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In this issue: •Virtual Big Lap •What to do with ‘Lucky’? •Go green in the Gold Coast

‘Booze ban an over-reaction’ GNT readers

Not all truckies are perfect, nor are all vanners, but if we work together, it will be a safer and more pleasant trip for all. Please understand that loaded trucks do not accelerate like cars. We need lots of room to speed up, to slow down and to get around corners, so we cannot simply pull out and put our foot down and pass you in 200 metres. We will try to pick the safest place, some will flash you just to ensure you understand and know they are coming round and the closer you are to the speed limit, or if you slow down at the last minute so we lose any momentum, the harder it will be to get safely past you. For those turning right into a rest area or little used road, firstly radio communication is the best, by calling a truck behind you and letting them know you are looking for a small turn-off ahead. Without a radio there are two

choices ... indicate left and move off to the left if possible to let the truck past before you turn, or indicate right (but not too early) and slow and consider moving over to the right hand side of the road – if safe – as this will show the truckie what you are doing and prevent them thinking you are suggesting they pass. All this depends on the terrain and if you know where the turn actually is.All we ask, is that you un-derstand we are working to deliver the goods for you and all Australians and you are having a lovely holiday and we both want to get there safely ... we just have more rules and regulations and laws to comply with than you do.If you have a UHF radio fitted, we will not know, unless you have a sign on the vehicle or if you call us. Calling as we are

Let the good times – and the booze – keep flowing in our national parks ... and so says the majority of grey nomadsSome 77.5% of respondents to our recent GNT poll on the issue said an alcohol ban would be an over-reac-tion to recent drink-related dramas.Noel articulated the sentiments of many. “The actions of one idiot should not impact on others who do the right thing,” he said.Perrins had an alternative solution. “Idiots should be banned,” he suggested.And Graeme A focussed more on the logistical prob-lems of any plan to stop travellers drinking.“The only way to ensure they aren’t sitting in their vans having a drink is to physically search each vehicle,” he said. “I don’t think so!”James M, though, suggested an alcohol ban would deliv-er a more pleasant Outback experience for all.“While some people are responsible drinkers, the majority over do it,” he said. “Little do people consider the possible outcome of too much, especially on those that they call on when something goes wrong!”

Click to Comment

The accident this week in which a caravan was hit by a truck as it turned right off the Cunningham Highway was an-other startling reminder of the perils of the road. No one yet knows the full circumstances of the crash but road safety advocate and trucker, Rod Hannifey, says better understanding is key in helping prevent future tragedies.

Issue 121: May 6, 2016

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already pulling out to overtake is too late. Whether you run on Channel 40, the Highway Channel or Caravan Channel 18, you need to consider signs on the front and rear of at least 200mm high, so we will be able to read them well before we catch up. With signs on the front, oncoming traffic is more likely to call and let you know of a problem or a good place to visit in front. I am afraid that many truckies often think it is only us on Ch 40 and this can offend so, rather than turn the set down and then forget, consider using Channel 18, particularly if you are travel-ling in a group ... we do not want to know how good your cuppa was, while we try to tell someone of a hazard ahead.Thanks ... and safe travelling!

Click to comment

Truckies and caravanners on road to understanding

Rod Hannifey from truckright.com.au is passionate about sharing his road safety message

Times

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Couple love the friendships, the fishing, and the Territory

Jack and Leah (66 & 65) have worked hard all their lives ...

and now they are happily reaping the rewards.

What do you travel in?We’ve got a gorgeous Win-nebago motorhome, complete with slideout. It’s comfortable, spacious and suits us per-fectly. We tow a Suzuki Jimny for darting around when we are staying in one place for a while. The Winnie will be our home for the foreseeable future so we haven’t skimped on the luxuries. We’ve got a great media set-up, washing machine, air-conditioning and pretty much all mod cons. Home away from home pretty much sums it up.

Travel plans?We’ve been going for about 18 months now and plan to enjoy this lifestyle for as long as we are physically able. We are blessed in that we are finan-cially comfortable and still have a home on the Sunshine Coast that we can go back to at any time.

Where do you stay?Pretty much 99% caravan parks ... just for the power and the convenience. We have free camped a few times and really enjoyed it and will probably do more in the future.

Favourite place so far?We love the Northern Terri-tory. Last year, we spent three months in Darwin and abso-

lutely loved it. I love that com-munity feeling you get when you stop in one place for that length of time. Jack had all of his fishing mates, and I made some very dear ‘crafty’ friends in no time flat. We’re heading back there soon and I am sure we will see many of the same faces again. Can’t wait!

Likes of the lifestyle?The friendships you make and the sense of community and camaraderie. We have had Happy Hours with people of all ages and all nationalities and always enjoy them and learn a new way of looking at things. I particularly admire the young families who take a year or two out of life to travel with their children. Jack and I had our own business and weren’t able to do that but we are having ‘our time’ now.

... any dislikes?I miss our seven grandchil-dren terribly and, of course, the kids themselves. We have actually got a plan to fly them

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It’s hard to beat a Darwin sunset

Clear the cacheVisitors to our website www.thegreynomads.com.au are being reminded to refresh or press Control and F5 when visiting the site. On some browsers, visitors have reported cache issues which has meant they aren’t always seeing the most up-to date version of the site. Always press Control and F5 to ensure you see current stories and Classified ads.

Caravan crushedA man was taken to hospi-tal after a tree crushed his caravan as wild weather lashed Victoria. Paramed-ics were called to the South Gippsland Highway to find the man trapped in the caravan. He was freed and taken to Dandenong hospi-tal with a wrist injury.

No Kidman dealChinese farming business Dakang Australia has with-drawn its application to buy the huge 120-year-old S. Kidman and Company pastoral estate. This follows Australian Government concern about the $370 million deal.

Cow collisionA man is recovering in hospital after his Nissan Patrol collided with a cow in the Northern Territory. The accident happened at Warumungu, 80 kilo-metres south of Tennant Creek.

Nomads in Brief

all up to Darwin later this year so they can share in the camp-ing community experience for a few weeks and see how brave and fun Pop and Nan are! I do see these carefree youngsters scooting around the van parks and feel almost guilty that ours never got to experience that ... we were too busy for proper holidays.

Has travel changed you?My word, yes! We ran our own business for decades and, even though we didn’t realise it at the time, we were wound up tighter than a drum. Every day that goes by, I think we get more mellow. Jack used to be an impatient driver. He’s not now. I admit I used to judge people’s ‘success’ by their appearance and belongings. I understand now that suc-cess is very much a subjective term. If you are happy and not harming anyone else then, as far as I am concerned, you are successful.

Click to comment

Issue 121: May 6, 2016

Character of the road

眀眀眀⸀猀攀攀氀愀渀搀猀猀欀椀爀攀猀漀爀琀⸀挀漀洀刀攀猀漀爀琀 氀椀昀攀猀琀礀氀攀

䤀猀 琀栀椀猀 礀漀甀爀 渀攀眀 栀漀洀攀 戀愀猀攀㼀

䜀椀瘀攀 甀猀 愀 挀愀氀氀　㈀ 㘀㘀㐀㐀　　㈀　

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Page 3

Dear Editor,Re: Road regulations (GNT: 120). I think a federal/ na-tional licence and registration is a bloody good idea. I’ve travelled around Australia and licensing and rego has been the biggest headache. Australia is one country.

Warren SDear Editor,We are travelling in WA at the same time our caravan needs to be inspected and registered. In Queensland, any van over 3.5t must be inspected, yet in some other states no. I thought Federation was 1901!

Neil P Dear Editor,We are about to pick up our first caravan in Victoria and, because we have a Queensland residential address and driving licence, are now faced with the farcical situation of being granted a seven-day transit permit from Vic Roads to allow us to travel to Queens-land to have the van registered there. This is especially frus-trating when we are presently in Western Australia thereby adding 3500kms to our round trip. Apart from the inconven-ience, this refusal to remotely register a van means we are now forced to immediately drive nearly 2000kms in our first week of van ownership without having any time to do a few shorter trips to familiar-ise ourselves with all aspects of towing a caravan.

Neil & Angela M

Dear Editor,Yes to the driver’s licence, but I am hesitant about a national scheme for vehicle registra-tions. Who in their right mind would want to pay what it costs to register a vehicle and caravan in NSW, when you are paying a lower rate for registering the same outfit say in Victoria?

Fishcakesfisher Dear Editor,Speaking selfishly as a Vic-torian, leave things as they are. My rego will go up. My caravan rego will go way up and I will, for the first time in my life, start to need annual roadworthy certificates. I’d be mad to support all that!

TorchDear Editor,We are in the 21st century and, in respect of licences and vehicle registrations, the governments seem to still be firmly entrenched in colonial times. If our Federal Govern-ment sees fit to govern the en-tire country of Australia, then surely commonsense would deem that all of the laws of the land are applied the same for every Australian citizen.

John & Annette FDear Editor,We have been travelling now for two years and, whilst we commenced in Brisbane, because we are staying in the NT for over three months, we have had to re-register our vehicle. The same applies to

our licences. As I am working in the NT at bus driving, even though I supposedly had a national HR licence with Qld endorsement for bus driving, I had to obtain a NT licence with their bus endorsement. I supposedly cannot continue with my NT registration and licensing once we leave here in August as we won’t have a per-manent address in the NT? We no longer have a permanent address in Brisbane, either. So, what do we do?

Doug & JanDear Editor,We have a ‘Federal’ Medi-care card, and an Australian passport, so why not a Federal driver’s licence?

Terry A Dear Editor,No Federal licensing system for me! We’re from WA and seem to have the tyranny of distance sorted out already, we can re-licence online from anywhere.

Tweety Pie Dear Editor,Great idea and, while they are looking at this proposal, they could look at regulations regarding tow vehicles. It is a ridiculous situation we have in this country that there are different regulations in each state. It is the responsibility of the vehicle owner to know the regulations for each state they travel through. We all need to have our vehicles set up to comply with them just in case

we travel through this state. It is not difficult to miss it (good luck finding these regulations on the internet)!

BazzaDear Editor,We will be ‘up north’ for the winter and cannot pay in ad-vance our registration until six weeks before it is due ... and Vic Roads cannot email the amount due! Really, in this day of IT technology. A national system would also have saved us being booked in NSW once for doing an illegal U-turn, which is allowed in Victoria?

Alice W Dear Editor,I would like to see the puerile annual roadworthy checks abolished. I know in NSW the checks are meaningless - your brake hoses can be rotted through, your brake linings down to the metal, but as long as the vehicle does stop at least once for the tester, you are good to go for another year. I believe the whole ‘roadworthy’ issue is economically driven. If we must have the annual checks, make them meaning-ful and make them national.

Paul S Dear Editor,At least a state driver’s licence is recognised in every other state! Not so, a fishing licence ... a costly exercise for Big Lap grey nomads travelling with a tinny. Why not a federal fish-ing licence and some standard fishing regulations?

Liz S

Issue 121: May 6, 2016

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6

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Page 4

Dear Editor,Re: Boorish businessman (Jaclyn & Heidi: GNT 120). Heidi is spot on with her ad-vice to Gordon, the pompous ‘highly successful’ business-man who bores his fellow travellers, and his wife, with tales of his corporate greed. I note that Jaclyn assumed Gordon was intelligent. Why? Intelligence comes in many forms and, from my experi-ence, corporate types in well paid jobs often display very little social intelligence. Suc-cess, too, comes in a variety of forms. Such is the mate-rialistic, selfish, and greedy capitalist society in which we live, many people - Gordon included - believe it comes from holding senior positions, earning piles of cash and buy-ing possessions. How very sad. And how very dull!

BarramanDear Editor,Gordon. I have worked in social welfare, and then nurs-ing all my life. Never ever judge people. Sometimes you have no idea who they are and where they have been, why, and what they can do. If you can do that then you may get over your issue. If not, then maybe you need to go back to work!

Vicki LDear Editor,Gordon. Get off the road! Travel overseas if that’s the way you want to be to other

people. Posh people would love to hear your stories of how Goddam good you were. People who travel on the road don’t care about who has this and who hasn’t, or what sort of van they have. Funny but I bet more people talk to them than you. Maybe your wife is seeing who you really are for the first time. Hope I don’t run into you.

Glenda MDear Editor,I can relate to Gordon. Even after a year of travelling, I still grumbled when people had the audacity to come into ‘my space’ and make a racket with all their laughing and fun-having. I knew I was in the wrong, but I was always mad at everyone for disturbing my precious solitude. I finally got the idea of putting on a differ-ent persona and we became Eb and Flo. Flo loves people and hardly anything bothers her. She is interested in others and very caring and sympathetic. It has worked a treat and made travelling much more relaxed for myself and my partner.

DeeDear Editor,Poor Gordon! I too retired from a high-stress job back in June 2014. We free camp whenever possible and, if you can, you should try this too as it allowed us to choose locations where I didn’t need to interact with others. If we found ourselves in a ‘social’

situation, then I made a con-scious decision not to bang on about my job. If I felt I couldn’t manage that, then I withdrew from the presence of normal human beings until I felt the ‘relax hormones’ kick in.

Annette FDear Editor,Re: Cooling devices (Gadgets: GNT 120). We went up to Townsville last Christmas to visit our son who is stationed there in the army. I returned with pneumonia, having spent most of the time in old air-conditioning systems, and probably picking up the bug from them. Beware of Queens-land in the summer!

David PDear Editor,I have been using ‘kool coats’ for my dogs for about 20 years now. My friend brought me a few back from the USA in the height of my dog showing days. They were kept cool for hours and it actually never made their coat wet. When I started travelling this beautiful country, they came in handy up north for my dogs and, because I had a few of them, I cut one into strips and used it on my neck when walking.

Judith WDear Editor,I use that same method and have been doing so since 1965 in Vietnam, whilst in the Army. I also used it in Malaysia in 1967-69 and again in Vietnam in 1970 and, of

course, when we go north of the Tropic of Capricorn.

Maurie YDear Editor,Re: Kalbarri (Great Places: GNT 120). This is a lovely spot. We did most of the attractions mentioned in the article and just have two things to add. Try the guided quad bike tours through the sand dunes. And, if going in autumn, get a good quality fly-net for your head. The flies hunt in large packs and are aggressive.

John CDear Editor,Re: Dingo survey (GNT: 120). Dingoes are aggressive because people have been feeding them. Educate people more about the dangers and about being aware.

Di DDear Editor, My daughter went to a lion rehabilitation centre in Af-rica and walked among them armed only with a short stick. The strictly enforced rule was DO NOT FEED them - and everyone was happy. The don’t feed the dingoes rule needs to be enforced, and offenders ejected back to the mainland.

Adrian H Dear Editor,Re: Dream camping kit (GNT: 120). My six items would be: cordless drill; cordless chainsaw; Bosch radio; torch; docking station for charging all stuff; and a metal detector.

Issue 121: May 6, 2016

TRAVEL COMFORTABLY IN THE HEATPersonal Cooling Products market the easiest to use range of eco-friendly portable personal cooling accessories in Australia. Anyone can cool down anywhere doing anything, quickly and simply.Stocking Neck Coolers, Cool Hats, Cool Cloths, Cool Vests and Sunguards in varied sizes and colours, they cater for all.Aussie Cool Hats have total air fl o, 50+ sun protection, wide shady anti-glare brims, terry towelling sweatbands, snap-safe neck cords, are lightweight, adjustable, crushable, unisex and come with a free magic Cooling Pad to wear in the pocket hidden in the crown of every Cool Hat. “Travelling through Central NSW and South Australia in January/February would have been hellish, except that we man-aged to keep our temperatures down with your amazingly fabulous Cool Cloths and Necktie Coolers. Even Rhodie, our doggy, wears her necktie cooler from the freezer on hot days and she loves it. We pop the Cool Cloths on when we are on the boat, kayaking, fi shing or walking and they stay cool for ages by just fanning them in the air !” writes Moira Miller, an Aussie Grey Nomad.Visit www.personalcoolingproducts.com.au to view our full product range and shop onlineStart cooling down fast today!

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Would a virtual Big Lap be better than reality?

In a world where technological breakthroughs such as driver-less cars and drones are turn-ing yesterday’s fantasy into today’s reality, isn’t actually creating one own’s reality the next logical step?Well, a whole army of heavy-hitting tech companies are betting big bucks that it is ... and that means a new way of experiencing the world could be coming to a Big Lap near you very, very soon.Virtual Reality (VR) is the new holy grail for geeks around the globe. Facebook-owned Ocu-lus Rift is a a market leader in VR technology, and other tech giants such as Apple and Microsoft are also investing heavily. The HTC Vive has just been released to astonishingly positive reviews, and Google this week released its VR paintbrush tool, while hinting at bigger things to come.Virtual Reality uses com-puter software to give users the impression they are in a completely different ‘real’ en-vironment. Wearing a special headset, users feel as though they are physically in this new environment and are able to interact with it. Besides giving computer gam-ers goosebumps of excitement,

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VR technology’s potential applications include offering people like pilots flight simula-tions, and the medium is also being touted as having a big future in the entertainment, news, and medical worlds. Advertisers are also pretty excited and some VR tourism campaigns are already in de-velopment. After all, what bet-ter way to whet someone’s ap-petite for a trip out to Mitchell Falls than to let them see what it’s like before they go.But hang on, if this technology is half as good as they say it is, why make the suspension-busting trek out there at all? With wired gloves already on the VR table, the sensory experiences including sight, touch, hearing, and smell could all soon be taken care of.While many experts are dis-missing the current VR offer-ings as too expensive (the Vive is $3,000, while the Oculus is $2,000), just think about the fuel you would save by visiting Uluru, the Bungle Bungles and the Flinders Ranges by strap-

ping on one of these devices instead of actually going there!And you could travel in abso-lutely any rig you wanted, and even create your own campfire friends who would no doubt laugh at all your jokes and be enthralled by your stories.At the very least the technol-ogy should enable dog-owning grey nomads barred from national parks to strap on a headset and take a peek inside the likes of Kakadu or Car-narvon Gorge ... and Rover can even come, too.And those who aren’t confi-dent of their 4WDing skills can fearlessly tackle any sandy track, those with dodgy knees and high blood pressure can still knock off a 20-kilometre bushwalk and, best of all, those who are no longer well enough to travel at all can still feel the warmth of the campfire, see the beauty of the sunset, and virtually live the dream.• What would you like to do or see in a VR world? Can fantasy ever be a match for reality? Click to comment

Website highlights

Tolls ahead for Territory?Recently our websitewww.thegreynomads.com.au reported the fact that a lower percentage of the Northern Territory’s 35,725 kilometres of roads are sealed than are in countries like Botswana, Togo, and Afghanistan. The situation has been described by Transport Minister, Peter Chandler, as ‘absolutely’ embarrassing. Now, a ‘user pays’ model is being mooted, whereby individual drivers will be charged based on kilo-metres travelled on Outback tracks, and the money will be spent on the roads each motorist drives on.Click here for more

Other website must-reads:Crash horrorTurning caravan hit by truck

Ferry ‘carnage’Wild waves lash Spirit

Parking panicWhere can long rigs pull up?

Tip TroubleAnger over faeces and ferry

Merchandise magicGet your Grey Nomad gear

SURVEYWould you pay a toll

to fund more bitumen? YES NO

Issue 121: May 6, 2016

Who needs a rig when you can see it all in ‘Virtual Reality’?

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

Online bookings knocked out by angry grey nomadsThe majority of GNT read-ers are keen to view the camp in person before they pay for it rather than booking a site unseen in advance. They said:

We went to Kroom-bit Tops National Park on a whim a

while ago. We didn’t know about the booking system un-til we read a sign in the park. We wanted to do the right thing so we headed for a high spot with reception and made the call. “Which camping area do you want to stay in?” we were asked. “Don’t know,” we replied, “Haven’t been here before and don’t know which one we will like”. “You must choose,” we were told. How many people were there ... none!The long and short of the story is, we picked one, paid the fee, never found the camp area, and stayed elsewhere in the park. Not another human spotted. Ridiculous.

Karen

We booked two nights and, because of an invasion by thousands of insects, stayed only one. No refund!

Linde

The whole idea of travelling to me is freedom ... and booking into a place you have never been too is not on. My daugh-ter booked a caravan spot for me and, when I got there, other people where there and

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the spot was surrounded by bollards so I had to work re-ally hard to get my 17’ van in. I had to wait for an hour for them to move, blocking a one way track.

Mal

My wife and I have stopped visiting national parks alto-gether because of all the red tape and senseless rules and regulations. We are just a little bit tired of having all these ‘desk-dwellers’ telling us what we are permitted to do, and what it is going to cost us. There are plenty of worth-while places to visit and stay, without being subject to this extra expense to see our own country.

Alan U

Bloody ridiculous! Plan ahead, pay your money, only to find someone else in your allotted spot and no ranger to enforce the rule.

Chris S I’m glad I didn’t book anything (other than the boat over) on my recent trip to Tasmania. Fires, smoke no go areas, dams almost empty and dozens of road closures were just some of the things that would have stuffed up your bookings and deposits paid. Flat tyres, breakdowns,

and interesting spots to see can all cause you to be late if you have made a booking and paid deposits that might not be refundable. No bookings for me, thanks. I made the mistake of buying a trout licence on the boat – if I knew about the heat, dry creeks and near empty hot lakes which I then discovered, I would never have bought it. The only time I will buy what is not in front of me is when I’m buy-ing on eBay or online from now on.All power to free camps – experience showed me that I missed nothing by not booking upfront.

Dale T

Issue 121: May 6, 2016

TheTHE GREAT ‘GREY NOMAD’ DEBATE: ‘close the booking?’ / see below for next topic

GNT readers say the National Park booking

system just doesn’t work

Bulldust or bitumenTHE GREAT ‘GREY NOMAD’ DEBATE CONTINUES:

Ding, ding! It’s round five in our grey nomad ‘Great Debate’. And so, without further ado,

LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE!

In the red corner, we have the nomads who feel the only way to see Australia is to take an off-road rig and hit the tracks. They say most scenic places are often the most inaccessible and, with a Sat phone, you are never far from help. But in the blue corner, we have nomads who think the Big Lap can have as many campfires, sce-nic drives and Happy Hours on the bitumen without the expense of 4WD vehicles. What do you think? Click to contribute

Grey nomads want to choose their own site in their own time We are planners, so booking in advance is a great thing. It is

nice to know you have a site pre booked, although very frustrating when you arrive and find somebody else who doesn't give a damn in your spot. It also gives the park management a helpful tool for planning.

J & PNo need for a debate. Just have a combination of both prior booking and first come best dressed in each major national park camping area. Or is that too simple? Works perfectly in a few of the major national parks in the USA, so why not here?

Tony L

No use getting angry ... na-tional parks would rather no one visits. So I vote with my feet (or motorhome) and leave any site that overcharges or requires a booking

Les G.

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Enjoy the gorgeous green beyond the glitz of the gold

The Gold Coast’s magnificent hinterland – the green behind the gold – remains (inexplica-bly) one of the Big Lap’s best kept secrets.For grey nomads who do take the short detour away from the glitz and glamour of the bus-tling coastal strip, the contrast is startling ... and generally very welcome. While seeing the high rises and high rollers of Surfers Paradise is very much part of the around Aus-tralia adventure, many find the pace of life a stone’s throw to the west more to their liking.The 28-square-kilometre plateau known as Tamborine Mountain is as peaceful and as relaxed as its name suggests. The area, which includes Tam-borine National Park, as well as the communities of Mount Tamborine Village, North Tamborine, Eagle Heights and Canungra, has a population of around 7,000 and a vibe all of its own.The plateau, which was actu-ally created by a lava flow from the Mount Warning volcanic eruption 22 million years ago, has got the lot. As well as waterfalls and walks, there are wineries and markets, and the attractive villages are packed with craft shops, art galleries and cafes.The sprawling national park boasts some great walks,

including the Cedar Creek Circuit which snakes past cascading water and rock pools to get to Cedar Creek Falls, and the Witches Falls Circuit which takes visitors through the rainforest’s giant strangler figs before arriving at the falls themselves. Other great (and not too demanding) walking tracks include the Cameron Falls Circuit, the Curtis Falls Walk, the Palm Grove Circuit, and the Joalah CircuitTo get different perspectives on the area’s natural attractions, many visitors are eager to try the Tamborine Rainforest Sky-walk which offers a bird’s eye view of the rainforest, and then to go the other way and head underground into the Tam-borine Mountain Glow Worm Caves. The man-made caves include the ‘glow-worm cave’ filled with countless thousands of dazzling glow-worms.The caves are actually located at Cedar Creek Estate Vine-yard, which should offer a clue to one of the other things that should bring grey nomads flocking this way ... the wine.

There are half a dozen other stunning wineries in the region ... and there’s even a brewery and a distillery, as well! This is fertile country and it’s the place to pick up some great natural produce ranging from cheeses and fudge to avoca-does, macadamia nuts and kiwi fruit. The local markets are particularly exciting too.Other attractions include Thunderbird Park, where you can fossick for thunder eggs, the nine-acre Botanic Gar-dens at Eagle Heights, and the Tamborine Mountain Heritage Centre, a historical park con-sisting of a museum and seven heritage buildings.For a relaxed place then, there’s a surprising amount of incred-ible things to do and see ... and, for those looking to spend a few days (or weeks) in the area, the Tamborine Mountain Caravan and Camping Park is set among the trees in the northern valley.And it all goes to prove that you really don’t need a beach to have fun on the Gold Coast. Click to comment

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QUIZ CORNERLast week’s picture puzzle solution: The winning entrywas sent by Maryline.

Forwarding mail

Win 2 grey nomad bumper stickers!

Email the solution to the pic puz-zle. Winner drawn from entries and announced in Issue 122. CLUE: One of these could help to make the campfire experience a tasty one.

Do You Know 1. Ashtray Wig Hut (anagram). Great way to get from top to bot-tom or vice versa.

2. Taking a creek from the end and adding a wheel to the front turns which Stuart Highway town into something useful in the garden?

3. Shortest road distance between north Queensland cities of Cairns and Townsville? a) 273km b) 315km c) 348km

4. I am travelling directly be-tween the Queensland towns of Chillagoe and Mareeba. Which road am I on?

5. Grey nomads and chunks of metal are both strongly attracted to which iconic Queensland destination? (Answers on p. 8)

Email your entries here

Issue 121: May 6, 2016

Spectacular views of the

hinterland from the

heights of Mt Tamborine

Photo: Simone Brunozzi

I

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Dear Jaclyn and Heidi,We have been chomping at the bit for the past 10 years to get on the open road and to begin exploring this amazing country from north to south and east to west. We are finally retired and are fit and well and raring to go, but there’s one major stumbling block ... our beauti-ful Golden Retriever, Lucky! We have heard so many stories about grey nomads who feel so restricted by travelling with their pets and we want our trip to be absolutely perfect and to be able visit all those amaz-ing national parks we have long dreamed about. While travelling with Lucky is not a practical option for us, there is no way we could leave her at home, either ... she is part of the family. But she is only eight and so it could be years before we are ‘free’ to go. What can we do?

Pete

Doggie dilemma It’s the eternal pet lover’s conundrum, Pete. Sadly, there is no perfect solution ... only compromises. See if you can find friends or family who would temporarily ‘adopt’ Lucky. That way, your beloved pooch gets to stay with some-one she knows and you get the peace of mind of knowing that she is in good hands. Other than that, travelling with Lucky will have its rewards as well as its downsides. Yes, there are restrictions on entries to national parks but there are also some beautiful camping spots and countryside which will be accessible to you. And, as well as pet friendly caravan parks, there are also pet-sitting services available. These are often near national parks to give dog-loving grey nomads like yourselves a little more freedom to go wherever they like, albeit only for a few hours or a few days.

Jaclyn

Lucky! That must be the most ill-fitting dog name ever! For a self-proclaimed pet lover you sound to me like you’re awfully close to deciding to take Lucky on a one-way trip to the vet. It’s terrible when a ‘member of the family’ becomes an inconvenience to your holiday isn’t it, Pete ... especially when they’re so young? I mean she might not be dead for years yet! If you really do love your dog, then stop whingeing and head off on your trip. So, the Big Lap won’t be exactly as you dreamed and you’ll have to make adjustments to travel with a dog. Get over it. How do you think the grey nomads travelling with chronic ill-nesses, or on a tight budget, or in less than perfect rigs cope? Easy. They smile, make the best of it and thank their lucky stars they’re not stuck at ‘home’ watching daytime TV.

HeidiClick to comment

Brumby cull call raises questionsA New South Wales govern-ment proposal to cull 90% of the wild brumbies in the Snowy Mountains region has been sharply criticised.The draft Wild Horse Manage-ment Plan aims to reduce the number of horses in the Ko-sciusko National Park area from 6,000 to approximately 3,000 in the next decade, and then down to 600 over the

Free caravan checksCaravanning Queensland will conduct free caravan safety checks at The Stock-mans Hall of Fame, Lon-greach, on May 21 from 8am-4pm. Grey nomads can book in by emailing info@caravanqld.com.au with vehicle details and full contact information.Croc sightResearch from PhD researcher , Nicolas Nagloo, has revealed how well crocs can see while lurking with just their eyes above the water. They have uniquely adapted retinas that can scan the riverbanks with startling clarity, and can track the movement of potential prey without having to move.

next 20 years.Scientists claim the horses damage the park’s fragile alpine and sub-alpine envi-ronment, and harm native wildlife.Ruling out aerial shooting, and brumby running and roping as ways to carry out the cull, Environment Minister Mark Speakman said a range of humane control methods

including trapping, mustering, fertility control and ground shooting would be used instead.However, groups commit-ted to saving the famous wild horses describe the proposed cull as ‘absolutely horrific’.“They are our culture, they are an icon, and they deserve to have protection,” said Jan Carter, president of the Save

Issue 121: May 6, 2016

The Brumbies campaign group. “And, above all, they deserve to have humane handling.”

Click to comment

Nomads in Brief

Brumbies blamed for damagingthe fragileeco-systems

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CLASSIFIEDS

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Please refresh your browser when you visit the classifieds on our website to ensure you are seeing the most updated verions

FOR SALE

HELP WANTED

HOUSESITTINGTAREE, NSWHousesitter/animal carer wanted for 70 acre proprty in the middle of a National Park halfway between Taree and Newcas-tle. Dates: 21st and May 31st. Click here.

***CLIFTON DARLING DOWNS, QLDWe are looking for an experienced and re-liable couple who have their own caravan/motorhome to farm sit our property from 21 June to 12 July 2016. Click here.

***STANTHORPE, QLDWe are looking for an experienced and reliable mature couple/person ( with refer-ences) in February 2017 for approximately 10-12 days to care for the farm animals on our 15ha property located in the Stan-thorpe area. Click here.

***MALDON, VICWe need help with general maintenance, gardening and some pet sitting. We have space on our 10 acre property for your van or mobile home. Available anytime now, but specifically: June 8 June 26 2016. Click here.

***MELBOURNE REGION, VIC20 acre property 50 K’s SE of Melbourne. There are lots of wild life and other valu-able items on the property. Looking for someone prepared to stay here over the next few months. The facilities are basic consisting of a 9 meter long transportable with power and water. Click here.

***ALBANY, WACaretakers / house sitters require for light chores in exchange for rent mainly lawn mowing / gardening (mostly self care) and animal feeding (horse, cat). Need to have own self contained accommodation, power and water provided. Click here.

***FREMANTLE, WAHouse/pet sitter needed for 6 wks or 3 months July 19- Oct 1 2016. Looking for a retired couple with a love of animals. Needed to look after my very loveable pooch and my new home just 5 mins from Fremantle. Click here.

***BROOM, WAGarden loving caretakers wanted to help maintain landscaped 5 acre property 20 klms out of Broome on sealed road- minimum 1 month stay. Also feed dogs and chickens, maintain swimming pool in absence of owners intermittently over next 3 months. Click here.

***

CASINO, NSW We are a small dairy farm situated at Hogarth Range (near Casino) NSWWe are looking for some help to do a few projects around the farm like fix up the small old piggery and finish building the chook pen so if there’s any grey nomads who want a stop over whether it be to work or just chill out and be part of our family we would love to hear from them. They will have power and the use of a bathroom. Click here.

***

BEACON, WAThe Shire of Mt Marshall is seeking a competent and enthusiastic Accommoda-tion Manager and Cleaner, to manage the Beacon Caravan Park. Click here.

***BURRA, SAURGENT We are a family managing a sheep station in the Mid North of SA. We are located 12kms out of Burra, looking for nomads to help in exchange for power, water, fresh fruit, etc. Click here.

***FLINDERS RANGES, SAInternationally renowned Prairie Hotel, Parachilna. looking for: A fit, fastidious & flexible couple to undertake the roles of Housekeeping, General Maintenance & Campground Management. Click here.

***INNISFAIL, QLDWashing Machine, D/Washer & Clothes Dryer technician required for casual posi-tion at busy Service Centre. Click here.

***CENTRAL QLDSeeking a retired, semi-retired, not retired teacher who is willing and able to teach 2 children distance education. Located in CQ 160 klm from town. Click here.

***JULIA CREEK, QLDThe Saxby Round-Up on 1st-3rd July 2016. is seeking cleaners for our restrooms along with general assistance in other areas for active and reasonably fit people – skills such as general handy man will be highly regarded. Positions are paid and camping is free. Click here.

***CHILDERS, QLDHelp needed to run a small veggie stall in Childers, QLD for 4 – 5 days a week. Power, water and some food supplied but you’ll need your own toilet and shower. Click here.

***MOUNT LARCOM, QLDFree rent and power air conditioned (un-furnished) accommodation in exchange for caretaking , farm sitting and the run-ning of Dog Boarding Kennels. Click here.

***GOLD COAST, QLDSeeking Trades Qualified persons to work in our Gold Coast based factory (Burleigh Heads) for a period of up to three (3) months. Click here.***BARCALDINE, QLDOur 40,000 acre sheep wool station is seeking a travelling couple to base them-selves on our property from 9th May for a week or two. Click here.

VOLUNTEERING

Issue 121: May 6, 2016

NOTE:ON SALE NOW T: 1300 783 128

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