this is directed at the true grey nomads, what is your main means of communication, mobile phone or uhf, if it is uhf what brands are you using, or do you just rely on your next meeting place to get the required information, do you access the internet if so how, do you use gps or is that just for the yuppies like us, if you do what brand, please only the true grey nomads, to answer this, that is those of you that no longer own a home, and are on the road  full time, not the wannabees or part timers.

dave06 said:
only the true grey nomads, to answer this, that is those of you that no longer own a home, and are on the road full time, not the wannabees or part timers.dave06, with respect, whose definition of "Grey Nomad" is this?

Cheers,
Peter.

according to 60 minutes and the 7.30 report the term "grey nomad" is one that is usually over the age of 50 and "on the road full time" I.E. does not own a home as we know it or a principle place of residence, no fixed abode. the nomad by dictionary definition is "one who wanders" as in the desert nomads of namibia or as I should like to become he with no gas bill or land rates

Good idea to examine the meaning of 'grey nomad' separately.   Although the discussion is interesting among ourselves, I think the wider population has already labelled most older caravanners as 'grey nomads,' even if they're on a weekend away. 
To get back to your other questions, during our 18 month trip, we accessed the internet via libraries, tourist info centres, internet cafes and caravan parks.  We found our mobile phone plan with Telstra was too dear to keep using it for the internet access with our laptop as some of our well-meaning friends attached photos to their emails which sent the bill into orbit. 
We don't have a GPS, but relied on maps and books showing where the free camps are.  Although I know lots of other swear by them, I can't see myself swapping our maps for such an impersonal device.  We loved poring over the maps of an evening, working out which way to go and even getting lost trying to get there. 

hmmmm. touchy subject, obviously some pride here

I niavley assumed that because I'm 60 with very distinguished grey hair (whats left of it) who ownd a 4X4 and Van that I was a "Grey Nomad"....
I did check on E Tax to see if "Grey Nomad" could be accpeted as an occupation alas no....

bugga!!!!

dave06 wrote:

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according to 60 minutes and the 7.30 report the term "grey nomad" is one that is usually over the age of 50 and "on the road full time" I.E. does not own a home as we know it or a principle place of residence, no fixed abode. the nomad by dictionary definition is "one who wanders" as in the desert nomads of namibia or as I should like to become he with no gas bill or land rates

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         60 minutes hasn't had a punch in a LONG time and the 7.30 report wouldn't know if it's arse was on fire,unless ACA or Today tonight was running the same story.MHO.Lets see,"Does not own a home"Motorhome,mobile home,I guess home is where the heart is on that definition."No fixed abode",well it's only fixed for short periods obviously.And as far as Gas bill,well,you mainly pay for it up front,no credit there and land rates,some would be paying them by the outrageous prices at caravan parks.All said tounge in cheek of course,with a bit of seriousness on the side.
                                      Dave,ya shouldn't think that grey nomads arn't grey nomads if they own a house.Some rely on rental income to fund part of thier lifestyle,hence,they could be part timers,6mths here,6mths there.This is what we want to achieve.Pentions are not bottomless pits and neither is super.
                                       It seems to be a very simple question that you ask,with even broader answers.UHF/CB would be the deffinate answer for mobile nomads on the road fulltime,but,if your looking for a constant babble of nomads waffleing on the airwaves of those mediums with a blow by blow account of life on the road,I doubt you will find it,unless pre-aranged.All other mediums,sat phones,internet and the like are too costly for constant non-stop comunication if run from thier houseless,billess and rateless lifestyle.
                                       Hope ya find the answer you are after.
                                       Glenn.

Glenn, there is no answer, the question was rethorical to raise some sort of debate, I do these sort of things, obviously some people take these things far too serious, I aspire to a life of no house, no showering the boy, no wiping arses, no schedules, no meetings, , the term "grey nomad" to me encompasses all of these things. mainly freedom for me and my wife, we are, as I stated in my biography, carers for our 30 year old cerebral palsy son, now he is a fantastic kid and we love him to death but for us and others like us we have very little time to ourselves and the idea of ESCAPE is fantastic. we already know what works and what doesnt work on the road, we have travelled  for over twenty years and continuing, done the circuit twice, we have been on the bituman and dirt, 4 wheel drive and two,  tent, caravan and camper trailer and now campervan, oh we also hired a motorhome in tasmania, we know what the full timers use and what they discard we have talked and broke bread and the occasional beer with many of them and their advice is gold, I could easily write a book if I so desired but I dont hold myself up as an expert, if I think I can help someone I do, if they accept that advise or help then good if not well thats up to them, you cant drive a bent nail with a bigger hammer can you. we walk this earth once,  all trails are different, I will no doubt post more evocative subjects on the forum because that is my nature, if others take umbridge then at least we are thinking arent we and thought is a sign of life isnt it? oh and the last time I looked we had a megajulle usage on our gas bill which shows it is not prepaid, and who said 60 minutes is dead  the 7.30 reporters want to know your address they have a package for you.

-- Edited by dave06 at 12:42, 2008-07-05

I like presents Dave,just hope it isn't the same as what the other shows sent me.Actually,its good to see some constant thread/posts on the nomad forum.sometimes it can be rather thin and slow.
I would even imagine that in the future,with oil prices being what they are,it will be easier to spot the grey nomads.They will be the ones giggin down the motorway with a clydsdale with a gypsy van in tow.

I can really relate to  what you are trying to achieve,being only 49yrs young I spent a good 30 of those yrs on a constant loop around OZ.I would set up a base and travel around what ever state I happened to be in at the time,then move on to a different one.Some I went twice like Tassie,that place is awsome,but alas,not much work there in the last few yrs.After owning our own home for the past 5yrs,the cheese & kiss's wants a stable base to head out from,so a house we must have.It wont be the one we have now as we are downsizeing.Its the only way we can afford to set it all in motion without dipping into savings,super and eventually the pension.We will still be free to go where we want and for as long as we want.Im a bit hippy but Jo's a lot sensible.
            Glenn.

hey Glen, not sure if you'd like the pressy that Kerry o'brien has for you, he's a mean looking sod, I wouldnt knock his show, glad you take my posts in the manner to which they were subscribed, lightheartedly and "to get people talking"

dave06 wrote:

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hey Glen, not sure if you'd like the pressy that Kerry o'brien has for you, he's a mean looking sod, I wouldnt knock his show, glad you take my posts in the manner to which they were subscribed, lightheartedly and "to get people talking"

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Dave.... I wonder how long the forum owner will tolerate lighthearted and frivolous banter sauch as we exchange.... A whole bunch of Grey Nomads take life very seriously you know.... The big decisions we face at our time of life cause very stressful times, like do you turn left or right at the next intersection and how are we expected to "carry on" with fuel prices going the way they are... I tell you Dave it's plague, doom and pestulance for many GN's....

good on ya bas, thats the true spirit of " the grey nomad " with fuel prices I guess we will have to spend an extra night or two beside that waterfall "oh woe is me"

You know the way things are going there is a small chance that there could be a worldwide ressesion and/or depression in the not too distant future,so some say anyway.I wonder if that happened wether people living the full-time nomadic life would come out on top of the situation.It seems logical to think that they would,of course fuel of any sort would be a sticky point but haveing to stay put for longer periods wouldn't be. Do any of you folks take bush tucker seriously at all?Besides the usual like seafood and all.Any thoughts on a contingency plan to feed the family for short or long terms. Just wondering.Glenn.

I've tried a few "types" of bush tucker, different to my usual diet... Problem that I see is exactly the same as if we all got rid of our cars, the railways went back to steam power etc, we just could not cope, there is not enough bush tucker available to "feed us all" and as Grey Nomads we are not the selfish ones, we tend to look after our fellow man so ultimatley we would perish in the rush led by the pimply faced tossers whose greed knows no bounds and who's ideology drives "society" and has made it what it is today....Every problem is someone elses fault and even if proven wrong you are expected to believe the spin and hubris of society....
Hows that for a typical "grey nomad" attitude???
Construction work on my bomb shelter will start soon....

suenami wrote:

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I can remember thinking I'd build bomb shelter in the 80s when my twin sons were born. At the time I lived in Milperra. Can't remember why now. But I can remember the 'yellow peril' and the 'domino theory'. Nothing ever happened. I'm not 60 yet and every now and again I think I'm losing my sense of humour (which is great). Which, of course, I'm not. But it's become necessary for my mental health to not watch television - certainly not commercial television. The process has been gradual over the past 10 years. ABC Radio is not much better. Inspector Rex and maybe Quentin Dempster occasionally, that's all. I left Sydney 12 years ago. Sons did high school in Swansea NSW. They grew up, left home and I headed for far south coast. Been on my own for seven years and have always felt I could go further bush. When I sell my home (soon please!) I will live in my fifth wheeler, towed by a Falcon RTV, single cab chassis, one tonne ute. 
Basil Faulty if you live anywhere near Canterbury Rd Lakemba - get the hell out of there! Permanently The real world is outside cities, paricularly Sydney. We don't need bomb shelters or retirement villages - just ear plugs!
(the philosphical ramblings of a potential not-so-grey nomad)
Cheers

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Hmmmm how far south on the South coast and will you look after my dog while I holiday at narooma or bermagui?
I actually live in Canberra which is not to bad, we have strict rules as to traffic congestion and life here, anything is possible provided you can find the right public servant to issue the relevant permit....
The reference to 269 Canterbury rd was a shameless plug for a mate of mine who owns the premises and is under constant threat from knife & gun toting local drug crazed yobos....
So you are single but not looking.... Hmmmm I wish I was.... Don't spose you would be interested in a shallow purely sexual relationship???? LOL

o.m.g, bomb shelters, sexual relationships, knifings, ****ttt, I'm back in the seventies, please please dont kill my dream, wheres bloody superman or shaft when ya need em

-- Edited by dave06 at 15:03, 2008-07-13

dave06 wrote:

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o.m.g, bomb shelters, sexual relationships, knifings, ****ttt, I'm back in the seventies, please please dont kill my dream, wheres bloody superman or shaft when ya need em

-- Edited by dave06 at 15:03, 2008-07-13

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Nothing like a bit of sexual innuendo to lowere the entire tone of the forum... Speaking of innuendo; did you hear about the Japanese Grey Nomad who thought that an innuendo was a suppository????'Whooooooooooooops wrong thread....

bas youre a bloody wacker inuendo indeed, as for a suppository, had one of them once, for all the good it did me, I might as well have shoved it up my bum, as for bush tucker yep we live off the land all the time, mud crabs up north, barrossa wine, king island cheese, kangaroo island marrin, coffin bay oysters, port lincoln tuna, tasmanian beer, queensland rum, dont know what n.s.w. is good for, dont think they know either, yep shes a hard life but I dont know what the aboriginals are grizzling about with all that bushtucker around its easy to live off the land

To answer the original question, we use a sat/mobile phone that works on normal mobile when you hit signal area, and Sat phone when you are not. We also use UHF to keep up with any local conditions. Apart from the swearing it is a good indication of what is going on. The sat/mobile phone we got from http://store.tcsrdirect.com.au/category17_1.htm And I dont know if we are classed as grey nomads, because my wife colours her hair! haha we did sell the house though and we are now at no fixed address. Bob