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In this issue: •Couple take the van out of the Big Lap •Destination most fowl Is weight loss tearing us apart?

When Meg and Greg Fallon signed up to be caretakers at the Murrwullimbah Show-grounds campsite in north-ern New South Wales for 12 months, they felt like the lucki-est grey nomads in the world ... and then it started to rain! Having previously enjoyed a happy stint at the same venue, the couple who travel with dog Banjo in a 25’ Jayco Sterling, were understandably looking forward to organising commu-nal Happy Hours and enjoying the glorious sunsets with like-minded travellers.That was in late March, just before they felt the sting in the tail end of Cyclone Debbie.Although the site was pounded by torrential rain on March 28 and there was a bit of water about, the couple were still not fully aware of just how bad things were going to become although they did take some precautions.“In the morning there was a lot of water and we still had about eight vans in so we told them to all hook up and head up the hill,” said Meg. “We started moving stuff and putting it up and 10am we took our van up to the top of the hill, as well.”The entire camp spent the next few hours putting stuff up as

high as they could.“Last year when it flooded we put our van up behind the two-storey pavilion and we had been okay,” said Meg. “This time we had a couple of cars up there out of the way and Alan the trust secretary said ‘Meg I think you need to move those cars. I think it is going to be a bit higher this time’ ... that sent alarm bells ringing!”All of the drenched campers slept well knowing they were safe but the next morning when they went outside and looked down the hill, all they could see were rooves.“It was quite scary,” said Meg. “We put a couple of gazebos up

‘The flood was horrific but the way campers pulled

together was just amazing’

Issue 150: June 30, 2017

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and called it our command post where we ate and socialised as we were all stuck up there together and couldn’t go any-where for about three days.”As often happens when adver-sity strikes, the crisis brought out the best in human nature and helped forge some special bonds.“We had a lovely little com-munity up on the hill and al-though none of us really knew each other to begin with, we all became the best of friends,” said Meg. “It is amazing in time of emergency how people pull together and we worked, socialised and ate together without any problems ... it was

High and not dryTimes

just a fantastic atmosphere.”There was so much water, no one could get down to start cleaning for about a week and a half. The eight vans that went to the top of the hill became the cleaning crew. “Everyone pitched in and helped and boy did we need help ... there was just so much hosing scrubbing and then hosing again as the mud just stuck,” said Meg. “We all worked damn hard and I believe that, after we leave here, we will still have these wonderful people in our lives ... we have been very lucky to have known them.”Click to comment

Campers anxiously monitor rising waters (far left). Meg and Greg with Banjo (left). The park went under (top).

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The lap with no vanWhile for most grey nomads, the big rig dilemma is whether to get a caravan, a motorhome or a fifth wheeler for the Big Lap, there are a few who are prepared to think completely outside the box.As retired accountants An-nette and Ray Crofts sat down to plan their long-term adven-ture, they quickly concluded that the traditional grey nomad modes of transport just didn’t add up. So, when they set off in January this year for an odyssey expected to last 9-12 months, they were very much doing it ‘their way’.Having initially looked at buy-ing a 24’ van with all the home comforts, the couple had something of an epiphany.“We looked at the numbers and reviewed the pros and cons of the costs and took into account the stress involved in towing something this large around,” said Ray. “Then we looked at the cost of purchas-ing the van and then the tow vehicle and added the running costs ... and then we started to look for alternatives.”After a lot of research, the former bean counters decided that staying in motels, apart-ments, cottages and cabins would be more suited to their travel requirements.“While this at first looks an ex-pensive way of travelling, it is

in fact very economical when fuel and maintenance costs are factored in,” said Ray. “The proviso is that you self-cater most of the time ... it’s abso-lutely amazing what you can do with just a microwave!”The couple carries some food and utensils and says that some motels even have a kitchenette, while apartments and cabins, which generally cost $10-$20 a night more, tend to have a full kitchen.Travelling in a VW Passat station wagon with a 2-litre Turbo diesel engine, the cou-ple has travelled over 20,000 kilometres so far.“This has proven to be ex-tremely comfortable and very fuel efficient, averaging 5.6 litres per 100 kilometres,” said Ray. “Despite not having the end of the day meeting point you get with caravanning, we have enjoyed many good times and conversations with people we have met on the road, and we have met all sorts of inter-esting people.”Having been across the Nul-larbor, through parts of South

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Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales, the grey nomads with a difference, are cur-rently in Queensland and are planning to reach Darwin by mid-July.“We have had a couple of not so good experiences with caravan park cabins, and the accommodation offered on the Nullarbor is a joke,” said Ray. “We have found that we need to book a few days ahead in most places to ensure we get the standard of accommoda-tion we like.”However, travelling without a caravan or motorhome doesn’t mean Ray and Annette don’t run into the same issues as traditional grey nomads.“We have the usual tussles with me as driver not listening to my navigator, although I am getting better the further we travel,” admits Ray. “And we have learnt to be flexible with where we are going and not be afraid to suddenly change direction to get better weather or to see something different of interest.”Click to comment

Issue 150: June 30, 2017

Star-spotting grey nomads are a rarityGrey nomads may be star-struck by the beauty of the Outback skies ... but there doesn’t seem to be many budding astronomers hiding in Big Lap caravans and motorhomes.Some 48.5% of respondents to our recent GNT poll on the issue confessed that they couldn’t identify any of the constellations twinkling overhead; while 39.2% could name between one and three; and just 12.3% could name more.“I just squeak in with Orion’s Belt, the Big Dipper, Scorpius and the Southern Cross,” said Oliver G. “But that is definitely my lot!” Edna C was even more sheepish.“I feel a bit ashamed to admit this but, other than the Moon, I haven’t really got a clue what I’m looking at,” she said. “And I spend just about every night star-ing upwards ... it’s beautiful, though.”Another traveller earning no stars for astronomical knowledge was Dominic J.“I guess it’s a case of too much Tequila and not enough telescope out there,” he said. “But that’s all about to change ... watch this space!”

Click to comment

Ray and Annette choose to stay in motels rather than in a van

Couple calculated that van-less travel was cheaper and easier

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Birds of a featherOne of the things most likely to annoy grey nomads enjoy-ing the solitude of camping in the bush is when other travel-lers arrive and — seemingly inexplicably — park almost on top of them.On many occasions, this oc-curs in places where there is plenty of space for all.“I have got absolutely no idea what the thought process is,” says long-term traveller, Alex B. “If you’re out in the bush on your own you’re obviously not looking for a close neighbour ... it really annoys me when people just appear and destroy your whole experience.”Most speculate that the behav-iour is rooted in a traveller’s over-inflated sense of their own ‘interestingness’, or a fear of being too isolated and pre-sumably vulnerable to attack by crazed camp invaders.Academics say this ‘flock-ing behaviour’ can definitely be seen in the way travellers move together in approxi-mately the same direction, much the same as many bird species. Flocks are an example of self-organised behaviour in a group and properties similar to those observed in flocks might also explain some of the dynamics of human groups.“The essential idea here is that, in order to reduce one’s risk of being caught, it is better to be in a group than alone, so that, if a predator like a killer, or a

robber is around, it is more likely that its victim be anyone else,” said Vicenç Quera, a Professor at the University of Barcelona who is a leading expert on adaptive behaviour.He told the GNT that, in these circumstances, the appar-ent gregariousness of close-parking newcomers was not motivated by bringing benefits to the group as a whole.“Instead, it increases the prob-ability of every individual to be safe at the expense of some other individual being a vic-tim,” he said. “As for the camp-ers that prefer to camp alone, maybe it’s because they don’t perceive danger; or maybe because they are not selfish!”It was actually back in 1971, that evolutionary biologist William ‘Bill’ Hamilton first came up with the ‘selfish herd

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Issue 150: June 30, 2017

Flocking may not be just a bird phenomenon

Nomads in Brief

Caravan rolloverA caravanner who swerved to miss a stationary car on the Bruce Highway near Bluewater in Queensland had a lucky escape after the van jackknifed and rolled. The towing vehicle remained upright, and there were no injuries.

Park blazeTwo people were evacu-ated from a caravan after it became engulfed in flames at the Hibiscus Gardens Cara-van Park in West Ballina, New South Wales. The van was completely destroyed in the inferno, and a nearby caravan was also evacuated as a safety precaution. No one was injured.

Southern crocsTwo new crocodile sight-ings at Poona, 35 kilometres south of Maryborough in Queensland, have been re-ported to the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection. All crocodiles found south of the Boyne River at Gladstone are considered outside tradi-tional croc territory and are targeted for removal.

Lancelin plansExperience Holiday Parks has been chosen to redevelop the Lancelin Caravan Park in WA. The company will invest $5 million. Improvements will include new cabins, and ablution and camper kitchen facilities, as well as a heated swimming pool, and an adventure playground.

Ever wondered why some travellers camp on top of you? Flocking behaviour!

theory’ which said friendly-seeming groupings were actually more to do with self preservation.And, for grey nomads who want to apply these principles to their travelling behaviour, they may want to park even more centrally in future. Mr Hamilton says the preda-tion risk is always greatest on the periphery and decreases toward the centre. Therefore, dominant animals obtain low-risk central positions, while subordinate animals are forced into high-risk outer positions.“I’m happy to be subordinate if that’s what gets me away from the annoying flockers,” said grey nomad, Alex B. “Being on the periphery of the camping hordes suits me just fine ... the more peripheral the better.” Click to comment

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Are non-self contained grey nomads discriminated

against? The verdict is in!

What constitutes self-con-tained? If it means containing grey, black and everything in between in the vehicle, then so be it. However, how does this differ from the guy pulling up in his campervan or caravan not equipped internally for self containment, but pitches his portable tent for his toilet cassette, catches his grey water by bucket, which is disposed of on the shrubs/lawn that haven’t seen water for weeks? It appears to some, that unless the cassette is maintained in the RV, it’s not self contained. Isn’t it about making sure wastes are contained, not how this is managed?

Kevin & Melinda SI believe there is enough impe-tus (and profit) from grey no-mads for councils to provide more free-camping sites with toilets/showers. The End!

Peter MI use a 25-litre plastic drum and, when full, I empty it on a tree. But just to let the grey water run out onto the ground, say in showground camps is not a good idea. It stinks and it’s unsightly. I recently had a grey water tank fitted to my van. It holds 60 litres and I empty it at the dump point. Money well spent, I think.

John OWhen not self-contained, eve-ryone else has to live with the

waste on the ground. Waste on the ground often invites ver-min to the campsite. Facilities like long drop toilets and water require someone employed to maintain which means a cost has to be borne by the camper. Owners of self-contained have already paid for the facility in their rig. Comply or miss out.

Arma GIt is evident that an element of our Australian RV/camping/caravanning community is contributing to an elitist segre-gation of travellers who cannot afford the very high cost of fully-self-contained vehicles. Obviously, the practical matter of disposing of ‘black’ waste anywhere in Australia must be addressed vigorously ... but since when was grey water deemed to be ecologically dan-gerous to Australian flora?

PiktasIt’s the old, old story of a few spoiling it for the majority by running grey water into common areas, and not onto

trees and plants that could use it. The only thing worse than paddling through someone’s grey water is paddling through black water!

George K (Sparky)Does self-contained mean all water from the van goes into holding tanks, including toilet waste (black water) and dish-washing, shower water, wash machine water (grey water), or does self-contained mean just black water? We have a grease trap and grey water tank at home on acreage, and use it to water the gardens. Everything seems to be thriving!

Pieter D KNon self-contained nomads travel in the vehicle they have chosen, so someone like me who spent the money on a self-contained rig shouldn’t feel sorry for them! You have to live the way you choose to. If you want to stay in self-contained camps buy a self contained rig ... it’s that easy.

Frank H

When in drought we are en-couraged to use grey water on the garden and lawns, so why is this water-saving initiative being discouraged? When we camp, we have a plastic mesh bag attached to our sullage water hose to stop any food scraps escaping and move the hose around to shrubs, trees etc.

Danny BA line has to be drawn some-where. What about the back-packers with no facilities at all? I have seen the faeces and used toilet paper they leave behind. Are they being discriminated against when shepherded into paid camping with facilities? I think not. We cannot pollute the campsites ... to do so will penalise everybody.

Jan WWe have a self-contained caravan but feel that local authorities are missing the point by choosing a simplistic ‘self-contained only’ discrimi-nation approach. Behaviour and protection of the environ-ment is the most important thing. Yes, self-contained is desirable; meaning black and grey water retention and carry out everything brought in, but for local authorities to provide basic composting/drop toilet facilities and some sullage disposal should be economi-cally feasible. By attracting and not discriminating between travellers, the locals will gain more visitors and will reap the rewards.

Stewart G

Issue 150: June 30, 2017

A huge thanks to Russell Ward from Ballarat for sending in this image of Mount Isa, ‘a mighty mining town’. Have you got a pic you would like to share with GNT readers? Email us here.

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Those grey nomads without the latest RVs are made to feel like second-class citizens and many are the originals who were out there travelling when many others refused to ‘rough it’. Toilets and showers in RVs are a recent phenomenon. All these smaller units create is a bit of washing up dishwater, or water from a sponge bath. For those without a Porta Potti, a shovel does the job. It’s the travellers with the high water use ‘Gin Palaces’ who don’t bother to use dump points etc that are really the culprits.

Greg O (Inland Sailor)The vast majority of country caravan parks actually ‘encour-age’ campers to run their grey water out and around the trees. Lush green grasses abound where peoples’ grey water has been. Of course, if you are camped right next to a creek or river bank you need to watch where your grey water goes.

Steve PPerhaps a part solution would be to insist on all vehicles hav-ing a containment system for black waste as a very mini-mum. It is a simple matter to have a length of plastic pipe to store the waste until a suitable disposal spot is reached.

Phil EEven people who use portable grey water storage get turned away. I would much rather grey water on the ground than the rubbish left behind by many of the fully-equipped units.

Robyn RWe have a self-contained caravan and yet many RV stops specify ‘motorhomes only’, presuming they are the only vehicles that are self-contained. I have seen motorhomes camped dripping oil. I wonder which is worse to the environ-ment ... grey water or oil!

Joan & Laurie H

Backpackers and all non self-contained travellers often don’t carry shovels to bury anything. Trying to solve a problem has to start somewhere and turning those away who don’t have the ability to carry out everything they carry in is an extremely good start. I just wish they would police it better.

Greg CAfter many non self-contained RVs, we now own a fully self-contained caravan. The sheer cost to purchase one of these has risen beyond the $100k mark, making it out of reach for many. The manufactur-ers of the current non self-contained RVs should look at low cost ways to make their vehicles self contained to reach a minimum requirement. We don’t want to create a division between ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’.

Alex & Connie

I have made the financial commitment to purchase a self-contained vehicle as it was obvious to me 10 years ago we could not continue travelling without such a vehicle. Admit-tedly, though, some people in self-contained vehicles don’t do the right thing ... but they are in the minority.

Neil B

I have a screw cap on my grey water outlet. The internal piping holds 15 litres, enough for overnight dishes and hand wash. The rangers look at the cap and presume it is self contained. I empty it at my next stop.

TerryWe have stayed in many free camps and found the toilet paper and rubbish dumped ap-palling. We think the councils need to understand and rate the value of grey nomads trav-elling through their regions and set up at least minimal ‘long drop’ facilities.

Liz SSurely, if a camper trailer car-ries a black water storage unit (Portaloo) and disposes of the black water at designated dump point they are on par with the 67% of caravans that do not have grey water storage facilities and never will have!

Kerry BIf you can’t abide by a camp-site’s rules, stay away and go somewhere you are allowed. I have a fully self-contained motorhome, but I don’t start crying ‘discrimination’ when caravan parks or national parks won’t let us in because we travel with a small dog.

Jess C

We take our rubbish with us, we don’t empty our Porta Potti illegally, and grey water is minimal and is filtered when absorbed through the soil to ground water. Educate the masses, don’t penalise the few!

Peter RWe care for the environment and only leave footprints.We too deserve a place in the free camp. We too have paid our dues and deserve a place beside you. After all, we are all on a common goal, to see Australia on a budget.

Grahame MThis is a ruse to stop nomads from camping for free. Once grey water has been stored in tanks for more than an hour it becomes toxic but, if imme-diately released, will do little damage to the environment.

Geoff HThere is definitely a divide between large RVs and the modest caravanner/camper. Try seeing how many RV driv-ers wave at the lowly camper!

Jill WI have a 12’ Millard 1978 cara-van that I have rebuilt. There is no room for anything like self containment. However, I can run waste water from my sink into a 20-litre bottle for one or two nights. I can have a sponge down in my van with a small amount of water that goes into the bottle. I always take my rubbish out with me. Why am I being discriminated against?

Fred W We cannot afford a van with an ensuite and have as much right to be out on the road as those with huge ‘you beaut’ set-ups. We are very concerned this ruling is going to put a stop to our travels. Being wholly on a pension due to hubby having to retire through ill health, we have nothing extra to rely on.

Cheryl

Issue 150: June 30, 2017

Lucky Bay in Cape Le Grand National Park, WA. My favourite pic represents everything that is iconic about Australia ... pristine white sand, invitingly blue water, clear blue skies, red dirt and a kangaroo. It doesn’t get more Australian that that!

Gail F (Fishcakesfisher)

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Issue 150: June 30, 2017

Re: GNT Gold and Gems special edition. It certainly sounds like a lot of fun and adventure to be out there looking for gold or gems and, while the thrill of the search is really what it’s re-ally all about, friends of ours just dug up a lovely four-and-a-half ounce nugget! It was valued at $6,500 and it was their first big success in many years of gold digging. The site where they found it? All they would tell us was that it was somewhere near Sandstone in Western Australia.

Judy & Ben GThere’s nothing better than sitting on the edge of the water shaking the sieves and seeing what you can find. Prospecting and panning led us to some beautiful places on our travels and allowed us to meet some amazing people. It slowed us down and we spent time in places we wouldn’t have normally have visited. Although we didn’t find anything of value we will continue to ‘have a go’.

Bev Y

Discovering the joys of treasure hunting

Re: Sneak thieves (GNT: 149). This is always on my mind when we leave the van behind and it is only by the grace of God we haven’t had a similar misadventure.

Peter SUnfortunately, security sys-tems with cameras and digital video recorders may become a necessity to be able to provide the police with the evidence to put the ratbags away. A good reminder to us all, that we still need to put secure dead locks on our vans etc.

Jason FRe: first-aid kits (GNT: 149) We have several kits. The ‘big one’ is the first thing packed into our van. It is really a med-icine chest comprising all the items in the article’s check list, plus lots more including our medicines and copies of the ’scripts. Add to that a range of painkillers like Paracetamol and some Flexigel/Dencorub, along with anti-diarrhoea stuff and some laxatives etc. I have a small ‘first aid’ type kit in the glovebox of both of my vehicles with a first-aid booklet and multi-knife. We regularly restock, and replace ageing stuff.

Graham CTravellers, should carry two or three strong crepe compres-sion bandages at least 75mm wide x 2m long for snake bites. Better still, two or three ‘Setopress’ bandages – which are 100mm wide x 3.5m long (around $19 each). Many of the bandages found in first-aid kits are not really suitable for snake bite wrapping. And, of course, learn how to use them!

Dale CCPR training is an important tool for people, too.

Noel & Mary D In addition to a first-aid kit, we also take my Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT)

from the aircraft as an ad-ditional safety aid. Mobile phone coverage is useless in a lot of the Outback, and an ELT registered with Austral-ian Maritime Safety Authority for around $300 or less, will provide accurate location to emergency services if needed.

Johno We carry a first-aid kit, and my wife does a full first-aid course every two years

Robert CRe: Dog dilemma (Jaclyn & Heidi: GNT 149). Our dogs hated vanning, so we delayed for a few years until they passed and then headed off. Chip may just need time to settle and others may also be happy to dog sit while you enjoy a national park. Ros AWaited for 30 years to get rid of the kids so you could be free, and then saddled yourself with a worse problem! Not too late to realise your mistake and find it another home. Tony L Totally agree with Heidi. What a selfish and ‘poor me’ attitude. We are currently on the road with our three little four-legged loved ones and wouldn’t have it any other way. I do hope the poor dog does find another home with

someone who deserves him ... because she doesn’t.

Phil EWe were in the same situa-tion and found a loving home environment where we leave our Jack Russell for $20 a day. Yes it costs, but she is so well looked after. We are about to do a three-month trip and it will cost us $1400, but she is worth every penny!

JillI couldn’t have expressed it better, Heidi. I hope she fol-lows your advice and finds the little guy a genuine caring home – the sooner the better.

TonyRe: Innamincka (Great Places: GNT 149). A book produced by Australian Geographic in about 1995 titled “Corner Country” gives a lot of de-tailed advice re places to visit all around these areas. Well worth the read. Christopher TRe: solar cooker (Gadget: GNT 149). We would abso-lutely love to have one of these. We are full-time grey nomads and currently have both a gas stove in our ‘van and a portable gas stove that runs off small gas bottles that are a nuisance to buy and store. The SolSource sounds ideal!

Peter B

Re: theft from my motorhome (GNT: 149). I’m happy to report that our Sunliner has now been repaired after thieves damaged the door. We have now set off on Grey Nomad Tour Part 2 ... Yay!

Brian Foster

Phone: 9187 0199

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Rock-a-bye nomads on the tug’s rooftop!

What do you get the gadget-loving grey nomad who has everything? How about a ve-hicle rooftop hammock? Yup. Finally, the missing piece to the Big Lap jigsaw! Why did no one think of it before?First question ... why? Well, besides the ‘because we can’ answer, the most plausible explanation is that it can offer elevated – and there-fore superior – views of your magical surrounds. Also, what on Earth would you do if you had the overwhelming urge to slump in a hammock and there were no suitable trees to rig up to?The TrailNest collapsible roof-top hammock is the an-swer to all of these problems ... and probably many more. The hammock stands secure to the vehicle roof rails and offer dual collapsible arms for stringing up the hammock. The hammock stand has an integrated floor which dou-bles as a roof rack when you are driving.The second question is generally ... how the Dickens am I going to get up there without breaking my neck? The answer is a nifty-looking

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telescoping ladder which actually may not inspire much confidence in any grey nomad with even a smidgeon of a self-preservation instinct.No word from TrailNest on whether there are any plans to develop a hydraulic lift for their more risk-averse customers.And the third question is often ... it looks like fun but wouldn’t it be better if I could share the experience? Well, as well as a couple of single

hammock options, TrailNest offers a double hammock that can be mounted on two stands. Each hammock will hold up to 113.4 kg, and ap-parently will not buckle or dent your roof.The single hammock set-ups start at US$349 and the dou-bles cost $839. The telescop-ing ladder will set you back another $US99.• Can you see yourself chilling out in a rooftop hammock?Click to comment

Issue 150: June 30, 2017

Relax on top of your car via a telescopic ladder ... in a roof hammock (above). Rooftop views (left)

Last week’s picture puzzle winner was Paul V.

QUIZ CORNER

Win 2 grey nomad bumper stickers!

Email the solution to the picture puzzle. Winner drawn from entries and announced in Issue 151.

Motorhome

Do You Know1. Groan Rang Cover (anagram). Gorgeous destination in Queens-land’s central highlands famed for its towering sandstone cliffs.

2. The QLD town of Ravenshoe was named ...?

a) ... after Henry Kingsley’s novel, Ravenshoe ... a copy of which was found discarded in the area by a survey party. b) ... when explorer Edward Riddlestone mistook the large black crows in the area for the ravens of his English homeland. c) ... in honour of the vessel HMS Ravenshoe which played a prominent role in Lord Horatio Nelson’s famed victory in the Battle of Trafalgar.

3. I am travelling directly between the small Queensland towns of Blackbutt and Wood-ford. Which highway am I on?

4. Shortest road distance between the Queensland towns of Augath-ella and Longreach.a) 271km b) 356km c) 433km5. A glance in the mirror would reveal the true identity of NT fishing mecca, Aloolorrob.

CLUE: Too many grey nomad acci-dents! Is this part of the answer?

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Fowl play for nomads

At first glance, the tiny South Australian township of Fowl-ers Bay may appear fairly un-remarkable, its location on the eastern edge of the Nullarbor Plain makes it an immensely memorable stopping point for travel-weary grey nomads.As with many Australian des-tinations, there is a lot more to this spot some 900 kilometres north-west of Adelaide, than initially meets the eye. As well as its impressive jetty and scat-tered ruins hinting at a more prosperous past, Fowlers Bay boasts an amazing and simply huge sand dune that protects it from the Southern Ocean, pristine beaches, and it is a superb place from which to observe migrating whales.The township, known as Yal-ata until a 1940 name change, was once a relatively bustling port with a court house, police station, school, whaling sta-tion, post office, and a pub with a serious Wild West-style reputation. The Globe Hotel opened for business in 1892. However, times changed and Fowlers Bay fell into decline in the late 1950s and 1960s and, one by one, its businesses and services closed. Evidence of this decline is both visible and palpable. Despite a steady stream of tourists which keeps a caravan park and kiosk in business, there is a definite ghost town feel in the air.

The Fowler’s Bay coastline was named by Matthew Flinders in 1802 in honour of his First Lieutenant, Robert Fowler, as they charted the area together aboard the HMS Investigator. The ocean nearby was popular with whaling ships back in the day, and the area is also no-table because it was amongst the sandhills here that Edward John Eyre set up a depot in 1841 prior to his famous crossing of the Australian continent. For history buffs, there are many interesting sites around, including a monument recall-ing the arrival of Matthew Flinders, and the remains of some early settlement public buildings and cottages. The ruins of the homestead of the Yalata station can be found just out of town, as can a small cemetery.As well as the massive sand dunes, most visitors enjoy viewing the rugged 30-metre cliffs close by and, of course,

throwing a line in. For grey nomads who enjoy a bit of luck from the jetty or the headlands, anything from Mulloway and Whiting to Tommy Ruff and Trevally could be on the menu.The other big attraction is spotting the Southern Right whales which return to nurs-ery grounds in the waters of the head of the Great Australi-an Bight from June to October each year. There’s a whale observation deck telescope on the Esplanade, and the Head of Bight Whale observation platform is about 150 kilome-tres to the west. While grey nomads will discover hundreds of beautiful places with fascinating histories on their Big Lap, there is something about Fowlers Bay which makes it stand out from the very special ‘crowd’. It’s different ... in a good way!

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Issue 150: June 30, 2017

Behind you! Sand dunes dominate the Fowlers Bay landscape Pic: Kerry Raymond

Website highlights

Convoy concernsRecently our websitewww.thegreynomads.com.au reported that there has been a spate of terrible caravan accidents, and grey nomad Wally S nearly saw another one. But he knows exactly who would have been to blame. Click here to read more

Other website must-reads:Unhitching horrorFreak accident kills vanner

David V GoliathFarmer in campsite fight

Boring Litchfield?Plans to make park ‘sexy’

Campers’ shameFury over lack of respect

SURVEYHave you seen caravan

convoys ‘behaving badly’?

YES NO

the Times Your news and views? Email us at thetimes@thegreynomads.com.au

Page 9

Dear Jaclyn and Heidi,Taking the Big Lap has com-pletely changed my outlook on life, but I’m worried the ‘new me’ is growing apart from my ‘still-the-same’ wife. Terri and I are both in our early 60s and enjoyed a very active social life. In our cases, that meant we put on a lot of weight. When we started the trip 18 months ago, I weighed 120kg. We decided we were going to use the Big Lap to change things. I must admit I became a little obsessed with it and now weigh 90kg. I run four times a week, do push-ups, don’t drink, and I feel fantastic. Unfortunately, Terri gave up her fitness campaign very quickly and has probably gone the other way. She still en-joys her raucous Happy Hours and ‘good’ food. I know it’s not fair because that was me a little while ago, but I just feel almost angry when I see her. What can I do?

Ron

Food for thought First of all, well done on your efforts, Ron. However, I understand that the fact Terri hasn’t shared the journey with you takes a little bit of an edge off things. I think it impor-tant that you appreciate that not everybody has the same mental strength as you do and also that not everybody’s body reacts in the same way. Instead of looking at her failures, praise her successes, however minor in comparison to yours. She doesn’t have to become a super athlete or look like a model to take baby steps in improving her health. She is obviously ‘reacting’ to your changes by going in the opposite direction. I suspect she is feeling a little confused because, as you say, it is her husband of decades who has changed dramatically while she has stayed the same! Communication is the issue here, not weight loss. Talk to her, Ron.

Jaclyn

Ron. You and Terri started this journey together and, at some stage, you went in different directions. You bear the responsibility for that marriage-threatening situation as much as she does. A chain is only as strong as its weak-est link and you should not so easily have left her behind. Don’t get me wrong, I admire your determination and what you have done to improve your health. However, there was some point where your ‘obses-sive’ approach made it seem like a competition to Terri and she felt bad when she couldn’t match your progress. How do you think she was feeling when you were losing kilos and she wasn’t? The woman you pro-fess to love found losing weight harder than you did. But your judgemental, sanctimonious, attitude makes me suspect that you also lost something a lot more valuable than a few kilograms.

HeidiClick to comment

Issue 150: June 30, 2017

CLASSIFIEDS

DISCLAIMER: The Grey Nomad Times team is not responsible for any sale, trade, or other transactions between vendors and vendees or advertisers and respondents. All parties enter into transactions at their own risk.

The $3.25 million repair job which finally gives motorists access to Tasmania’s Walls of Jerusalem National Park again following devastating floods last year is complete. The opening of Fish River Bridge was the last piece of the jigsaw. A total of 352 roads were dam-aged in the floods, with some sections entirely lost. During the repairs, the area could be accessed from the Central Plateau but the walking area is only suitable for experienced hikers.

FOR SALE

Walls of Jerusalem opens to motorists

the Times Your news and views? Email us at thetimes@thegreynomads.com.au

Page 10

CLASSIFIEDS TAMWORTH, NSWFarm sitter wanted for our 1400 acre prop-erty 50km north of Tamworth, between Bendemeer and Manilla in North East NSW during the Term 2 school holidays, 1.7.17 to 15.7.17. We currently have 65 cows calving, chooks, dogs, cats, and a vegeta-ble patch that will need tending while we are away. Click here.***HUMPTY DOO, NTHousesitters wanted to park up on our 5 acre property in Humpty Doo NT (Darwin’s rural area) from now until the 1st Aug 2017. You will need to have your own caravan/motorhome. Power and water is available. There is a lovely saltwater pool to use. On the property is a large shed and carport to park in or under if your van fits. The property is a 7min drive to a small shopping complex. Click here.***ATHERTON TABLELANDS, QLDOur property is at Mungalli, which is just 10 minutes drive from the famous Millaa Millaa waterfalls. We operate a native rain-forest fruit orchard and have a small beef cattle herd and have 2 happy dogs.Dates we need sitters for are 10 -23 July but a couple of days either side is preferred. Sitters would stay in our house as our 1.6km driveway is 4×4 only and it would not be sensible to bring a caravan down the hill, but there is space to park a caravan at our entrance (it is secure). Click here.***ROCKHAMPTON, QLDVolunteer farm sitters required on out-skirts of Rockhampton, Qld for working farm of 270 acres from 4/10/17 to 23/10/17.Require approx. 30 mins per day to clean controlled grain feeders for cattle, plus water roses, feed dogs, check water troughs and shift sprinklers. Plenty of parking with electricity, water, shower, toilet and washing machine. Only tank water. No pets please. Click here.***BOONAH, QLDFarm sitting required from 6th Aug to 20th Aug. 46 acre farm with sheep, chooks, cattle and 4 border collie dogs, some of which are working sheep dogs. Job re-quires exercise and feeding dogs, feeding chooks, making sure sheep are in their enclosure at night and let out in daytime. Use of house bathroom if required. Farm is at Frenches Creek. Click here.***MUNGAR, QLDHousesitters wanted for Mungar Qld house. 2 dogs and few sheep gardens to water. Prefer live in caravan with access to house. Dates 23 Oct to 20 Nov 2017 with before and after time flexible. Click here.***LONGREACH, QLDLooking for a farm sitter for anywhere from 2 weeks to a few months. House, power, phone, internet, fuel, vehicle (Hilux Ute) all supplied. In return for 10 hours per week in unpaid time to look after the garden and keep the place tidy. This would mainly be gardening including pull-ing a few weeds, planting a few shrubs, mowing the lawn, getting some pot plants going and keeping the surrounds of the house and sheds tidy. We are “absentee owners” and come and go about once per month for a week or two. You would not be “tied” to the place so can come and go as it suits you. Some casual paid work is available. Happy to host multiple couples if you are travelling as a group as there’s plenty of room. House is fully screened and air-conditioned. Click here.

Issue 150: June 30, 2017

Various LOCATIONS IN AUSTRLAIACALLING ALL RETIREE”S. JOLLY SANTA’S REQUIRED to work in Major Shopping Centre’s across Australia in-cluding Darwin plus some regional area’s. $27.50 plus an hour. Must be available for 4-6 hour shifts 5+ days per work through Nov-Dec. Full paid training, costume & drycleaning provided. Valid WWCC also required. Please email Margaret at margaret@scenetobelieve.com or call Margaret on 0412 755 181.

HELP WANTED

PROPERTY SALE

OODNADATTA TRACK STATION, SACaretaker Couple for Outback Cattle Sta-tion. Family owned cattle station situated on the Oodnadatta Track in the far north of South Australia; seeking an active caretaker couple to commence beginning of July 2017. The position would involve cooking for 3-5 people and cleaning/ main-taining the homestead area and garden. Wage negotiable. This position would ideally suit a traveling couple with own caravan. Click here.

***BROOME, WACARETAKERS WANTED for tidy 5 acre property 20 klms out of Broome on sealed road. Suit caravanners. Free powered site and en-suite in exchange for 2 hours a day gardening /maintenance duties. Friendly pets welcome. Click here.

***GERALDTON, WAOur home is situated in the mid west of WA in the town of Geraldton. The area is semi rural and quiet with easy access to the city centre. I am looking for a couple to park their van in the garden. You will be welcome to use the bathroom and laundry in the house. Easy care dog to look after along with three chooks and garden to keep tidy. Sept 1st til Sept 10th. Click here.

***CHEYNES, WATakeaway Staff wanted. This posi-tion would suit a couple. We require experienced staff to run our takeaway at Cheynes Beach Caravan Park. The takea-way is open September to April, weekends and during school holidays. The suc-cessful couple will be required to run the takeaway without supervision. There is also a small amount of catering for small tour groups. The successful couple will require their own caravan, a free site is included in the remuneration package. Dates: Sept 2017 – Apr 2018. Click here.

***PARABURDOO CATTLE STATION, WA Seeking experienced and qualified Primary Teacher for WA Term 3, hoping to commence around 20th July with some flexibility for right person. Position is based on a remote cattle station, 135km from Paraburdoo and is live-in with wage, single accom or caravan parking and food provided. Property has Telstra 3G/4G Mobile coverage at several quarters. The students are in Year 2 and Year 5 with School of the Air, and position involves delivering a Set Work program and super-vising Air Lessons. Hours are 8am – 3pm, no provision of meals or after hours care required. Extra support is also available where required in schoolroom.Click here.

***

WARRAGUL, VICLooking for a house sitter and dog sitter from 22/7 to 13/8. Have a old small 12 year old fur baby that needs to be cared for. He is very active and requires a minimum of 3km walk daily. Our house is a new small cottage style house. 3 bedroom and 2 bathroom with a small self sufficient cot-tage garden. Click here.***TAREE, NSWHouse sitter wanted to look after our prop-erty from 27th July to about 3rd of August (can stay a bit longer if you like) . Property is located at Tinonee which is near Taree in NSW. Must have your own van. We have outside toilet, and power and water. Just feed our four cats and four horses while we are away. Click here.

FOR SALE PROPERTY RENT

HOUSESITTING