Tag: Travel

In the BeginningLeave a comment

Lessons Learnt On Our First trip

Itching for Hitching

We’re both amazed at how well and how long we both sleep in the caravan. Some people complain about the noise others make hitching up, nothing wakes us, we look around and wonder where they’ve all gone. A vacuum pump would be handy, so that we can pack more food from home in the freezer, we only had room for one meal in a plastic container, if it was packed in bags we could carry more thus varying the diet with some ‘slow cooked’ food. One needn’t live on BBQ’s alone. We really need more camping type clothes, track pants … Continue reading Lessons Learnt On Our First trip

NSW, PlacesLeave a comment

Perhaps We Shouldn’t Have Parked There

Itching for Hitching

We’re on our way to Sydney and getting weary. At the little town of Tarcutta we choose the truck stop interchange to spend Saturday night. Being halfway between Melbourne and Sydney it has an enormous concrete apron where drivers can meet their counterparts and swap loads before returning to whence they came. As we figure that there is plenty of room for hundreds of trucks we park ourselves in the far corner and watch this fascinating activity. The amenities are excellent, separate heated bathrooms with toilets, showers and power points. Across the road is the very moving Truckers Memorial to … Continue reading Perhaps We Shouldn’t Have Parked There

Events, Places, WALeave a comment

Staircase to the Moon

Itching for Hitching

Mindful of the time it’s off to Town Beach in Broome, WA to watch the Staircase to the Moon. We knew that the markets would be on here tonight but had no idea of what an event it would be. Loads of food, art and musicians. There’s even a lady who carves your name on a grain of rice. I wonder why one would want such a thing and if you did you’d be pretty upset if it ended up in Friday night’s risotto, wouldn’t you? Hundreds of people have gathered in this colourful melee and the crowds are edging … Continue reading Staircase to the Moon

Qld, The Characters You Meet2 Comments

Social Media

Itching for Hitching

There is a great phone app called Wikicamps that has become the campers’ bible. Not only does it give details, pictures and prices of camp sites and caravan parks but folks can upload their personal comments. This is invaluable as you can get a good idea as to whether a great spot is perhaps a little too dusty in the dry season or perhaps over crowded at present. We leave the van out front and walk into the roadhouse / van park, which by the way is 150kms from anywhere in either direction. One of the ladies in charge shouts … Continue reading Social Media

Places, WA2 Comments

Amazing Grace, Amazing Place, New Norcia, WA

Itching for Hitching

I find it difficult to write about New Norcia as it took me by surprise. It was a town that had been on my bucket list for a very long time and we just hadn’t had the time to venture so far out of Perth during more rushed holidays. But caravanning is a timeless way of travelling and distances, especially as small as 140kms, mean little. To say that New Norcia it is a monastery town is probably the most accurate description, but it is an understatement. New Norcia is a place that has to be seen to be believed. … Continue reading Amazing Grace, Amazing Place, New Norcia, WA

Places, QldLeave a comment

Double Handling

Itching for Hitching

We stop at the tiny town of Wallangarra, only because there is a sign pointing to an historic railway station, and we discover that this place is actually a border town. Wallangarra is in Qld and Jennings in NSW. The border line runs across the railway platform and in the old days when states had different railway gauges passengers would change trains at Wallangarra. In fact the Qld side of the station building has a bull nosed veranda and the NSW side has a sloping veranda. Even more confusing the goods sheds are in Jennings and the station in Wallangarra. … Continue reading Double Handling

Qld, The Characters You Meet, The PubsLeave a comment

The Chinese Are Sweeter

Itching for Hitching

There is a sign on the Cunningham Highway in Queensland and it points to the “Historic Maryvale Crown Hotel”. It’s a great old pub, two storey, rusted iron roof, a bit crooked, lots of wrought iron lacework and there are a couple of characters out the front drinking in the sun. They wave us in and how can we not stop, when there is a sign out front declaring that it is ‘un Australian’ to pass a pub without stopping for a beer.  Around the yard there is an axe and wood waiting to be chopped, rusted wheels and inside … Continue reading The Chinese Are Sweeter

In the BeginningLeave a comment

Welcome to Caravanning 5. The Shakedown Trip

Itching for Hitching

We are nervous about hitting the road but decide that there is no point waiting any longer. We’ve spent three weeks getting the van ready. The weather is cool but improving. We choose a trip to a spot that we haven’t been to in a long time just to add to the excitement, if that’s at all possible! It’s only a distance of 500 kilometres from Melbourne, enough for us to get used to things and to find any problems. The final packing, which didn’t seem much, takes us longer than expected. We have butterflies in our stomachs. Our neighbour … Continue reading Welcome to Caravanning 5. The Shakedown Trip

In the BeginningLeave a comment

Welcome to Caravanning 4. Packing ‘er up

Itching for Hitching

I feel like we are loading our old yacht all over again, making checklists and shopping for all the basics that we need to keep on board, forever mindful of weight as that will cost us petrol once we hit the road. Brooms, tea towels and food everything needs to be thought of, bought, recorded and stowed. Being somewhat of a ‘foodie’ it is not surprising that the first things that Woody loads are the coffee machine and the wok.  The cupboards all have non slip linings and our mate Margot suggests that we put little plastic baskets in the … Continue reading Welcome to Caravanning 4. Packing ‘er up