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In this issue: •Wattage from wind or water •‘Towing a van frightens my wife’ •Terrific Tinaroo

As travellers access increasing amounts of information on-line, the role of the traditional Visitor Information Centre is being challenged.In Victoria, for example, Wodonga Council has just announced that it will start the transition to closing its Visitor Information Centre in order to focus on multiple digital av-enues and information points.For many grey nomads who habitually begin their ad-ventures in a new town or a new area by strolling through a visitor centre picking up pamphlets or chatting to staff and getting a feel for what’s on offer, this online trend will come as a disappointment.However, there remains a sus-picion in some quarters that a failure to provide adequate parking and access for grey nomads in caravans or large motorhomes is the real issue, and it is that which is working against many long-established bricks and mortar visitor centres.Certainly in Wodonga there are those that argue that, given that tourism contributes more than $600 million each year to the Albury-Wodonga econo-my, it is a risky strategy to have no face-to-face presence in the town.The council says the cost to run the centre last financial

year was $316,000.Apparently though, it was the centre’s location in Hovell Street that effectively sealed its fate. Poor access and visibility meant visitors, particularly the surging grey nomad market, couldn’t be served adequately. Wodonga had the lowest number of walk-in visitors compared to other centres in the entire Murray region, and experienced a 32.5% drop in visitors between 2014-15 and 2015-16.Meanwhile, across the river in Albury, the visitor informa-tion centre there is situated in a highly visible location at the railway station with adequate parking for caravans and the like. Plans are also afoot in Albury to create a dedicated recreational vehicle park on the Murray River.The Wodonga Council says it too is aware of the needs of vis-itors travelling in recreational vehicles, and is continuing to

Will virtual visitor centres ever be as good as

the ‘real’ thing?

Issue 147: May 19, 2017

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investigate options for parking across the city to service this market’s needs.For now though, it will simply say goodbye to its visitor centre, instead expanding to multiple digital avenues and information points with smart terminals at key visitor locations, and it will take the visitor information trailer to major events.“This is an exciting opportuni-ty for Wodonga to take a lead role in investing appropriately to meet the changing needs of visitors,” said Cr Ron Mil-dren. “The traditional Visitor Information Centre is just one tool in developing tourism, driving visitation and servicing visitors.”*Do you still look forward to stopping at the traditional bricks and mortar information centres? Or do you find yourself increasingly relying on digital information sources? Click to comment

The end of an era? Times

Would you miss the personal touch of traditional visitor centres? Pic: Visit Victoria

‘Special spotsshould be protected!’With more and more travel-lers finding their ways out to Australia’s remote – and fragile – natural attractions, it’s time to cap the number of visitors at any one spot at any one time.That’s the verdict of a narrow majority of Grey Nomad Times readers, with 56.3% of respondents to our poll on the issue saying our ‘most special’ areas have to be protected into the future.“You only have to see the sheer volume of travellers at supposedly remote areas to know that it’s not sustain-able,” said Julian K. “Better to act now than wait until it is too late.”Val A agreed.“It’s our duty to stop these areas from being loved to death,” she said.However, Stephen P drew a distinction between capping visitor numbers and effec-tively managing numbers. “Managing should mean providing more visitor infrastructure such as park-ing, toilets and walking paths,” he said. “And guides should be employed to take groups into sensitive areas so people don’t walk all over the place, destroying flora and the like.”

Click to comment

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Where there’s a will ...It’s pretty standard for wan-nabe grey nomads to impa-tiently count down the days to when they will finally be free to hit the open road. And it’s also not all that unusual for some unexpected fam-ily drama to throw a slight spanner in the departure date works.As curve balls go though, the one that threatened David and Janet West’s grey nomad dream was bigger than most.Five years ago, after finally reaching the stage where all of their five children were old enough to have some inde-pendence and they were start-ing to venture out occasionally as a couple, life took a very unexpected turn.It came in the shape of Char-lie, the couple’s medically compromised grandson who was born eight weeks prema-turely weighing just 1.4kg.“His mother decided she didn’t want him and our son, the father, was simply too young to assume responsibil-ity for him,” said Janet. “So it came down to us or foster care after the mother’s family refused to raise him as well ... a no-brainer really.”It meant that any long-term travel plans the couple, now in their mid-50s, may have had were very much on the backburner. “All of a sudden we had

to learn about acronyms, therapies, and attend copious amounts of appointments,” said Janet. “We realised quickly who our friends were ... and who weren’t.”For the last five years, Charlie and their other four grandchil-dren have been the centre of the Wests’ world. “We’ve done the whole Grandparent duty thing ... free childcare, free pickups and care after school, running to ballet, and chaperoning at ballet concerts,” said Janet. “We’ve done it all and loved it.”However, Janet freely admits that travel was never totally out of their thoughts, particu-larly when David was made redundant from his job of 36 years.“The pull to travel has always been strong,” she said. “And, as we gained confidence in our new role as full-time grand-

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parents, we started to dream again.”In January, 2014, Charlie had major surgery which included having a permanent feed-ing tube put in place ... and nine weeks later, David, Janet, Charlie, and their youngest daughter, Savannah, 17, took off on a 10-night Pacific cruise.“An incredible amount of planning went into this trip and we carried a huge first aid kit, including antibiotics, spare feeding tubes and dressings,” said Janet. “It all went off without a hitch and, while it wasn’t exactly relaxing, we still enjoyed ourselves immensely.”A year later, the family flew to Thailand for two weeks, and last year they had three weeks in Hong Kong. In between these overseas trips, they’ve been to Tasmania, Melbourne, Ballarat, the Flinders Ranges and Mount Gambier.

Issue 147: May 19, 2017

Now there is no stopping them. Early next year, David, Janet and Charlie will leave on a 10-month round the world tour. They will spend several months in the UK, before exploring Europe by car, cruis-ing from Copenhagen to the USA, and then travelling in an RV, before eventually taking a cruise back to AustraliaAnd what about that Big Lap dream?While they are overseas, the Wests are having a 23.6’ off-road van custom built for them and their Grandson and they plan to hit the open road in January, 2019, working as they go.“There never is a perfect time to travel but tomorrow is also never guaranteed,” said Janet. “Take whatever life throws at you and work with it ... not against it.”Click to comment

When it comes to taking the Big Lap, there are no

problems ... only solutions

LEFT: David and Janet with daughter Savannah and grandson, Charlie, in Hong Kong.ABOVE: David and Charlie on the carousel

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Exercising your way to a healthier Big LapJust by virtue of the fact that they are out there ‘living the dream’, most grey nomads are pretty active people and tend to be in relatively good health.But for all the bushwalks and the fishing adventures, there are the less-than-strenuous Happy Hour temptations and the long, long hours in the driver seat or passenger seat.So, how does an adventurous older traveller make sure he or she stays in ‘good nick’ to en-sure they can keep on enjoy-ing the joys of the open road for many years to come.The Government advises that the amount of physical activ-ity older adults need to do to keep healthy depends on their age and level of fitness ... but it recommends both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activity.Assuming someone is gener-ally fit and with no health conditions that limit mobility, they should try to be active daily. It is recommended that adults aged 65 or older do at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days.They should aim to be active in as many ways as possible, and do a range of physical

activities that incorporate fitness, strength, balance and flexibility.Moderate-intensity aerobic activity means you’re work-ing hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat. Examples might include walking fast, ballroom danc-ing, riding a bike, or canoe-ing. Activities like shopping or cooking don’t count as moderate-intensity activity because the effort required isn’t hard enough to increase your heart rate.Nonetheless, the Government advises that some activity, however light, is better for your health than none at all. So that means being aware of the amount of time you spend sitting in your camp-chair watching TV, reading or listening to music. The Australian Physical Activ-ity Guide for Older Austral-ians doesn’t recommend over-

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65s suddenly start carrying out vigorous-intensity aerobic activity. This means exercising at a level that has you breath-ing hard and fast, and raises your heart rate quite a bit.Muscle-strengthening exercis-es are recommended, though. These might include some-thing as simple as carrying or moving heavy loads such as groceries, dancing, digging, shovelling, lifting weights, yoga, or doing exercises that use your body weight for resistance such as push-ups or sit-ups.Importantly, the advice is that you should make a time to do specific strength exercises two or three times a week, and build some of them into your everyday activities.• Do you set aside time for ‘exercising’, or does the Big Lap keep you naturally fit and well? Click to comment

Issue 147: May 19, 2017

Regular exercise can make the open road more enjoyable.PIC: healthdirect

Nomads in Brief

Caravan crashTwo 24-year-old Queensland men have escaped serious injury after they lost control of their car and crashed into a parked caravan in a subur-ban Melbourne street. Both vehicles burst into flames.

Dog shotA dog that was aggressive towards people has been shot dead by police at a caravan park at Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast, The ‘pit bull type’ dog was apparently known to the council, and its owner is likely to face a stiff fine.

Croc attackA man is recovering in hos-pital after being attacked by a two-metre crocodile in the remote Aboriginal community of Palumpa, 230 kilometres from Darwin. The 54-year-old suffered multiple bites on his chest and arm while wading in a waterway.

Wallaby releaseA further 23 Black-flanked rock wallabies have been released into WA’s Kalbarri National Park in an effort to re-establish the threat-ened species. A rising goat population initially pushed the wallabies out of the protected gorge in search of food, leaving them open to foxes and cats.

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Port Hedland’s offer of free overflow camping when

van parks reach 75% capacity caused quite a stir:

Amazing what happens when the wheel of fortune turns. But people still remember being ripped off by Port Hedland businesses and the feeling that the travelling public was not welcome. I will still bypass and probably camp at De Grey River. There’s still some great camping elsewhere in WA, like at Wellington Dam near Collie (pictured above right).

Rod EPort Hedland is off our list since 2010 when we were charged $43 per night to sleep in the Ute! Hate to think what caravanners are paying now! .

G&RLast year, we had the pleasure of staying at the overflow site which allowed us to enjoy the surrounding areas and re-stock. More councils should do what Port Hedland is doing to bring visitors and money into the community.

Wayne & Jenny Surprise, surprise the mining boom is over and WA towns suddenly want the grey no-mads back. It will take a long time, guys. We got used to free camping to avoid the outra-geous rip-offs that we expe-rienced when all you wanted was the almighty dollar.

Barry S

We tried to book into a park a few years ago for two nights and were told we needed to book long-term at crazy rates, so we continued on ... and now they need us! I won’t bother.

Gary PNever. Paying $95 for an un-powered site lost us forever.

Garry & Chris DAhh, the penny has finally dropped, and Port Hedland has come to its senses and realised the amount of grey nomad dollars they have missed out on. I hope other WA towns take notice!

John OWe camped in the overflow site last year in Port Hedland. It was $10 per night. We required new tyres on our tow vehicle and had to replace one of our solar panels, so spent well over $1,000 in the town. We found the area interest-ing and enjoyable, but the van parks were far too expensive.

Ray RThey didn’t want us when we were there in 2014, and we will

not be going all the way back to WA just because we’re of-fered a free couple of nights.

Gail FI went there two years ago and received no thanks at all after spending a lot of money. And, if the mining picks up, they will forget us again.

Ken GWe’ll go! I hope more councils ‘see the light’.

Sandra BWhy should we only be able to use the racecourse when the caravan parks have reached the 75% quota? Perhaps the town could put up a neon sign stating that the parks have their quota and we can now free camp. Or perhaps, we’ll have a quick look and have to move on. Ridiculous!

John & Judith WYou can only stay at the race-course for free if all other parks are 75% full! How many days per year does this happen?

Summer RThe caravan parks wanted to charge an arm and a leg while

the boom was on, and weren’t interested in the traveller then. Are the caravan parks still go-ing to charge their high prices? Port Hedland wants to burn the candle both ends!

Peter MWe would stay at the free overflow campsite. Day-to-day living costs like food, fuel, grog etc are relatively static so being able to reduce high camping rates would definitely encourage my wife and I to explore places that welcome our patronage. In the long run, everyone benefits.

Brash HWe were there this time last year and were so disappointed. The Information Centre charged us a fee to park at the RV overflow, but we quickly decided it was so awful that we moved onto a free camp north of the township. We rate Western Australia as a whole at 110%, though.

Don & Deb TI still would not stop in Port Hedland as they were against the idea previously and the only reason they are doing it now is because of the down-turn in the mining industry. Should the industry increase ... watch what happens!

John C

I have always bypassed the town due to the high costs but will stay on my next trip now it is more affordable.

Marj L

Issue 147: May 19, 2017

Wellington Dam near Collie ... an idyllic spot to camp

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Issue 147: May 19, 2017

Re: mini weather station (Gadget: GNT 146). Not sure whether I need another gadget. It’s really easy just to Google ‘weather in (name of town)’ and you will get all the weather info you need including tomorrow’s and the next 10 days’ forecasts. This gadget I imagine would only tell you limited current situation, excluding fore-casts and rainfalls etc. Sorry but I will pass.

Hans F

Want to know what the weather is like where you are? Just poke your head out the caravan door and look around. Surely no-one needs a gadget for that!

Enzo S

I am not sure whether it is for me, but husband Tom is always looking at BOM to find what the weather is like for the day! This would be a great idea for him as we are setting off on June 10 to travel from our home near Mandurah in our new camper trailer, for a three-month holiday to Darwin, then back home down the Centre. It is our first road trip so I will try to get one to make his life a lot happier and relaxed.

Colleen M

Why would you buy this when the BOM site provides up-to-date weather information for free?

John J

Warm (and wet) reception for USBweather device

Re: Dull travellers (Jaclyn & Heidi (GNT:146). Like Nat, I find the majority of nomads are fat, unhealthy, and conse-quently an unintelligent look-ing lot. Life is too short to sort through so many unattractive people to find an occasional interesting conversationalist. I’m not saying that they are not nice or good people, but it is human nature to want to en-gage with an attractive person rather than a less attractive person if given the choice.

Steve We’ve just finished our Big Lap and both my wife and I couldn’t see the point sitting around all day, either. So we had 4WD adventures, swim-ming, kayaking, fishing and hiking/walking. You need to make the Big Lap as adventur-ous as possible while staying within your limitations.

Phil R Avoid the guzzlers, not worth the time. Plan your days, look at the local attractions, check out the markets, and when you have seen all in that town, or area, up sticks, and move on. Choose whom you associate with. I do, and if I don’t like them, I’m polite but don’t hang around. You have standards, don’t drop them to fit in.

JCA word to Nat. If you follow the masses, be careful that the ‘M’ doesn’t fall off on the way and you start to follow the ‘asses’. If you want to be in the mob, so be it. If not, get your wife and go find a lifestyle that suits the two of you. My late wife and I spent 14 years on the road and we started out on our own, and we finished on our own. The only difference was we had some interaction with other people, and made some lifelong friends from across Australia.

Robert K

Stay home Nat, and give the rest of us on the road a break.

Yvonne PNat, you are not alone. After a while chatting, I realise that with short-term acquaintances we’ve met when on the road, the conversation can be ‘inane’. Partly because the most inter-esting subjects might be taboo ... eg religion, politics, sex. So it’s down to the favourites ... weather, sport, fishing, where you’re headed, where you’ve been, and TV programs. It’s not until you know people better that you can dabble in topics that might or might not bring about some heated, but enjoyable, discussion.

Dee & Greg BRe: Great Places (GNT: 146). Well it looks like Penola is out for me. I’m in a camper trailer. If they want my money they’ll have to put in some toilets I’m sick and tired of these ‘self-contained only’ places!

Ted SRe: relationship tips (GNT: 146). We’ve been vanning around the country for seven years and have always shared our ‘duties’ and never had a cross word. There will always be a time when one or the other does not feel like doing something the other does. We thoroughly enjoy each other’s company, but also enjoy doing our own thing. We think this is the secret to a happy exist-

ence whilst on the road.Judy & Ben G

Always be first out of bed and make your partner a cup of tea ... start the day on a good note.

John ORe: US adventurers (GNT: 146). In 2010, we purchased a motorhome on a buyback scheme. In three months, we visited 34 states in the US and three in Canada. It was the best holiday of our life. We have also enjoyed three trips around Australia.

Gordon & Marilyn PRe: Loo roll thieves. I now know why the parks have to charge so much ... they have to replace all the stolen toilet paper and toilet brushes! A caretaker in Karumba told me they installed a very large toi-let roll holder, only to have the campers come in with cordless drills and empty the lot.

Trevor KRe: dog advice. We inherited a small, well-mannered Shih Tzu dog. We have seen on eBay a ‘pet stroller’ with a fly-screen cover. Do any nomads use them? I was thinking that if we both want to go into a museum or similar (not food places) and the ‘fur kid’ was in his stroller and not in danger of doing any damage, we could still do things as a couple. Thoughts, please.

Mary R

Zzzzzzz! Hasn’t anyone got anything interesting to say?

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Turning the wind and water into wattage

The remote-travelling grey nomad’s endless quest for power has seen him or her embrace all manner of in-genious possibilities. Gadgets have hit the marketplace promising everything from the ability to harness energy from the sun and campfires to wind and flowing water.And then, of course, there are those super fun devices that can deliver power from multiple sources.Picture the scene. You’ve been caught out in the bush. It’s been cloudy for days and your solar panels aren’t able to do their thing. And the torrential rain means you can’t get your Biolite electricity-generating campfire going. Things are looking grim. Thank goodness then that you’ve thought to bring along your Waterlily! This little masterpiece can pluck power from the Outback breeze and, if even the wind is letting you down, it can find some watt-age in the water ... assuming there’s a bit of a flow.Phew!The Waterlily from Seaformat-ics is a portable turbine that weighs just 800g and has a diameter of seven inches and is three inches thick. It can

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be placed in a flowing river or the pounding ocean, or hung up to catch and convert the power of the wind. It will charge any USB device. Sounds good ... but how much juice does it deliver?The Waterlily can operate in water flowing at speeds between 1km/h and 11km/h but achieves peak output of 25 watts when rivers are flowing at 7.2km/h. On breeze power, it needs a minimum wind speed of 10.8 km/h to start operating but is at is produc-tive best when it’s blowing at around the 72km/h. Seaform-atics says the power output is comparable to most portable solar panels on the market.And if you’re still worried that you might run into a cloudy, rainy, windless day when you are nowhere near a river or the ocean, Seaformatics says it

is working on a bike mount so pedal power can come to the rescue. Also in the pipeline is a hand crank for manual charging and a tow cable so the Waterlily can be dragged behind a canoe or kayak.What can possibly go wrong?When the first product is shipped in April, it is expected to be priced at US$149.

• Is this a power provision op-tion you’d like to pack away in your Big Lap rig?

Click to comment

Issue 147: May 19, 2017

The Waterlily can use the wind or water to bring you power

Last week’s picture puzzle solution: The winning entry was sent by Ian B.

QUIZ CORNER

Win 2 grey nomad bumper stickers!

Email the solution to the picture puzzle. Winner drawn from entries and announced in Issue 148. CLUE: All grey nomads are doing this:

Weight Distribution Hitch

Do You Know1. Rib A Lark (anagram). Grey nomad favourite on mouth of the Murchison River.

2. How did the Queensland town of Tinaroo reputedly get its name?

a) It is a derivation of the local Aboriginal word Tinhuara meaning forest of many rains. b) When excited prospector John Atherton discovered al-luvial tin at the headwaters of a creek, he apparently shouted: “Tin, Harroo!” c) Explorer James Mulligan was so struck by the abundance of both tin and kangaroos in the area that he merged the words to form the place name.

3. I am travelling directly between the Queensland towns of Goondiwindi and Bungunya. Which highway am I on?

4. Cameron Corner sits at the junction of which three states?

5. Taking the quickest driving route, Canberra to Darwin is 3,939km. Is the quickest driving route between Perth and Brisbane nearer or further?

(Answers on p. 8)

Electrical currents from currents in a river

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Take time for Tinaroo

Tropical North Queensland’s fabled Atherton Tablelands need little introduction to most grey nomads. Just an hour or two west of Cairns, the mountainous plain boasts stunning scenery, memorable rainforest walks, waterfalls, gi-ant trees, and a stunning array of birdlife and wildlife.It’s no wonder that the area spanning a 620km² area and ranging in altitude from 500m to 1280m above sea level, is one of the very first destina-tions pencilled in to many Big Lap itineraries. While the World Heritage-listed crater lakes – Barrine and Eacham – may still be the region’s watery headline acts, not too many visitors choose to leave the area without experienc-ing the delights and charm of Lake Tinaroo ... especially if they want to have a crack at catching a barramundi!The lake was created when a 45-metre high dam was built across the Barron River in 1959. As well as supply-ing water to local residents and helping irrigate the area, the body of water that has more than 200 kilometres of shoreline when at capacity, is a haven for sailors, swimmers, anglers, birdwatchers, hikers ... and many more besides.Located 15 minutes northeast from the town of Ather-ton, the lake is best reached via the tiny community of

Kairi. Many visitors find the small settlement of Tinaroo, perched on the edge of the lake, to be the perfect base from which to discover the lake and to explore the entire area. The township features caravan parks, a restaurant, and of course multiple boat ramps for those barra hunters. Barramundi cannot breed in the lake’s fresh water but it is stocked annually with baby barra that grow into what are reputed to be the world’s big-gest barra. The lake is surrounded by dense rainforest, pine tree plantations and Australian scrub boasting an abundance of birdlife and wildlife. The best way to get out and amongst it is to take one of the many walking tracks around the lake and out into the surrounding mountains. The Tinaroo Dam Hike, a chal-lenging circuit track that takes approximately 2.5 hours and offers hikers spectacular views from the top of a ridge, is a favourite for many.Starting from the Tinaroo Dam Spillway at the northern

end of Tinaroo township, the Danbulla Forest Drive takes motorists 30 kilometres or so along an unsealed forest drive through plantations of pine and eucalypt trees, rainforest, and delivers lovely views of the lake.The Danbulla National Park and Danbulla State Forest are extremely popular with grey nomads and there are a number of camping options out here. One of the most iconic destinations is the gigantic Cathedral Fig Tree, a 500-year-old strangler tree. Visitors can stroll around it on a boardwalk, and the tree is reputed to be the best place around to hear early morning bird songs. Explorer, James Mulligan, was the first European to discover the Atherton Tablelands area back in 1875 as he travelled in search of fertile lands and valuable minerals such as gold and tin. Nearly 150 years after Mulligan found exactly what he was looking for, adventur-ous grey nomads are near certain to do exactly the same.Click to comment

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Issue 147: May 19, 2017

The beautiful Lake Tinaroo area Pic: Tourism Qld

Website highlights

Big Lap bores?Recently our websitewww.thegreynomads.com.au reported that its sheer size en-sures that Australia is a land of contrasts, and wonderfully so. As they pull out of their driveways full of excitement, grey nomads can’t wait to dis-cover this sunburnt country, a land of sweeping plains, of ragged mountain ranges, of droughts and flooding rains. But are there any parts of this wide brown land (like the Nullarbor) that they ultimate-ly find, well, boring?Click here for more

Other website must-reads:

Van park theftsYou can’t afford to relax

Fool’s Gold‘Lucky’ find ends very badly

Kakadu International?Would airport give NT wings?

Online booking furyNational parks cop criticism

Merchandise magicGet your grey nomad gear

SURVEYDo you find driving

the Nullarbor boring? YES NO

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Page 8

Dear Jaclyn and Heidi,I’m starting to really worry about our big trip. We’re head-ing out on in a few weeks and, try as I might, I can’t convince my wife, Nikki, to practise towing the van. I know that I’ll be doing the vast major-ity of the driving when we’re chewing up the kilometres ... but I’ve had a few little health niggles over the last year or so and I just think it makes sense that she could slide into the driver’s seat in an emergency. I would hate to keel over in some remote location and for us to be trapped because Nikki was nervous about towing. It’s not like she hates driving or anything. She is always zipping around town to go shopping or visit friends, but she’s just got herself worked up and is convinced that towing a 16’ caravan is beyond her.

Norm

Towing the line? First of all, Norm, congratu-lations on being so sensible. If Nikki is an experienced driver, of course she should be ready, willing and able to tow the van if the need should ever arise. That being said, it is important that you listen to what she is saying. Just because you don’t see the big deal in hitting the road with a caravan in the rear view mirror that doesn’t mean everyone else feels the same. Just as some people are terrified of spiders, or confined spaces, or heights, others have something of a towing ‘phobia’. You can only ‘encourage’ her so much. Although it’s not at the monster end of the scale, towing a 16’ caravan does require skill and confidence and you – and other road users – can still get into a lot of serious trouble if it goes wrong.

Jaclyn

You have both got to take responsibility for your trip, and – within reason – prepare for all eventualities. If you have a few health concerns, then Nikki should definitely be able to be a ‘Plan B’ driver. If she couldn’t drive at all, or had her own medical woes, it would be a different story but this is a commonsense ‘insurance policy’. Just take her out to a big empty car park to begin with, and then urge her strongly to take a towing course. There is no better way to get her confidence up and to ensure she has all the skills she needs. Fingers crossed you will never face a medical emergency on the road but it would still be nice if you could have an occasional rest from driving. Failing that, and if it is really worrying you, you could always re-consider your choice of rig.

HeidiClick to comment

Issue 147: May 19, 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.

A program designed to save the koala population at Cape Otway on Victoria’s Great Ocean Road appears to be working. A population spike a few years ago saw more than 4,000 koalas in the region, about 14 times the sustainable population. It meant hundreds died after stripping gum trees bare. The authorities have since been fitting females with contra-ceptive devices, and relocat-ing hundreds of koalas to eucalypt forests near Lorne.

Koalas making a comeback

FOR SALE

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CLASSIFIEDS GLEN OSMOND, SAJacksons Motor Inn, Glen Osmond, are currently Under New Management and are now looking to get some renova-tions done to raise the standard of the property while business is quiet. If you are interested in escaping the cold of your caravan for the winter period and are a qualified in painting, tiling, electrical , plumbing etc please get in touch with me at gm.jacksonsmotorinn@gmail.com.On offer will be Accommodation and Amenities only. As well as the freedom to enjoy all Adelaide and it’s surrounds have to offer. We look forward to hearing from you soon. Start ASAP. Click here.***

BATCHELOR, NTThis is not a paid position. Our beautiful 20 acre property is on the market and has been for some time now. We are looking for caretakers who are fully self contained, who are prepared to start ASAP. We prefer long term caretakers if possible and prior to them taking on the role, we would discuss with them the notice they would need before moving. If need be, we would negotiate a longer settlement date with our buyers to suit our Caretakers when we do sell. Click here.***BRANDON, QLDLooking for a couple to house sit at our property in Brandon Qld from 11th August till 21st September. Offering power & wa-ter, park your van on the driveway, access to fridge/freezer wifi & washing machine boat & outboard ( if suitably licenced). Look after our 2 dogs GSD & Maltise. Click here.***CAWARRAL, QLDSeeking someone who is reliable and hon-est to farm sit my 20 acres at Cawarral in June for approx 3 weeks. Must have own van and be self sufficient. I have horses and chickens so must have horse experi-ence. Power and water supplied and in return I would like gardening maintained.Farming experience would be a bonus. Click here.***GATTON, QLDWe are wanting a housesitter JUNE 6-21 for gardening and chook maintenance, it is a town block with flowers, vegies and self-maintaining shrubs and trees. We live in Gatton, with a driveway suitable for a van/motorhome. A lovely home, preferably a couple or female housesitter. Click here.***ECHUCA REGION, VICWe live 20km west of Echuca. Our property is approx. 650 acres, our farming is cropping and sheep. We would be holidaying from mid-August to September 2017. (4-5 weeks). At this time of year our farm is virtually at a standstill but we need people to look after dogs, chooks, keep an eye on stock circles and just have some-one on site for security. Click here.***DARRADUP, WAWe live on 6 acres right on the Blackwood River in Darradup. Coming into winter we are loving the beautiful walks we have here just in our area alone. We are look-ing for a couple who could be travelling through from August 23rd to Sept 11 that would be interested in house sitting our place and looking after our beloved petsClick here.***

Issue 147: May 19, 2017

MAINORU RIVER, ARNHEM LAND, NTWe are looking an individual or couple for a minimum of 14 to 16 weeks at our combined “Motel/Roadhouse/Camp Ground/Hunting Camp at the Mainoru River in Central Arnhem Land, approx. 250 Km from Katherine. You will be assisting us during our busy safari hunting season for about 14 to 16 weeks from June to Sept. We require about 30 hours of casual assistance per week and are flexible about the precise role which will depend on the successful applicants skills. Accommoda-tion is provided along with your food for the period and remuneration of $500 per week. Click here.***TREPHINE GORGE, NTTrephina Gorge Nature Park NT (East Macs) is looking for a camp host for the visitor season (May-August). Work required includes cleaning of toilets (only 5 of them), which also includes sweeping and replacing the toilet rolls; restocking camp fee envelopes, collecting camping fees, cleaning out of fire pits and gas bbq’s etc. We would be able to provide shower, washing facilities and power at the Ranger Station if they didn’t want to camp at the campgrounds. Click here.***MACKAY REGION, QLDZarb Road Transport Pty Ltd is a family owned and operated business within the Mackay and surrounding region. Seasonal opportunities have now become sought after for the upcoming 2017 Cane crushing season and we are now seeking expressions of interest for experienced and committed HC and MC Truck Drivers for our Mackay, Marian and surrounding areas. These positions will be required for early June start. Season expected to go until approximately November, early December 2017. Click here.***BRANDON, QLD NDL Transport Pty Ltd is a family owned and operated business within the Bunda-berg and Burdekin region. Seasonal op-portunities have now become sought after for the upcoming 2017 Cane crushing season and we are now seeking expres-sions of interest for experienced and com-mitted HC and MC Truck Drivers for our BRANDON DEPOT. These positions will be required for early June start. Season expected to go until approximately early December 2017. Click here. ***COEN, QLDMelanie Camp is very remote and private campground, situated on the Massy River at Silver Plains near Coen. We are look-ing for a caretaker/s, preferably an older couple or a single male who is prepared to live alone in a remote location. Cooking for small groups, preferable but not es-sential. Open drivers licence essential to drive a manual 4wd ute on site. We require a caretaker to live onsite at Melanie Camp from mid-May until early August – approxi-mately 2.5 months. You can be assured this wilderness adventure experience will provide you with memories that will last a lifetime. Our clients absolutely love it and we know you will too. Click here.***BOUNDARY BEND, VICWanted TRUCK DRIVER HC LICENCEPosition available for Immediate start for our busy Olive Harvest. Driver to have HC/Semi licence. 8 weeks of harvest to go. We are located at Boundary Bend in North West Victoria. Site available for caravan.Conner Transport. Click here.***

HOUSESITTING

HELP WANTED

ACCOMMODATIONPRIVATE CAMPS