Tag: Caravanning

Why Caravanning12 Comments

Powerful Suggestion

Itching for Hitching

If there is one piece of advice that I wish that someone had given me five years before I retired it would have to be: Retirement is not about how much wealth you have, but how much time you have before your health fails you. All the money in the world won’t bring back your health and fitness. I recently read somewhere that we fret about financial planning but don’t give any consideration at all to time planning. I guess we all just hope that we’ll live to the magical one hundred years, probably toothless and sucking on egg sandwiches. … Continue reading Powerful Suggestion

Places, Qld6 Comments

Winton in the dry season 2014

Itching for Hitching

Winton in Western Queensland has a population of about 1000 people. The main street has replica heritage street lamps and a centre strip of lawns and trees, even a water feature depicting the original town site of Pelican Waterhole. The town is busy and colourful which gives it a good feel. From what we see it appears that the people of this town aren’t afraid to have a go. This is the birthplace of Qantas. The grandest hotel in town is the North Gregory Hotel. After having been demolished and rebuilt with a second storey, it twice was burnt to … Continue reading Winton in the dry season 2014

Caravanning Hints3 Comments

Packing a Caravan

Itching for Hitching

When Packing a caravan, the heaviest items should always travel down low and preferably over the wheels. This explains why our wine cellar is located underneath one of the cafe seats and the other cafe seat holds the espresso machine. Pots and pans are on the opposite side below the stove and sink. Food – As well as overhead cupboards we have a small slide out pantry under the sink for the heavy food items, bottles and cans, but being foodies, I’m yet to find one of these that actually works well. My way around this is to use the … Continue reading Packing a Caravan

Hobbies, VicLeave a comment

Genealogy on the Road

Itching for Hitching

This post has been inspired by a story that I read that was written by a gentleman by the name of Leland who writes a blog called My Mixed Blog https://lghoelson.wordpress.com. Leland’s particular story that inspired me was ‘Family Dinner Out’ in which a long departed Great Grandfather appears at a family dinner. I too wonder what my ancestors would think of how we lead our lives today. Ancestors who arrived in this country with little more than the clothes on their backs and walked hundreds of miles to the goldfields in search of gold, just enough gold to ensure … Continue reading Genealogy on the Road

NSW, Showgrounds2 Comments

Beautiful Bellingen

Itching for Hitching

The Bellingen, NSW showgrounds are quite grassy and in need of a good mow when we call in (2013) but there are clean amenities, toilets and showers, power and water. It is a lovely spot and the rainforest is right behind us. The town is only a short walk away across the causeway and there are a couple of other vans around us. The warm afternoon sun is too good to waste so we settle back with a wine and a book. As the evening draws in our neighbour begins to strum his guitar and he is certainly quite proficient, … Continue reading Beautiful Bellingen

Well Bugger Me!8 Comments

The Big Lap

Itching for Hitching

Australians and New Zealanders it seems, have an inbuilt wish to do at least one ‘Big Lap’ of Oz. It’s almost as if one can’t meet one’s maker without having first done the ‘Big Lap’. Not that long ago we found ourselves only a day away from home and enjoying lunch in the Gift Hotel in Stawell, Vic. It’s located right opposite the sports ground that hosts the famous Stawell Gift foot race. I was on crutches due to a recent stumble (a different kind of trip but more on that in another post) and we were enjoying an excellent … Continue reading The Big Lap

Events, Vic1 Comment

Girgarre Moosic Muster

Itching for Hitching

The tiny town of Girgarre in Victoria is situated in an area known for its dairying. Many years ago its Girgarre Butter was a household name in Victoria. But times change and ten years ago Victorian primary industry was crippled by the worst drought in living memory. The residents of Girgarre gathered together to brainstorm a solution to save their town from ruin. Someone suggested a Farmer’s Market and music was also suggested. The market went ahead and some musicians came to perform on hay bales in the park. Turning the clock forward, last weekend 1500 people converged on Girgarre. … Continue reading Girgarre Moosic Muster

Caravanning HintsLeave a comment

Hairdressing

Itching for Hitching

One of my biggest concerns upon retirement was hairdressing. After having spent a lifetime of donating the majority of my salary to my local hairdresser so that I could look decently coifed for business I realised that I needed to reduce the cost. With the help of friends I found a hairdresser who would trim my hair at a much more reasonable price. Another friend offered to teach me how to colour my hair.  The cost of this lesson was a long lunch and a bottle of champagne before we started! While the boys embarked on a second bottle, we … Continue reading Hairdressing

BlogLeave a comment

Just Another Day On the Road

Itching for Hitching

One of the advantages of travel is writing about one’s own adventures but how does one write a daily blog about life ‘on the road’, when one is ‘on the road’?With great difficulty! As I sit here penning this draft it is near midnight and my husband is snoring, loudly. We’ve been free camping for four days without mains power. Relying on our solar panels. Perhaps we’ve been a little too relaxed this week but all of our devices are suddenly in need of a charge. That’s two phones, an iPad and a laptop and I’m juggling them. I prefer … Continue reading Just Another Day On the Road

NSW, The PubsLeave a comment

Palace Hotel, Broken Hill

Itching for Hitching

The Palace Hotel in Broken Hill, NSW has a unique decor. Every inch of wall space is devoted to murals and the furnishings are from the 1950’s. In the Side Bar there’s a huge collection of aluminium soda syphons lining the window ledges and a great array of mismatched furniture from the same era.  The foyer has three storeys of murals running up the walls across the ceilings and under the stairs. Even the hallways have murals. On top of that, it is a really nice pub to have a drink in. Oh and it starred in the making of … Continue reading Palace Hotel, Broken Hill