Are you wondering why your family or friends have ‘gone bush’ with little more than a caravan and an ageing shih tzu? Are you concerned about how you’ll spend your time in retirement? Are you passionate about travel? This is the site for you.
This is a guide to caravanning in Australia for those retired or contemplating retirement. Must I have a caravan? No you don’t. Most of the articles here relate to any type of RV. Be it a camper trailer, a caravan, motor home, fifth wheeler, converted bus or even the armchair traveller who just wants to read about the experiences.
Be warned, caravanning can become addictive and as you will read in these posts it can change your life, forever! When we learn something new, we make mistakes. When we venture outside our comfort zone we open ourselves to challenges and surprises. In these posts I will endeavour to give you our experiences warts and all. Triumphs and mistakes not the glossy stuff.
But not for one moment do we regret having embraced this crazy, crazy lifestyle.
These are the actual tales from a caravanner’s journal so please be aware that you may stumble upon some colourful language in these pages. ‘Itchingforhitching’ is all about the characters we have met and the often totally useless things that we have learnt along the way. Australia has the sixth largest land mass on earth and it is incredibly diverse. I am convinced that every town no matter how small has a story to tell. And every town has its characters, those true blue laid back Aussies with their laconic humour.
Retirement travel is a “rite of passage” for those of us of a certain age, to see as much as possible before the inevitable. It sometimes feels a bit like being a surfie travelling from beach to beach. Apparently it is ok to wander aimlessly at twenty and again after sixty, but not so in the ‘between’ years. So make the most of what time you have and get out there and enjoy it.
“The older I get the more interesting the world becomes.”….Artist & Coast Guard volunteer at The Inlet, Port Douglas.
We haven’t quite retired yet but we’re definitely enjoying the camping and travelling life, right here in Australia. Glad I stumbled across your blog. Happy travelling!
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Thanks Miriam, I hope I can provide you with some entertaining hints.
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Yes, we open ourselves to surprises when we venture out of our comfort zone. But we just have to believe in ourselves.
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Hey Linsey and Brian, Love reading about your adventures. I know the rest of the world is a beautiful, wonderful and magical place but we sometimes forget to look right in our own backyards. Australia s a very special place. Thanks you so much you are a constant reminder just how beautiful this country we live in is. I hope you liked my nomination your blog and photos are a constant inspiration. Travel safe and keep on bloggin!!
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Thank you and keep blogging to you too I’m finding it fascinating.
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I loved your old gold miner post.
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Thank you
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We discover ourselves when we step out of our comfort zone 🙂
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I love RV:ing. When my daughter was 10 months old, we set out for a cross-country trip, and visited 33 US States. It was memories for a lifetime. (She learned to walk in the RV!) When we got back home, we leased a ranch for a while, but soon enough I decided that I was tired of putting money in someone else’s pocket, while improving their property. After that my daughter and I lived in our RV for around 1,5 years. Right now we’re not, but I love the freedom it gives. I can easily see us doing it again. I love reading your posts!
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Thanks so much Maria and I’m enjoying your photography.
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Thank you 🙂
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I doubt I will ever Caravan Australia but I do love camping and road-tripping across the United States! Sounds like a great journey I’d like to be a part of. Look forward to reading more.
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Thanks so much, I do hope that I can keep you entertained.
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Lovely post!
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Thank you.
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I only have done one road trip in caravan and really enjoy it. I have met people on the road with quite sophisticated caravan that has nothing to envy to the most comfy home. It is definatly the best way to travel in Oz. Don’t you think so?
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Absolutely, though I’d say that it doesn’t matter what the cost of your van is $10,000 or $110,000 they all provide the same amount of adventure in return.
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What an interesting idea for a blog. I’ve caravanned a bit, but mostly in my younger years when my first husband and I took leave from our jobs and traveled in Mexico for nine months two different times. Now I just enjoy the adventures of others. I’ll be back.
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They sound like great trips. Thanks for following and I’m getting quite a laugh from your blogging too. Take it easy.
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interesting and fun blog of yours. Best of luck in your adventures!
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Thanks guys safe travels.
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Intriguing and fun blog of yours. Good luck in your enterprises!
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Thank You and thanks for reading.
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So lovely meeting you and chatting today with the others. Hope to catch up again sometime soon. Xx
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Yes, indeed what a lovely day. For people who love to write we’re pretty good at talking too. Take care.
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Sounds like a lot of fun, Lindsey. 🙂 🙂 I followed you here from Pommepal, my lovely friend, Pauline. My spaces are nothing like so wide open but I do my best to wander.
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Hi Jo thanks for reading. Enjoy life!
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me too a traveler and always think like you. Thanks for the blog post and always update us with new experience.
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Thanks for reading and safe travels Prabhu.
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I am on your site, but all I can find is the home page? Does this confirm my senility or have Mrs Mazda hacked your site?
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G’day Jack, thanks for following. Are you vowing with your phone? If so when you scroll towards the bottom you’ll see 3 dots … (not three elderly women called Dorothy) just above the Search box. Tap on the 3 dots and Recent Posts, Categories and Archives should appear. Please let me know if you still have problems getting in. Anyway it’s time I got in there and revamped it a bit. Cheers
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Should be all better now Jack. Many thanks and safe travels.
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Yes, better format. I’ll be reading some more of your entertaining post, thx.
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Thanks for dropping by https://wdfyfe.net/ I confess I don’t know a lot about Australia except what I glean from TV mysteries (Mystery Road, Wanted, Jack Irish) so I’m learning a lot. Good blog. cheers
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I’m enjoying your humour WD. Mystery Road is filmed on our North west coast, the Kimberley region. A brilliant piece of television that really captures the feel of the place, the remoteness, the red dirt, country that once experienced is never forgotten and of course the brooding character played by Aaron Pedersen. Geez, I think I’m writing a review! Cheers!
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