Month: March 2019

Caravanning HintsLeave a comment

Load Levellers, why we need them

Itching for Hitching

Load levellers are expensive. Load levellers are often heavy and awkward to handle. The caravan dealer said they weren’t required. My rig is level. My caravan is lighter than my car’s tow capacity. So why do we use Load Levellers? (aka Sway Bars). Well whether your car is fitted with towing airbags to level the load or not, your load levellers have another function and that is to stop your van from swaying by giving it two extra anchor points to your vehicle. At some time you will experience severe winds and you will often be passed by large trucks. … Continue reading Load Levellers, why we need them

The Pubs, Vic2 Comments

The Royal Standard

Itching for Hitching

Mar, 2019, Toora, Vic The tiny milk factory town of Toora (If you’re old enough you may remember Tooralac powdered milk) seems to be battling for survival but it’s grand old pub, The Royal Standard Hotel, is certainly punching above its weight. A herd of us dropped in for a Friday night dinner and we weren’t disappointed by the menu. The seafood platter for one is big enough for two. The fish is locally caught and the meat supplied by nearby Foster butcher Prom Meats (whose sausages I’m sure I’ve written about in the past). Yes, good sausages do deserve … Continue reading The Royal Standard

Weather15 Comments

2019 Victorian Bushfires

Itching for Hitching

Bushfires strike fear into the hearts of most Australians. Caravanners are constantly on the alert for signs of smoke, the smell, a certain golden glow that cannot be described, even the shadows that take on an eerie quality. This week while on a Caravan Club muster we found ourselves once more on alert. We can be thankful, but to those caught in nature’s path the losses to homes, livestock and livelihoods have been utterly devastating. Our hearts go out to them. March 2nd 2019, Toora, Vic To the south of us Wilson’s Promontory National Park is on fire. Back in … Continue reading 2019 Victorian Bushfires

Well Bugger Me!6 Comments

When the weather is unbearable

Itching for Hitching

March 2019, Port Albert, Vic Camped in Toora near Victoria’s famous Wilson’s Promontory and with the mercury hovering in the high 30’s we set off for a picnic in the rainforest at Tarra Bulga National Park. Within minutes of hitting the road a friend rang to warn us of bushfires near there. Wilson’s Prom National Park had also been closed due to bushfires… and we’d forgotten our sandwiches. Hot and stuffed and plans astray, we headed for the cool of the coast at historic Port Albert only to be confronted by a bear on a ute who’d obviously had a … Continue reading When the weather is unbearable

Point of Interest, Vic3 Comments

Juddy’s Hut

Itching for Hitching

Juddy’s Hut is a miner’s cottage in Jamieson, Vic. Like so many of that era (1933) it was built from salvaged materials, note the heavy use of corrugated iron even in the chimney. And the name? Well Jack ‘Juddy’ Hampton lived in the hut for 30 years.  There is more to the story of Juddy though as he fought in World War One. He was accidentally bayonetted in the stomach by a Frenchman while fighting at Paschendaele. After his home was flooded in the 1950’s for the new Lake Eildon, Juddy moved into this hut and resided here until the … Continue reading Juddy’s Hut