Tag: Camping

NSW, The Pubs6 Comments

Grawin Opal Fields, Lightning Ridge

Itching for Hitching

Two out of three ain’t bad. There’s another opal field about 60kms from The Ridge and it is home to 3 iconic pubs. We set off in a convoy of 3 cars down a good bitumen road to the tiny town of Cumborah. A little further on we turn onto an appalling dirt road that our mate Vee rates as worse than the Birdsville Track. Outback Jack is in the back seat thanking God that Vee has offered to take us in her car! We bump along swearing and cursing the road and the dust and reading car door signs … Continue reading Grawin Opal Fields, Lightning Ridge

NSW, Places9 Comments

Car Doors and Castles

Itching for Hitching

Two streets down from the Opal Caravan Park is one of the famous Lightning Ridge Car Door Tours, the Red one. Thus we leave the bitumen to follow numbered red car doors to explore this town’s minefields and minefield is an appropriate description. Because people live on mining leases in Lightning Ridge their houses are as basic as possible. By order of law the land should only be used for mining not housing. The hillsides are littered with ramshackle dwellings, decaying caravans, tram cars, corrugated iron shanties and mullock heaps with rusting bucket structures atop that look like roller coasters, which … Continue reading Car Doors and Castles

Caravanning Hints7 Comments

Gen Why?

Itching for Hitching

The noise of our neighbours generator forces us indoors and we start to wonder why they need a generator these days anyway. It turns out that they are powering a microwave, hairdryer and two Waeco fridges. But why? The fridges can be powered by 12 volt. The 12 volt system can be topped up by solar power. In cold weather gas and diesel heating will make a caravan cosy in minutes. If it’s too cold to air dry your hair there’s always the car heater. And who needs the chicken defroster anyway? Continue reading Gen Why?

Caravanning Hints3 Comments

Washing Day

Itching for Hitching

Woody galloped over to the showers at 6:00am as usual then once shampooed and showered, went on to the laundry with our washing basket. Greeting him in the laundry was our park neighbour with every machine filled and another load waiting in front of each one.”Oh” she says “you can use those two over there.”  “Not much use to me” says Woody “they’re both dryers.” “We’ve been on the road for five weeks.” she counters, as if we haven’t. Next morning Woody gets up at 6:00am and loads the washing machines…before he showers. Continue reading Washing Day