the

Loving the localsThe hordes of grey nomads who have embraced the open road and completed the Big Lap already know it, but a major study of senior travellers has now confirmed it. Meeting locals is “overwhelmingly” the highlight of any domestic road trip.The survey also found the “romantic idea” of an extended journey across our wonder-ful country “burns for many years”, within travellers who talk with great pride about Australia and its natural land-scapes.For the first time after many years of research, the over 55s are also showing an “active interest” in getting to know and understanding Aboriginal culture, the report stated.The findings offer a compre-hensive analysis of what Grey Nomads are looking for when contemplating a domestic travel adventure.And it is mixing with local characters, listening to their stories over a beer or around a camp fire that is the key driver, according to the report. “Overwhelmingly, the number one thing about travelling....is the people you meet along the way,” it said. “Domestic travel for Australians delivers on the promise of meeting ‘locals’ who are unique to the region.

It truly is the highlight.”It adds the best recommenda-tions come from locals who can unearth “hidden gems” that “you wouldn’t know about had you not met them”.Helping to maximise the local experience is the attitude of older travellers themselves who are “open and friendly” and “happy to chat to anyone along the way to engage with the people they meet”.Comments contained in the report will resonate with all grey nomads, as the report de-scribed the joys of travelling to Outback regions and encoun-tering “rough as guts blokes with big soft hearts having a yarn at the bar”.One respondent said: “Locals have pride in their communi-ties and what they can offer you. Meeting interesting people who shares their lives and stories with you is what memories are made of.”The authors of the report, mar-

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keting consultancy New Young Consulting, said conversations with senior travellers found they were meticulous planners and demonstrated immense pride in their country.There was a realisation that Australia “has it all” and that no other country “can beat us on our landscapes, natural beauty and flora and fauna. Our beaches are also unri-valled”.The Outback was also re-vered and almost regarded by respondents to the survey as a “faraway country” and the “stuff dreams are made of”.Unsurprisingly, those who take off and explore the country are also bitten by the bug, with many who arrive home often anxious to re-open their maps and plan a second adventure.

• Have you had any memorable encounters with locals?

Click to comment

Issue 196: April 18, 2019

Grey nomads share a drink with locals at the Tilpa pub in NSW.PIC: Melinda Sinclair

In this issue: •Defibrillator rollout •Compact wind power •Be tantalised by Theodore

Report finds the joy of the journey is more about the

people than the place

Connection a turnoff for most GNT readers It may be nice to get mobile coverage in some remote campsites, but not half as nice as being able to get away from it all … and so say a majority of grey nomads. A convincing 77% of re-spondents to our recent poll on the issue said they would not seek out a camping area because it offered connec-tivity.“There is more to life than having a phone hanging off your ear or for that matter wanting to sit in front of the blasted TV,” said Trev T. “Enjoy the great outdoors and get a real life!”Libby H agreed.“Sometimes it is very nice to be off-grid!” she said.And Mal M thought there were plenty of other ‘attrac-tions’ in the bush.“The phone comes a poor second or third,” he said.Jerry M though, had a dif-ferent outlook.“I have to do a bit of work as I travel,” he said. “So be-ing able to get phone coverage at remote camp-sites allows me to get to places I otherwise wouldn’t be able to get to and enjoy.”

Click to comment

Times

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Page 2

She is a modern day explorer, an intrepid globetrotter who has ventured to every corner of the planet.Such an insatiable appetite for travel has seen Jeannie Simpson strap on her back-pack and take in the wonders of more than 70 countries, spanning all the continents. From the frozen landscape of the White Continent – Ant-arctica – to the cultural tapes-try of Europe to the colourful diversity of Africa and Asia, Jeannie has seen much of what our planet has to offer. And, despite some challeng-ing and “scary” experiences as she puts it, she has loved every minute. Yet amid an impressive list of travels that would put Phileas Fogg to shame, one destination has remained relatively unexplored. But that is all about to change for the fearless adventure-seeking septuagenarian.For Jeannie, who resides on Bribie Island off the Queens-land coast, is preparing for her next big adventure. And it’s one where she can, for once, leave her passport in the sideboard. Jeannie is off to

discover her own back yard: Australia.The solo mission begins in June, when she will set off from the Gold Coast and head north to the spectacular Top End.Towing a 16ft caravan, the 71-year-old will then take a westward course, bound for Broome before idling down the Western Australia coast to Perth. “I’ve extensively explored 70 odd countries around the planet backpacking, and proudly can say I have done the seven continents,” Jeannie told the Grey Nomad Times. “Now I can take time out exploring more of Oz.”And while the big trip is still

two months away, Jeannie has already began exploring closer to home, spending a few days at Byron Bay Caravan Park. “A truly lovely spot,” she said. “It’s been a long time since I have been down this way even though I was a Gold Coast girl for 32 years and now live on Bribie Island.”She has also spent time with the Queensland South East Caravan Club at Poona on the Fraser Coast.So does Jeannie have any advice for those grey nomads who want to emulate her exploits?“Never say die and keep active is the answer,” she enthused. Happy travels Jeannie! Click to comment

Issue 196: April 18, 2019

Around the world in 70 years ... now for Oz!

Jeannie is about to set off on a much anticipated trip

... to her own backyard

Jeannie Simpson (right) has explored seven

continents, including Antartica (above)

Cassowary attackA 75-year-old man has been killed in Florida after he was attacked by a cassowary. US police say Marvin Hajos had kept exotic animals on his property for many years. It is believed he fell over before being attacked by the giant bird.

Quoll revivalA Department of Environ-ment and Water survey has revealed the popula-tion of western quolls has surged since they were reintroduced to the Flinders Ranges in 2014. Before that time, the quolls had not been seen in South Australia for more than a century.

Tree shockFifteen of Australia’s tall-est trees have been found destroyed after this sum-mer’s bushfires in Tasmania’s Huon Valley. The Eucalyptus regnans had names like Bigfoot and Swearing Bob’s Beast, and stood up to 87 metres tall with widths up to 20 metres.

Dump pointThe town of Oberon west of Sydney in New South Wales is to host an RV dump point to encourage more grey no-mads and other travellers to visit. The local council has decided the facility will be located on the southwestern corner of North and Albion streets.

Nomads in Brief

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

An estimated 1,000 caravan parks across Australia are to be given funding to ensure the installation of potentially-lifesaving defibrillators.The Federal Government will invest $1 million in the initia-tive, which has been launched in partnership with the Cara-van Industry Association of Australia.The Association’s Chief Executive Officer, Stuart La-mont, says the scheme could make a huge difference to grey nomads.“Caravan parks are popular holiday destinations – par-ticularly with senior Austral-ians who are at an increased risk of heart attack,” he said. “We also know that in rural and regional areas it can take longer for an ambulance to arrive, given the distances they sometimes have to travel … this program will ensure that if a person suffers a heart attack in a caravan park that lifesaving help is close at hand.” “Anything we can do to make sure that Australians going away caravanning return home safely to their loved ones is a great thing.”

The Caravan Industry Associ-ation of Australia will manage the implementation of the program in a 50/50 partner-ship, with caravan parks contributing half the costs of each defibrillator. They will work with caravan parks to ensure a speedy roll-out of the program. Funds are available in this financial year.Minister for Health, Greg Hunt said the scheme would make travellers heading out on a camping trip to regional Australia much safer.“Research shows that if a person is defibrillated within the first five minutes of col-lapse, their chance of survival is around 90%,” he said. “For every minute that this is delayed, the chances of sur-vival decrease by up to 10%

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Issue 196: April 18, 2019

Van park visitors will be a bit safer with the addition of defibrillators

… this initiative will save and protect lives.”The Government says the in-vestment will also make grey nomads feel safer, knowing that medical help is not far away.“We know that more are visit-ing our regions by increasing their attractiveness … with better medical amenities, it will help grow regional economies,” said Minister for Regional Services, Bridget McKenzie. “With 44 cents of every tourist dollar spent in regional areas and the indus-try providing 8% of employ-ment in the regions, it makes smart economic sense, as well as medical.”

• Do you feel reassured when there is a defibrillator nearby?

Click to comment

Defibrillator initiativea boost for travellers

New plan will see van parks supplied with

life saving equipment

It’s a time of year that mil-lions of working families look forward to but, for grey nomads lucky enough to be able to travel when-ever they like, the Easter holidays can be a ‘challeng-ing’ time.Whereas for much of the year older caravanners and motorhomers have caravan parks and camping areas pretty much to themselves, they can suddenly find themselves sharing space with holidaymakers with a different agenda and differ-ent priorities.Easter – along with Christ-mas – is traditionally the most popular periods for camping and this year will be no different.In Western Australia, almost all of the 1100 state-managed bookable sites were snapped up well in advance of the holidays starting. These included the popular Lane Poole Reserve in Dwellingup, as well as Lucky Bay, Conto, Potters Gorge and Honeymoon Pool.It’s a time when all campers are asked to be particularly patient and to show extra consideration towards their fellow campers. And, of course, anyone who is travelling over the holiday period is asked to take extra care on what will be a very busy time on the roads.

Click to comment

Happy Easter!

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For bookings call 03 5871 9700or email cobram@racv.com.au

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Issue 196: April 18, 2019

We had a similar experience, on a straight road and no real wind, van travels very well at 90-100km/h. The van, for no reason I could detect, started to get a wiggle on ... I took my foot off the accelerator and only eased the brake on ever so light. It was only seconds but seemed a minute as it self cor-rected. I have ESC and a red arc controller that you simply have to press to activate on the dash … but I was too over-come to think to press it!

Mark MMy wife and I did a course the day after we picked up the van. Neither of us had towed before and the course gave us both confidence and basic skills on how to prepare our rig for towing, the laws of the road, and basic safety aspects. Are we experienced towers? No, but we learn every day. We both take turns at driving to ease fatigue and to keep our skills as sharp as possible.

Dave MSounds like a typical Catch-22 situation to me. Slowing down across the bridge to say 75-80km/h may have saved a lot of grief, especially as it was a designated high wind area. Catch-22 … my experience has been that when you do, you are often ridiculed for driving too slow or ‘acting like a grey nomad’. My advice, hold your

nerve. Drive slow if you think it will help and just accept the comments that come.

John PA lot of people, even those with a lot of driving experi-ence, can and do get caught out with wind causing swaying of a towed trailer. The force of a sudden side-on gust of wind is tremendous … that is why trees get uprooted and roofs get ripped off in storms. All travellers please take heed … slow down in windy areas, please!

Greg ATowing courses open a can of worms. Does that mean

everyone towing a trailer will need to do a towing course? What happens to the likes of horse trailers, boat trail-ers, persons towing motor cycles, tradesman’s trailers, the weekend hire trailers? Being in the emergency services for 32 years, it seems more of these flip and have accidents than caravans do. What happens to a person that does a towing course at age 18? Will the course be still current when the driver is 88? To make it work every state would need to have a ‘towing law’. We can’t even get our road rules to be the same in every state!

Ian E

There should be a separate licence class for ‘heavy tow-ing’. Anything needing brakes (>750kg) should be a separate licence. I have seen far too many people who literally have no idea what they are doing, jump straight from a compact car which is the largest thing they have driven in the last quarter century since they sold the Kingswood, straight into a fully kitted out LandCruiser hauling a 25’ van behind it all, up close to five tonnes. You might be the best car driver in the world, but that doesn’t mean you know the first thing about towing a large van that weighs 3 or 4 times anything you have driven before.

BoppaI’ve always thought that a towing course should be compulsory for anyone with a standard car licence. Ex truck/bus drivers with heavy/articu-lated/truck licences should be exempt as they’ve had years of prior experience and are aware of size, weights and loading etc.

Dianne DIt’s interesting the sway story was Mooney Mooney. I don’t like driving a sedan over it!

Twice TMy suggestion is that insur-ance companies be asked to consider giving a discount to caravanners that have taken a course. Once one gave a dis-count the others would follow.

Gordon P

GNT story on a terrifyingbridge caravan rollover

sparked a strong response Surprise!Thanks to grey no-mad Neil Hawkless for sending in this pic of his surprising-ly relaxed looking wife, Virginia, at WA’s Coral Bay. “Virginia was taking it easy in the shal-lows while I was out snorkelling on the Ningaloo Reef,” said Neil. “A ‘local resident’ stopped in to say ‘hello’ to Virginia and swam close by for a good five minutes.” Neil said that Coral Bay was one of the best snorkelling spots on the coast, rivalling the Barrier Reef.

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

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Issue 196: April 18, 2019

Re: Elderly parents (Jaclyn & Heidi: GNT 195). My wife and I were in exactly the same situation except my health was good and my wife had an auto immune condition that floored her for a year. My wife sat down with her mother and discussed us leaving. It was an amicable decision. My mother-in-law is 94 and lives on her own. We set up all ser-vices, talked with her neigh-bours and any place she would visit like the doctor, chemist, shops , taxis etc and gave them our number to contact if she didn’t turn up as usual. If she does get ill and needs help, my wife will fly home and if she needs me I’ll drive or fly also. You never know what your life holds for you. It had been our dream to travel for over 40 years and if we didn’t do it together we both would have had deep regrets.

Mark M

I was in a similar situation, an only child with a mum aged 87. I sat down and talked it over with her and ended up having 18 months travelling around this amazing country. I had her blessing and advice that I had my life to live and couldn’t just hang around. She’s now 97, so I made the correct choice, especially as if I went now I wouldn’t be able to do a lot of the stuff I did 10 years ago.

Wendy S

Re: Time Travellers (GNT: 195). Sounds horrendous! It’s like something dreamt up by an over-excited advertising executive who sees only ‘prod-uct’ and ‘profit’, and fails to value the product (the natural world), by changing what it was that made it attractive as a ‘product’ in the first place.

CuppaIf and when drone technology has advanced to the point of being able to deliver 1kg of King Prawns accompanied by a cold bottle of Chardonnay and a bottle of Shiraz then we’d be in camping heaven.

Bundy G

Re: Dog drama. I recently stayed at the Bulahdelah Lions

Free Camp. Staying near us was a couple with their little sausage dog. This animal just barked and barked. It was standing at its owner’s feet whilst he was having a conversation with another camper. No one did anything about this barking animal. I yelled at the owner and asked him to shut his dog up. Rather than do this he stormed over and demanded to know if I had problem with his dog. If you own a dog be aware of what it’s doing and consider others rather than pushing out your chest and threatening to punch people out.

Alan GRe: Deposit return (GNT:

195). We were one of the unfortunate couples who had paid a deposit on a new Vacationer caravan at Brisbane RVs earlier this year, not 10 days before the receivers moved in. We were very fortunate that Vacationer Caravans also came to the party and took the hit on the $8,000 we paid in deposit, by deducting the amount on a 2019 new build. We cannot thank Vacationer enough for the generosity shown us. It’s great to see that there are still some caring people out there.

Kevin B

Re: Tasmania camping (GNT: 195). It might help if the return ferry crossing to Tasmania for car and caravans cost less. For some nomads, a month to six weeks tripping is usually enough over there, but the cost outweighs the possi-bility of going at all … usually $2,000 or more!

Stan GRe: Heated Campchair (Gadgets: 195). The noisy old buggers will never go to bed now with heated chairs. It was the cold that would drive them inside and give the rest of us some quiet time. Now we are going to have to put up with drunken stories all night. Some inventions certainly DON’T make life easier, do they?

Graeme P

Many thanks to grey nomad Roscoe Robinson for sending in this skywards view of the magnificent trees at Newnes State Forest in New South Wales. * Have you got a picture taken from a different perspective you would like to share with GNT readers? Email us here.

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Old power sourcesgone with the wind?

While the idea of harness-ing the power of the wind to produce electricity for your campsite needs is not entirely new, the way in which the highly compact Giga does the job is certain to create a few more converts to the concept.It’s basically a small wind turbine that – depending on the strength of the breeze – is capable of kicking out up to 5 watts. That power is delivered to devices via an included USB charging cable.The British-designed device is enclosed within a protective UV-resistant thermoplastic body that can be wedged between rocks, propped up in trees, or staked to the ground in order to capture the wind. It comes with 4mm marine-grade rope and three fixing pegs so it can be firmly secured in the most suitable location.It measures 325mm across and weighs just 1 kilogram, so is easily transportable. Once the Giga is set up at your campsite, its blades spin in the wind throughout the day or night. Obviously, the big advantage

Page 6

of the solar panel is that it doesn’t require any sunlight to start generating. The device is fully waterproof so can keep doing its thing in the rain.The Giga has yet to go into full production but is ex-

Issue 196: April 18, 2019

pected to retail at $280 if and when it does.

• Do you like the idea of add-ing a portable wind turbine to your campsite power arsenal?

Click to comment

Website highlights

Van parks under threat? Recently our website www.thegreynomads.com.au reported that while many grey nomads are unhappy about new regulations which they fear may see less free camping areas in Tasmania, the caravan industry says it is still the commercial parks that are really most under threat.Read more here

Other website must-reads:

‘We’re open!’Tape scares nomads away

Van stolenGone in the blink of an eye

No parkDarwin rejects camp idea

More rolloversShock over caravan crashes

Merchandise magicGet your grey nomad gear

SURVEYAre caravan parks anendangered species?

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The portable Giga can be secured in the optimum spot to capture the power of the wind.

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Terrific Theodore The tiny Queensland town of Theodore nestled on the Daw-son River is one of those places that help ‘make’ a Big Lap … it’s unmistakably country, it’s quirky, and it’s completely and utterly unique.Sitting about 220 kilometres west of Bundaberg, visitors here are immediately struck by the sheer luxuriance of the town. Theodore’s wide palm-lined streets are a throwback to its origins and a reminder of the grand plans of its architects to create a model ‘garden city’.This was to be the urban centre of the Dawson Valley/Nathan Gorge irrigation scheme, which would see the creation of 5,000 irrigated farms gen-erating produce for the world. At the time, the modern town was promoted as offering ‘a solution to the problem of the cityward drift of the younger rural generation’. While a public hall with cinema and an electricity generation plant were built and the railway arrived in 1926, the proposed Nathan Dam – the centrepiece of the Nathan Gorge scheme – has yet to be built. Nonetheless, the settlement which began life as Castle Creek and was later renamed after controversial Queensland Premier E. G. ‘Red Ted’ Theo-dore, has prospered in recent times. This is largely due to

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the area’s fertile black soils and the irrigation work that was carried out, and its proximity to coal mining in the Bowen Basin.The community welcomes grey nomads and offers short stay camping at Junction Park by the Dawson River where there are hot showers on offer for a donation. The Theodore Show-ground also offers reasonably priced powered sites, and there is a dump point in town.A 50-feet high water tower sits at the centre of this attractive town, and the Neville Hewitt Park and Rotary Park over-looking Castle Creek are great places to relax and soak up the country atmosphere.There are a number of interest-ing buildings. One of the few remnants of the town’s original name can be seen on the main street where the Castle Creek Theatre is a dominant feature. Also of interest is the Catholic Church which is a great exam-

Issue 196: April 18, 2019

ple of Queensland vernacular wooden architecture. But it is the Theodore Co-operative Hotel Motel which really captures most attention. The pub is owned by local residents and all profits are used to fund community activities and projects.Also well worth a look are the historical artefacts housed at the Dawson Folk Museum, and the Theodore War Memo-rial which commemorates Australians who have served in all wars and conflicts. Just 30 kilometres south of town along the Leichhardt Highway is the stunning Isla Gorge National Park with its dramatic cliffs, sandstone gorges and Aboriginal hand paintings. It’s the sort of community and area that most grey nomads dream of discovering when they pull out of their driveways for the very first time.Click to comment

Beautiful Isla Gorge in the region is worth a visit

QUIZ CORNER

Win grey nomad stickers!Email the solution to the puzzle. Winner announced in Issue 197. CLUE: Something every grey nomad fears:

Key pad

Last week’s picture puzzle winner was Dominic James.

Do You Know1. I am travelling between Darwin and Kununurra in Aus-tralia’s Top End. Which highway am I on?2. The Victorian town of Bendigo was named:a) After the black labrador, Bendigo, the steadfastly loyal companion of the first mate on board HMS Endeavour in 1873. b) By the local council who named the town after a well known bend in a local river which attracted many visitors for its tranquil and picturesque waters.c) After world-famous Eng-lish boxer, Abednego William Thompson who had been nicknamed Bendigo. A nearby creek had been named Bendigo with the town taking the name in 1891.

3. Any one in a storm has a man’s name in this North Queensland town.

4. Fear Odd Sly (anagram). A popular destination for Melbur-nian day trippers.

5. What is the shortest distance between Orange in rural New South Wales and the city of Newcastle? a) 300km b) 378km c)445km

Answers on p. 8

ampfibian.com.au

PORTABLE POWER PROTECTION

CARAVAN POWER ADAPTOR

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Page 8

Dear Jaclyn and Heidi,My partner Geoffrey and I have been on the road for four months and were having a won-derful time. We loved the tran-quility and the simple pleasures of listening to wildlife, bubbling streams and crashing waves as we read our books or chatted around the campfire with other campers. But that all changed a month ago. Geoffrey, against my wishes, bought a satellite dish and now gawps at the TV at every opportunity. He said he missed his news and sport and promised to only watch oc-casionally, but he watches every night. He seems to have forgot-ten the reasons we hit the road and the joys of those peaceful nights. I’ve told him to stop, but when he does turn off the TV, he gets in a grump. How can I get him to change his ways, or am I being silly?

Brenda

TV dramas I’m so sorry to hear of your predicament Brenda. You’re certainly not being silly at all. It must be frustrating to hear the TV in the background. But it’s natural for people on the road to miss their creature comforts, and if you follow sport in particular, not know-ing the results, or missing a big match can also be frustrating. A change is as good as a rest as they say, so maybe he wanted to “reconnect” for a while. Talk to him and explain how it’s impacting your enjoyment. Maybe try to reach a compro-mise. Suggest to Geoffrey he watch TV three evenings a week, and the rest of the week he returns to the chats and book reading around the camp fire, which sounds so lovely. I’m confident he’ll soon realise what he’s been missing, and he’ll again cherish the peace and tranquility.

Jaclyn

Rip the satellite dish off the roof and throw it away Brenda. What else can you do if he won’t listen? Frankly, Geoffrey is being infuriatingly selfish, not to mention remarkably short sighted. Watching the TV while the world and its nocturnal wonders does its thing under his nose? It’s beyond crazy. Assuming you won’t do anything quite so drastic as throw the dish away, how about reading him the riot act, calling his bluff and saying you’re going home unless he drops the small screen obses-sion? Alternatively, just do your own thing Brenda. Wher-ever possible, make friends with fellow grey nomads who share your philosophy and hang out with them, leaving sad old Geoffrey to his own de-vices. Hopefully that will shake him out of his dull news and sport habit.

HeidiClick to comment

Issue 196: April 18, 2019

Instagram

‘The grey nomads are bypassing us’Not for the first time, locals in the South Australian com-munity of Victor Harbor are expressing alarm that the lack of a designated cheap or free RV park means it is missing out on a golden opportunity.Local councillor Bryan Lit-tlely is the latest voice to claim that grey nomads and other travellers are bypassing the town, known as the ‘Gateway to Kangaroo Island’, in favour of locations where they can park up and stay for free.He says the money visitors save on accommodation al-lows them to spend on enter-tainment, food and fuel.“The self-contained, free camping, sector is booming,’’ Cr Littlely said. “Right now, waves of caravan and RV owners are heading up the track north to Darwin, along

the Great Ocean Road, across the Nullarbor and up the west coast each day for extended trips.”He said he would be pushing strongly for the establish-ment of RV park facilities in a prominent location in a bid to keep pace, and overshadow,

other coastal towns already capturing the important tourist dollar.“The majority are looking for the cheapest camping options they can find because they are self-contained and they would sooner spend on food and en-tertainment in the places they

visit,” he said. “Making a space for these tourists, showcasing our town and getting them talking about Victor Harbor makes great sense.’’Caravan Industry Association of Australia figures released last year showed a record 647,319 recreational vehicles were registered in the year to January 2017. “I know I’m not alone on the council in identifying this im-portant opportunity we should be capitalising on,” Cr Littlely said. “Now it’s time to act and establish a RV park so we can take our share of this tourism dollar.’’

• Does a lack of free or cut-price camping keep you away from Victor Harbor?

Click to comment

Is scenic Victor Harbor missing out on visitors? Pic: Tourism SA

The Grey Nomads Insta-gram page is on the open road … and we’d like to invite you all to share – and to enjoy – some great im-ages showcasing all that’s best about taking the Big Lap. Please click below to follow us:

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Issue 196: April 18, 2019PRIVATE CAMPS

CLASSIFIEDS

FOR SALE

Do you have a rig, a prop-erty or some camping items to sell?Email us here to find out how to advertise your items on our website and newsletter

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Issue 196: April 18, 2019

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.

HELP WANTEDMATARANKA, NTSingle or couple with own van required to help develop a new garden in Mataranka NT. Preferably someone who has an interest in organic gardening and is prepared to do an hour or 2 of pottering around most days.We have a place to plug a van into power and water and there is private toilet and shower. We are quite close to Bitter Springs Thermal Pools. Click here.***DARWIN, NT** EXPRESSION OF INTEREST -Assistance needed in exchange for accommodation and living expenses** SEA CHANGE – 4 month stint in tropical Darwin Waterfront, Northern Territory: We are currently looking for a Assistant/Caretaker (or couple) to live-in on site to assist with some help around our property (3 hours per day M-F) and small maintenance items and walking of our pooches (in the afternoon). We are looking for a retired or semi retired person to assist us 3 hours per day in exchange for living in a beautiful luxury self contained 1 bedroom apartment at the Waterfront. The successful applicant must have a friendly and outgoing personality and have good communication skills. The position requires school holiday, weekend and some public holiday tasks. Click here.***TOWNSVILLE, QLDTownsville district fruit farm – powered site available for single person or couple with own caravan or motorhome in exchange for 1 – 2 hours help per day with watering, gardening, mowing, fruit picking etc. Great place to be based to explore the Townsville Region, close to amenities, and 10 mins from large shopping centre. Dump point and en-suite toilet on site. Prefer minimum 2 weeks minimum stay. CLick here.***CAPE TRIBULATION CAMP, QLDBeachfront Campground in Daintree Rainfor-est Far Nth Qld is seeking help for the upcoming season – Start Immediately.No experience required just friendly people who get the job done. Powered caravan site in return for light cleaning duties. You will need your own caravan – sorry no pets. Click here.***MURCHISON AREA STATION, WAWanted for Immediate Start – Looking for grey nomads who are looking at stopping a while in remote WA. Milly Milly Station is situated in the Murchison WA, it is a beautiful part of outback Australia and the wildflowers are beginning to bloom. If you enjoy ‘pottering’ around homestead, water-ing gorgeous gardens whilst taking in the scenery we’d like to hear from you.This is non paid however power, water, wifi is supplied and if any more duties completed you will be compensated. Click here.***ARTHUR RIVER, WAWanted tractor driver, some experience would be great, for about 4 to 5 weeks (we are flexible) to help with this year’s seeding programme. We are in WA about 2 hours south of Perth in Arthur River. If you are interested please contact David on 0428 626 038.***BROOME, WACARETAKERS WANTED for tidy 5 acre property 20klms out of Broome on sealed road. Suit caravanners. Free powered site and ensuite in exchange for 2 hours a day gardening, weeding /maintenance duties.Small friendly pets welcome. Minimum 4 week stays April to end September available.(This is not a house sit.) CLick here.

AUGATHELLA CATTLE PROPERTY, QLDFemale Lifestyle Position -Augathella Cattle Property Outback Queensland. Require an intelligent mature female to be a friend to an eccentric 72yr old male who lives on a cattle property & needs help with meals for himself & help with writing his story. Essential to have writing, computer & conversational skills & ability to cope with situations that may arise. The position is a lifestyle position as the successful applicant will have time to enjoy the bush & help out on the cattle property if they so wish. The position is for 6 weeks starting preferably 19th April. Please advise if date does not suit. Separate living quarters are supplied. Remuneration is $200/wk in hand plus board & keep. Willing to negotiate travel arrangements. wife will be travelling overseas during this period. Refer-ences are required. Click here.***MACKAY AND BURKEDIN, QLD2019 CANE CRUSHING SEASON – MACKAY AND BURDEKIN. Zarb Road Transport and NDL Transport are family owned and operated businesses within the Mackay and Burdekin regions. We have built strong ties with the sugar industry and we provide our customers with bulk cartage of sugar and bio-products of sugar. We are built on big family values which creates a family friendly culture. We are NOW seeking committed individuals to work within our team for the 2019 cane crushing season. If the idea of working 5-6 months of the year, earning great money whilst having fun excites you, then this is for you. We are looking for moti-vated and driven HC and MC Truck Drivers and Depot Hands (Tractor drivers) in various locations across Queensland. Positions and Locations available: Mackay and surround-ing – HC Drivers/Depot hands. Brandon and Giru – HC and MC Drivers. These positions are expected to start in late May 2019. Lim-ited spots available. Click here.***

HUNGERFORD QLD REGION IN NSWWe are looking for 3 months care taker of a station approximately 30 minutes south of Hungerford Queensland. We are located NSW. 3 bedroom home. General mainte-nance required, a little gardening and house cleaning when required, maybe a few water points to check. Beautiful full water holes, yabbies ect. 50 minutes to Wannaring.Property name Paroo Plains. Hungerford road. Beautiful bird life. Such peace and all the modern tools. Tv , internet connection, sheds for caravans ect. Big country style house. Click here.***WARRAH VALLEY, NSWReliable animal loving housesitters wanted for 500 acres in the picturesque Warrah Val-ley, 20 kms from Willow Tree. Would be look-ing at 5 weeks through September and start October. Can supply bathroom amenities. Would be wanting animals fed and looked af-ter, dogs cats, chooks plus checking waters for cattle and horses in paddocks.Would also need very basic house yard maintenance done. Click here.***TAMWORTH, NSWWe are looking for someone to be the care-taker of our property while we’re away from Saturday 29th June to Thursday 26th Sep-tember 2019. We are located in the Tamworth area, approximately 30kms from the CBD, in the picturesque Dungowan Valley, on small acreage but surrounded by larger properties.We are looking for someone to feed our people loving Border Collie dog, cat, chooks & sheep & just keep an eye on things in general. As it will be winter, there’ll be no need to mow lawns. Click here.

HOUSESITTING

LOCKYER VALLEY, QLDHouse Sitter wanted 25/5/19 to 30/6/19 on 20 acres . 1 dog. 1 horse. Plants and pool to care for. Power water and Internet available. Shower, laundry and toilet available. Police checks a must. Click here.***SCENIC RIM, QLDHousesitter wanted 23 June – 26 July. We live on 40 beautiful, peaceful bush acres with creeks and lovely walks in a new wheelchair friendly house, all rooms and large deck facing north – 15 mins from Boonah and 5 mins from Lake Maroon. There are lots of birds and native flora and fauna. We have a 4 meter circular above ground swimming pool, large organic vegetable garden and orchard. We would love someone to look after our dogs Mr Chips and Millie, give Fred (old stock horse) a morning feed , “observe” Cosi and Mustang (goats) and Minnie Moo and Maxi Moo (lowline heifer and wagyu heifer) and feed our 6 free range chooks and 6 geese. The chooks have an automatic door to their “house” which opens and closes to set times! Since it is the dry time of the year there would be minimal mowing, if any, but some watering will be required. The sitters are welcome to live in the house or their van or motorhome. Click here.***YEPPOON, QLDI plan to travel interstate in May and return the first week of June 2019. My home is on one hectare of land and situated 2.5klm from Yeppoon CBD. Q4703. All shops and services and main beach are five minutes drive away. There are no duties to perform here, no pets or special care. There is a furnished granny flat and laundry and/or you can hook up power and water if you have a caravan that you want to use. Lawns don’t grow much in May so mowing will probably not be required. Click here.*** ATHERTON TABLELANDS, QLDWe would like house sitters from about 11th December to about 29th December 2019 ( dates are flexible at this time.) We are lo-cated near Tarzali on the Atherton Tableland on a seven and a half acre hobby farm.We have a friendly small dog that will need to be fed and played with. We also have five hand raised steers that like to have some molasses and have their water drum topped up every day. We are in a high rainfall area but if it is hot and dry the garden may need to be watered. There is plenty of room for a caravan or a queen bedroom and second bathroom in the house. Click here.***MOUNT PLEASANT, SACountry property sitter required approx 3 months July – September 2019. Located Mount Pleasant SA Close to Barossa Valley wine region. Small horse property 40acreas with in walking distance to Mt Pleasant town-ship. Prefer couple who have had some farm experience in past and horse knowledge. We would require hay feeding out to our few horses on a regular basis. Horses are all running in large paddocks. Check water etc. Modern two bedroom home available or use own camper. Click here.***GREENOUGH, WAWanting sitter with own van for 6 weeks anytime from May to end of June, small hobby farm with a handful of horses, sheep , cows & 1 old sheep dog. Would only need stock & waters checked daily, approx 1/2 hour. Click here.***FERGUSON VALLEY, WAHouse sitter waned for three weeks some time around August /September to look after four friendly horses and two friendly dogs on our five acre property in Dardanup. Click here.

CHAPMAN VALLEY, WAAnother set of hands required! We are located in Chapman Valley 22 kms out of Geraldton, other than our own business, we also run a Farm Stay from the second house on our property, so we need another set of hands to help out with both houses with raking, whippersnippering, tractor, ride on & lawn mowing, veggie gardens, light cleaning and general handy work on our property as and when it is required. Ideally, you will be self-sufficient and would have full access to power, outside drop toilet, water and internet in return for help in the above. A Small pet is ok as we have an active Kelpie and a lazy Beagle. We also have sheep on the 120 acre property. You can stay for a few days or a week. Longer by discussion. Click here.***GRACETOWN, WALive in Caretaker couple required for a prop-erty just north of Gracetown in South West WA. Commencing 15th May 2019 or earlier if available. Minimum employment period: 6 months. The property consists of 100 acres mostly native vegetation on the coast. There are two houses; a Luxury Guest House and the owner’s home. Duties include grounds care (lawns, tracks, roads etc.), general maintenance (lawn reticulation, painting, repairs etc.), some housekeeping, window cleaning, guest welfare, (spa cleaning etc.) and some tractor work. Contracted cleaners service the guest house between visits.Ideally, couple should be self-motivated, able to trouble shoot and be a jack of all trades.Salary offered with room to park your cara-van. A small self-contained, furnished unit is also available. Click here.***NORTH CENTRAL VIC VAN PARK, VICCaravan Park in North Central Victoria looking for a fit and healthy mature couple that would be interested in joining our team. We are offering a site with power and water in trade for a couple hours work per day. The work would be general garden, general maintenance and the odd cleaning jobs around the park. We would love an immedi-ate start if possible. Click here.***NOOSA HEADS, QLDLifelight Farm is an over 270 acre organic farm, located on Cootharaba Road QLD, 30 mins drive from Noosa Heads and Sunshine Coast respectively. We have many ongoing projects that include a sports complex, a workshop, and a pool. Volunteers needed to assist in everyday to day activities. Mechani-cal or construction background would be favored, as well as the ability to operate farm machinery (posi track, tractors, etc.) Food, electricity, and water all apart of accom-modation. Come and stay a fortnight or 12 months. Click here.***KANGAROO ISLAND, NR HERVEY BAY, QLDOur property Kangaroo Island which is near Hervey Bay and 10 kilometers away from Fraser Island have 166 Hectares. Volunteers with mechanical, repair, or construc-tion background are needed to assist in development of the Island, as we have many ongoing projects. These include building several sheds, a freshwater dam, and road development. Machine operation also is a favored skill, including posi tracks, barge, or excavator. Housing in the form of free bush camping or apartment accommodation, food and water deliveries via our barge, and electricity from our solar panel system.Click here.***MICHAM, VICBus Driver: Nadrasca is a disability services provider in Mitcham, Victoria. A fantastic op-portunity to assist people in your community and also earn money. Click here.***