Hi Dave, Thanks for your welcome, I have looked at caravanning forums for years and this is the first time I have had the nerve to post anything. Dave you will be remembered as the first person to reply thanks again, PS I will shout the beer.
And a big welcome from me - another solo traveller. On the road again in two weeks. This time I'm headed round the Eyre Peninsula. Looking forward to it. Happy travels.
__________________
If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got.
Hi pops did't see you hiding in here. welcome from us as well. Lots of good people and advice to be had from this lot. Hope you meet up with some of us when your out there.
Johnw
__________________
There is no road to happiness. Happiness is the road.
to be honest Neil I think you picked the best one to join in, I get a little grumpy now and again but overall I think we are a great bunch, proud to call them all freinds, but some have different names for me
Hi Suenami Found your comments soooo encouraging. I've mentioned elsewhere that I've just bought my first van!!! Now all I have to do is TAKE MY FIRST TRIP IN IT ON MY OWN!!!
Hi waltzing Matilda. Freespirit here. You sound like you have an interesting history! Any advice, suggestions, clues as to travelling alone. You sound like you're quite experienced. Any suggestions for a first timer?
Hi Freespirit. Yes, I do travel a lot on my own but also meet up with others. I have just got home today from a four-week tagalong with a caravan club I belong to, touring around the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia.
Joining a caravan club, in fact I belong to two, is the best thing I did. I have a little A Van so I joined the A van Club. Great. Because everyone had the same van, they were able to share all the tips and tricks relevant to my van as well as general stuff too. On top of that, the weekends away with them gave me lots of experience and helped me get it right in supportive company. And I've made a couple of good friends that I enjoy meeting up with on the track.
The Australian Caravan Club (ACC) which I also belong to, organised the recent Tagalong. It was great. There were vans of all sorts and all sizes, fourteen vans in fact. They were all couples except me and my biggest problem was fending off the men who thought I needed help. When I needed help, I asked for it. If I didn't, I said "No. If I don't do it myself, I'll never learn." I feel fairly competent with everything now as I've been doing it for two years but I also know, I can always learn more.
Again, in this club, I learnt lots of things about caravanning (tips and tricks about tow balls and gas bottles and UHF radio and god knows what else) and also made some good friends whom I know I will enjoy meeting up with on the track some time in the future.
And that's the beauty of it too. The more you do it, the more friends you make and the more people you have that you can say to "Hey, I'm heading up to such and such. Want to meet up?"
I also arrange to meet up with friends, usually other women travelling alone, and spend time in one or more spots with them and then we move on and do our own thing.
So, although this has been a long answer, my short answer would "Join a Club first". You'll learn so much, you'll go places you didn't know about and you'll make great friends. Hey, you could even meet up with me!!"
Cheers, WM
__________________
If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got.
Hi there, I've just posted a response to "Freespirit" but it applies to you to, if you'd like to have a look at it. As to being fifty something - I'm celebrating my seventieth birthday in November so don't let age phase you. Best wishes, Veronica
__________________
If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got.
Hi Fran. I'm 60 - something, and did the trip 2 years ago when I retired - about 10000kms alone with an Avan. Didn't come across any problems - stayed at a lot of 'free campsites' and met some lovely people both single and doubles. Good to have some sort of plan so that you can give a close neighbour, friend or relative an idea of roughly where you'll be on a particular date. Hope you have fun - I've just joined this forum too and think it's a great idea Cheers PML
Welcome to the Nomads Pauline. As you've already experienced we try to look after each other as much as we can online. You've done very well it seems, and I hope you continue to do so. I have a couple of years to go to catch up, but health not withstanding I hope I'm still doing it when I'm your age, as they say. Stay safe and happy travels. Cheers Chris
__________________
20ft Roma caravan - Mercedes Benz Sprinter - SA-based at the moment. Transport has no borders.
Management makes the decisions, but is not affected by the decisions it makes.
Am in the process of selling house and chattels prior to buying a MH/camper to travel full time for a long time. A bit apprehensive but sooooo looking forward to being on the road with my dogs. I plan to buy small car and trailer to tow. Nearly made this move near 6 years ago but wasn't ready then for such a major life style change - I'm ready now :)
Hi there. You go girl. And keep us posted as to what you're doing and where you are. I'm interested in a singles tagalong so if yhou're heading off some time and wouldn't mind some company, let me know.
__________________
If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got.
My friend who travels around in mazda van has a staffy called'WATSUP". We know him as the turn indicater. Watsup loves to sit with his head out the window and bark LOADLY as they go along the road .You know they are coming miles away. I am thinking of taping his bark and see if we can,t get it working as a turn indicator. It would definately turn heads and would, probably, be a good safety feature.Maybe I could sell them to dog fanciers. Bill
I am about to buy a motorhome,i live on the Atherton Tablelands. Is there a good time to travel ?. Up here in winter there is thousands of nomads on the road so at this time of the year have they all gone home or are they still traveling down south?
I retired 18 Dec last and am now starting to prepare to live my dream of travelling this great country. Intend to buy a Sunliner Illusion A shortly.
Have spent part of last winter in the Kimberley region camping and 4WD'ing. Have just made arrangements to do the Gunbarrel Highway in October this year. Of course I am using others' vans for this purpose and saving my own for the not so rough stuff.
Looking forward to getting to know you - have been following the site for some time.
Hi and welcome Lorries. Following the travel dream is just wonderful, and I don't know about you, but I feel so fulfilled to be doing it. Are you planning to do the Gun Barrel with the motorhome in a tagalong convoy, or on your own?
__________________
20ft Roma caravan - Mercedes Benz Sprinter - SA-based at the moment. Transport has no borders.
Management makes the decisions, but is not affected by the decisions it makes.
Hi Granny - I am doing it with a mob called Makin Tracks (no affiliation with them other than as a good service provider) - they self contained MAN truck converted for 8 passengers - I have been with them before in the Kimberley and can't recommend them enough - I use them to do where I can't get, wouldn't travel alone or wouldn't take my own vehicle.
I love the outback and am fascinated by what survives there either as flora or fauna and just love the colours so I dare say that most of my travels will be inland by choice.
Are you a solo traveller or just thinking about setting off on the adventure of a lifetime on your own? Do you want to ask some questions of those who have gone before, or perhaps to offer some tips and advice. Are you looking for someone to share a leg of your journey with? Or do you just want to touch base with like-minded people. Solos ... this forum is for you. Enjoy.
sannie wrote: Hi, I am a new member although I have travelled around Australia alone. Am now going to drive from Coper Pedy down the Oonadetta track and back up the Birdsville track to Birdsville and maybe a little further. Has anybody done this. I would appreciate some tips. Will be driving a Forrester 2006. Have driven from Kalgoolie to Ulura across the desert...cant imagine it would be worse. Cheers Sannie
Webmaster wrote:
Are you a solo traveller or just thinking about setting off on the adventure of a lifetime on your own? Do you want to ask some questions of those who have gone before, or perhaps to offer some tips and advice. Are you looking for someone to share a leg of your journey with? Or do you just want to touch base with like-minded people. Solos ... this forum is for you. Enjoy.
Hi I am just reading your blogs and know I have finally found the right place to be in contact with likeminded people and of similar age ... I am 55... Yes re centrelink a friend told me if you stay for 2 weeks at a time in a caravan park centrelink will pay rent assistance for those 2 weeks... as for finally settling in a caravan park ... I'm with you.... hope to keep in contact with you all ... I am only new to this and have only done a couple of short trips... have to get things in order here first...
Welcome maryfairy, hope we catch up sometime when I'm up that way. Join in some of the other threads so we know what you are up to and you will be amazed all the wonderful friends you will make.
Fran, I started campervanning in 1997 at 58 years of age and 200,000+ k's later and now 71 I am still enjoying the lifestyle. For several years the motorhome I now have was my home. I would love to go away and stay away for a couple of years again. I would like to go to the West and stay in Albany over the summer and just go where the mood takes me. I feel I need an interest as just endless sightseeing becomes a tad boring and when I can I get to Jazz Festivals all around the Country. Cheers Lorraine