Month: January 2020

When Things Just Go Wrong9 Comments

Athletic Geriatrics

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I recently visited my doctor with a suspected broken bone. She suggested that it was time for a bone density test. I just don’t think she understands us caravanners. Afterall whenever I have a long lunch get together with my two longest friends, the little girls who used to live down the road and who are both now septuagenarian caravanners, we compare our most recent breaks and where we got them. “Oh, lucky we missed that waterfall, how was the road in? And the elbow’s working ok now?” Get my drift? Continue reading Athletic Geriatrics

Caravanning Hints5 Comments

Making the most of what you’ve got

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Caravan cupboard space There’s a caravanning adage “Everything must have two uses”. Why not use your microwave as a bread box? Our shower has many uses. First thing in the morning it is used for showering. Then with a suction cup clothes line it becomes a drying room for smalls and bathers as well as a storage room for bulky items like our Aldi 12volt fan. And when we’re on long trips it becomes a craft room for storing my winter projects. There’s no point in leaving it empty for 23 hours a day. The bread box Continue reading Making the most of what you’ve got

When Things Just Go Wrong7 Comments

With plans in ashes there’s only one option

Itching for Hitching

We’re not the only caravanners gripped with reluctance to travel at present. As Victorian grey nomads we prefer to leave our summer travels until the schools go back but then where do we go? We have two options: Somewhere that hasn’t burnt, either the central north or the west of the state. Or do we head to the eastern half of the state, most of which has been decimated by fires. Put it that way, the answer then is simple. This year it will be a fire ravaged area for both our safety and to bolster those broken communities. Surely … Continue reading With plans in ashes there’s only one option

Caravanning Hints10 Comments

12 Volt Fans

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Our van came with a Fantastic smart fan fitted in the hatch above the bed.  I cannot give this fan high enough praise. Depending on the temperature that we set it at it would open the hatch and start operating. It would suck air in from outside or blow air out, which was great for getting hot air out of the van in a heatwave. Best of all if we had left the hatch open for natural air flow it would automatically sense rain and close. Sadly, it died of old age a while back. They aren’t cheap and they’re … Continue reading 12 Volt Fans

Food, SA6 Comments

Legacies

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March 2018, Adelaide, SA We get an early start so that we can visit the Adelaide Central Markets. It seems to be a popular spot for breakfast and we manage to snare a table at Lucia’s Pizza & Spaghetti for a hearty breakfast.  We buy Kessler chops and Weisswurst from Barossa Fine Foods. The rain starts to drizzle again and it is quite muggy. We take a drive along the beachside suburbs admiring the houses. Polling booths are busy with voters queueing for the state elections and volunteers are cooking sausages.  Every power pole supports one or more Coreflute election … Continue reading Legacies

Architecture, Vic2 Comments

Monier Arch Bridge Fyansford

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Nov 2019, Fyansford, Vic The Monier (reinforced concrete) Arch bridge spans the Moorabool River near Geelong and was completed in 1899. It was designed and constructed by the engineering firm of Monash & Anderson. In 1905 John Monash established the Reinforced Concrete and Monier Pipe Construction Co. A military man at heart he went on to become the brilliant World War One military commander General Sir John Monash. He was considered to be the greatest living Australian. His engineering, military and organisational achievements have left many lasting legacies. His name is a constant in the daily lives of all Victorians, … Continue reading Monier Arch Bridge Fyansford

Places, Vic6 Comments

A smoky summer holiday

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Jan 2020, Mornington, Vic The Mornington Peninsula has long been known as Melbourne’s playground. Safe shallow and sandy beaches on its busier Port Phillip Bay shores mean that young families can throw down a few towels and let the kids run amok in the shallows. Shops, cafes, ice creams and cool pubs are only a short walk away. A perfect place to while away the summer holidays. Continue reading A smoky summer holiday