Our life on the road - travel diary

MikeMin · Veteran Member

Our life on the road - travel diary

dave06 · Guru

I can only wish the two of you nothing but joy and eternal happiness as you explore your "new" life together, take the dragon's and my best wishes with you wherever you roam and dont forget us

I have favoritised your webby thingy so I will watch with baited breath the outcomes of your voyages

Cruising Granny · Guru

Well done! By now you will be confident, competent nomads.
I enjoyed your diary site. It brought back memories when I stayed at Queanbeyan to visit those features in Canberra. The war memorial was certainly a very emotional experience.
Now you have mastered the "art" of relaxing and taking thinks in your stride, you will really enjoy your "nomad" experiences. I may see you out there somewhere, whenever I can get out of Cairns, if ever........
Safe and happy travels. Cheers Chris

MikeMin · Veteran Member

Thank you oh "Guru" and "Granny", I read your posts avidly and your feedback is much appreciated. We are in Port Augusta at the moment, beautiful weather 22 degrees during the day but rather chilly at night. Tomorrow we plan to visit Mambray Creek or Wilpena Pound or Whyalla or......oh what the heck, we'll visit whatever and whenever!!

Ma · Guru

Oh how I wish we were there. We had planned to start our "trek" next week and do exactly what Mike and Min are doing, but alas, due to family commitments we have had to postpone

till probably April next year.

Think of us and enjoy yourselves, happy travelling

Kantiki · Senior Member

Hi there, I have just finished reading your diary and wanted to say how much I enjoyed it. I am so looking forward to the time when we can set off on our adventure, but it will be a few years yet, so we have plenty of time to plan. In the meantime, I will enjoy following your adventure. the reports on various parks will be very helpful to lots of people as they start travelling. I enjoyed your accounts of cooking, I can relate to the smells in the van as hubby is an adventurous sort of cook, but we are reminded of the meal for quiet some time after the event. Our van also has no oven, but I have just bought a Sunbeam mini oven. In the kitchen at the moment but it is very light so we may take it away on our next trip and see if we use it enough. Have cooked some great things in it so far so we may switch it for the electric frypan we usually use, more versatile.

Looking forward to further posts, cheers and safe travels. biggrin

dave06 · Guru

except for the part about not liking the crabs and comparing them with "witchety grubs" obviously never tasted "blue swimmer" cooked properly or a feed of muddy's and a decent beer, absolute heaven!!!

MikeMin · Veteran Member

Kantiki, take it from me you will need both your elec frypan and your oven thingy. One thing I have learned is that you have all the time in the world to plan and prepare meals. Nothing overboard but nevertheless you can almost do anything you want providing you have the cooking implements. My curry was a great success and my only failing at the moment is getting my head around cooking for 2 without too many leftovers. Guru, confession time. I hate handling seafood. I cook ox tongue without a second thought but live, moving crabs.........no way! Mind you, don't mind a good crab meal myself if it is in a restaurant!
Totally off subject, I think that one of my future posts is goint to be devoted to what clothes to pack....invaluable info for a woman.

Cruising Granny · Guru

There you go again Dave. Those damn blueys keep coming into the conversation.

I don't cook in my van except for the micky wave to zap my pre-cooked, frozen meals.
I have a cook up on my gas cooker in the annexe, then pack it into meal sized containers and freeze in my Waeco. I get about 12 meals out of the pot.
I am only cooking for 1, but it's similar for 2. No cooking smells in the van.
I also use the elec frying pan, but I don't use any oven at this stage.
I believe the turbo cookers or similar are very effective. I have eaten roast and chocolate cake cooked in one of those cookers, and it was beautiful. Once again, it's not worth me having one. Another gadget to pack somewhere.
To cook a steak or bbq I have a cast plate which goes over the cooker, which does the best steaks.

The clothes thing - Well you'll learn to cut back. If you haven't worn it in the last 12 months it goes.
You'll mainly use casual, some neater for town, others for camp. Dress up and dress down shorts and T shirts or similar. For special occasions 1 or 2 special pieces, eg skirt and top, pants and top in your favourite dress up colour. I use only cotton and I don't mind ironing. It's better then getting into a frying sweat in synthetics in the heat, especially the tropics where I spend most of my time.
You will need a jacket and/or coat for colder climates you're passing through, boots or good shoes to cope with cold and wet. Good walking shoes, sandals and the shower thongs. Once again, a nice pair for going out on special occasions. Just go with the flow as it suits you. You'll need to remember you're not going to work anymore, probably not too many formal events, maybe the races, and you don't need to impress anyone by wearing a new outfit in every town. They haven't see you before, so it's always new. If you don't do high fashion, your wardrobe will be more versatile.
How am I doing? It all takes some adjustment, but you'll cope. It's a good life.
Cheers Chris

MikeMin · Veteran Member

My type of Granny! You are spot on with the clothes. I have been known to go out a purchase an outfit for every occasion that arose in my previous life but now find that the cotton T-shirts, jeans, cotton loose 3/4 pants and I am "dressed". We attended a smartish do in Melbourne but I have a "good" pair of black slacks packed away and a "good" top and with a bit of an iron, I was the "belle of the ball" so to speak. I don't mind ironing now and again, keeps me honest. Mike has quite a few cotton shirts which need ironing but slowly and surely I am culling these for 'no iron' easy care shirts.
Shoes are a problem. I packed sports shoes but no other cold weather closed shoes. I have good sandals and 2 pairs of everyday sandals which can be worn in showers too. Other than that I have my trusty sheepskin slippers. I might add that this caused me the most problems when culling for travel. I am known as the Imelda Marcos of Melbourne!

dave06 · Guru

always a major drama with me, I lie awake at night just thinking about what top goes with what shoes and as for the color of my trousers hell that one I still havent figured out

when I pack for a trip I'm done in about ten minutes when the dragon packs it's an all day thing, it's alway's "whats the weather going to be like???", "how often are we going to eat out"?? "how long are we going to be away from a laundromat"??? It's an all day thing, drives me mad

half a dozen pair of socks, half a dozen shirts (the ones that are in the top section of the draw will do), half a dozen pairs of trousers,(top of draw again), work boots and "good shoes", half a dozen undies and socks, half a dozen hankies, my "shower bag is always packed and ready to go in the camper

we always cook outside very rarely inside, the smell just stays in the camper for weeks, I once burnt the spuds to the bottom of the saucepan (too much yakking and not enough watching) the smell of that one still lingers to this day

what is "IRONING", great wandering spirits throw it away, if it has to be "ironed" then you dont need it, wash it, dry it, wear it, job done, no fuss is the secret to a good break!! you will learn!!!

"sheep skin slippers" HAH!!! HAH!!! HAH!!! HAH!! HAH!!

solotravelguy · Member

Hi there

Just joined thsi forum and not sure how to post.

I'm starting out around aust in Nov2009, I'm by myself and won't have an address so how do I get on for Rego info, pension, and other mail can you help please.

dave06 · Guru

well graeme you have succesfully passed stage one, you have posted, let me be the first to welcome you to the nomads, granny and others will have first hand excellent information on all that you may ask

generally we have a person somewhere that we use as a "homebase" or at least I did when I was travelling, this "person" collects and sorts all mail and then informs you of the omportant bits that need seeing to, rego, pension and all that sort of stuff can be handled by internet at secure places

anyway ask what you like someone in here will answer all your requests

Basil Faulty · Guru

I'm green with envy, I'm stuck here trying to buy a new house when the current one is perfect - and we could be on the road.....

The Gnome · Senior Member

Slowly Basil, when you finally settle on your properties. Then God will shine on you and No. 1 and we will see you on the trail.Happy settlement.

Isla · Member

MikeMin..will be following you all the way to far nth Qld...enjoy your venture..I think i read the word "boredom" in your diary....there's no such thing when you're on the road..every day is an adventure.....Happy travelling...

Cruising Granny · Guru

Graeme, my mail is managed by my daughter in SA.
I send her pre-paid express bags in the 10-pack, and she periodically sends my mail to me at a town or park where I am planning to be parked.
There is an agency out there somewhere, I can't find their website just now, who, for a fee will manage your mail in a similar way.
If you have a family member somewhere, whom you trust with your mail, then I think that's the best way to go if you're going to be on the road for a long time, or even a short time.
My mail goes to my daughter's post box number, so I don't have to list a street address.
While I'm parked in Cairns, I've been using the park's address for the most recent, urgent mail, such as medical appointments etc.
Most parks handle residents' mail. If not, you'll have make arrangements to collect at the local Post Office over the counter. There is only 1 park I know of in Aus which refuses to handle tenants' mail - Broome Vacation Village, my former home for 9 years.
All the best and safe travels. Cheers Chris