I am 30 years old, about to graduate from college. I heared my dad say something about a retired couple who just travel the country in a trailer. that kind of retirement sounds like an adventure. I am not married and i don't think it is likely that anyone would want to go with me when i retire.
do you realy live out in your campers? what is the financial situation of such travelers? if you drive all the time, do you have to worry about gas alot? do you have to pay for camp sites? is such a lifestyle affordable? do you cut expenses such as not having a house? what is it like? how does it work?
Hmm..the process. I'm not trying to be a tool...but really the process is different for everyone.
But yes, if you're constantly driving, well then you will use more petrol. Petrol costs more here than in the states, although with the current conversion rate it's not as bad as it has been. I think you will find that a lot of people who actually live in their caravons dont' travel every night. I don't think anyone would want to constantly drive every day of their life looking for a new spot to sleep.
If you pull into a caravan park, well then you will pay. If you pull off the side of the road, then it's free. It's really no different than the states.
kipperthefrog wrote:
the question was, what is the process of living out there? does gas and campsite fees cost more than stationary homes? how do you do it?
I am from the USA. what do you mean by "the bush here"?
also, what do you mean it will be "a shock to the system?"
-- Edited by kipperthefrog on Wednesday 1st of June 2011 09:04:35 AM
i ment no affence by saying that you were from the USA, we get a lot of "overseas" visitors here who are not prepaired for our harsh enviroment, the bush, well i guess you'd call it the "outback" like gordon said,, it's different for everyone, some don't need to worry about money, some pick up work around the place from time to time to supliment the income, everyone's situation is different, some don't "free camp" and stay at trailer parks all the time, other do a bit of both, it more or less what your situation lets you do at the time
-- Edited by beachball57 on Wednesday 1st of June 2011 09:25:10 AM
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SOMETIMES YA JUST GOTTA TAKE YOUR COLTHES OFF AND ROLL IN THE MUD
First off, welcome to the forum - hopefully you will learn a lot about this Great Southern Land- Australia. If you are about to graduate from College - what have you been learning - obviously not much about Australia? Suggest you continue logging onto the forum to learn even more, along with learning some of our Aussie 'lingo' (slang words we all tend to use).
There is a book out, Camps Australia Wide #6, which lets you know a lot of free or cheaper places to camp around Australia - most of us 'on the road' seem to use it.
As regards costs - everyones costs are different, particularly if you have a home base, and you need to 'budget' for these home expenses as well as your travelling expenses. On the whole though, travelling can be quite economical - it is up to how you decide to travel, obviously some camp up for a couple of weeks, so your fuel costs will be down, and if you choose a camp area that is cheaper, then those fees will also be down.
Hope this answers some of your queries, and maybe some day we may see you travelling 'down under' when you do retire.
Pejay
-- Edited by Pejay on Wednesday 1st of June 2011 09:38:58 AM
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Pejay are travelling in a 2014 Holden Colorado LTZ Twin Cab Ute + 2013 Coromal Element van
I am from the USA. what do you mean by "the bush here"?
also, what do you mean it will be "a shock to the system?"
-- Edited by kipperthefrog on Wednesday 1st of June 2011 09:04:35 AM
i ment no affence by saying that you were from the USA,
-- Edited by beachball57 on Wednesday 1st of June 2011 09:25:10 AM
@beachball none taken! as you can tell, i am unfamiliar with australian slang. I am flattered that you want me to visit your beauiful country.
@pejayI am flattered that you want me to visit your beautiful country. I always wanted to visit there. im not sure is likely that i will imigrate out of the USA since i might be a USA retiree traveling. one never knows what is going to happen so it is open that i move there if the economy gets too bad here.
thanks for your input. it sounds interesting to go to Montana, Redwood Forest and other places when i retire.
First of all You have to be grey to be a grey nomad!!! Now thats a joke so don't be offended.
There are so many variations it is impossible to describe it all to you. You really need to read the different posts to see how the nomads live while out on the road. Some go to caravan parks, some free camp. Some live in huge buses converted with all the mod cons, some live in little campervans with only the basics and some just have a tent they pitch where they can at night. Some of the little camp spots do have power facilities which you pay by a donation when you are about to leave. Others like the showgrounds will charge a basic fee nightly to plug into their power. As I say there are so many variations, how could you describe them all. Some have little gas cookers and light up every night, then I have seen others who bring out the frozen TV dinners and heat them in the microwave.
I am 30 years old, about to graduate from college. I heared my dad say something about a retired couple who just travel the country in a trailer. that kind of retirement sounds like an adventure. I am not married and i don't think it is likely that anyone would want to go with me when i retire.
do you realy live out in your campers? what is the financial situation of such travelers? if you drive all the time, do you have to worry about gas alot? do you have to pay for camp sites? is such a lifestyle affordable? do you cut expenses such as not having a house? what is it like? how does it work?
Hi and Welcome to the Grey Nomads Forum.
Yes there are lots of travellers who live, like Gypsies on the road. Some work their way around. Others are cashed up enough, not to need work. Some have the cash but just enjoy meeting new people places etc. and work where they want to.
We have a home base, so are in the category of those who do trips at various times for extended periods. Last trip was three months on the road, next one might be three weeks. We have also gone for 12 months in the past.
If you cant afford the Gas you probably don't travel much ?
Like in the USA National Parks, KOA's, RV Parks , Trailer Parks, Wild Camping. These are similar to Australian camping places. Fees and standards vary from Big $$$$ to nothing.
Some people spend months in the one spot or just overnight.
I would think if you did a "search " just on this site alone, you would find answers to all your questions. Also I am sure this chatty lot of Grey Nomads will answer your questions as well.
There has got to be lots more retirees in the USA and Canada doing the Grey Nomad thing than there are in Australia !
I was travelling through the USA and Canada in the late 70's, and again in 89. We were impressed by the numbers of RV's on the road. Mom's and Pop's from every state, retired and travelling the Highways, Byways, and Wilderness areas of the US and Canada. We were travelling in a small RV then, and met up with heaps of nice happy campers during Happy Hours in RV parks and KOA's all over the states. One of the reasons we got the idea of doing this when we packed in working.
We had never seen at that time, motorhomes in Europe or Australia / New Zealand like those we saw in North America. Very impressive. We were camping in temperature's of -10 -20 in some places, in comfort. We met people who lived full time on the road as well as those who did trips seasonally from their home base. Might be worth checking up on some of the RV clubs forums of North America as well.
And we would love to travel through North America again. Fantastic enjoyed every bit of it we saw. But still masses more to see if we ever get back there.
Hi and welcome. I hope I can contribute my bit to international, and in particular Australian/USA relations. I live in a 20ft caravan full time - I have no real estate or furniture. My expenses are the site fee paid weekly and my Toyota Landcruiser "tug" which I use to tow the van. I park up for weeks, months or years, depending on the location and my reasons for visiting and staying there. I was retired on health grounds, which have since been resolved, so I've come out of retirement to return to work, in a driving job which takes me around Australia, for pay. At 30 I'd say you're a bit young to be thinking about your retirement, although it's never to early to plan for it. Once you graduate what do you plan to do with all that education you've achieved? Do you have a career in mind, or have you attained a position in that career choice? I'd be interested to learn more. All the best to you.
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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.
kipperthefrog ....I drove over 20.000 miles through the U S in 94 had a 25 foot American Cruiser Motorhome drove all over and free camped a lot It's not much different than the sates...Except Aussie is so much more beautiful....Except for the rip off merchants at some Parks...."Ooops Sorry did'nt mean to offend
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I always leave my camping area cleaner than I found it.
Good that you sent him along PM explaining all could be a very informative P.M. in more ways than one I meant the lingo just thought I had better clarify that also welcome to the forum kipperthefrog Helena.
We present arms with an M-16. Ok I'm kidding. In all honesty kipper, camping here is no different than in america. As someone said earlier, it's all the same. Just some terminology is different. At the end of the day, if you rock up somewhere and it doesn't feel right in your gut...you move one.
We don't have wild aboriginals wandering the outback looking for white folk or anything like that. I've been in america enough to know that at a caravan park there is a code of honour just as here in oz. Not to say there isn't knobs on both ends of the world.
Ay...
