the chance to view fantastic wildflowers and amazing birdlife, as well as use the Cooper Creek ferry across the Birdsville Track and to witness the Lake Eyre Regatta are just a few that spring to mind ... but not everyone is happy with the wet weather.
Apparently, heavy rain has left the Outback New South Wales town of Broken Hill looking a little too lush for the producers of the new film Mad Max 4: Fury Road, and filming has had to be delayed.
So, if you had planned to do a little star spotting on your Big Lap you may have to be patient ... and anyway Mel Gibson isn’t in this one!
The Mundi Mundi Plains were surveyed for the film last year but vegetation has since sprung up and the Sydney Morning Herald reports that locals have heard rumours of the production moving to Burra in South Australia or Emu Plains in western Sydney.
About 200 crew members are in Broken Hill for the pre-production phase but filming has now been postponed until early next year.
However, the mayor of Broken Hill, Wincen Cuy, is adamant that filming of the post-apocalyptic film will not leave the otherwise notoriously dry far-western New South Wales city.
''Weather-wise it's stunning, it's been very wet and there is a lot of growth around which is not something we're renowned for,” Councillor Cuy said. “It's pretty abnormal and we hadn't planned on it but we're led to believe [the filming] won't go anywhere else.''
The Broken Hill region received 110 millimetres of rain in February - well above the 24 millimetre average for the month - and 96 millimetres in just one day in March.
Hugh Gough, of the Caledonian Bed and Breakfast in Broken Hill said the landscape around the notoriously dry town had changed significantly in recent weeks.
"The desert is a desert no more," he said.  "It's quite green, there's a lot of growth and we've got some lovely wildflowers coming up ... it is lovely for the people who live here, but it is a bit difficult for the people who are filming Fury Road.”
When filming does eventually start, an estimated 500 crew members are expected to descend on the town, which has a population of 18,800.
Mad Max 4, which stars British actor Tom Hardy in the lead role, is due to be released in 2012.

July 28

Van Numbers Boom
New figures have proved what most of already knew … the caravan and motorhome industry is going gangbusters, global financial crisis or no global financial crisis.
According to stats released by the Recreational Vehicle Manufacturers Association of Australia (RVMAA) manufacturing numbers for new caravans, camper trailers and motor homes swelled by 18.4 per cent over the 2009/10 financial year.
Incredibly, it seems a new caravan is built every nine minutes in Australia. Thank goodness we’re such a big country!
According to Caravan, RV & Accommodation Industry of Australia (CRVA) chief executive Ben Yates, 91 per cent of the caravan and holiday park industry’s market comes from domestic travellers, many of them grey nomads.
He said it was the products, the service and the experience that is the draw card for an Australian caravanning holiday.
"It's the friendships and camaraderie, the activities and facilities on offer,” Mr Yates said. “When petrol prices spiked a year ago, people simply stayed in holiday parks longer … people changed their travel patterns not their plans to travel."
The bottom line is that the caravan and holiday park industry has been consistently strong and outperformed other forms of tourist accommodation.
"It's practically recession proof,"Mr Yates said. "We're seeing more and more Australians looking at buying a recreational vehicle as an affordable investment for travel now and in the future."
It sounds like the secret is out! The grey nomad lifestyle is alive and well. At least finding a friend or two to help you while away a couple of pleasant hours under the awning is not likely to be a problem.

July 27

Another Photo Finish
It’s been a day of incredibly high drama in the hugely popular grey nomads photographic competition.
In the 24 hours that followed the unveiling of the top six, voting has been heavy and the race for glory looks set to be an incredibly tight one.
And the good news kept coming with the announce-ment by Travel Today editor and our esteemed Judge, Steve Jones, that he was so impressed by the standard of the entries that he will give each of the six final photos a run in his Reed International-owned online newspaper. Travel Today is read by some 16,000 travel industry professionals and so this is quite an honour for our finalists. We will provide a link to the newspaper containing the first of our finalists in tomorrow’s Nomad.
However, there has been bad news for the competition as well, with the unexpected withdrawal of one of the entries. Sadly, the shot entitled 'Haggerstone Island' is no longer eligible. The original submitter of the photo has emailed in to apologise for not having fully read the conditions of entry and to say she did not take the photo herself.
We appreciate this lady’s honesty and hope she will be an enthusiastic participant in future competitions. Certainly, some of the other pics she submitted - which she did take herself - would have been worthy finalists too.
But the show must go on. Following a frantic phone call to our ever genial judge, Steve Jones, a replacement finalist has been drafted into the line-up.
“I am obviously disappointed that ‘Haggerstone Island’ has been withdrawn but am really pleased that I can give ‘Frog in a Down Pipe’ a shot at the big time,” said Steve. “It is a quirky, opportunist photo which I am sure left an impression on everyone who saw it … it’s the sort of image you remember.”
So, ‘Frog in a Down Pipe’ is the latest and the final finalist. In the interests of fairness, anyone who has previously voted and who would like to change their vote can do so. Remember though, only one vote from each email address is allowed so only your last vote will count.
The race is looking pretty close so remember every vote could make a difference.
I hope that is all clear. Please contact us here if there are any queries or uncertainties you would like us to clear up.
The final six can be viewed here.
And comments about the make-up and attributes of the finalist can be made here.
Thanks again to out judge Steve who has really performed above and beyond the call of duty.

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July 26

Judgment Day
The judge has spoken. The verdict is in. After weeks of agonising deliberation the man with the most unenviable task in Grey Nomads website history has revealed his findings.
Steve Jones, editor of the travel professional’s bible, Travel Today, and judge of our water-themed photo competition has announced his top six entries. Sifting through more than 200 superb shots entered on our forum pages was no easy task and our thanks go to Steve for the diligent way he went about his task.
“I have got to be honest and say I had no idea what I was letting myself in for when I agreed to do the job,” he said. “The standard was of such a high quality that I really found it a bit of a nightmare culling it back to just six.”
But cull it back to six he has. And now, grey nomads, it is up to you to decide on the winner. For the next week we will be inviting you to email your vote in for your favourite picture of Steve’s chosen six. Only one vote will be accepted from each email address and voting closes at midnight AEST on Sunday, August 1.
Once again, a big thank you to all of you who submitted entries to the competition and if your pic didn’t make the final cut don’t despair, plans are already afoot for another great photographic competition.
And the judge?
“Well, I have enjoyed the experience,” said Steve. “But I won’t be back … it’s just too hard. I think I’m going to have nightmares for weeks about the photos that I had to leave out … 'Frog in a Down Pipe' by Chatterboxcloe1, 'Wet Pidie' by Roscoe, Barrie's 'Sunset at Rosslyn Bay,' and Just Cruisin's 'Reflections Mt Bogon,' they all came very, very close.”
Indeed, Steve reckoned it was such a tough job he may have to take extreme measures when he goes travelling in Australia again.
“Next time I go camping in the bush I think I’m going to be wearing dark glasses and have grown a beard,” he laughs. “I can just imagine hordes of angry photo enthusiasts haranguing me around the campfire about why I didn’t choose this pic or that pic!”
Don’t worry Steve, We understand just how tough it was and I am sure we all appreciate your dedication and your honesty.
So, as they say in showbusiness, the voting lines are now open. Click here to see Steve’s chosen six, to learn more about why he selected them ... and to cast your vote.

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July 23

Beauty and the Beast
We’ve all seen and sometimes admired the creative flair shown by some permanent residents of caravan parks or those who own stationary holiday home vans. Generally, the clever touches to mask the often unattractive appearances of older vans is applauded by all concerned. You know the sort of thing ... flower pots, small potted shrubs, perhaps a flag or a creative name sign along the ‘Dunroamin’ lines. Or even a garden gnome or two or a little bench. It all tends to soften the appearance of a park and shows that owners take a real pride in the place.
However, times they could be a changin’, at least they could be in council-run parks in the Wyong Shire area in New South Wales. The council there has ordered owners to tear out beautification work from around holiday homes and vans in all the shire’s caravan parks. Not surprisingly, non-permanent residents of the parks are outraged by the demands that they remove all plants and shrubbery.
Harold Wruck, of Sydney, who has owned a mobile home at Canton Beach Holiday Park for four years, said the council had taken a “very tough stance”.
“The council is asking people who have planted gardens and trees and shrubs and looked after them for years to remove them under threat of eviction,” Mr Wruck told the Express Advocate Gosford. “To make people completely destroy these displays at a time when both state and federal governments are exhorting us to go green seems ridiculous.”
Mr Wruck said he could understand the council taking steps against those holidaymakers whose homes had unattractive exteriors.
“But,” he said. “Many of us have worked hard on the appearance not just of our own homes but of the park as a whole,”
Mr Wruck’s daughter Suzie Winn, who is a frequent visitor to the holiday home, said other residents were upset by the move.
“Not only the holiday home owners are upset,” Ms Winn told the local paper. “Owners of permanent homes are worried they might be next.”
The directive applies to non-permanent residents at all four holiday parks in the shire.
These are at Budgewoi, Canton Beach, Norah Head and Toowoon Bay.
So, grey nomads, what do you think? Is the Wyong council being a Scrooge-like meanie or is it doing the right thing to ensure parks don’t become untidy and scrappy? Is it up to the council to ensure that over-enthusiastic van owners - whose tastes may be different to the majority of people - don’t get carried away, or should people feel free to ‘beautify’ their site as they feel fit. Email us here to share your views ... and if you’ve got any pics of sites that have been beautified either spectacularly well or spectacularly badly ....we would love to see them.

* Stop press. Our hard-working judge, Travel Today Editor Steve Jones, is in the process of weeding out the final few ‘almost-but-not-quite’ photos as he pares down the hundreds of entries to our water-themed photographic competition to just six. Steve apologises for the length of time the judging process has taken but he has been overwhelmed by the quantity and quality of the entries. We thank Steve for taking his duties so seriously. The final six will be revealed in Monday’s Nomad.

July 22

Fatal Crash in WA
Sadly, on the same week as we reported on the death of an elderly grey nomad in a crash on the Pacific Highway in New South Wales, comes news of yet another tragedy.
A 74-year-old man has been killed and his wife seriously injured after they crashed while travelling in the Pilbara in Western Australia.
The couple was towing a caravan when their vehicle rolled on the North West Coastal Highway, south of Karratha. The crash left debris scattered 200 metres along the highway.
The man's wife, who was driving at the time of the accident, suffered serious head and internal injuries but is in a stable condition in Nickol Bay Hospital.
Major crash officers have yet to establish the cause of the crash but it seems fatigue may have been a factor. Some reports say the vehicle may have drifted off the road onto gravel and jackknifed.
"The utmost care and attention is required at all times when behind the wheel and one small lapse in concentration or inattention may have horrific consequences,” said Pannawonica Sergeant Dan Anderson. "The north-west is a big place and the task of driving can be boring and monotonous at times, leading to inattention and fatigue.”
At the risk of repeating the same message endlessly, we must all remember the bigger picture when we hit the roads. Getting a few hundreed kilometres further along or pushing ourselves to reach that ‘better’ camping spot simply is not worth the potential for disaster.   
In northern WA alone there has been a spate of accidents involving vehicles towing caravans. There have been four crashes involving caravans in the Pilbara area in as many days.
"This is the time where we have an influx of tourists to the North West and particular those towing caravans," said Sergeant Anderson. "Circumstances change quite rapidly travelling 80 to 100 kilometres an hour. Just dropping a single wheel into the gravel has horrific consequences as we've seen."
Please take care everybody.

• On a lighter note, we will be unveiling the top six entries in our photographic competition very shortly now. Thanks for your patience with this everybody. Our judge has been absolutely overwhelmed by both the standard and the quantity of the entries.

July 21

Get in Poll Position
Election fever is sweeping the country …well sort of … and it’s important that we’ve all got our correct details lodged with the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) if we want to cast our votes on Aug 21.
Indeed, Australians currently on the electoral roll but who have moved and not yet updated their electoral address details have until 8pm tomorrow (Thursday) to do so, said Electoral Commissioner Ed Killesteyn.
"People can go to www.aec.gov.au/enrol to update their enrolment, but they need to make sure the signed form is with the AEC by the 8pm deadline," Mr Killesteyn said. "If anyone needs to check their enrolment, they can do this online at www.aec.gov.au/check or by calling 13 23 26."
You must be enrolled for your current address to ensure your vote in the federal election.
Of course, the fact that this time around the election will fall in winter means that many more grey nomads than usual will be out of their home state on the big day. The 2004 and 2007 elections were held between the build-up and the wet season, when the northern states have their lowest number of visitors.
It means that, this time around, dry season hotspots like the Northern Territory are being swamped with electoral enrolments.
"The numbers of interstate people and the grey nomads that are travelling around the Northern Territory at the moment are about 150,000 higher than what they are at the latter part of this year," said the AEC's Robert.Pugsley. “If you change your address and don't update your enrolment details there is a chance that you will fall off the roll … so keeping that enrolment up to date is very important."
If you are interstate then you can cast a vote at a pre-poll (early voting) centre before election day, cast a postal vote, or cast a vote in any interstate voting centre or AEC divisional office on polling day. Interstate voting centres on polling day are limited to mostly metropolitan locations. Postal vote applications are available from post offices.
Call the AEC National Call centre on 13 23 26 for more info on any voting issues.

July 19

The death on Friday of an elderly Victorian grey nomad on the Pacific Highway on the New South Wales mid-north coast is yet another tragic reminder of the fragility of our on-the-road, on-the move existence.
One misjudgment by us or another motorist, one moment of carelessness, one unexpected  development, and everything can alter. In the blink of an eye our lives can change ... or end.
The 81-year-old woman and her 83-year-old husband from Carrum in Victoria were towing a caravan behind their 2003 Mitsubishi Pajero 4WD at Herons Creek near Taree when their vehicle struck a 1996 Ford tip truck, which was attempting a u-turn.
Road works are being carried out on that section of the highway.
Police say the 4WD and caravan jack-knifed leaving the woman trapped and unconscious in the wreckage. She was freed by fire crews and taken to Port Macquarie Hospital where she died about 90 minutes later.
Her husband and the 55-year-old truck driver were admitted to hospital for observation and later released.
The tip truck was seized for examination as Crash Investigation Unit officers from Port Macquarie try to determine the cause of the incident.
Traffic was diverted around the scene, causing delays of several hours.
It is a tragic story that should remind us all yet again of the absolute need to take care at all times on the roads and to always expect the unexpected.
As very much a side note to the bigger picture here, I would like to acknowledge the patience and understanding shown by other motorists following this terrible incident. I was one of the people caught up for a number of hours in the huge traffc jam. Of course, everybody had a place they wanted to be and schedules they had hoped to meet but, among the people who got out of their vehicles to talk and on the UHF radio chatter, there was nothing but understanding and patience on display once the seriousness of the accident became apparent... basic human decency was evident for all to see.
Out hearts go out to the victim of this tragedy and all her family and friends.

July 16

Tree Dangers
A MAN suffered has serious head injuries after a tree fell on him at a caravan park at
Beechworth in Victoria's northeast.
The accident happened at the Silver Creek Caravan park in the historic gold town, about 300 kilometres northeast of Melbourne.
The injured 73-year-old man and his wife were actually inside a cabin when the tree fell on the roof, causing the ceiling to collapse.
The man, who was sitting in a chair at the back of the cabin, was trapped for a time before he was freed by a policeman and a paramedic. His injuries are said to be non-life threatening. While the man was not a caravanner or motorhomer, the incident does underline just how vulnerable we all are in high winds. While in this case, site selection was not really an issue,
where we choose to park the rig can be critical ... particularly when the weather turns wild.
Have you had any close encounters with falling tree limbs or falling trees? Do you have any site selection tips for your fellow grey nomads. Email us here to share your experience.

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July 14

Well, it’s dry season and, with so many grey nomads up north at the moment, it’s pretty standard for us to issue warnings about the importance of being crocodile aware.
Of course, there are always stories of fishermen taking crazy risks or even the odd tourist ignoring ‘No Swimming’ signs … and it makes you shake your head in astonishment.
But this one just about takes the biscuit. It seems that a drunken New South Welshman decided it might be a bit of lark to jump on the back of a 5-metre saltie at a Broome crocodile park … and had the ride of his life.
Incredibly the ‘lucky’ 36-year-old escaped with just severe cuts to his leg, thanks in part to the relatively cold night … by Broome standards.
The Australian reports that the man managed to scramble back over a fence before the 800kg croc, known as Fatso, could get a proper hold on him.
The crocodile park's owner and respected bushman, Malcolm Douglas, said the intruder was extremely lucky it wasn't warmer. The temperature fell to 22C.
"They're cold-blooded animals, so their reflexes slow down," Mr Douglas told The Australian. "Below 26-28C crocodiles begin to go into a torpid state. If it had been a hot night he would have been dead."
Police said the man was itinerant and had been in Broome for several weeks, where he had come to their attention several times.
After being asked to leave Divers Tavern in Cable Beach at about 9pm on Monday, he walked several hundred metres to the Broome Crocodile Park and climbed over the 3m perimeter fence, police said.
The Australian reports that he first went into an enclosure with a 2.8m female crocodile, but when she did not respond he climbed another fence into Fatso's enclosure.
Police believe he approached Fatso from behind and sat on his back, copying a trick performed in some Queensland crocodile parks. But the croc wasn't playing along and turned around, biting into his right leg.
Mr Douglas said Fatso had been in a narrow part of the enclosure used for feeding, which would have made it harder for him to attack the man.
"It let go and in that split second he was right next to the fence; he grabbed the fence and pulled himself over," Mr Douglas said. "He managed to stagger back to the tavern. He must have been in a hell of a lot of pain, because crocodile bites are horrific."
But it is understood the man was calm and more interested in another drink than getting help. An ambulance took him to Broome Hospital, where he was operated on and in a stable condition yesterday. The Health Department said he was unavailable for comment. Police have not released his name.
Mr Douglas said crocodile bites crushed and bruised flesh rather than cut cleanly into it and were prone to infection because of the reptile's dirty teeth, sometimes taking months to heal.
He said he had found full bottles of beer in Fatso's and other crocodile enclosures.
Wow! Absolutely unbelievable. Have you seen any crazy too-close-to-crocs behaviour? Email us here to share your story.  

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July 13

Numbers go North
It’s been a pretty cold and wet winter so far in many parts of the southern states … and the indications are that means more grey nomads heading north than ever before.
According to the Northern Territory News, caravanners and motorhomers are already being turned away from busy van parks during a ‘very early busy season’.
Katherine is typical. The Manager of the Riverview Tourist Village on the Victoria Highway, John "JB" Baldwin, told the NT News he had an "incredible" rush on his campsites.
"Around 70 caravans leave every morning and by 3pm we're fully booked again," he said. "We've got 144 powered and 38 unpowered sites, nine motel rooms and 30 cabins, but in the last few days we have had to send more than 30 people away because we were fully booked … that's very unusual for this early time of the tourist season - the NT is the place to be."
Apparently caravanners are lining up at the gates in the morning to try get one of the popular camping spots.
Mr Baldwin said he believed many people had hit the road to escape the cold and wet weather in the rest of the country.
"Fact is, Katherine hasn't had any rain for six weeks - Kununurra, Darwin, it rained everywhere and it's cold everywhere else in the country," he said. "It looks like all the travellers are in the Territory, which is great, the NT's got a lot going for it."
Mr Baldwin said the busy start of the tourist season in Katherine had forced the showgrounds to open their doors for campers from overflowing caravan parks.
Mr Baldwin said that at the moment it was "essential" to pre-book a campsite or a motel room in the Northern Territory to prevent getting turned away.
Are you finding more grey nomads about than usual this year? Have you had trouble getting a campsite in Katherine or elsewhere? Email us here to share your views.

July 12

Nomads at the Rains
The recent rains in west Queensland have given grey nomads even more reasons to head bush.  Even if you didn’t make the first ever Lake Eyre Yacht Club regatta, or take the historic ferry when the Cooper Creek crossed the Birdsville Track for the first time in 20 years, there are still lots of unusual sights out there for visitors to appreciate.  
Grazier Garth Tully recently told the ABC that he's looking forward to the wildflower display in far southwest Queensland.
"That sandhill country now - you'll see wildflowers never seen before probably," he says. "They were starting to come up before this rain with those earlier bits of rain that we had and then this 160-odd points on most of this country, it'll do it the world of good, anyway."
Birdlife has also flocked to the region and birdwatchers may spot red-necked avocets, grey teals and black-tailed native hens, brown songlarks and many others.
Have you changed your itinerary to enjoy outback wildflowers, birdlife, or a rarely water-filled Lake Eyre? Email us here to share.

July 9

Croc Snapped Up
We know that an awful lot of you are luxuriating in the dry season warmth of the north at the moment, so perhaps this crocodile scare story from Cairns is a timely reminder of the potential dangers that lurk in the deep ... and in the drains!
A couple of weeks ago a rogue 2.4m saltie gave fisherman Joel Pezzutti, the "fright of his life" when he was casting for bait in the Cairns suburb of Portsmith.
Joel reckons the croc lunged out of the water, ran up the bank and latched on to his cast net, tearing a gaping hole.
"This made my heart skip a beat," he told the Brisbane Courier-Mail, "This was the closest contact I've ever had with a croc."
After taking photographs of the lurking predator and his torn net, local rangers listed it as a "crocodile of concern" and they have just captured it in an inner-city drain. The croc is now destined for a crocodile farm or zoo.
Crocodiles are frequently spotted in suburban lakes, canals and creeks in the tropical grey nomad mecca but this was the first reported in the city this year.
It follows heated debate over a newly released but controversial statewide survey of crocodiles, showing the croc population is not believed to be increasing in size or moving south.
Experts said it was a case of humans being more active on waterways and increasingly inhabiting crocodile country, rather than a hostile takeover by the reptiles.
Rogue male crocodiles were found as far south as Fraser Island last year.
It is not the first time a croc has been spotted in the drain, which connects with the crocodile-populated Trinity Inlet.
In 2007, a 2m croc emerged from the same drain and latched on to a fisherman's lure.
In March this year, a monster 4.5m croc stealing fish from lines was removed from Pormpuraaw on Cape York.
Another big reptile reportedly stealing from crab pots and charging boats at Kurrimine, south of Cairns, was also moved.
So, have you come into contact with a croc recently? Do you think they are becoming more prevalent? Is the capture and move policy the right one? Email us here with your croc views.

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July 8

Too Cold for Comfort
Are any of you shivering through what is Alice Springs’s severest cold spell of all time?
Sally Cutter from the weather bureau says Alice Springs reached a maximum of just 6.4 degrees on Tuesday afternoon and thus endured its coldest day on record.
"That makes it the coldest on record for Alice Springs and those records are fairly old," she told the ABC. "I think it was 1948 was the coldest July day and 1966 was the previous coldest day."
In the whole of the Northern Territory, the coldest day ever was 5.9 degrees, recorded in Yulara in 1997.
The wet conditions are continuing in Alice Springs, with the airport recording almost 70 millimetres of rain since the start of the month.
The average rainfall for July in Alice Springs is 14 millimetres.
An appeal has now been launched for donations of blankets and dry bedding as rain forces people out of Alice Springs town camp.
The major service delivery agency for the town camps, Tangentyere Council, says it has run out of accommodation, dry firewood and blankets and does not know where people are going to go.
The council's social services manager, Margaret Reilly, says some people are taking shelter under a bridge over the Todd River.
"There's no firewood to be had in Alice Springs and there's no blankets to be had in Alice Springs," she said. "People are in very, very damp, very, very cold situations at the moment. It's pretty desperate."
And as many of you will know it is not just the Outback that has been suffering from a severe chilly snap … over in the west, Geraldton shivered through its coldest temperature on record, when the mercury dipped to 0.4 degrees on Sunday.
And, on June 29, Sydney had its coldest June morning since 1983 as clear skies combined with an icy gust from the Antarctic sent the mercury south to 4.7 degrees.
So, we would love to hear how you’re coping out in the cold? Are you stoking up the campfires? Or just snuggling earlier under your doonas? Are you still venturing out on your bushwalks and explorations or are you semi-hibernating until the temperature climbs? Email us here to share your experiences and your tips on how to beat the cold.

July 7

Gambling on Cairns
Goodness me. Whatever next? It seems that Cairns’ fantastic dry season climate, stunning natural surrounds, and staggering array of tourist activities just aren’t enough of a tourist drawcard ... at least according to some.
No, there are some politicians who want to turn the capital of Queensland’s tropical north into the Australian equivalent of Las Vegas.
MP Aidan McLindon has told a major national conference that all poker machines should be stripped out of towns and cities around the Sunshine State and put into a new "AusVegas" established in the Cairns region.
Mr McLindon, who quit the Liberal National Party in May, believes the move could help arrest the decline of the far north's tourism-focused economy, which has apparently been struggling since the onset of the global financial crisis.
He told the Tourism Futures conference in Brisbane that his idea could give Cairns a new lease on life.
"I think it would be wise of mayor Val Schier to balance up the idea and what it would bring to the economy and the whole Cairns region," he told the Brisbane Courier-Mail. "Cairns can only keep knocking back these things for so long before they get shut off from reality ... all the money's being channelled to southeast Queensland and this could be their opportunity to make an informed decision instead of just throwing up a brick wall."
However, the Cairns mayor has moved quickly to dismiss the concept, saying it could create a "sin city" plagued by social problems like gambling addiction.
“It is not something that Cairns would ever want to be a part of,''  said Ms Schier. “Cairns has fantastic natural attractions and that is what will bring people to this region, not some tinsel town, artificially-created product ... it would bring many more problems than gain.''
Okay, what do you think everyone? Would a visit to an all-action Aussie Las Vegas put Cairns more firmly on your Big Lap itinerary or is it nothing more than a silly idea from a publicity-seeking politician? Does easy access to casinos and the Great Barrier Reef offer you the best of both worlds or should one of the world’s natural wonders be able to stand on its own two feet? Email us here with your views.

July 6

Price Hike Protest
A petition signed by 778 of the Sunshine Coast's annual caravan holiday makers protesting about the price increase in site fees at Cotton Tree Caravan Park has been submitted to the local council.
Councillor Debbie Blumel tabled the petition, which was referred to the council's chief executive officer for a formal response, at a Sunshine Coast council meeting.
Ray Cook, who has been visiting the Coast from Melbourne for more than a decade, said “it was about time” the council invested money in the park.
“We've been putting up with ordinary facilities at the park for years,” Mr Cook said. “The upgrades have got to be good for everyone using the park.”
However, Mr Cook told the Sunshine Coast Daily that the main issue with caravanners using the park was not the facilities but increased site fees.
He said that if the price to hire a van site was too high, people would abandon the park, even if the facilities were first class.
“Price is what will stop people coming,” Mr Cook said. “And the facilities will need more improvement if the site hire is going to keep going up.”
The Cooks say that last year it cost $2800 to stay on their riverfront site for 12 weeks and this year that figure has jumped up to $3420. Next year, for exactly the same site with the same facilities they say it will cost them $4300.
Cr Blumel said the 2010-11 council budget, which was endorsed on Tuesday, provided for extensive renewal and refurbishment of some of the tired old buildings in the heritage-listed caravan park.
“While prices have been standardised across the region, Cotton Tree Caravan Park will be a major beneficiary,” she said. “About $900,000 has been allocated to replace two amenity buildings. About $200,000 has been allocated to replace the electrical reticulation, $60,000 will go towards new storage and work sheds and $40,000 will ensure old power heads are replaced to keep them safe.”
This adds up to $1.16 million to be spent at the Cotton Tree Caravan Park in the next financial year. The council says that a further $1 million has been provisionally allocated in the five-year capital works program.
* Thanks incidentally to all of you who wrote in about yesterday’s Nomad concerning the abolition of the seniors discount at Finemore Tourist Resort in Bundaberg. Rather than being outraged by the decision to the axe the discount it seems you are all extremely enthused about the low fees being charged. A phone call to the park has confirmed that the weekly cost for a powered site for two people is indeed $138. See you there!
* More of your feedback on this and other issues can be seen shortly in the Weekly Mailbag column.

July 5

Out for the Discount
Is this the beginning of the end for the much-appreciated and often much-needed seniors discounts at caravan parks?
The council-run Finemore Holiday Park in Bundaberg has axed the discount in order, it says, to bring it into line with the council's other parks.
“The other three parks have never offered a seniors' discount, so this year we're bringing them all into line,” a council spokesperson told the Bundaberg News-Mail. “This makes it easier to market.”
Oh, that’s all right then,
isn’t it?
Well some of the grey nomads who migrate to Bundaberg every year certainly don’t think so, and they are now wondering if they will be able to afford the trip again in the future.
But, according to the local paper, the regular migrants are not taking the change lying down. A petition containing almost 40 signatures is going in to the council asking that the seniors' discount cancellation be reconsidered.
The rate went up from Thursday and means a powered caravan site will now cost $138 a week.
Ian Shoesmith and wife Berrie have been coming from Melbourne to stay at Finemore for the past nine years. Before the discount was cancelled, they paid $129 a week, but now they say they might have to have another look at their budget.
“Some people have been coming here for 15 or 20 years, and stay about four months over winter,” Mr Shoesmith said. “We like Bundaberg, the winters are mostly good and it's pretty flat so I can walk.”
He said some of the regular winter visitors were from as far away as Tasmania and South Australia, but several were now talking about not making the trip again.
Any thoughts anybody? Have you stayed at Finemore? Have you heard of any other van parks axing this discount? Email us here.

July 2

Parks on the March
The speed with which new and bigger national parks are being created in Australia continues to gather pace.
In the past week or so, four new national parks have been declared in northern Victoria, while in Queensland two new national parks have been created and several existing ones expanded.
The announcements have, predictably, been warmly welcomed by environmental groups and roundly condemned by loggers and cattle grazers.
In Victoria, the decision to create the Warby Ovens, Lower Goulburn, Gunbower and Barmah National to Parks was made in December after years of debate … but now it's official. The announce-ment means logging and cattle grazing have ended in the Barmah forest after more than 150 years.
It will also mean greater involvement for the region's Aboriginal people, the Yorta Yorta, who will form part of the park's management.
The Victorian Government says the more than 143,000 hectares of national and regional parks along the Murray River will help protect the iconic River Red Gum trees and create new jobs, securing the future of the Murray River for generations to come.
Tourism is meant to replace logging and cattle grazing as the largest employer for the area.
"Our national parks are visited by millions of people every year," said Environment and Climate Change Minister, Gavin Jennings. "The River Red Gum National Parks will help millions more visit and experience the beauty of these iconic trees which have suffered through the drought and are battling climate change.”
In Queensland, the iconic Glass House Mountains National Park has been tripled in size offering greater protection to several important mountain peaks, including Mount Beerburrum, Mount Tibberoowuccum, and east and west Tunbubudla Mountains - known locally as The Twins.
The area is also home to more than 490 plant and animal species … and rare and threatened species include the glossy black cockatoo, wallum rocketfrog, sooty owl and the water mouse.
The Dularcha National Park and the Mooloolah River National Park, both on the Sunshine Coast have also been expanded, as well as the Castle Tower National Park in central Queensland, near Calliope.
The Tewantin National Park, totalling nearly 2,000 hectares, and the Pumicestone National Park, totalling 164-hectares just north of Brisbane, are new additions.
Further north, it is hoped the creation of the 5600-hectare Macalister Range National Park north-west of Cairns will help protect cassowaries. Official estimates put the number of cassowaries living in the wild in north Queensland at about 1500, but conservationists warn it could be as low as 1000.
A number of existing national parks, including the Girringun National Park near Ingham, and the Japoon National Park near Mission Beach, will also be expanded to cover known cassowary habitat.
National parks in Queensland now cover more than eight million hectares. The government wants to expand that to 12.9 million hectares, or 7.5 per cent of the state, by 2020.
So, what do you think about the national park expansions? Is it a good thing? What other changes would you like to see made to our national parks? Email us here.

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July 1

Darwin Plan Ditched
In a decision that probably comes as no surprise to anyone, Darwin City Council has given up its push for an overflow camping site for backpackers near the city.
We reported in the ‘Nomad’ last week that the council had been looking at setting up a place for backpackers to park their vans and camp during the busy times of the dry season when caravan parks fill up. It had been looking at the suitability of sites including Vesteys Beach, Mindil Beach and East Point.
However, following a meeting with tourism representatives opposed to the plan, the council has now ditched the idea.
The Northern Territory News reported that the council’s Community Services Manager John Banks had recommended in a report that the council wind up its efforts to set up a campsite.
His report said resources should be put into enforcing the no-camping rules around popular parts of the city such as East Point. More than 150 fines have been issued to people camping illegally so far this year.
Acting Lord Mayor Fred Marrone said it would not be fair to set up such an arrangement for backpackers only.
"If you start with them, then you'd still get that six-week period that's applicable to the seniors," he said. "If you start with the backpackers then the seniors (are left out). What they spend stays here."
The plan had been criticised by Tourism Top End manager Tony Clementson, who said people pay for accommodation but backpackers thought they could get it for nothing.
And Tourism Top End gave the council some revised advice saying there was room for everyone at the existing caravan parks even at peak periods.
The council will now ask for data from Tourism Top End on park occupancy rates.
Any thoughts anyone? Email us here.

June 30

This is it everybody. The clock is ticking away and the time for getting those last-minute entries in to the great www.thegreynomads.com.au photographic  competition is now.
From midnight (AEST) tonight no more photos will be accepted … and your chance to win one of our fantastic prizes will be lost forever. A reminder that the top prize is a spectacularly useful set of Caraview towing mirrors, and the second prize is a copy of the latest edition of the Grey Nomad’s Guidebook. But perhaps even more treasured than one of these prizes is the kudos that comes with your photo being chosen as the best of a very exciting bunch.
A reminder also for those of you still planning to enter that the theme for this photographic competition is water. And, for all of you latecomers, info on how you can enter the competition can be found here.
Quite frankly, the standard and volume of entries so far has been quite staggering. With more than 200 pictures to sort through, our judge, Travel Today editor Steve Jones, is going to be a very, very busy man. And it’s certainly not going to be an easy job.
Steve has accepted the challenge of paring down the entries to the top six, and the eventual winner will be then chosen by an email vote. More details of how to take part in that process once Steve has completed his duties.
While we won’t be accepting any new entries from midnight (AEST) tonight, you will still be able to post comments for several weeks to come on any entries that were posted before the deadline. I know that any feedback would be enjoyed and appreciated by all of our budding photographers.  And, of course, we hope you will continue to enjoy some of the great images that have been posted … and you can see whether you agree with Steve’s decision!
Thanks, of course, to all of you who have taken part in the competition. Such has been the interest in this event that we will certainly be running further photographic competitions with different themes in the future.

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June 29

I guess there is no good time to have your campervan stolen, but having it snatched while you are sunning yourself on a nudist beach is probably about the worst moment possible.
Luckily, the 69-year-old Cairns man who found himself in that unfortunate position still had a pair of football shorts and a beach towel with him … or the situation could have been even more embarrassing!
The incident happened at the clothes-free beach in Casuarina near Darwin when the man left his van, worth about $100,000, at the car park while he went for a swim.
It is believed the skinny dipper left his camper at the car park in the mid afternoon and returned to where his vehicle should have been less than four hours later.
He used the mobile phone of a passer-by to report the theft.
"The victim had a swim, he returned and he noticed that his keys weren't in his backpack," Police Duty Superintendent Debbie Smith told the Northern Territory News. “He went back to the car park and found that the campervan was gone … he obviously left quite a bit of gear in the campervan and just had a few personal items in his backpack."
Casuarina police are now investigating the theft of a white Fiat Ducato campervan.
Of course, while the nudist beach element is unusual, the theft of caravans and campervans is unfortunately not quite so rare.
Duty Supt Smith used the latest incident to remind grey nomad and others to look after their belongings at all times.
How do you safeguard your personal possessions while you are at the beach or taking a swim at a lake or diver? Email us here to share your security tips.

June 28

A Lucky Escape
Another warning everybody about the need to take care on the roads … particularly when it’s windy and when there’s big trucks around.
The picture here shows a car and caravan that overturned on the Lincoln Highway, near Port Neill, in South Australia a week ago. The vehicles were blown over as they were overtaken by a semi trailer and then came to rest on the SA Water pipeline
The Eyre Peninsula Tribune reports that the two occupants of the car were taken to the Tumby Bay Hospital with minor injuries and the highway was closed to traffic for about 10 minutes while the car and caravan were recovered.
The couple were obviously lucky but it can only be imagined how terrifying an experience it must have been … let alone how much disruption it is going to cause to their travel plans and their lives.
We should all do everything we can to avoid finding ourselves in a similar a situation.
The Caravan Parks Association of South Australia has the following advice for caravan towers who are being overtaken.
 “If road and traffic conditions permit, slow down and move as far to the left as possible. The greater the difference in speed of the two vehicles and the further they are apart while passing, the safer the situation becomes. When the other vehicle starts to pass apply some power to the towing vehicle. There is less chance of sway occurring if the caravan is being pulled rather than it pushing on to the car. In other words do not brake or allow the outfit to be on the over-run. When due to road conditions traffic builds up behind you periodically move off the road to allow other motorists to pass safely.”
Have you had experience of excessive sway while driving or, heaven forbid, have you overturned on the road? Email us here to share your stories … or your advice on how to combat the potential threat.
Drive carefully everybody. 

June 25

Cooling on Coolum
It’s about time someone asked the question … how much is too much?
At the same time that the Queensland Government is conducting an inquiry into how it can better meet the needs of grey nomads, we learn that at least one Sunshine Coast van park is about to crank up its prices by a staggering 22%.
And this is a council-owned caravan park! Perhaps the powers-that-be should save the time, trouble and expense of an inquiry and just apply some commonsense to the issue.
Okay, it’s time to name and shame. According to the Sunshine Coast Daily, it is Coolum’s council-owned caravan park that is proposing to implement the horror hike from next year.
Not surprisingly, many long-time Coolum visitors are angry at the size of the increase, and local businesses are worried that grey nomads and others might reduce their stay or go elsewhere next year.
And I think that’s a fairly safe bet!
Newsagent Lance Barrett told the local newspaper that all the shops along the esplanade would be affected if the annual visitors did not return next year.
“Last year it was $200 a week (low season rent), this year it’s $225 and they’re all being told that next year it’s $275,” Mr Barrett said. “We’ve got a guy who has bought his paper here every year since we’ve been here. He’s saying, ‘I think this’ll be our last year here because there are better caravan parks around for $275 than Coolum.”
It’s a real shame because Coolum really is a top spot but a 22% will almost certainly be enough to deter budget-aware grey nomads from extended stays.
“Every shop down the front here is doing it hard,” said Mr Barrett. “It worries me that the council’s turning people away by putting fees up.”
And the explanation? Well, in confirming the price rise, Sunshine Coast Council’s caravan parks manager Gary Ehsman said the council was trying to “harmonise the fees” across the three former council areas of Caloundra, Noosa and Maroochy.
Hmmmm! Harmonise, eh? I guess he could have brought the other areas’ fees down to match Coolum’s, couldn’t he? But I’m guessing that never crossed his mind!
Okay, let’s find out what you think? Is the following value for money? According to the Sunshine Coast Regional Council\s website, this is what Coolum Beach Caravan Park offers:
“The Coolum Beach Caravan Park is set on ten acres of manicured beachfront land making it one of the Sunshine Coast's most favoured camping and caravan park destinations. Complimenting the beachfront setting is two modern amenities making your stay truly relaxing and comfortable. This family holiday haven specialises in providing prime tourist caravan and camping sites close to the beach. There is a beach access walkway from the caravan park right onto the magnificent Coolum beach. The caravan sites are large with concrete pads and space for one vehicle. All 185 caravan sites are powered and there is 118 un-powered tent sites.”
Okay, that’s what you get. And this is the park’s rate list for the current year for two people staying … so you will need to add 22% to these rates to find out what you will be asked to pay in 2011.

Right. Email us here to let us know what you think about the council’s plans and, even more importantly, email mail@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au to let the council in question know.

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June 24

A Queensland parliamentary inquiry looking at grey nomads' contribution to the economy is apparently throwing up some interesting information and points of view … and hopefully it will eventually lead to some commonsense improvements in our lot.
Submissions to the inquiry, which is considering whether the current infrastructure is adequate for caravan and motorhome travellers, closed a few weeks ago. The government has declared itself keen to find out more about where and when grey nomads stop and how the grey nomad ‘sector’ can be grown to become an even more important part of the regional economy.
The Bundaberg Regional Council in southern Queensland certainly has some ideas and says the 'grey nomad' market could provide an ‘untapped’ source of employment for the region.
In a submission to the inquiry Mayor Lorraine Pyefinch said the caravanning and camping sector in Bundaberg rose 3 per cent over the past year.
She says the region could take advantage of travellers through an active volunteering program.
"There could very well be opportunities not only for volunteer work but even for paid work in those areas," she said. "You might find a travelling workforce there that hasn't been tapped before, and we'd certainly like to work with some of the representative groups for that sector and see how we could work towards those opportunities."
The council says it under increasing pressure to provide more suitable infrastructure for grey nomads visiting the region.
But Cr Pyefinch says regulating the industry is an issue.
"There's increasing pressure to provide suitable infrastructure so that grey nomads can actually traverse the area," she said. "Obviously the condition of roads [and] waste disposal points, particularly for their grey water and sewerage, [are important]."
Spot on Lorraine. It’s going to be fascinating to see what conclusions the inquiry eventually draw and, more importantly, what actions it recommends. We’ll keep you posted.

June 23

Well it’s all gone a bit quiet in the Northern Territory since Darwin City Council floated a controversial plan earlier this month to set up special backpackers’ campgrounds to keep van-dwelling visitors out of the city’s parks and reserves.
Several potential sites were assessed, including Vesteys Beach, East Point and Mindil Beach.
Apparently, there has been growing concern with the large number of vans filling public areas in Darwin, particularly in the East Point reserve. The council has also called for a report on the public health effects of so many people defecating in the city's parks.
The new idea was that special camping zones might be set up during super peak times when the van parks are apparently completely full.
Alderman Robyn Lesley says existing caravan parks do suffice except for a six-week peak period. However, she acknowledged that a campground near the beach would affect other foreshore users in the peak of the Dry season, and also that toilet facilities would need to be installed at any special campground area.
Unsurprisingly, the plan met with a fair amount of open hostility in other quarters.
"There's no issue with availability of space in caravan parks and holiday parks with this sector … they just really want to park and get it for free," said the general manager of Tourism Top End, Tony Clementson. “People pay a million dollars for an apartment with a view of the water and we've got a council that's going to give it away … a bit of a silly move. We've met with the council on this issue.”
 Mr Clementson said there was always room in caravan parks, even at peak season, at $25 a site.
"How can it be restricted to just the backpacker sector?” he asked. “What about the grey nomads (and) people towing Jayco caravans behind them?”
Actually, that’s a very good question, Tony.
And Labour Backbencher Michael Gunner also dismissed the idea out of hand.
"I'm not sure I agree with council that the way of solving illegal camping is to make it legal,” he said. “And I'm not convinced residents around this area are going to agree either.”
Nonetheless, Darwin’s Lord Mayor Graeme Sawyer said that although some suggested sites were not ideal, a solution needed to be found to the problem.
"It's not good enough just to say these people should go and pay in a caravan park," he said. "They're not, and we need to deal with that reality.”
Also a good point.
Ironically, Darwin City Council has been cracking down on illegal campers this year, with early morning patrols being conducted at least three times a week. Council officers have handed some 150 offenders a very nasty $130 ticket.
So, what do you think? Is this the only solution to a too-popular-in-the dry problem? Have you been booked for illegal camping? And why is Darwin council looking at a backpackers’ camping area and not a grey nomads area? Email us here to share your thoughts.

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June 22

It is going to be interesting to see exactly what happens in New South Wales national parks following the passing of controversial legislation that allows private operators to work in them.
The National Parks and Wildlife Amendment Bill permits tourism businesses to access wilderness areas ... and to profit from the area’s natural beauty.
Unsurprisingly, conservations fear national parks will now be exploited for commercial gain, and warn it could pave the way for supermarkets, rifle ranges, car race tracks, resorts and fast food restaurants.
“This Bill allows for development in our national parks and will change the whole concept of what a national park is,” said Neil Denison from the National Parks Association. “The whole idea is to have development outside these areas … we are supposed to be protecting national parks, but they will not be protected under this legislation.”
Scary stuff!
However, the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) insists only ‘small scale’ developments such as eco-lodges and safari-style tents would be constructed. And it says the privately run activities are more likely to include guided walks, bird watching and photographic tours that will be in line with strict sustainability guidelines.
"What we want to do is have very low-key appropriate natural-type experiences, unique experiences to national parks," Sally Barnes, deputy director of NSW NPWS. “The group size will be absolutely capped to ensure that there is not 400 people traipsing through at any one time."
Sustainability guidelines devised by the Government include restrictions on the number of people who can visit a park together, and the frequency of visits. Ms Barnes insists the guidelines will never be weakened to increase the activity allowed in national parks.
At present the Government is seeking interest from a private operator to take small groups on a 32-kilometre walk from Boyd Tower, near Eden on the NSW South Coast, to Green Cape Lighthouse. The walk would include an overnight stay in ‘low impact accommodation facilities’.
Prospective markets include people who are not familiar with the size and scope of the Australian bush, supposedly reducing the risk of them getting lost.
Hmmm!
Does this sound suspiciously like the thin end of the wedge? Or is it just a commonsense way of keeping people safer and ensuring more people enjoy all that national parks have to offer. Email us here.
Incidentally, there were 38 million visitors to NSW national parks last year and the aim of the new Bill is apparently to increase visitor numbers by 20 per cent by 2016.

June 21
Meet the Judge
Okay, the waiting is over. It’s time to reveal the identity of the judge of the www.thegreynnomads.com.au photographic competition. We have been staggered by both the quantity and quality of the entries to date and are thrilled to be able to unveil a judge whose stature reflects the importance of the event. Before you click here to reveal the identity of the judge, remember there is still time to enter the competition. We will be accepting new entries up until midnight on June 30 … after that you are out of luck. Click here to learn more about the competition.

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June 18

Down to Earth
Were any of you out and about in South Australia earlier this week to see the spectacular arrival of the much-talked about Japanese space capsule?
It is seven years since the Japanese space agency JAXA launched its mission to collect samples from a near-Earth asteroid called Itokawa. However, technical problems and delays have plagued the mission and scientists are still marvelling at the fact that the spacecraft managed to make it back at all … and put on quite a light show in the process.
The Hayabusa spacecraft was travelling at difficult-to-imagine 12 kilometres per second when it hit the Earth's atmosphere, burning up on re-entry. A small capsule hopefully carrying asteroid samples was then gently brought down by parachute.
Parts of the Stuart Highway were closed off in readiness for the landing of the capsule which eventually touched down in the desert near Woomera.
Witnesses say that for tens of seconds, the Hayabusa appeared like a slow-burning comet.
NASA's Dr Scott Sanford was further north at Coober Pedy watching the light show unfold.
"The spacecraft, which was never designed to enter the atmosphere, started to break up and as a result that broke into many, many pieces which got very bright," he said. "So you would see puffs and explosions as various pieces came off and then it basically broke out into a large cloud of sort of shooting stars that turned up in the upper atmosphere and disappeared.”
Lindsay Campbell from the Woomera Test Range says it all went according to plan.
"It took about 20 minutes to land and virtually made no impact at all when it landed and the tracking signal also worked exactly as was planned," he said.
All the  indications are that the capsule did indeed make a soft desert landing.
On Monday, two helicopters took scientists to the capsule's landing site in the Woomera Prohibited Area, a remote military zone some 500 kilometres northwest of Adelaide.
The capsule, which is 40 centimetres wide, was airlifted to Woomera and then air freighted to Japan to be opened. It is hoped it will contain asteroid samples that will give scientists more insight into the solar system.
It really does seem that the Outback is the ultimate place to get close to the goings on in outer space, doesn’t it? Apart from amazing views of the night sky, we also regularly receive reports of UFOs. Asteroid craters like those at Wolf Creek are a reminder that things do occasionally drop out of the sky, as are the remnants of the Skylab space station that are on display at Nullarbor roadhouses. So, while it may seem quiet and remote as you are tootling along some dusty outback road you never know … do you? Maybe you are not alone!
Did you see the spacecraft’s re-entry? Have you had any other close encounters? Email us here to share your space tales.

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June 17

Plans on the Rocks?
It is no surprise to learn that there has been a strong community response to plans for a resort style development at Seal Rocks, north of Newcastle in New South Wales.
As reported in the ‘Nomad’ a few weeks ago, the Great Lakes Council exhibited its draft management plans for the Seal Rocks Caravan Park and Camping Reserve and caravan parks at Jimmy's Beach and Hawks Nest and invited comments. The proposal to build cabins, swimming pools, community rooms and barbecue areas certainly got emotions running high.
The council promptly received nearly 200 submissions on the subject, and Mayor Cr Jan McWilliams said she was delighted to have had such a high level of community interest in its plans to maintain the parks over the next ten years.
I bet she was!
"This community participation will provide valuable input into the management plans and the future development of the parks," she said.
Council staff will now consider each submission received and prepare a report that looks at different options in the management of the parks. It may be three to six months before reports and management plans for the parks are considered by the council.
Those who submitted responses may be invited to address council about their submissions. In the meantime, council will reply to everyone who made a submission.
Council's director corporate and community services, Steve Embry said further progress will be held up due to the large number of submissions and other projects happening within the shire. The council has recently received a federal grant of $1.8 million to refurbish and provide new facilities at the Great Lakes Aquatic and Leisure Centre in Forster.
"There is a time limit by which we are required to complete works in order to receive this funding, so council's resources are being diverted to ensure this project is completed on time," Mr Embry said. "The Aquatic Centre upgrade is obviously a very exciting project and will benefit many of our local residents, it's important that we provide all necessary resources to ensure its successful completion."
Does that mean the controversial plans for a huge upgrading of camping facilities at Seals Rock have been put on a very cool backburner? I’m guessing that the vast majority of those who have made submissions to the council will very much be hoping so.

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June 16

Fire Safety Reminder
As the annual northern migration kicks into top gear, it’s a very good time to remind ourselves of some of the safety checks we should all be carrying out. After all, there is no better way to spoil what should be a wonderful, carefree adventure than setting ourselves up for potential disaster.
The Queensland Fire and Rescue Service (QFRS) is specifically warning grey nomads to check their caravans and motorhomes very carefully and very regularly, saying our vehicles could pose hidden fire dangers.
“Caravans and mobile homes have many ignition points, from cooking elements to external gas bottles, and there are many ways caravans can pose risk to travellers,” said QFRS North Coast Region Assistant Commissioner Ray Eustace. “It’s important to ensure your gas bottle is in good working order, with no leaks. You can do this by making sure you have it professionally tested.”
He says that we should also all make sure our ovens and stoves are thoroughly cleaned before we use them to avoid any burning of built-up food.
“It is also important to ensure you have an evacuation plan, and to ensure that no objects in the caravan obstruct that route,” he said. “It’s important to ensure the path through the annexe of the caravan and to the outside is clear in the event of an emergency situation.”
Of course, all grey nomads and indeed all travellers should make sure they have working smoke alarms too.
“In a confined space, fire can take hold quickly and smoke alarms can alert you to the first sign of a fire and could save your life,” said Assistant Commissioner Eustace, who said that following a few easy safety steps was as important in vans and motorhomes as it was in traditional homes.
Namely:
- Install a fire blanket in your kitchen and know how to use it safely.
- Never put water on a cooking fire which may contain oil
- Switch off electrical appliances when not in use
- Have older electrical equipment checked by a certified electrician at regular intervals
- Make sure you change your smoke alarm batteries regularly
- Keep a clear space of one metre around heaters
- Make sure you have a fire evacuation plan
Good sound advice. And a welcome reminder that however long we have been travelling, following basic commonsense safety procedures - whether it be checking our lights, our couplings or are fire alarms - are just as … in fact far more … important than anything else we do on the road.

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June 15

Tragedy in Arkansas
Arkansas in America’s Deep South may normally seem like a very long way away … but not this morning. Our hearts go out to the families of the 20 people killed when flash flooding devastated a popular camping spot at Albert Pike Recreation Area.
Many of the dead were from the neighbouring states of Louisiana and Texas and their number is believed to include at least six young children.  
It is hard to imagine the speed and ferocity of waters which descended on sleeping campers, leaving them frantically trying to scramble up steep terrain in the dark. Floodwaters rose as swiftly as eight feet an hour, pouring through the remote valley with such force that it peeled asphalt from roads and stripped bark from the trees.
The state’s Governor, Mike Beebe, described trucks being wrapped around trees “and other vehicles and RVs that have been flipped upside down and thrown around like they were toys by the pure power of that water”.
The park is along the Caddo and Little Missouri rivers in western Arkansas. Apparently, the Little Missouri River rose at the campground from about three feet on Thursday night to more than 20 feet early Friday.
“It’s like a canyon, where all that water comes down from the mountains and just goes and is funneled into a small area,” the Governor said. “And the river rose very quickly ... I’ve seen flooding before, but I've never seen water do this kind of damage”
Before the storm, campers could have called forest officials or checked the campground’s website to check on conditions … but it hit at about 2am when most were sleeping.
The secluded campground, which is probably a good hour away from the nearest sit-down restaurant, normally has patchy television and mobile phone reception, making warnings difficult to communicate
Of course, there are lessons for us all to learn from the tragedy, and perhaps it will help us all to become a little more aware of the potential dangers inherent in even popular and well-used camping spots … but that is for later. Today we should just remember those who died enjoying enjoying a pursuit that they … and we … love.

June 11

The Devil's Advocate
Well, the debate over camping at ‘rest stops’ in the Northern Territory overnight is really heating up big time.
As discussed in our ‘Forum’ pages earlier this week, caravan park owners there have been claiming they are being driven out of business by the government's free rest stop areas.
The spark which really ignited the latest debate was the series of improvements that have been made at NT areas, including the iconic Devil's Marbles. Some people have even accused the authorities of  “building the Taj Mahal of rest stops”.
The NT Opposition is now accusing the government there of going too far and is calling for it to do more to encourage self-drive tourists - mainly grey nomads - to support small businesses.
Jeeez! I think most of us already do a fair bit to support small businesses in rural and remote areas ... and everywhere else we go, come to that.
Anyway, the Country Liberals regional development spokesman, Adam Giles, says improvements to rest stops have been detrimental to caravan park owners in regions like the Barkly because more people are using them overnight.
"We don't want to necessarily go fining everybody for camping overnight," he told the NT News. "What we'd like to do is encourage people to use our caravan parks and support small business and the economy of the Northern Territory.”
Yeah, like how’s that going to work Adam?
“It's not about a punitive approach,” he says “It's about encouraging people to use our small businesses, the people who provide the jobs for our families and our kids in the Northern Territory.”
I think we all understand that caravan parks are in the business to make a profit and they provide an important service to many travellers and they need to stay viable. But goodness, the Stuart Highway is a long piece of bitumen and long-distance travellers need to have a place to break their journey and rest up.
However, that’s not really the way the owner of the Tennant Creek Caravan Park, Julian Rankin sees it. He told the NT News that his business has been hit hard by improvements at rest areas that have made it more attractive for people to stay overnight for free.
 "When the Government provides facilities and encourages people to stop at these facilities to the detriment of established parks it certainly doesn't make sense to me at all," he said. "It's only sending us towards the wall more or less, you know. They don't give us any relief on our rates, taxes, anything like that.”
However, Transport Minister Gerry McCarthy says rest areas are strategically located to make the Territory's roads safer.
He says they feature signs advising travellers that there is a 24-hour limit on stays to prevent overcrowding and competition with businesses. Mr McCarthy says there are also signs along the Territory's highways advising motorists of the nearest rest areas and businesses, including caravan parks.
What do you think everyone? Should we be ‘encouraged’ not to stay in these rest areas and instead be ‘forced’ to spend our much sought-after grey dollars at caravan parks? Or should we be encouraged and congratulated for breaking our journeys regularly and keeping the roads that little bit safer? Oh, and have any of you stayed at the ‘Taj Mahal’ of rest areas since it was improved? We would love to hear a report. Email us here.

June 10

WA Axes Taxes
There was encouraging news from Western Australia a week or so ago as the Barnett government moved to prevent developers buying up the state’s most valuable caravan parks.
The Liberal-National government has joined states, including Queensland, in introducing legislation to exempt all caravan parks and camping grounds from land tax. The exemption comes into effect from July 1.
The measure is expected to cost the state about $1 million in revenue each year but West Australian tourist operators say it will help to preserve the state's most picturesque camping grounds.
“An increase in land values across the State was putting financial pressure on caravan park operators who were being hit with big increases in land tax bills,” said Minister Assisting the Treasurer, Bill Marmion. “This was having an impact on the viability of caravan parks as businesses, threatening the future of low-cost, affordable holiday accommodation in the State’s popular tourism destinations and undermining the outlook for the many people who have chosen to live in caravan parks for budget and lifestyle reasons.”
Tourist towns like Busselton in the south-west, where land values have soared, should benefit greatly and be able to retain their popular parks.
"There have been a lot of caravan parks that have been developed into resorts or short stay residential developments," said Shire president Ian Stubbs."Hopefully this initiative will encourage people to consider keeping their caravan parks."
And so say all of us!
The Member of the Legislative Assembly for Vasse, Troy Buswell, is equally hopeful.
“By removing land tax from caravan parks, or providing a 100 per cent concession, takes one of the financial pressures off caravan park owners and it is one less reason to move that land out of the traditional caravan park-style use,” he said. “Caravan parks have always been an important part of Busselton’s tourism mix and the unfortunate reality is the increased value of land, upon which they sit, means the owners have been paying significantly higher land tax bills in recent years.”
Mr Buswell says that the state government also has an enormous amount of land in its control and needs to look at more aggressively using existing Crown land, whether that’s national parks or in other places, to provide low-cost caravan and camping options.
“The location of caravan parks could be better utilised by using national parks and other Crown land ... often the national parks are in prime locations,” he told the Busselton-Dunsborough Mail. “The Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park is a classic case in point.”
Hmmmm! I’m all for encouraging caravan parks to keep operating as caravan parks rather than becoming a site for high-rise apartments, but do we want to see commercial van parks springing up in our national parks? Has Mr Buswell got the right idea or should camping areas in national parks remain, for the most part, delightfully basic? Email us here with your thoughts.

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June 9

Here's Looking at Roo
I’m not sure quite what to make of reports coming out of the Northern Territory of an allegedly amorous kangaroo making life miserable for female joggers in the Honeymoon Ranges near Tennant Creek.
As you might expect, newspapers have had a field day with the story about the love-hungry roo that has apparently got locals “hopping mad”.
Northern Territory police say they have received reports of the kangaroo stalking residents in the ranges, including a woman on her morning walk.
"There was no doubt about what he wanted, the randy old thing," the woman told local papers. "I turned around and saw this big kangaroo behind me, so I hastened my steps … it was a huge kangaroo and quite intimidating."
The woman said the animal bounded off when other walkers approached and she escaped.
Later that day a mother-of-three encountered the kangaroo at a night-time car race.
Tanya Wilson went to say hello to the animal when her friends warned her away.
"I thought it was strange that a kangaroo would come to such a noisy place, but I grew up around kangaroos so I went up to say hello," she said. "There I was having a nice chat to him when I heard others calling out to me, warning me to step away. I didn't take any notice of them because I didn't think I had anything to worry about. I thought he was just a cute, friendly kangaroo."
One man said that he had tried to scare the animal away, but that it had punched him in the face.
Police have said they will monitor the situation.
Hmmm! An interesting one … and ceratinly not as fuinny as it at first sounds. Kangaroos are large and can be very, very intimidating. Amorous or not, it’s best to keep yur distance and treat with the utmost respect.
Have you had any close encounters with unfriendly (or too friendly!) kangaroos. Email us here to share.

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June 8

Today’s the day …or so the eager bunch of grey nomads and others held up by the floodwaters on the Birdsville Track will be hoping.
The Department for Transport admit they were a bit caught out by the speed at which water from Cooper Creek flowed, forcing the closure of the Track last week.
The ancient punt which is used to ferry travellers across the creek in the rare times when the track gets cut off just wasn’t in a fit state to be deployed in time … but it’s fingers crossed all round this morning.
Transport Department official Peter Short said a few days ago that the punt – which hasn’t been used in 20 years – should be ready.
"Obviously there's a lot of interest in it but there's no plans to break any champagne bottles over it or anything like that," he said. "We'll have it up and running as quick as we can - at this stage it'll be Tuesday and then we'll be going from there."
It seems that the satellite imagery and local information failed to help the Department predict just how quickly the water would flow over the track.
But pastoralists say it should have been prepared earlier with the knowledge that floodwaters would flow into outback SA from Queensland by winter.
And they are not the only ones upset by the goings on. Organisers of the Birdsville Races are concerned that the punt won’t be able to cope when the horses go under starter’s orders in September … and Cooper Creek is still expected to be in flood then.
Birdsville Race Club spokeswoman Lisa Pearson says the punt is simply not big enough to cater for traffic on the track.
"It's a punt, it's operated on cables - what we'd like to see is some sort of alternatives. There are a number of disused ferries sitting down, not being used, at the moment down on the Murray River," Ms Pearson said. "Is there a possibility that we could get one of those up onto the Cooper that would have a better capacity to deal with today's traffic?"
Ms Pearson says the punt will only take up to 40 cars a day.
"It takes a maximum of about 7.5 metres - which effectively is a four-wheel drive, so it'll take one vehicle at a time and it is approximately 20 minutes each way," she said.
"Anything that impacts on numbers really impacts on the whole community and it is events like the Birdsville Races that keep outback communities alive."
She says there are a lot of businesses who are really disappointed that there's such an antiquated response to the crossing of the Cooper on the Birdsville Track.
“You know when it happened last in 1990 - traffic was so different to what it is today,” she said. “There's been an enormous change in how people travel."
So, do you think the punt should go and a more efficient crossing method developed or is the current arrangement all part of Outback life and part of a grey nomad adventure? Email us here to share your thoughts.

June 7

Mother Nature's Fury
It is hard to imagine how terrifying it must have been for the residents of Lennox Head in general, and the campers at the caravan park in particular, when the tornado hit the town last week.
It truly is a miracle that no-one was killed in the freak weather event, which destroyed 12 houses, uprooted trees and powerlines and threw cars and caravans into the air.
The freak twister is said to have been 100 metres wide and generated wind speeds in excess of 150km/h.
Absolutely terrifying!
As bad luck would have it, some of the worst devastation occurred at the Lake Ainsworth Caravan Park where, early on, police and emergency workers feared a camper may have been killed in a crushed van. State Emergency Service staff called to the scene later found the caravan unoccupied. Apparently, two vans had been sandwiched together and destroyed by the force of the storm.
The cold hard fact of the matter is that when Mother Nature is that angry and that fast, after you have taken the basic safety measures, there is very little you can do other than to cross your fingers and hope for the best.
It’s a tactic that miraculously worked for Sydney couple, Dave and Allana Baigent, who faced up to the tornado in their two-man tent!
“At first we couldn’t believe what we were seeing … we heard the roar and thought what the hell is that?” Mrs Baigent told the Sunshine Coast News. “So we came out to look and saw the tornado coming over the roof of the house just across the road with everyone’s furniture and building materials swirling around in it.
“We couldn’t believe it. We had no time to do anything so we just held on to the tent and hoped for the best when suddenly it just turned left.”
The trail of destruction tells the rest of the story. Just metres from the Baigent’s camping site, caravans were picked up like toys and smashed into other vans while powerlines were downed and trees were ripped up.
Even Emergency Services Minister Steve Whan was apparently speechless – he took one look at the Baigent’s tent among overturned caravans and shook his head.
“I should ask them for advice on tying guy ropes,” he said. “I’ve done a bit of camping in my time but I doubt my tent would’ve fared that well.”
Mrs Baigent said her husband had added extra guy ropes the night before the storm but, having seen the tornado’s fury first-hand, she doubted that is what saved them!
“We were so lucky. Everyone keeps telling us to buy a lottery ticket,” she said.
While most of us – hopefully any of us – won’t ever have face a tornado or a cyclone in a tent, the events at Lennox Head do prove that sometimes a caravan or a motorhome can’t actually offer that much better protection than a piece of canvas!
The good news is that tornadoes in Australia are, thankfully, extremely rare although they have caused at least 41 deaths here.
Back in 1999, a tornado in the Perth suburb of East Fremantle brought wind gusts of more than 150 km/h. and left a trail of damage 50 metres wide and seven kilometres long.
In 1995, 34 people were injured and more than 100 homes, along with vehicles and other buildings, were damaged or destroyed when a tornado struck the NSW coastal township of Merimbula.
Of course a far more common event in Ausrtralia are tropical cyclones. On average, about 10 cyclones develop over Australian waters each year and around six of these cross the coast.
Tropical cyclones are mostly experienced in north west Australia between Exmouth and Broome in Western Australia and in north east Queensland between Port Douglas and Maryborough. The official tropical cyclone season runs from 1 November to 30 April with most occurring between December and April.
Be aware everybody and keep yourself informed. We are blessed with a magnificent climate for travelling in, but when it gets angry it can get very angry indeed.
What was the worst weather conditions you have had to face while camping? What advice would you give to anyone caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. Email us here to share.

June 4

Grey nomads of the world rise up ... they’re threatening to take away our Funny Dunny!
Yup, you heard right. The popular camping spot in the tiny Queensland fishing hamlet of Wunjunga, nestled near the sea halfway between Townsville and Bowen, is under threat.
As the Brisbane Courier-Mail reports, grey nomads have adopted the makeshift site with its eco-toilet and water tank as a must-stop destination on their travels up and down the state's east coast.
But has Funny Dunny Park now become a victim of its own success?
Although it has no official status as a caravan site, the camping spot has found its way into guide books and is said to be being overrun by long-term holidaymakers.
Now, it seems, some local residents have had enough and are saying they are fed up with their rates being used to fund other people’s cheap holidays. However, other locals are fighting to retain the donation-only entry fee because the tourists pump money into the local economy.
Hooray for the other locals!
The Courier-Mail reports however that Funny Dunny Park is also facing threats on other fronts.
Since it opened in the late 1990s, park management has been on an ad-hoc basis with a local resident generally acting as a volunteer to collect the donations and maintain the park.
Now, the sheer number of visitors is proving too much to handle.
At a meeting on May 8, the Wunjunga Progress Association, which has managed the park since it opened, voted to hand over control to Burdekin Shire Council.
Burdekin Mayor Lyn McLaughlin said the future of Funny Dunny Park will be discussed with local residents before a formal decision is made at a council meeting in late July or August.
"At the moment we're maintaining the status quo and that means volunteers will continue to maintain the park and there will be no time limits of the length of stay," she said. "Unfortunately this issue has divided the community down there so we need consultation with residents to see what they want.”
Gulp!
"We have to see what the community wants," said Lyn. “But it is my personal preference that Funny Dunny Park remains open without time restrictions.”
Hooray for Mayor Lyn.
And the Home Hill Chamber of Commerce has also written a letter of support urging the council to keep Funny Dunny Park open without time limits because of the economic boost tourists provide for the district.
Hooray for the Home Hill Chamber of Commerce!
The council will draw up its bylaws governing management of its parks after new local government laws are enacted in Parliament on July 1.
Email Burdekin Shire Council here burdekinsc@burdekin.qld.gov.au to tell them what you think about the prospect of saying farewell to Funny Dunny.
Has anyone got any favourite Funny Dunny memories. Email us here to help us pay tribute to a grey nomad icon!

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June 3

Baptism of Fear
The couple caught up in a bizarre but terrifying caravan ride in Adelaide earlier this week could easily be forgiven for giving up any aspirations of ever adopting the grey nomad lifestyle.
Indeed, the unlucky pair’s first journey in their new caravan is one they will wish to – but are unlikely to – forget.
The Adelaide News reports that the man and woman were at a dealership picking up their new Concept Ascot van when it was stolen by a car thief ... with the new owners trapped inside their pride and joy.
"They hopped in the back of the caravan with the sales manager for a demonstration of all of the equipment,” Senior Constable Rebecca Stokes told Adelaide Now. “However, they had inadvertently left the car keys in the ignition,"
A car thief then jumped in their car and drove off with all three people still in the caravan.
"The sales manager managed to jump clear but the couple were trapped inside as the offender crashed into another car but kept driving,” Senior Constable Stokes said. "He drove away from the scene at speed over kerbs. It was obviously a terrifying ride for the couple still trapped in the back of the caravan."
Wow! I should say so!
The thief eventually abandoned the car and the caravan and made his escape on foot, presumably leaving the couple to emerge from their van feeling dazed and shaken.
So, if you happen to bump into an ashen-faced pair with a slightly the worse-for-wear looking Concept Ascot at a camping area any time soon, please be nice ... they’ve had what you might call a baptism of fear into the caravanning lifestyle!
Do you remember your first-ever caravanning trip or have you had any on-the-road disasters? Email us here to share.

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June 2

Fun with the Sun
If you are one of the many grey nomads who are endlessly dizzied by the constant and ever-more-amazing technological innovations that are revolutionising the way we travel, then you had better look away now!
Of course, it’s all great stuff and it’s helping to make our life easier … but it’s sometimes hard to keep up isn’t it? No sooner have you got a mobile phone than you’ve got to have a satellite phone, no sooner have you got one of those oh-so-clever waterproof maps than you’ve got to get a GPS device, no sooner have you mastered your cigarette lighter electrical re-charging needs than you’ve got to get a solar panelled backpack.
Hang on! A what?
A solar panelled backpack!
Yup, a solar panelled back pack. Fresh out of the US of A, the Voltaic bags have tough, lightweight, waterproof solar panels embedded in them. The panels use high-efficiency mono-cristalline cells to charge electronic devices fast. Incredible!
Products such as ‘The Backpack’, ‘Converter’ and ‘Messenger’ produce 4 Watts, which means that one hour in the sun will power three hours of iPod play time or 1.5 hours of mobile phone talk time.
The top-of-the-range ‘Generator’ produces 15 Watts, powerful enough to extend laptop runtime by 2-4 hours from five hours of direct sun. It will also charge mobile  phones and most other hand-held electronics.
I don’t know. With the bags ranging from US $199 for the ‘Messenger’ to US$450 for the ‘Generator’, is this a genuine and affordable innovation that may make grey nomads question the need to carry a generators or go to the expense of installing van-top solar panels.
Email us your thoughts here. 

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June 1

Camels attacked
Broome’s iconic beach is about as magnificent a location as you can imagine. Despite its commercialisation in recent years, it can in many ways justifiably be labelled the grey nomads’ holy grail.
The fabled camel rides across those gorgeous white sands are of course very much a part of the idyllic picture. Imagine then, the horror of the ultimate Aussie travelling climax turning into the ultimate Aussie travelling nightmare.
I can’t imagine how terrifying it must have been for the group of tourists perched atop a train of massive camels, as two unleashed pit bull cross dogs attacked the ships of the desert. One woman and five camels were injured in the chaos that followed.
The injured woman, from the eastern states, was thrown off her animal as the dogs attacked and was later taken to hospital with suspected spinal and wrist injures.
Five camels were left with deep bite marks to their legs.
The Broome Shire said the dogs were not on leashes at the time.
Camel tour operator Samantha Cousins was leading the camel train when the dogs attacked and said it was distressing for everyone involved.
"I'm just thankful that more people didn't come off the camels," she said. "I know it has happened in the past and I think it's something where the Shire, the camel operators and the locals with dogs need to work together to ensure that it never happens again."
Shire Ranger Craig Burgess arrived at the scene minutes after the attack.
"It would be a very scary situation to be in, trying to control a line of camels with customers on the back, with dogs hassling the camels," he said. "It would be a pretty full-on thing to go through."
Too right, Craig!
Dogs are supposed to be kept under control at all times on Cable Beach.
The Shire is investigating before deciding if there will be a penalty for the dog owners.
Views anybody? Email us here.