Category: The Characters You Meet

The Characters You Meet8 Comments

Let’s Keep It a Secret

Itching for Hitching

While slurping away happily on a $5 bubbly beside a Queensland campfire Elle Prado and I chat to a couple who are Victorian vignerons and they shyly tell us that they would love to do more caravanning but their award-winning vineyard has kept them too busy. I have a sneaking suspicion and later do a Google search and sure enough their vineyard supplies a very well known winery with a particular variety of grape. In fact, the best of this variety of grapes in Australia and if you want to try it you’ll have to fork out $130 – 199 … Continue reading Let’s Keep It a Secret

Qld, The Characters You Meet17 Comments

Motor Mouth

Itching for Hitching

Winter 2018, Midge Point, Qld At happy hour around the fire pit we are once more relegated to the newbies position facing the breeze and inhaling the smoke. The blokes are quite talkative tonight as they haven’t been out fishing, it’s been too windy. The talk is competitive but tonight it is fuel prices and those buggers at the Nullarbor Roadhouse, “have they got a cheek to charge those prices!” Talk then drifts onto fuel economy and a verbal battle over who has the best, all Woody can do is smile as no one would believe that a Jeep could … Continue reading Motor Mouth

The Characters You Meet12 Comments

G’day

Itching for Hitching

Aug 2018 You know Aussies are a friendly bunch. As I walk across to the loos this morning a woman asks if we are moving on today. I answer “No” and expect the conversation to end there. Oh no, into the cubicles, still chatting, still asking questions. Somewhat embarrassed I realise that there’s no getting away from the inevitable. Thus in the course of performing our most personal of morning duties we discuss Queensland free camps, Victorian silo art and how we prefer to avoid cities. Washing my hands I call out “Safe travels” and scoot out the door. Only … Continue reading G’day

The Characters You Meet3 Comments

Drugs and Baby Boomers

Itching for Hitching

An important issue for caravanning seniors is drugs. Before we leave on a long trip we get new prescriptions from our doctor then buy enough medicine to keep us going until we are in a large town or city. As our journey evolves we continue to check our stocks and make sure that we have enough. Woody needs regular blood tests and all that requires is a town large enough to have a pathology centre, they then ring his results through within 24 hours. Though we did meet a guy recently who was so frightened of needles that he plans … Continue reading Drugs and Baby Boomers

SA, The Characters You Meet25 Comments

Where else could you live?

Itching for Hitching

We spend a chatty happy hour with a chap who along with his wife has been on the road for a year. They are now looking for somewhere permanent to settle down as they no longer wish to return to their home in the Sydney suburb of French’s Forest. He calls it French’s Apartments. His conversation gets us thinking, if you had to choose another place to live where would it be? Then we met another chap in Streaky Bay who said that they came to Streaky Bay and never left. “It’s the community.” He said. We found that there … Continue reading Where else could you live?

The Characters You Meet7 Comments

The Shape I’m In

Itching for Hitching

Enjoying a warm summer’s evening beside the river we get chatting to a couple who live nearby but are spending a few days in their van to see if it is in fit shape for a long trip to The West. Sadly, they seem to think that their trusty old van is in better shape than their marriage and after listening to their jibes and bickering we’d agree that the trip is doomed to failure. If anyone in Western Australia wants a cheap van just keep a sharp eye out on Ebay. Continue reading The Shape I’m In

NT, The Characters You Meet12 Comments

Katherine

Itching for Hitching

June 2015 Katherine in the Northern Territory is the birthplace of champion cyclist Cadel Evans. This is a very tropical town and Shady Lane Caravan Park is all palms and mango trees. I ask the chap at the Katherine Info Centre what the main attractions are in town, apart from the Katherine Gorge of course, and with a big grin he replies “me”. I’ll have to stop asking that question. Continue reading Katherine

Qld, The Characters You Meet7 Comments

Pineapple Pete

Itching for Hitching

Port Douglas, Winter 2014 We have new neighbours in a large camper ute that is wider than the site that they are on. While we chat ‘Pete’ starts hacking at the shrubbery, our pretty little dividing garden, and small palms are dug up and despatched to the rubbish bin so that more guy ropes can be pegged in. Hmmm.  After they leave for ‘the Cape’ the management remove a rather large palm tree that Pete has felled in his efforts to create the perfect camp site. At least shrubbery grows quickly in this climate. Continue reading Pineapple Pete