Hello everyone, We've had a call from a film company making a documentary which will focus on activities of retirees in the US, Japan and Australia. The Australian segment will focus on grey nomads and volunteering. The film company are specifically looking for a couple who are in the process of packing up, hitting the road and heading to Barcaldine to volunteer in the Grey Nomads Action Group there. The documentary will be aired on SBS early next year and will also be shown in the US and Japan. Anyone interested? If so, please post a message or send an email to editorial@thegreynomads.com.au. Thanks.
Peter_n_Margaret said
10:58 AM Mar 6, 2008
We had not planned on going to Barcaldine, but this is a posting that I made on the CMCA Members Forum a while back, that might be of interest. -------------
I must confess from the outset, that most of our volunteering has started with an ulterior motive, and the most common motive has been to get permission to access great spots in this wonderful country that would otherwise be closed to us. But that is a very narrow view of the real gains.
In 2007, we had a variety of experiences.
Lorella Springs Station (on the Gulf in the NT). We arrived after negotiating our way through a Road Closed on the Savannah Way, on condition that we did not proceed further north. The owners are developing the property for tourists. In exchange for our camping fee, we cleaned, laid free-stone paving, built bar stools etc for two weeks (off and on) until the road opened. In addition, we met and got to know some wonderful new people, got shown where the best swimming and fishing spots were, and spent a few days camped near the owners house north of Darwin.
Gregory National Park (East of Kununurra, in the NT). Gregory is a primarily a 4x4 destination. When we arrived, the Bullita Stock route was open, but most of the rest of the Park was still closed. They were still working on the tracks after the wet, clearing trees, touching up wash-aways and the like. We went to the Ranger (we had a name from a mutual friend) and said what can we do? We spent 3 days, working 12 hours a day, walking remote creek lines with other volunteers and staff chasing down a particularly nasty weed called Devils Claw. It took a day to drive in and a day to drive out. In addition, more wonderful people, they fed us, we did something useful for the environment, and we got to see the stunning country in the closed section of the Park.
Keep River National Park (East of Kununurra, near the WA border in NT). This Park is not very big (compared with some), but it is stunning, a real surprise for us. Again, the northern section of this Park was still closed. With an introduction from Gregory NP, Cameron, the Ranger soon had us at work. We camped in the still closed northern campsite and got it ready for 'tourists', then helped Cameron open up the northern walking track with a couple of Swiss backpackers that were also co-opted. In addition, more wonderful new friends, invites to Switzerland, more wonderful country that was closed, no camping fees and a loan of the Ranger Station washing machine! How good can it get?
Kalumburu Mission (Northern Kimberley, WA). We have spent a month or two at Kalumburu (in the coastal campsites) each year since 2005, and we have got to know some of the locals, including some of the Elders. August 2008 is the 100th anniversary of the formation of the Catholic Mission there. Now, we are not Catholics, or even religious, but Father Anscar (an extraordinary character and person) has a massive collection of stuff, including a wonderful collection of local Aboriginal artefacts, all kept in a tin shed. It deserves better protection. They were building a magnificent stone museum, in the style of the old Mission buildings, so we volunteered to help with construction, so that it might be finished for the 100th anniversary. You cant imagine (or perhaps you can) the experience for us, living, eating and working in a remote Catholic Monastery, with the other volunteers, Father Anscar, Brother John, and those wonderful Sisters. As a bonus, Father Anscar is the authority on the local indigenous art and he speaks the local languages. On Sundays he likes to go exploring, looking for art, and he has permission to go to places that we never could without him. These are rare opportunities.
Remote Pilbra Cattle Station. I wont name the station, because I am sure that they dont want a pile of motorhomers rolling up at their door, but this is something you can organise for yourselves if you go about it the right way. Stations dont want free loaders, but real workers will be generally welcome if you make arrangements before you leave home. We had an introduction. We spent a week helping with the muster at a remote camp. Margaret became camp cook and Master of the camp oven and I was dubbed Mister versatile, moving vehicles around, welding up busted stuff, getting dropped of in the chopper. And of course, when the work was done, we knew all about those secret spots on the property, and permission to visit them. This is the real Australia.
These are not holidays. This is a way of life. There is a pretty simple and obvious message above. Put in a bit and you will get back stuff that you cant buy.
Cheers, Peter
Webmaster said
02:00 PM Mar 11, 2008
Hi Peter & Margaret, Wow! Thanks so much for sharing your fantastic experiences of volunteering during your travels. It has certainly inspired us to look for opportunities to get involved even if they're not advertised. I'll certainly let producers of the show know and they may be in contact.
We've had a call from a film company making a documentary which will focus on activities of retirees in the US, Japan and Australia. The Australian segment will focus on grey nomads and volunteering. The film company are specifically looking for a couple who are in the process of packing up, hitting the road and heading to Barcaldine to volunteer in the Grey Nomads Action Group there. The documentary will be aired on SBS early next year and will also be shown in the US and Japan. Anyone interested? If so, please post a message or send an email to editorial@thegreynomads.com.au. Thanks.
-------------
I must confess from the outset, that most of our volunteering has started with an ulterior motive, and the most common motive has been to get permission to access great spots in this wonderful country that would otherwise be closed to us.
But that is a very narrow view of the real gains.
In 2007, we had a variety of experiences.
Lorella Springs Station (on the Gulf in the NT).
We arrived after negotiating our way through a Road Closed on the Savannah Way, on condition that we did not proceed further north. The owners are developing the property for tourists. In exchange for our camping fee, we cleaned, laid free-stone paving, built bar stools etc for two weeks (off and on) until the road opened.
In addition, we met and got to know some wonderful new people, got shown where the best swimming and fishing spots were, and spent a few days camped near the owners house north of Darwin.
Gregory National Park (East of Kununurra, in the NT).
Gregory is a primarily a 4x4 destination. When we arrived, the Bullita Stock route was open, but most of the rest of the Park was still closed. They were still working on the tracks after the wet, clearing trees, touching up wash-aways and the like. We went to the Ranger (we had a name from a mutual friend) and said what can we do? We spent 3 days, working 12 hours a day, walking remote creek lines with other volunteers and staff chasing down a particularly nasty weed called Devils Claw. It took a day to drive in and a day to drive out.
In addition, more wonderful people, they fed us, we did something useful for the environment, and we got to see the stunning country in the closed section of the Park.
Keep River National Park (East of Kununurra, near the WA border in NT).
This Park is not very big (compared with some), but it is stunning, a real surprise for us.
Again, the northern section of this Park was still closed. With an introduction from Gregory NP, Cameron, the Ranger soon had us at work. We camped in the still closed northern campsite and got it ready for 'tourists', then helped Cameron open up the northern walking track with a couple of Swiss backpackers that were also co-opted.
In addition, more wonderful new friends, invites to Switzerland, more wonderful country that was closed, no camping fees and a loan of the Ranger Station washing machine!
How good can it get?
Kalumburu Mission (Northern Kimberley, WA).
We have spent a month or two at Kalumburu (in the coastal campsites) each year since 2005, and we have got to know some of the locals, including some of the Elders. August 2008 is the 100th anniversary of the formation of the Catholic Mission there. Now, we are not Catholics, or even religious, but Father Anscar (an extraordinary character and person) has a massive collection of stuff, including a wonderful collection of local Aboriginal artefacts, all kept in a tin shed. It deserves better protection. They were building a magnificent stone museum, in the style of the old Mission buildings, so we volunteered to help with construction, so that it might be finished for the 100th anniversary.
You cant imagine (or perhaps you can) the experience for us, living, eating and working in a remote Catholic Monastery, with the other volunteers, Father Anscar, Brother John, and those wonderful Sisters.
As a bonus, Father Anscar is the authority on the local indigenous art and he speaks the local languages. On Sundays he likes to go exploring, looking for art, and he has permission to go to places that we never could without him.
These are rare opportunities.
Remote Pilbra Cattle Station.
I wont name the station, because I am sure that they dont want a pile of motorhomers rolling up at their door, but this is something you can organise for yourselves if you go about it the right way. Stations dont want free loaders, but real workers will be generally welcome if you make arrangements before you leave home. We had an introduction.
We spent a week helping with the muster at a remote camp. Margaret became camp cook and Master of the camp oven and I was dubbed Mister versatile, moving vehicles around, welding up busted stuff, getting dropped of in the chopper. And of course, when the work was done, we knew all about those secret spots on the property, and permission to visit them.
This is the real Australia.
These are not holidays. This is a way of life.
There is a pretty simple and obvious message above.
Put in a bit and you will get back stuff that you cant buy.
Cheers,
Peter
Wow! Thanks so much for sharing your fantastic experiences of volunteering during your travels. It has certainly inspired us to look for opportunities to get involved even if they're not advertised. I'll certainly let producers of the show know and they may be in contact.