The Camping Thread

[BENT_8]

So, after a succesful maiden weekend away in the new van we packed up yesterday morning and headed home.
During the drive back I mentioned to the Wife that we still had our credit at Mannum from our cancellation last month and she suggested I leave the van hooked up, wash some clothes, restock the fridge and cupboards and head up for a few days.
So, I took her advice and am currently camped on the banks of the mighty Murray for the week.

The park was extensively damaged during the floods and is still in need of work along the river front, not enough to keep people away, its probably half full.
The entire town was hit hard and is still in recovery mode, so the money spent supporting them is a good thing and the locals seem happy to have us.

If you do get out this way and stay at the park, go easy on the girl in the office, she's doing the work of 3 people currently and looked stressed out when I arrived, very friendly though.

[prydey]

We're off to halls gap in October. Have had credit there since 2019, booked twice since but things keep getting in the way forcing us to cancel (covid, back surgery...)

Finally the planets seemed to have aligned and so heading back over next school holidays.

Since my back is still giving me grief, and having got quite used to just doing short days during our recent holiday to Uluru, we've decided to do the same again and just travel to around Bordertown before stopping overnight. It's a much more relaxed style of travelling and gives the opportunity to have a bit of a look around at places you wouldn't normally explore.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by prydey

We're off to halls gap in October. Have had credit there since 2019, booked twice since but things keep getting in the way forcing us to cancel (covid, back surgery...)

Finally the planets seemed to have aligned and so heading back over next school holidays.

Since my back is still giving me grief, and having got quite used to just doing short days during our recent holiday to Uluru, we've decided to do the same again and just travel to around Bordertown before stopping overnight. It's a much more relaxed style of travelling and gives the opportunity to have a bit of a look around at places you wouldn't normally explore.

Had to change plans slightly. We originally had planned to holiday last week however the halls gap forecast was not great, and a work colleague was still off work following a motor bike accident, so postponing a week worked out well for all parties.

We are currently camped at Halls Gap Lakeside Tourist Park...

This is my view until Saturday


Unfortunately it looks like the weather is turning a bit rubbish again from tomorrow but at least today was perfect and we were able to wander around the zoo.

[prydey]

For those in SA, mambray creek campground in Mt remarkable NP is finally opened again.

We are booked in there for Anzac weekend. Easter is at end of march next year so thought it could be a bit warm so decided for the later time.

Might go for a day trip over xmas to check out what they've done. Haven't been there for years but one of our favourite spots. Unfortunately the NP keep jacking the prices up so it's not overly great value any more.

I booked a small site @ $31/night (no power). Larger sites, generally suitable for 2 families are $44/night!

[prydey]

Not really camping but I'll post it in here anyway.


Went on a spur of the moment road trip to Dubbo zoo and back over the last 4 days. All off the back of a tongue in cheek comment by my daughter about going to visit after I mentioned the new lion cubs were now out in the enclosure. That was last Tuesday. By Thursday the joking suggestion had become reality. We have a young kitten so my wife was happy to stay home and so just myself and 15yr old daughter went. A great father/daughter xmas weekend!

Murrayville in the mallee... An old piece of artwork that unfortunately has seen better days. It used to say 'no ghosts here only good spirits'!


Stormy skies at Balranald BP. Had rain off and on most of the rest of the day, often heavy.


Rain paused long enough for a quick pic and leg stretch at Weethalle




Bushman's motel at Parkes. Stayed here a couple of times now. Always well presented and modern bathrooms. Only $140/night so good value as far as motels go. Presents as good as much dearer places


One of the reasons for the trip. I had initially baulked at the cost but didn't care after we got to the zoo. We love animals, especially these guys. They prance around like they know they're the king of the jungle.




Dubbo accommodation. Tallarook Motor Inn. My only regret for the trip. Trying to keep the costs down so booked on price. The room was actually nice enough and had been semi updated not long ago. Had full size fridge, comfy beds and modern bathroom... But just the vibe of the place will mean I won't go back. $150/night and it did the job so not that unhappy.


Big4 caravan Park at Hay on the way home. I'm a member so stayed in deluxe cabin for $126/night. Never been in one before so thought it was pretty good for an overnight stop.


A couple more pics of the boss from my daughters phone. Better camera than my budget one.




Left Adelaide Saturday morning. Stayed at Parkes that night. Big first day but that's the norm for us. Drove to Dubbo next morning for breakfast then in to the zoo for the day. Stayed overnight at Dubbo then back to the zoo Monday. Left the zoo around lunchtime and drove back to Hay for the night. Got home today around 3pm.

I love road trips, as does my daughter so we both had such a good weekend. We are zoo SA members which includes Dubbo zoo (and various others).

[ford71V8]

⁵That is awesome in many ways....great stuff.
We are roadtripping right now and conincidentally close to a suburb that brought back some memories of my daughter and I driving over to Eastern burbs of Melbourne back in 2010 (so she would have been 14).
Drove over and back from Adel to look at a car, about 20 hours all up...not quite the same adventure but was great fun, we still talk about it.
(Had a close call, needing to hit dirt at speed to avoid a truck overtaking another on a curve, we had to go way wide, oh and it was well dark/headlight time, yikes)

[buggerlugs]

Got stuck at a place called Kurrimine Beach in FNQ for four nights when the cyclone and rain depression hit last week. Top spot , very laid back. Just got to keep an eye out for the big lizards.....

[BENT_8]

Originally Posted by prydey

Not really camping but I'll post it in here anyway.


Went on a spur of the moment road trip to Dubbo zoo and back over the last 4 days. All off the back of a tongue in cheek comment by my daughter about going to visit after I mentioned the new lion cubs were now out in the enclosure. That was last Tuesday. By Thursday the joking suggestion had become reality. We have a young kitten so my wife was happy to stay home and so just myself and 15yr old daughter went. A great father/daughter xmas weekend!

Murrayville in the mallee... An old piece of artwork that unfortunately has seen better days. It used to say 'no ghosts here only good spirits'!
image

Stormy skies at Balranald BP. Had rain off and on most of the rest of the day, often heavy.
image

Rain paused long enough for a quick pic and leg stretch at Weethalle
image

image

Bushman's motel at Parkes. Stayed here a couple of times now. Always well presented and modern bathrooms. Only $140/night so good value as far as motels go. Presents as good as much dearer places
image

One of the reasons for the trip. I had initially baulked at the cost but didn't care after we got to the zoo. We love animals, especially these guys. They prance around like they know they're the king of the jungle.
image

image

Dubbo accommodation. Tallarook Motor Inn. My only regret for the trip. Trying to keep the costs down so booked on price. The room was actually nice enough and had been semi updated not long ago. Had full size fridge, comfy beds and modern bathroom... But just the vibe of the place will mean I won't go back. $150/night and it did the job so not that unhappy.
image

Big4 caravan Park at Hay on the way home. I'm a member so stayed in deluxe cabin for $126/night. Never been in one before so thought it was pretty good for an overnight stop.
image

A couple more pics of the boss from my daughters phone. Better camera than my budget one.
image

image

Left Adelaide Saturday morning. Stayed at Parkes that night. Big first day but that's the norm for us. Drove to Dubbo next morning for breakfast then in to the zoo for the day. Stayed overnight at Dubbo then back to the zoo Monday. Left the zoo around lunchtime and drove back to Hay for the night. Got home today around 3pm.

I love road trips, as does my daughter so we both had such a good weekend. We are zoo SA members which includes Dubbo zoo (and various others).

Nice Rob, and heres me thinking Monarto Zoo is far enough..lol
Speaking of Monarto, do they provide guided bus tours through Dubbo Zoo like Monarto?
Reason I ask is I often take school groups to Monarto and I drive them around in our coaches, its pretty cool.
On one trip I had one of our older coaches that had damage to the panel at the bottom of the door...as in almost peeled right off.
Anyway, we're in the lion enclosure looking at a male and 3 juveniles when it dawned on me that the damaged door would make easy access for hungry lions.
So we're sitting there watching these lions when all of a sudden the male gets up and heads towards us with one of the juveniles, they cross the track infront of us and just as the juvenile is in the middle of the track the male turns and eyeballs him, he drops on the spot...right infront of me, im talking feet not meters.
The guide is busy telling the kids how exciting it is and I look in my left mirror to see the other two juveniles running up the side of the coach towards the damaged door.
At this point I fair dinkum **** myself and we were in the trap so I tell the guide of my concerns and you could tell instantly that he recognised the gravity of our situation.
He tells me to gun it, I said I cant theres a lion on the track infront, he says go or it'll be on your lap in a few seconds.
So I reef hard left and nail it up the verge and gun it for the exit gates.
As you'd know its a triple gate plus the wheel wash and it usually takes a while to get through it all but I reckon we set a record that day..

[prydey]

Originally Posted by BENT_8

Nice Rob, and heres me thinking Monarto Zoo is far enough..lol
Speaking of Monarto, do they provide guided bus tours through Dubbo Zoo like Monarto?

No, Dubbo is self drive.

[Trevor 57]

Well things have changed for us since I was here last. We recently sold our off-road Goldstream pop-top and bought a Crusader Musketeer Recliner.

We weren't using the Goldstream to its full potential and as we are now carting 2 dogs around with us we needed a bit more space. The L shaped diner was not good for us so we purchased a van with 2 recliners and foot stools with a tri-fold table.

We took it for its maiden trip last week for a few days at Police Paddocks State Park near Rutherglen

[blueoval]

Looks like a luxury rig there Trev. Like having a home away from home.

[prydey]

Very nice Trev

[Trevor 57]

Originally Posted by blueoval

Looks like a luxury rig there Trev. Like having a home away from home.

Originally Posted by prydey

Very nice Trev

it was pretty pricey, but we got a reasonable price for the other van and our kids are pretty well set and really don't need our financial help, so we thought bugger it and did the upgrade. As we are self-funded retirees it means I will probably run out of Super a year earlier than planned

[prydey]

Waiting for our 15yr old (16 in Nov) to decide she no longer wants to hang out with us but for the time being she still wants to come on the occasional trip, so the upgrade to a couples van is having to wait.

[Honest Gaza]

We are going to upgrade to a Hybrid Pop-top...so selling our Jayco Penguin Camper.

Looks like we aren't the only ones who's needs have changed

[Trevor 57]

Our camping life started in late 1975 in a 2 man tent, then a family tent with a million poles to a Southern Cross family tent with one pole in the middle and a U pole either end, to a camper trailer (not one of those flash ones you can buy now, this was a tent on a trailer), to a A'Van Cruiseliner, to the Goldstream and then to the Crusader

[Trevor 57]

Tenting with my 1976 TD Cortina (and having a beer with some friends - tent in background. Me on left rubbing nose, back when I had some hair lol)


Maverick with the camper trailer


A'Van with the RTV


A'Van with the PK Ranger


Tenting in Windjana Gorge (W.A.) with the PK Ranger


Goldstream with the PXII Ranger


You can't say I'm not dedicated to Ford lol

[prydey]

These are from back in April (Anzac weekend). I thought I'd put them in here but must have only put them in another thread.

Mambray ck with our new (to us) tow vehicle




Upgraded the car now in readiness for a future van upgrade. Only looking at 16-18ft though due to limited parking space at home.

[Trevor 57]

ahhh found this one

Maverick with 3 of the 4 kids, missus and eldest were shopping. On our way home from 3 weeks through central Australia. Central Vict to Broken Hill, Tiboburra, Innamincka, Birdsville, Bedourie, Boulia, Alice Springs, Hermansburg, Palm Valley, Kings Canyon, down the Finke River to Ayers Rock and then home - 6 of us, no trailer, everything on the roof rack, plus a 32 litre Engel behind the rear seat of the Maverick

I think you young people cart too much shit these days lol

[sgt_doofey]

We did our "big" camping trip last year.
5 nights in Halls Gap, 2 nights in Bright and then 6 nights at Bathurst. That was our first trip away with our now 2.5 year old daughter.
We all had a good time and not too much complaining. Camping in Sulman & Reid campground at Bathurst is a "unique" learning experience, especially for our two boys (12 & 9)
We've got Halls Gap booked again for the September school holidays, our annual pilgramge!

All these talks of upgrades and we're still stuck using our tent!