Off to Oz (1 Viewer)

kijana

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Right, now the summer's finished & we're sitting here in the rain, we're leaving.

We're off to Australia, leaving early next week. We've bought a Ford Transit based motorhome, via our son who lives in Sydney. He's been away in it a couple of times, & loves it (new convert?).

We fly into Perth, then across to Sydney to see nipper for a few days, & to sample some Sydney culture.

Then off in the van to the rainforests & Gert Barrier Reef of Northern Queensland for a month or so before the Wet sets in.

Then back down to Sydney, on southwards to Melbourne, across to Tasmania, then round to Adelaide, & back cross-country to Sydney.

We plan to mainly wildcamp, & will mostly be aiming to travel as much in the bush as along the coast.

We're planning to return at the end of next February, having stopped over in Malaysia & Singapore for a few days on the way back.

So, does anyone have any first hand experience of motorhoming in Oz? Any tips or tricks specific to the Antipodes? Or do you have any suggestions for 'must see/do' experiences?

All input gratefully received.

Cheers

Bruce & Marion
 

Brisey

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Hi kijana

Sounds like a great trip to me.:thumb:
To say that I am a little envious would be an understatement.:Sad:
Have a great time, safe travels.:Cool:
Brisey

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hilldweller

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Right, now the summer's finished & we're sitting here in the rain, we're leaving.

We're off to Australia, leaving early next week. We've bought a Ford Transit based motorhome, via our son who lives in Sydney. He's been away in it a couple of times, & loves it (new convert?).

We fly into Perth, then across to Sydney to see nipper for a few days, & to sample some Sydney culture.

Then off in the van to the rainforests & Gert Barrier Reef of Northern Queensland for a month or so before the Wet sets in.

Then back down to Sydney, on southwards to Melbourne, across to Tasmania, then round to Adelaide, & back cross-country to Sydney.

We plan to mainly wildcamp, & will mostly be aiming to travel as much in the bush as along the coast.

We're planning to return at the end of next February, having stopped over in Malaysia & Singapore for a few days on the way back.

So, does anyone have any first hand experience of motorhoming in Oz? Any tips or tricks specific to the Antipodes? Or do you have any suggestions for 'must see/do' experiences?

All input gratefully received.

Cheers

Bruce & Marion

That is terrible. Far too much hard work at your age.

Tell you what, seeing that this is FUN and we're all friends. We'll exercise your van for you and you can relax in a nice cool English winter.
 

mikel

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Mar 24, 2008
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We did the same trip a few years ago, very enjoyable albeit extremely hot.

The main campsites are fine but tend to be busy at this time of year. They're also a bit too commercial.

Whilst in Sydney we bought an Australian book which could be best described as the tourist's guide to camping in the National Parks, something like that. Usually we found the sites to be small, usually free, basic but in quite outstanding areas. We spent a couple of days on one site in the rainforest under a canopy of trees, void of barking dogs, loud televisions or inquisitive neighbours. To get to the toilet, a shed with a hole in the ground (own toilet paper advised), we had to dodge the kangaroos between us and the hole.

If possible try and get the book before you set off.

Caernarvon Gorge is worth a day or two. Excellent Aborigine paintings but watch out for the snakes.

Lightning Ridge if you're after an opal.

Glen Innes was worth a stopover.

No swimming in the sea, man-eating jellyfish at this time of the year ! The fishing is excellent though.

The best part is the driving, no one in sight for hours on end.

At the end of the journey we both agreed it was an experience. However the further north you go the more aware you become of how the words genocide and Aborigine are never far from each other.
 
Feb 22, 2008
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Lucky devils -------------- have a great time ::bigsmile::thumb:

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DESCO

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Envious is not the word, to describe my thoughts. Hope you both enjoy yourselves, I know I would.


Dave:thumb::thumb:
 

Jim

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Hi Bruce and Marion, have a great time guys. ::bigsmile:::bigsmile:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmRexWQhs3M]YouTube - Come to Australia[/ame]

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staging lady

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This sounds absolutely fabulous. We went round South island NZ in a motorhome a few years ago and loved it.
Have a great time! Wish we were with you! ::bigsmile:
Lucille
 

Carol

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Just read your post, have a amazing time, a dream trip would be really interested in any posts as to how you are getting on. Have a great time. Carol. ::bigsmile:
 

pappajohn

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Green with envy!

first time i went we only had 2 weeks in Oz. (plus 1 week on Jakata and 1 week on Bali...(sh*thole, wont go back)

flew into brisbane, out of cairns and two weeks to get from one t' t'other.

first day was 11 hours on a bus :cry:

hire car after that.

so much to see and do.

queensland rain forests are fantastic especially further inland.

snorkelling/scuba on the reef is a must and many boats do day trips to the atolls inc lunch and gear. just wish id been a more confident swimmer and gone further out.

your trip should be enough time to see the Victoria, NSW and Queensland coast if you dont hang about.

remember....its a continent not a country.
 
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Sydney is where we picked up our very first rental camper. We were very sceptical at the time. Never even been in one. We'd ordered a 2 berth with a loo but were awarded an upgrade to a huge 4 berth. I am the only driver and I was petrified - for about half an hour! Hubby doesn't see so I have to navigate and drive. (We get lost a lot) We crossed the Harbour Bridge in the rush hour - there's trains coming the other way!

We didn't get past the Hunter Valley but then we only had a week.

BTW, we avoided using the ferry crossings initially, thinking they would be expensive. They're all FREE, at least all the ones we came across were.

Have a fabulous trip. We'll be in NZ for the winter from November. Give us a wave.
 

peter marshall

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Hi we have not MH in OZ but we had a tour there a couple of years ago, when your near cairns there is a cable car over the rain forest to Kuranda great experience then take the restored old train back down again great day out. bojangles in alice sprigs is a great pub/restaurant. Pete Enjoy your trip:thumb::thumb:

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wanderer

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Hi There
We bought a motor home back in 2003 and travelled for 3 months we then gave the keys to our daughter who used it for the next 12 months befor selling it in Perth , we only lost £200 over the period.
We are going back next autumn and will be looking for a motorhome what do you intend to do with yours , my daughter now lives in Perth so get in touch if interested.
We tend to travel "off the cuff" and find sites on a daily basis rather than pre-arrange everything. Oz is great for this type of trip but you must be aware of the vast distances
Wanderer
 

wanderer

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Hi
Some things to do
Sydney Harbour Bridge Walk
Sounds Of Silence Dinner at Ayers Rock
Test Match
Kangaroo Island
Great Ocean Road
Cooper Pedy Underground Hotel
Kings Canyon
Bungle Bungles
Monkey Mia
Broome

Have Fun
Wanderer
 
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kijana

kijana

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Thanks guys, both for encouragement & suggestions.

Especial thanks to Mikel, for his tip on the camping in National Park book. Sounds just the sort of place we prefer - maybe similar to the New Zealand DOC sites, which we stayed at when touring there, & loved.

Really enjoyed the vid, Jim - thanks!

Marie, I'm sure you & the gang will get by without us at Pinar this winter. And the Burns Night celebrations will probably be better without my rendition of the engineer's song :Blush:

Hope you all have a good winter, wherever you roam. We hope to get online in Oz - we've bought a netbook to take out. But the dongle charges are horrific - £10/month for 150 Mb, and £30 for 1Gb :Eeek: But with any luck we'll find some internet cafes in the more populated bits of the bush.

Love this awful weather though. I want my last view of England to be grey & grizzly, the better to enjoy the high, wide & handsome bluesky of Oz.

Cheers chaps

Bruce & Marion

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johng

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Bruce, I havn't had time to read all the posts, but I may grab you for a tinny somewhere :)

I called a company and brought myself a flight last week, having not told work :Eeek:

90 days off, will hear about the demise of my job tomorrow.....

is there a recession on ? dooh!

ahem..

thai, malaysia, oz, NZ and fiji to wrap things up

alone with a rucksack..

scared ? damn right!

leaving december 8th, will be in OZ for Jan , mines a cold one ::bigsmile:
 

pappajohn

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if you run into my stepdaughter around brisbane say hello from me:ROFLMAO:

just sent herself off on a year long working holiday.

she should be somewhere over southern europe by now.

only 21 hours flying to go....::bigsmile:
 

PenelopePitstop

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Marie, I'm sure you & the gang will get by without us at Pinar this winter. And the Burns Night celebrations will probably be better without my rendition of the engineer's song :Blush:


Bruce & Marion

Hey Bruce! I've still got the video clip of that on my laptop!!! :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
We'll just have to get someone else to sing it - I'm sure there'll be volunteers!
:roflmto::roflmto:

Have a great time - look forward to seeing all your photos next year!

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JumboBeef

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We hope to get online in Oz - we've bought a netbook to take out. But the dongle charges are horrific - £10/month for 150 Mb, and £30 for 1Gb :Eeek: But with any luck we'll find some internet cafes in the more populated bits of the bush.

Can I suggest you don't?

I lived/hitched/drove all around Oz in the late 80's (I travelled the whole of Highway 1. plus other bits!) and the biggest difference between how I did it, and how people today do it is communications.

I didn't have a mobile phone, text messaging and internet were unheard of. I'd send postcards (remember them?) once every couple of months and I think I rang home once in 12 months, at Christmas time.

IMHO, I can't see the point of going bush, and being many, many miles from other people if all you are going to do is crank up the laptop and spoil it all.

I hear of travellers today, at the same age I was (21/22), going to the same places (ie: camping in the outback) but talking/texting their friends/family back home every single day instead of enjoying the solitude. Some write daily blogs: I can't see the point. I really felt like I was on the other side of the world when I was there, a feeling you just can't get with a phone in your pocket or a laptop in your bag (I've been back a couple of times on business with said items so I know how it feels).

Enjoy your trip. Take lots of photos. Tell us all about it when you get home (or maybe the odd update, just one or two) but please enjoy the trip instead of spending all your time telling us about it.
 
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johng

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good points Jumbo.... The idea is to get away from it all....



I think I need a van out there now, makes more sense the more I think about it..

sorry to hijack your post Bruce ::bigsmile:

if anyone out there reads this and wants to lend a van to me for a few weeks in Jan , let me know

same applies New Zealand...

John, careful driver, RV owner..
 

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