We are just back from a trip of almost 3 weeks to the north coast of NSW.
We were originally scheduled to travel through VIC to the Great Ocean Road the 10 days after the devastating fires.
When we left the Central Coast the fires were still raging throughout several areas of VIC and we travelled through torrential rain for about 500klms to the first stop.
We then had 4 days of solid rain - deluge makes more sense -, one night 188mm - 400mm over 3 days.
We had a number of other days with rain that caused flooding on the coast at the time and isolated some communities.
The guys at work refer to me as the 'drought breaker' as it appears every time we travel in the 'van the rain follows us!!!!!!
Appears the only mistake we made here was, we should have headed south, not north - it may have done some good.
We made the most of the time cooped up in the 'van as we realise there are many others far worse off then ourselves with only rain to complain about.
Just makes you think of the vagaries of the weather we have in OZ when one area can be over run with fire and other with flood.

well Pete I'd just like to say (1) welcome back we missed you (2) I'd like to add "what a WONDERFULL and diverse land we live in" we are revelling in a little drizzle here at the moment, I havent seen rain in that long I'd forgotten what it smelt like, we received maybe 10 mm I could not imagine 188 mm in one night now with the nsw north coast is it green or brown, we are thinking of choofing over there maybe around oct./nov. take a look at the zig zag railway, havent made up our mind as yet!!

Dave, The smell of fresh rain is one of the nicest things you can experience, hopefully there is more following it for you. The 188mm made it difficult to sleep from the pounding/drumming on the roof, but then when the sun did shine (limited periods) the swampy smell from the wet ground was another round for the senses. All the above just makes 'vanning a pleasure??????????????? The other things that happened on the trip to make it more worthwile........ 1. Day we arrived power converter decided to pack it in - had to replace.... 2. 40th wedding anniversary day - booked for speeding.... first time in 15 years, but fair cop. 3. Anchors to awning pulled out from van wall while trying to erect in freak wind gust..... ..But these things are sent to try us. Re brown or green - the areas around Sydney/Katoomba are currently green and looking not too bad. Good time to visit Zig Zag then as it is not too cold in those areas, but come prepared anyway. If you venture north of Sydney to Central Coast - Gosford/The Entrance area let me know. It is a great part of the lower mid/north coast and has some great areas, beaches to see.

pete I'm sorry, I read your mishaps and couldnt help laughing to myself, been there done that, I'd love to go and have a look at the zig zag but the dragon is still making up her mind about new zealand when we sell up we know we wont be able to afford to shoot over to kiwi land and we sorta have the cash now thanks to a lot of long hours on the header and grain truck, which I've just been paid for, so even though we sent all my then current bank balance plus my first weeks pay to the bloody vics, with the pay I get from my harvest position plus the extra hours clocked up at work we can skip over for a couple of weeks, it may be a one time shot when we have the motorhome then perhaps we will have a nose at the zig zag, havent really made up our mind, freinds of ours have just returned from canada, they did that trans canadian rockies trainy thingy, they had observation seating, I would like to do that but oh boy the toil that would entail to acrue that ammount of doe!! so many places to see so little money, so little time

good on ya davo  keep them dollars rolling in to the best little state in auss.
come snow time we will rip u S Aians off again   jeez u blokes over there owe me a dollar or 2 for the coin down the side of my almost new magna  [5000 ks] written in the dust on the boot was "kick a vic "   but still loves ya state and the folks in it



 happy days

-- Edited by drongo & wendy at 12:00, 2009-03-04

fellers like you that make fellers like me want to help Dave, simple as that, I've been doing some collecting for various charities in my spare time, cant do as much as I would like, little bit here and a little bit there, (havent got much spare time) even in these times of world monetary collapse and global recession, bank fees and large mortgages, I have yet to find a door close in my face with a refusal to donate people are generally good, black, brown, yellow or white, everybody wants to help, I even had a couple of fellows wanting to cart my collection bags around for me, (I was carrying 5 at the time) it is however ilegal for them to place a hand on any of my bags without relevent documentation and little sticky I.D. badges, so I had to say no, the look of hurt on their faces said it all, but I do get some very strange looks when I say the number of charities that I am collecting for I keep promising the wife that I will slow down, ah well next year maybe!!

aint it a great country  when the chips are down in any part of it  someone somewhere is digging up there own spuds to help out



makes me proud to be an aussie albeit from scottish/irish decent orkaye

theres hundreds if not thousands of people all over the country and the world helping out, but we like to think that if or when it happens to us then someone will be there for us as well, I was turned away from physically helping you blokes, had enough fighters, which is a good thing I guess, so I turned to another way we can help, never get enough of them (collectors) I was in black wednesday operating cat d8 bulldozers trying to starve the fire, got my bumb singed a couple of times and ended up losing the dozer as well as a couple of units, I remember the donations and the help that came flooding in, the hundreds of people that just came from nowhere (including victoria), fought alongside a couple of them, they came out of the woodwork just amazed and humbled me, we are just returning that which was given us in our hour of need, nothing more, nothing less, not charity just a hand which we expect to be returned when it's our turn as for the brainless mongrel that scratched the car well, fools are everywhere, I give the vics heaps but when the chips are down, I'm there, same as anyone else

And what a shame the "controllers" can't control. They stopped aid to one group of bushfire survivors when they still needed aid on the ground where they are camped. The decision makers have to start asking those the decision affects, before they make decisions. Decisions are made by those who are not affected by the decisions they make. It sounds like the public service and large corporations. I just hope the right people make the decision to distribute all those wonderful dollars which have been donated by the victims' fellow Australians out of the goodness of their hearts. And the distribution should be fair and equal, not determined by who had insurance and who did not. In disasters like this, no matter how much I donate, it doesn't seem enough. I'm a member of Sing Australia here in Cairns, and we contributed as part of the group. Cheers to all. Safe and happy travels. Cheers Granny

Hi Peter H. It has been used quite a bit, but unfortunately I have been grounded for a few months and haven't kept up the news articles.
I am one of the administrators, and promote the site every chance I get. It's current and active, but of course a lot of nomads don't travel during the hot months.
I've promoted it as cheaply as I could on park notice boards, posters on my van, and now on the "Nomads".
Go ahead, feel free. It will be nice to have you on board.
Cheers Granny

PS Who's Misty?

-- Edited by Cruising Granny at 19:47, 2009-03-04

well it was the controllers that lost me my dozer and a couple of units, if it wasnt for intensive training the crews would have been gone as well, trouble is when the poop hits the blower we can be controlled from canberra, no idea of where they are sending us. local knowledge in an emergency is everything!!

Granny,
Misty is our black and tan corgi. Great dog and companion. Travels with us and is no problem at all.
Attached is a pic from our last trip.

pete, look just a little criticism, you shouldnt let your dog walk on the bitumen so much, just have a look what you done to her legs, you've worn them off, if she was a boy he'd be plowing the ground

Dave,
I know, but our first corgi (around 30 years ago) had to contend with two 'ankle biters', so thought if they were on the same level then only had to keep an eye on the three of them at once.
She also has her advantages, while I was lying on the ground the other day draining the water tank, she was able to run under the van without bending her legs.....let's see a labrador do that!!!!!!!!!!!!!

mate I love the corgis, my auntie used to breed them, nothing cuter than a baby corgi except maybe a baby bulldog, I was alway going to get a corgi but I seem to always end up with terriers instead, dont know why

Dave,
Got to say she is as smart as.......
She checks what shoes you are wearing, because she knows which ones are used for walking.
I also swear she can almost talk as we can tell her to go and have a drink of water and she does just that. She also knows the word walk, knows Judy's and my name and will go find either of us around the house on command.
This dog goes to the door around 5 o'clock of an afternoon and waits for me to drive in the driveway...so I suppose she can also tell time???????
We had a border collie sometime ago and I believe them to one of the smartest dogs around, but Misty also comes close.

Now that's love and admiration. I love animals and have met some very smart dogs - can't say the same for some of the owners. I just don't want to travel with a dog, no matter how ideal it would be as a mate. I get just as much fun patting and chatting to everyone else's dogs, and birds. A great conversation starter.

You're right - we find a lot of people want to talk to the dog more than us!!!!!!!
Maybe they find her more intelligent than the owners in this case. LOL!
Generally of the people we have met in CP's with dogs they all seem OK so far.
Have only met the one dog who had not been socialised and we were asked to stay clear.

if the dog is not socialised then nine times out of ten the owner isnt either!!

Dave,
Generally agree with you, but the guy who owned the dog stood talking to us for about an hour - without the dog....I think he was trying to re socalise himself - without the dog.......LOL..he was the 1 out of 10??????
Eventually, we had to make an excuse to get away...(boring comes to mind)
The next night, he caught/engaged one of the other temporary neighbours and had him pinned for about 3 hours....just standing talking. Didn't offer a beer or soft drink all through that time..the poor guy couldn't get away..so the wife..(the temp neighbour) had to come over and ask the guy to escort her to the amenities block to get him away.
On reflection - you are right!!!!! The dog owner did need to be socialised...talking for that long - he needed to have some social skills and at least offer some hospitality-wine, beer, cheese, bikkies, sit down at least....
But that's what makes us all different.
The person I admire in this is the patience of the temp neighbour and his wife for allowing themselves to be engaged for this time without being impolite to the guy.

I bet there was a missus in there somewhere who withdrew into the van, with the antisocial dog, who hadn't talked to her antisocial husband for quite a while. Great travelling mates - NOT! Seems to me they missed the point of doing this. They should have stayed home, but the neighbours have all probably moved out. Just guessing. Granny

yep look this is a case that I have seen over and over, people just dont mix when they are home and when they find themselves out and in a position to mix easily they dont know how to, I find it very sad, they stand around toilets at c/p's and bail up some poor unsuspecting bloke who just wants to go and have a shower or spend a penny it's not that hard to socialise (hell try and stop me) but it does take some practice, a smoothing beverage, some nibbles and good company, sounds simple but these people dont know how to do even that, I keep banging on about going to say g'day but for gods sake be prepared to sit a while, and invite the new found freinds back over to your campsite for an ale or three and nibbles, you can only talk about the weather for so long

Well Dave, I'll be sure and say g'day when next I see you and little blue. I do find some people are reluctant to have a chat to a single woman on her own. Maybe it's the sideways glance from the female of the species which makes them cautious. Blokes are usually more forward than "the wife", although once I get them chatting we usually have a good laugh. She "admires" me because she thinks I'm "game". He is in awe because I can tow and park a 20 footer. Sort of a mutual admiration thing. I always enjoy a chat sharing travel tales and experiences, the places to go, the people to see and all that stuff. Mind you, there are some people out there travelling and doing all they can to avoid civilisation and hide their heads in the sand. Sad buggers. I take great delight in sitting under the awning people watching, and creating their story in my mind. I even write them down sometimes. People are funny. So until we meet again, stay upright. Granny