Not sure why it posted twice,

Yup, the only time I ever had any "security issues" is when in a park....bored kids.... But I did fit a safe ($30) into my last van and installed an alarm battery powered ($65) with remotes after haveing my van ransacked. A mate had his van stolen at Wallaga Lake while he and his wife were in it....You can go overboard with locks and chains etc or just take simple precautions, simply not leaving items not readily exchanged for cash to buy booze or drugs on display is a good start, a trailer lock and perhaps a chain with padlock thru a wheel and around a suspension member is good to stop your whole vehicle being stolen. If you are worried about hoons then a BIG DOG is good insurance. Perhaps also staying in complte isolation may not be such a good idea, better if there are others around but not local bored youth....
Modern security doors fitted to van are great, they give you true peace of mind untill you lock yourself out and discover that a screwdriver will snap the plastic hinges....

if all you do is occasionally drive up and down the east coast, well a discarded tissue is not safe over there, and as for parking and leaving your van on the side of the road DUHHHH! someone will take it, nobody does that, well I am sitting in jimmy creek campground (30 kms sth of halls gap) and just away a little bit I see three off road vans and two camper trailers, and guess what, o.m.g., they are empty, the owners have gone sightseeing (the blighters) and I know they are gone for the day they told me so last night around the fire that we shared. we will go a little later as arthritis has come calling again, the only likely marauders are a couple of shifty looking kangaroos, but the kookaburras are giving them what for, I will gather a bit of wood for tonights chinwag, by lunchtime I should be right to do a bit of lookaseeing myself and when we all return we will laugh and share food and drink and tell lies around the fire (in moderation) until the wee hours, maybe as late as ten oclock, then when we pull out in the morning we will have arranged to meet at the next campspot as that is what travelling is all about, if you dont want to try it, great, more campspots for me and my friends, but dont not try it just because the doomsayers say it is not safe, we all hear the stories and I'm sure some may be true but we have not found a bad soul yet, great friends (many) no baddys, but we stay away from the main highways and bloody roadtrains that think they own the road, others can have the beaten tracks not us, we stay mostly on bitumen but not highways, backroads are far more pleasurable well I'm freeing up now, offffffff we go

-- Edited by dave06 at 19:57, 2008-07-14

Hi Gary and Kerry
Looks like you have a big van there. If you get up to cooktown send me an email. I have a big paddock here, only one catch - Council rules up here state that you aren't allowed to free camp within a 15 km radius of a caravan park. However there appears to be no restictions should you decide to be a grey nomad woofer. if you want more info, let me know.
Regards
Margaret and Ron

Hi Dave Dragon and lil Blue
Dragons are great people to know. What goes around, comes around. What you give out comes back- a couple of sayings I have. Many thanks for the toast. Campfires are great fun. Ron and I would like to travel but have other  committments for at least the next 12 months, but we can share experiences with our travelling visitors. It seems to be getting harder to get suitable camping areas for budget conscious travellers. I got the idea of the wooffers because sometimes I get some backpackers who will do light duties in exchange for their accom and meals. happy travelling
Ron and Margaret

Hi Dragon and Co

the Dragon must be your gem. Unfortunately a lot of men have the same probs after years on heavy machinery. Light duties could include lighting my candle collection one at a time. I am a collector of rocks, old ornaments (including my husband), tea pots that no one loves and nice candles of all sizes, as well as being a crafty person. unfortunately like most crafters, have given a lot of my work away, but now am doing my own unique style in our home. unique, unusual, quirky etc. hate housework - do the minimal. light duties, in all seriousness, depends on what the person is able to do - it could be something as simple as advice, to actually doing some work.
Regards
Ron and Margaret


-- Edited by marg at 15:09, 2008-07-24

Hi Me Dragon and Little Blue
I can't say free camping because of a mere technicality - i live within 15 km of a caravan park and the shire council here has a bylaw which says that you can't have free camping if you are less than 15 km from a registered caravan park. But there is nothing stopping me from saying that I accept Grey Nomad Woofers. Have already had a couple - she taught me a new craft, as I love my craft, and as he was a rock collector - left me with some lovely rocks and a nice window decoration. Barter is a wonderful thing.
Regards
Margaret and Ron

We will be travelling to Queensland from threeways after having been in Darwin could someone tell me what the free camping spots are like in Queensland and also someone told me that you have to pre register for the National Parks over there is this is so how do you register. Sorry but I put this question in the recipe forum bl----dy computer put it in the wrong place now I can't even find the recipe forum.
Thanks Helena.

Thanks for the advice has anybody else had the same feeling, will be glad to get on the road again problems with the A'Van camper at the moment hope it will be O.K. for June.

Helena & Bill