With 200+ bird species over several diverse habitats in its 14000 hectares, Bowra Sanctuary puts out for all all elements of a truly excellent outback experience – spectacular scenery; wonderful wildlife – in this case birds; and eccentric characters – in this case human!

But while these elements make it a perfect outback hideaway, Bowra is only 16km from South-western Queensland’s Cunnamulla and (relative) civilisation – so could be classified as Outback-LITE, but if you don’t leave the property during your stay, I SWEAR you won’t notice!!

If your luck holds, you’ll get all the above elements, but sadly, the outback characters we encountered weren’t local! Not once during our 6-night stay in June 2010 did the bizarre-and-eccentric-magnet campground fail us – between people-watching, livestock dodging, hard-core twitching*, relentless photography and traveller SHAME file moments rivalling ANYTHING I’ve posted so far, the Bowra ‘experience’ rates as one of our most memorable of all time.

And I mean that in a good way! Not only did it provide a rich comic seam, already mined in a previous post, but there’s virtually no need for embellishment! Now about how many other blog-land adventures can you say that??!!

As Bowra’s unique natural attractions virtually guarantee high numbers of bird species sightings in a relatively small space, you can’t swing a fat-tailed dunnart without hitting a twitcher* in full regalia, often including many $$ worth of binoculars (‘bins’), telescopes (‘scopes’) and camera gear (is there a euphemism for that?!).

After all, Bowra is special – it’s one of several locations where the legendary Sean Dooley (current record holder of most OZ bird species seen in a calendar year) didn’t spot Grey Falcon!! During our 6 night stay, Pilchard sighted over 100 species – most notably Halls Babbler (a lifer**), Red-backed Kingfisher, Brolga, Plum-headed Finch, Black-breasted Buzzard, Major Mitchell Cockatoo, Crested bellbird, Bourke’s Parrot, and Ground Cuckoo-shrike. And Grey Falcon?? Well, no-go! A fellow camper spotted Australasian Bittern at one of the waterholes, and had the pix to prove it, but sadly, this was another no-go for us.

I’m sure I wouldn’t have had such a great time had I been a hardcore twitcher or photographer. A keen birdwatcher trying to take the perfect photo is a study in rabid obsessive-compulsive observation – and is also completely oblivious to surroundings, social niceties and/or the passage of time. SO … after a hard day on the birding trail, companion/s of such a person invariably arrive back at camp in a bit of a state, and ready for an actual conversation with ANYONE else. And hey! If you haven’t got anything nice to say about anyone – come sit next to me!!

Chances are, your fellow campers are not common or garden variety Grey Nomads. Jolting along on the station tracks in pursuit of an elusive sighting isn’t everyone’s idea of a fun time – and the scenery (albeit spectacular) isn’t always enough of a trade off. It’s likely, therefore, that people attracted to Bowra have at least a tenuous connection to twitching and/or photography.

So conversations with other campers often take a ‘league table’ format where tales of sightings and locations are swapped in order to trump the other person (eg rare Aust. Bittern trumps more common Crested Bellbird). Hell, that was MY motivation anyway – although I can’t speak for anyone else …

But Bowra also attracts a different sort.

Take Julia and Kevin*** for example. This Dingo-Trap grey nomad couple bailed us up for a scarily strange conversation that went something like this:

Julia This isn’t bad for a free camp
Red It’s not free – this is private property and the camp fees are $25 for a powered site.
Julia No, it’s free! It’s in the book****! Isn’t it, Kevin?
Kevin (nods maniacally – confirming Julia’s wrong information is clearly a way of life)
Julia They told us how to get here when we asked for directions to the free camp.
Pilchard (sensing Red’s steam rising) Who told you it was free?
Julia The people in town (she meant Cunnamulla, but couldn’t articulate this). They sent us here, but we got lost and some workmen gave us directions.
Pilchard So which free camp were you heading for?
Julia I don’t know what it was called! Can you remember, Kevin?
Kevin (shakes head vigorously)
Pilchard Which direction are you heading?
Julia (exchanges concerned look with Kevin – this is clearly a trick question) What do you mean?
Pilchard (trying to establish the direction from which they came so as to work out where they’re going) Well, where did you stay last night?
Julia I don’t know what it was called! Can you remember, Kevin?
Kevin (shakes head slowly)
Pilchard (ever helpful, names the most likely town in each direction) Was it St George, Charleville, Bourke or Eulo?
Julia I don’t know what it was called! Can you remember, Kevin?
Kevin (shakes head emphatically)
Julia I don’t think the GPS was working properly. When we turned off it told us we were going the wrong way. Didn’t it, Kevin?
Kevin (nods head vigorously)
Red (trying to suppress a) irritation and b) gloating) Maybe you WERE going the wrong way! This isn’t a free camp site! (hidden subtext – the GPS KNOWS BEST!!!)
Julia Well, we told them we were looking for the free camp where you could go birdwatching and they sent us here!
Pilchard Oh, I think you were going to Paddabilla Bore near Eulo! That’s another 50km west of here! (successfully suppresses amazement that you wouldn’t know at least roughly where you were)
Kevin (finally speaks, although to no great effect) I told you we hadn’t come far enough!
Julia (looks at Kevin in consternation) Well, we were expecting a free camp site. We intended to free camp tonight, didn’t we Kevin?
Kevin (nods vigorously)
Julia Who collects the camp fees?
Red There’s an honesty box in the shearers quarters.
Julia What time do they empty it?
Red The owner comes out from Cunnamulla in the morning.
Julia (looks at Kevin meaningfully) Well, we’re self sufficient!
Kevin (nods wisely – or at least in a reasonable parody thereof)
Red (opens mouth in disbelief, about to spew forth a diatribe against freeloaders)
Pilchard (whispers to Red) Calm down, it’s not our problem!

I’m not sure why, on the strength of this ‘conversation’, Kevin felt he knew us well enough to recommend another amazing free camp – we’d apparently LOVE it! And even now, only three things stand between us and a tryout of this legendary (perhaps mythical!) spot:

1. we don’t know where it is (they couldn’t even tell us which STATE it was in!);
2. we don’t know what the attractions are (they couldn’t recall this either – even though it was ‘good’); and
3. we don’t know if it’s really free.

You see, Julia and Kevin left early the next morning WAY before we arose, and when I later visited the honesty box to pay our site fee, mine was the only envelope there!

As inept as bird identification as they were at reading maps, Julia later told Pilchard she’d discovered a new bird. She clearly didn’t believe Pilchard’s identification despite him showing it to her in the bird book . BUT … let her go, I say!! How much fun would it be to watch her report her ‘find’ to the birdwatching community?

Yep, a few ‘roos loose in the top paddock***** there, I suspect!!

But grey nomads aren’t the only ‘eccentrics’. Late one evening, a convoy of academics and artists (my assessment!) in camper trailers arrived asking us to explain directions to the waterhole where they planned to camp. Pilchard’s simple explanation of the directions on the map left for them (‘keep going straight down the road you’re now on until you hit the waterhole’) fell upon deaf ears once they spotted the shearer’s quarters. Electricity! Heaters!! Lights!!! I didn’t think it possible for the 4 who eschewed their trailers to fill the 10 or so rooms in the shearer’s quarters with their mess – AND blow the fuses (turning on all the lights when using a generator system will do that)! But maybe I was wrong about the artist/academic thing – such folk surely don’t believe in the Cleaning Fairy, do they? DO THEY???!!! This lot gets the dubious honour of creating the most disgraceful mess I’ve EVER seen in an amenities block in the shortest time – they deserve every accolade this award brings!! Wonder what would’ve happened had they ended up down by the waterhole …

Bowra Sanctuary was once – and during our stay, still was – a working station, owned by the same family for 5 generations before purchase by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy. Now, a Birds Queensland on-site caretaker manages the campground – AND collects the fees!

We look forward to returning for ALL reasons – there’s no way I’d pass up the opportunity to meet more quirky folks like these; and we’d love to re-visit our favourite spots! And maybe – just MAYBE – we’ll spot Grey Falcon …

* twitcher = birdwatcher!
** lifer = a species of bird seen for the first time (ie in your life)
***Not their real names. And any likeness to names of current and penultimate Australian Prime Ministers is entirely coincidental.
**** Free Camps Book #5 – the Grey Nomads bible
***** This great OZ euphemism provides a disturbing mental image! ‘Roos’ (ie kangaroos) in the ‘top paddock’ (ie brain’) are ‘loose’ (ie jumping around) – therefore the person must be mad!! It works, huh?!?!

The post OZ Top Spot #7 – Bowra Sanctuary, South Western Queensland appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Living Quarters? Hotel on Wheels?? Holiday Accommodation??? Nah, none of those quite fit. But if you’ve read Lonely Planet’s excellent guide*, you’d know our camper trailer would make a perfect mobile MICRONATION!

Our only constant when travelling, we’re cocooned inside at night when the world shrinks to the size of our living space. But, Brigadoon-like, we awake to new places, panoramas and vistas just waiting to be explored in the light of day! Beaches, rivers, the outback, deserts, rainforests, highlands, national parks, wet tropics, tablelands, lakes, cities, towns, mountains, plains – thankfully, SO many OZ picturesque and scenic locations still have public camping or caravan parks** nearby!

As my photos (both old and new) will show …

It’s true, that with a 3 x 1.5 m (9′ x 5′) living area and two extending bed ends for sleeping and storage the camper trailer’d be smaller than most other micronations – including ‘Lovely’ (a small flat in London) and even the Copeman Empire (a caravan in Sheringham, England). But – and I know this’ll come as a complete surprise to you – SIZE DOESN’T MATTER!! See? I’m shouting! It’s SO not a secret …

But when travelling with the southern grey nomads around this great land of OZ, you’d be forgiven for thinking that size really DOES matter! Roads heading north become clogged with a slow moving wagon train of 2-3 tonne giant caravans that when attached to a state of the art giant SUV become a rig bigger than some semi-trailers.

By comparison, our minimalist camper trailer appears more and more spartan with every year that passes since its 1998 purchase! But it still meets our requirements – portable and manoeuvrable, quick to set up, comfortable bed, table and lounge, cooking facilities, water, gas, outdoor area.

And it all fits in to this small space. We can take it almost anywhere. We don’t need help to reverse onto our site. Our carbon footprint is small. AND … perhaps most importantly – on balance, we’re not a danger on the roads***!!

So what’s the attraction of a big caravan? As far as I can tell they attempt to fully replicate the comforts of home. Because that’s why people travel, isn’t it? To have things exactly the same as at home??

I just don’t get it. Especially when the giant van is a gas-guzzling-overweight-high-energy-and-carbon-emission-difficult-to-manouvre-dangerous-to-drive-potential-lethal-weapon! Which it’s probably not such a good idea to start driving around at a time in your life when your reflexes are deteriorating. Just sayin’!

So here’s why I DON’T want these 10 ‘bonus’ extras I’d get by upgrading to a BIG van:

1. Bathroom and Toilet
Remind me again why spending my holidays cleaning the toilet is such a great idea when there’s a perfectly good amenities block that SOMEONE ELSE CLEANS?? (note – there’s probably nothing much you can say here to convince me!)(but try if you want to!)

2. Big water tanks
Carting 100+ kg of extra weight around when you’re in some of the highest rainfall areas in the country is a good idea because …???

3. Full sized fridge and pantry
Wouldn’t the extra 50+ kilos weight of supplies that I’m towing offset the savings I’ve made by stocking up at a big supermarket?? And no one EVER has enough fridge space! Despite having a full sized fridge in their van, many GN’s also have a portable fridge in their SUV – well, I guess you can never have enough cold beer …

4. Microwave and Barbecue
But I’m on holidays! I cook simple meals, and eat out for a treat! OZ is littered with free public barbecues in the most amazing picnic areas! And … there’s always a bakery if it all gets too hard …

5. Bigger bed
Why, when we’re managing to do everything that needs doing on our current bed??!!

6. Wardrobes
Have a look around in ANY tourist spot and play ‘spot the tourist’. What gives it away? Clothing!! Why not carry a week’s worth of ordinary, easy-care clothes and a couple of items for dress ups? Who needs a wardrobe for that??

7. Bigger lounge & TV
OK, when I’m visiting some of the most beautiful scenery in the world I’m either outside exploring or off on a day trip exploring. Why would I sit inside watching TV?

8. Airconditioning
I’m heading north because it’s cold down south. SO … I use aircon to make it colder than home in winter? Our windows open in any direction to catch the breeze (and we’ve actually got more window space than the average van) or we use a fan. A heater warms up our small space in about 5 minutes.

9. Luxury textures and fittings
Let me get this right. I’m travelling where there’s dust, sand, moisture, salt and/or heat. And I’m going to have a leather lounge? And granite benches?? And wooden cupboards/surfaces??? Yep, perfect for the conditions! AND see #1 re cleaning …

10. Livin’ the Dream
Our rig is devoid of signage (although that might all change if I achieved micronation status) unlike many caravans, whose owners are apparently “Livin’ the Dream”. And if watching TV with a whining pet inside a caravan with aircon on HIGH is livin’ the dream, who am I to argue?

In my opinion, these extra ‘bonuses’ can be a substitute for a) planning ahead; b) adapting to local conditions and c) getting the full benefit of the area you’re in.

And, the $60,000 odd (a fairly modest estimate) we’d save by NOT upgrading would buy a hell of a lot of site fees – actually 2,000 nights @ $30 per night, to be precise! Or halve that and factor in a commensurate number of bakery visits … but I digress!

And my credentials? We’ve experienced what most caravan owners haven’t – having once lived in our camper trailer for a continuous period of 18 months!

Of course I’ve got a long way to go if I decide to secede, and I don’t think I’d be competing with the Principality of Hutt River for it’s status as Australia’s best known micronation – but hey! A girl can dream …

* Weirdly, there’s a whole section about mad Aussies … go figure!!
** Trailer Parks
*** Ok, lots of big rig drivers aren’t either. So how do you tell those who are? Check the van/trailer for scratches, dingles, dents and small pieces of tree – a dead giveaway the driver has no idea of the size of the rig! The acid test is watching them actually reversing or driving around a tight corner …

The post Traveller SHAME Files #5 – The Kitchen Sink! appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Australia’s beaches don’t all look like the pre-tropical-cyclone-Yasi* paradisical wet dream of white sand, palms and crystal clear water! While this may fill some reader’s hearts with dismay, there’s no way the southern beaches, especially those of South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula, could be mistaken for their northern counterparts!

But this isn’t necessarily a bad thing – Stansbury’s stretch of beach along Oyster Bay (there’s no mystery why it’s called that!) is a superb example of that other kind of paradise where warnings against crocodiles, marine stingers or falling coconuts are not required! Nor are you likely to encounter an errant Bufo marinus (aka cane toad!) – for the moment, anyway!

But, on Stansbury Seaside market days, held during the warmer months, the view changes! Whether for better or worse depends on whether you love or loathe markets as the empty foreshore fills with stalls – and visitors from all over the peninsula.

In the cooler months – I won’t amuse northerners by referring to it as ‘winter’ – the view is unsullied by commercial enterprise! Despite the absence of anything but the Great Southern Ocean between the southern Yorke Peninsula and Antarctica, extreme cold – let alone snow – is virtually unknown there.

And what better spot to do your business than here, where a winter’s day can look something like this…

 
 
*Tropical cyclone Yasi ravaged Australia’s north-east coast in early February.  Bigger than Katrina, the cyclone left a trail of destruction extending into Queensland’s outback, and bringing unseasonal heavy rain to central and southern Australia.

The post Australia’s Scenic Public Toilets #11 – Stansbury, Yorke Peninsula, SA appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Some time in the future, we’ll reach a higher plane of consciousness and what we now know as mysteries will be made clear. I guess I’ll just have to wait until then to find out why Type #1 Space Invaders, faced with the choice of multiple sites in wide open spaces, will invariably choose to set up camp right next to us!

Somehow, I don’t think it’s due to my magnetic personality … And if misery REALLY loved company, why would it voluntarily seek out the company of a grumpy, anti-social bitch?

My psychic powers clearly need a boost – so far I’ve failed to fathom why Type #1s do what they do!

Maybe staying in an out of the way spot requires some sort of validation. ‘Are we allowed to stay here? Oh, it must be OK, there’s people here already. Let’s stay right next to them!’

Or maybe it’s fear. ‘OMIGOD! What if there are feral pigs/plants/campers? There’s safety in numbers, so we’d better set up next to them!’

Or maybe it’s perversion. ‘HHHMMMmmm… they look interesting! Lets camp close to them and watch!!’

Or maybe not. Like I said, one day we’ll all find out!

Type #2 Space Invaders, usually found in more structured camping areas are even more irritating. Many caravan parks have designated spaces of roughly the same size hired out to travellers at the same cost per site. SO … there’s no incentive to impinge on anyone else’s space, is there? IS THERE???!!!

Well you wouldn’t think so.

But Type #2’s have skilled, yet subtle ways to take more than their fair share of space. Like the chap who parked his giant 4WD RV across the space in front of his van and OUR awning instead of his van and HIS awning. We wondered why he bothered – keeping the space in front of his awning clear gave him a perfect view of the amenities block entrance. More specifically, the ladies amenities block entrance! Then the penny dropped …
But the advent of rigs bigger than the average holiday shack has spawned the Type #3 Space Invader, for whom extra space is apparently a god-given right that comes with the purchase of said big rig!

Our Type #3 experience in the Blackall Caravan Park took us completely by surprise. We’d spent the day at Isisford and returned to an iceberg-like smooth white wall about 1.5 metres from our side door, rising well above us. This gave us an immediate, but unwelcome insight into the Titanic experience, and finished off any chance we had of actually enjoying sitting outside!

Because a drivers license upgrade is not required for towing something bigger than a small semi trailer, reversing into a small space is often a problem. And just because you’ve paid the same site fee as the smaller rig next door (even though you’ll use WAAAAAAAY more power and water than them) doesn’t mean you actually have to stay within your site boundary, does it? After all, they don’t actually need the space. And look! If we move their table and chairs out of the way, that’ll give us a LOT more room!

Cheeky buggers!

Having taken over half our space, these Type #3’s then had the gall to ring their kids and whine about how small the sites were at this park! Tragically, because we were so close we could hear every word. Even more tragically, while I get a big ‘YES’ for bad tempered bitch, I get an even bigger ‘NO’ for murdering psychopath!

Incidentally, alert readers will correctly infer that the Type #3 Space Invader qualities often (although not always!) fit the Grey Nomad demographic … but go ahead!  Prove me wrong!!

Stay calm!!

The post Traveller SHAME Files #3 – Space Invaders appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

During my travels I’ve observed – and been on the receiving end of – some odd behaviours.  Of course during this time I’ve more than likely caused many a ‘what the …’ moment myself …  The shame files aren’t about ALL travellers – they’re about the ones who indulge in behaviours that annoy, aggravate and irritate fellow travellers most of whom would agree that these be stopped or banned!!

I’m not sure whether true or not, but in Australia, dingo mythology says a dingo will chew off a limb rather than remain caught in a trap.  The term ‘dingo trap’ has therefore become synonymous with going to great lengths to escape from an unpleasant or distasteful situation.  And what better situation than the sense of entrapment when faced with a fellow traveller who just doesn’t know when to shut up? 

With the possible exception of a clutch of young adults arriving back at their crowded tent in the site next to you after a night out drinking, the dingo trap is highly likely to be a Southern Grey Nomad (aka GN)!

Over the years, I’ve heard all about children, grandchildren, and other random relatives I don’t know.  Numerous rig modification technicalities have been explained to me, along with the pros and cons of technological advances in the caravanning world.  Then there’s travelogue wars where travel destinations are a badge of honour, sometimes accompanied by outright hostilities about the ‘best’ spots to visit.  I’ve learned that I haven’t yet lived because I’ve not visited a particular GN favourite spot, or even worse – visited AND hated it!  And while I realise that sharing a resume of health problems isn’t exclusive to GNs, it can be harder to take when juxtaposed with the fabulous locations in which I’m hearing them.

But individually, none of these really qualify as dingo traps. 

Why?  Several crucial elements characterise a true dingo trap, all of which must be present!  These include:

1. inappropriate timing;
2. irrelevance;
3. insensitivity to signs of disinterest;
4. indifference to response (if any) from listener; and
5. interaction not required!

The effect is magnified significantly where the GN has an accomplice.

And if there’s any doubt, ask yourself the ultimate test question – would I rather chew my arm off to escape?  Or continue to listen?

I KNEW I was in the middle of a dingo trap when we were working through our packing up routine prior to an early departure and a woman from the neighbouring caravan (lets call her Brenda) wandered over in her dressing gown, coffee in hand and small dog in tow.  The dog immediately started doing what dogs do around our tyres.  Before I could respond (ie kick it out of the way), Brenda spoke without preamble.

‘We used to have a camper exactly like that,’ she stated as puddles started appearing around the tyres.  I wasn’t quite sure how to respond, so made a non-committal noise and kept on with the routine.  ‘We hated it,’ she continued.

‘Well, we’re very happy with ours,’ I replied, wondering where this was all heading.

‘No,’ she continued as if I hadn’t spoken, ‘you don’t want a camper like this.  What you want is to trade it in for one like ours,’ she stated, indicating their standard caravan.

I moved to the other side of the trailer for my next task, reiterating that our trailer suited us so well, we’d actually lived in it for 18 months.  Undeterred, she followed me round, calling to her husband.

‘Bob, come over here and tell these people why we upgraded from what they’ve got to a caravan,’ she cried as I surreptitiously tried to nudge the dog away from the tyres.  Bob obediently trotted over, and joined her in invading my personal space.

I told Bob we were very happy with our trailer.

Bob proceeded to list the reasons they’d upgraded – this included everything that had EVER gone wrong with their trailer.

I reiterated that our trailer hadn’t had any of those problems, and suited us very well.

Brenda then repeated everything Bob had just said, adding ‘there’s much more space for the dogs.’

I advised Bob and Brenda we didn’t have, and never would have, pets on the road as they made such a mess.  I also advised we were in a bit of a hurry and had hoped to get away by 8:30 (5 minutes ago).

Bob and Brenda simultaneously started listing the benefits of having their pets with them on the road, and how their lives had been transformed by all being together in their caravan.

I don’t know for how much longer this would have gone on had my mate not asked loudly and irritably when I was going to finish.  This didn’t deter Bob and Brenda one bit, but I ignored their diatribes, finished the routine and got in the car.  We drove off while they were still talking.

My mate said that was the only way he could think of to get away from them.  He was right!

Can you match the dingo trap elements with the relevant parts of the example above?  I bet you can!!  Furthermore, I bet you can think of an example (or two) of your own …

Happy travels!!

The post Traveller SHAME Files #1 – The Dingo Trap appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Hi again!

My blog makes it clear I don’t identify as a Grey Nomad (GN) and I also claimed there were some general features that made GNs easily identifiable. Now I’ve been asked to put my money where my mouth is – exactly what constitutes a GN?

Only thing is, there’s so many different ideas about GNs that it’s actually quite difficult to settle on just one definition. So I haven’t!

If you’re wondering whether or not you are a GN, or display any GN tendencies, wonder no more! Complete my easy quiz below by giving yourself a point for each statement below with which you agree!

How to tell if you’re a Grey Nomad:

1. You have non-standard wording somewhere on your rig (eg ‘Adventure before Dementia’; ‘At my age I’m happy to be driving ANYTHING!’; ‘SKIN – Spend the kid’s inheritance NOW’ etc)
2. You have your names (eg ‘Don & Donna’) and/or the name of your rig (eg ‘Beatzwurkin’, ‘Wannabego’) and/or a mission statement (eg ‘Livin’ the Dream’, ‘The Old and the Restless’) somewhere on your rig
3. The model name of your van (eg ‘Horizon’, ‘Destiny’, ‘Freedom’, ‘Sun Cruiser’) appealed to you, and may have even been a contributing factor when choosing it
4. You have at least one pet that travels with you
5. It takes at least an hour, usually more to set up on site – but it’s worth it to have all your home comforts around you
6. One of the first things you do after setting up is sweep the slab
7. Another thing you do after setting up is find out when/where happy hour is
8. For you, the caravan park and Visitor Information Centre are end destinations – sightseeing is less important
9. There’s at least one dingle on your rig from reversing it onto your site when no drive through sites were available
10. The laundry is a great information exchange – you collect/leave tourist brochures there and discuss where to go/not go with other park guests when doing your washing

So how did you go? Tally your score and compare with the guide below! And remember … this is MY quiz, so it’ll give you MY idea of what makes a GN. If you don’t agree, that’s fine!
Score Guide:
0-3: HHHMMMmmm… you’ve got some work ahead of you to become a true GN
4-6: It’s a start – you’re well on the way to being a GN. Maybe after your next trip!
7-10: Congratulations! You’re a GN through and through!

Now before you get started on me, there’s nothing actually wrong with any of the above – these are just indicators that I’ve noticed on mytravels over many years! Let me know if I’ve missed anything, or misunderstood!
See you next time!

The post How to tell if you’re a Grey Nomad appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Hi there!

Welcome to my New Year’s resolution (albeit a little late) – actually, the blog is the 2nd resolution, the first being to get a home computer … yes, sad I know!

Now, finally, those who care can access an online update about where I am/what I’m doing without endlessly waiting for those collectors edition email updates. But wait! There’s more!! It’ll also be an expose of the joys and pitfalls of travelling with the Southern Grey Nomads (aka GNs) AND some great Aussie places to go, all while you’re being entertained right here! Who knows? You could get some ideas for your own travels (including where NOT to go!) and we might even meet someday on the road.

SO … why RED nomad? Those who received the 2008/09 travel updates (what? you didn’t keep them??!!) may recall that despite much travel with the GNs in (mostly) northern OZ, I don’t actually identify as one. Despite receiving an invitation to join the State Gov’t ‘Council on the Ageing’ (their selection program MUST be defective!) I’m not yet quite old enough to qualify. But even more important – my hair is the WRONG COLOUR!

In answer to the inevitable question (real or fake?), picture if you can, a warm sunny winter’s afternoon at the Channel Country caravan park at Quilpie. GNs gather, as is their wont, for ‘happy hour’ with travelling buddies and/or complete strangers (sometimes interchangeable). The conversation from our neighbouring site went something like this …

‘Lotsa redheads in the park aren’t there?’ GN#1 drawled over his stubbie under the van’s roll out awning.

‘Haven’t noticed’ replied GN#2 disinterestedly, knocking the cap off another for himself.

‘Well look next door, and there’s another one behind us and a couple more over by the laundry,’ GN#1 jerked a thumb in my direction, undeterred by GN#2’s lack of enthusiasm. GN#2 obligingly took a look as the rays of the setting sun accentuated the full force of my hair colour. He turned back to GN#1.

‘Yeah, but maybe some of them redheads aren’t NATURAL redheads,’ he concluded, settling back into his seat for another draw.

No shit, Sherlock! That’s why I put the RED into Grey Nomad!

Did I mention that some GNs can be a little hard of hearing?

But why keep the ‘Nomad’ bit? Well, that’s a whole ‘nother story.

Semi-nomadism proved a great antidote when a spate of ridiculous job demands, pointless tasks and negative-energy-boosting managers (euphemism for ‘total crap’ in case you were wondering) left me with two non-criminal options. Do I choose depression, relentless anger management and retarded servant treatment at work? Or do I do something different?? HHHMMMmmm… tough choice, huh?

Despite normally running a mile from caravan park entertainment, we made an exception to hear the resident bush poet at the Waltzing Matilda caravan park in Winton reciting AB Paterson’s classic Australian lament ‘Clancy of the Overflow’. The evocative comparison of the stockman’s life with the frightening reality of city office work inspired my mission to exchange the corporate world for alternative life enrichment opportunities (yes, yes, you can take the girl out of the bureaucracy …).

And why OZ? Happy with a semi-nomadic lifestyle, taking to the road in a camper whenever possible, we were stunned when friends announced their next family holiday would be overseas as they had ‘done’ Australia with previous visits to Sydney, Melbourne and the Gold Coast ‘worlds’. OMIGOD! Are we still stuck in that old cultural cringe? Or have the ‘benefits’ of ‘civilisation’ spoiled us for the rewards of exploring our own land?

While the less informed/unkind might dismiss us as ‘trailer trash’ we’re going to be more aggressive in sharing the delights of our OZ nomad destinations. After all, who wouldn’t want to experience the unique OZ travel experiences on the list below (in no particular order):

1. Cooper’s Creek for the only place in the world where two rivers form a creek (and map naming conventions that would have us call it ‘Cooper Creek’ be damned!)
2. Lightning Ridge for the worlds only black opal mining cactus farmers
3. Wycliffe Well, Australia’s UFO capital (and the Elvis site!)
4. Hughenden for the Muttaburrasaurus (and the rest of the dinosaur trail for the OZ dinosaur experience)
5. Kakadu for the Yellow Water dawn cruise
6. Stuart’s Well for Dinky, the singing piano playing dingo
7. Thargomindah, the 3rd place in the world (after London + Paris) to get electric street lighting
8. The Yowah opal fields for the world famous Yowah nuts
9. Longreach for the QANTAS museum – complete with Boeing 747 available for touring
10. Eromanga – the furthest place in Australia from the sea
11. Topaz for Australia’s wettest place
12. The Frankland Islands for archetypal tropical islands and wildlife including crocs, whales and rare bird sightings (Papuan frogmouth, if you care)
13. St George – I’m betting the only place in the world where you can get a port container cast from Barnaby Joyce’s RM Williams boots!

Doesn’t EVERYONE want to see these places/things? Why wouldn’t you want to be an OZ nomad and experience them -and many more like them! This list is SO not exhaustive …
So … what next? Another semi-nomadic year awaits – we’re not on the road every day all the time (that’s a translation of 24/7 for you young ones) but when we are, we’re making the most of our lives! See you out there somewhere!!

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