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It's not to late to travel Australia!

 Alan and Pam are a Victorian couple aged in the 55 - 65 bracket. The sudden death of three friends all within a month showed us the reality of life.  Could it happen to us?  You betcha!  
 
Having flexible employment with caravanning website www.GoSeeAustralia.com.au we decided to go on the road, working and living in our caravan. All we needed was Internet connection and good phone service.  We had few commitments that tied us to one place and have always loved travelling Australia, 4WDing and camping. We have used tents since 1976 right up till purchasing our 21' holiday van late 2012.  
 
The decision was made, Let's GoMakeSomeMemories while we can - no time limit, no restrictions, no ties. We will do the big lap!
 
That meant selling, sorting and packing up a three bedroom home and Pam resigning from her employment as an office manager. We had to pick a date to aim for, but that was based on the house.  Luckily it was quickly resolved and a settlement date was set. We have moved a few times over the years but this was so different. We had to make the decision as to what to keep, where to keep it and what we didn’t need anymore. We were not moving, we were leaving on an "indefinite adventure" .  We were not sure as to how long we would be travelling as “indefinitely” is not necessarily “permanent”. A lot of people our age have family where they can call "home" and go back to.
 
We didn’t really know if we wanted or needed to keep anything, but in the end we did need to know that we could set up house somewhere with some of our “stuff” if the spirit moved us, so a small storage shed was leased indefinitely and the basics moved there. Much of our contents were sold via a garage sale and through joining a local Facebook For Sale group where items were posted online with a picture, description and price.  Purchasers agreed to buy online. An agreed pickup time was arranged. It was immediate. In some cases items were sold within five minutes of posting the picture, price and description. This negated the need for sales commissions, postage and delivery costs resulting in a better buy price for the purchaser.  In the end, what was left with nowhere to put it, was donated to charities.
 
Then came packing and repacking the caravan and ute until such time everything fitted.  Now in hindsight, we hardly need any more items to live permanently than one does when holidaying.
 
In our next story, we discuss the "paperwork" that is involved in having no fixed address.  Till then, don't leave it too late before you make the big decision to GoMakeSomeMemories.

Let's Ask Some Questions

Pam & Alan have now been travelling Australia for almost 2 years in their home/office 21’Caravan and Ford Ranger.  We ask them some questions –
 

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CAMP CHAIRS

We hit the road nearly two years ago now, with our two existing camp chairs, both Spinnifex non padded high backed adjustable chairs.  Fine for occasional camping and sitting around the camp fire with your feet up on a milk crate, but after two years of use, working full time on the road we were developing “numb bum” syndrome.

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Cooking while on the road

Living full-time on the road in our 21ft caravan we value our eco-friendly DreamPot.  It’s easy to use, efficient and always delivers a hot meal after a long day on the road.

DreamPot is thermal cooking, a portable, easy-to-use, cooking appliance which uses only a fraction of the power or heating source to achieve magnificent meals anywhere or anytime. DreamPot is an Australian family operated company which has made meals for travelers much better since 1964. 

Here is one of our favorite recipes 

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Carrying bikes on your Caravan, Camper or RV

It is great to have your bikes with you when travelling on the big trip or even a short break.  It’s a healthier way to get around and explore the area or visit the shops instead of always taking the vehicle for short trips.  

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Check your Anode Annually

If your storage hot water systems runs on electricity, gas or solar, it will contain a sacrificial anode. This is a highly reactive metal component which protects the system from corrosion. Most hot water heaters use them to protect the tank and other components which spend most of their time immersed in water. 

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Living on the road with no fixed address

A Residential Address is required for Medicare, Vic Roads, Electoral Commission, Australian Tax Office and Insurance Policies require a Situation of Risk address.  In these cases we have used a relative’s address, our Accountants office address and our Insurance Brokers office address if the computer generated ‘field” will not accept Australia Wide.  

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Don't take your hoses for granted

Your good old drinking water food grade hose is more important than you actually realise.  In our case, living, working and travelling Australia full time in our caravan, the hose gets coiled up, placed in it’s bag and rattles along on the caravan A Frame when travelling.  Then at the next site, it’s thrown out onto the ground, clicked onto whatever size tap is provided and that’s it.  We just take it for granted and expect it to perform faultlessly.

Until one day ....

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Caravan Courtesy

Be Courteous when Towing a Caravan
When out and about on the road remember that you are sharing the road with lots of others.  We hope that these tips will help you and others to stay safe.

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