Good Morning , Good Afternoon , Good Evening

Drover

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Some see no drama in spending that much but then their version of camping is way beyond my idea............

Whatever happens I won't be replacing Big Mal, see no real need unless its for a nice Winnamagoo on a big Isuzu body, rear wheel drive, decent engine with a little wagon tucked in behind like a Wrangler...(caravan novelty has worn off).......................... My house value has jumped $200K .......... but then so has my dream house.
 
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mikerezny

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Might be some Bargains around when the Bali brigade get going again.
I seriously doubt it considering the huge prices they have paid. I would also be very wary of buying anything from them. Many will have had no experience in camping and the vans will likely be badly treated and maintained.

They will mostly be new vans, so they will be expensive, optioned up with everything available. In my opinion, one would be better off considering buying a new van, with warranty, optioned and built the way you want. If the S/H market collapses, the manufacturers will be under pressure to reduce prices to match. But I may well be wrong.

One option may be that the pandemic may well be over and overseas travel allowed before some of the "Bali Brigade" even take delivery.
So there might be a chance of picking up a brand new van with full warranty not even used.

Read an article yesterday about the massive prices being paid for SH Landcruisers, way over recommended retail for a new vehicle. The reason is that there is a 12 month delay in getting a new vehicle.

take care
Mike
 
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Drover

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Somewhere ;like Beechworth or maybe Corowa, well away from the city but nice enough shopping, reasonably nice weather and surrounds, not hyped up tourist places either, to far west to damn hot and dry. The further North you go the closer to the coast and the rat race to escape the summer oven effect or stuck in no wheresville.
 

Crusty181

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Somewhere ;like Beechworth or maybe Corowa, well away from the city but nice enough shopping, reasonably nice weather and surrounds, not hyped up tourist places either, to far west to damn hot and dry. The further North you go the closer to the coast and the rat race to escape the summer oven effect or stuck in no wheresville.
Take beechworth off your list, that place goes off like a frog in a sock with tourists.
 
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Drover

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Take beechworth off your list, that place goes off like a frog in a sock with tourists.
I mean the district, but like here places you can dodge them, probably stuff all work, again like here......better than any city by a long shot.
 

mikerezny

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Hi,
here is something that will make some of us feel really old.

Raquel Welch has just turned 81!

take care
Mike
Raquel Welch.jpg
 

Drover

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I had a big poster of Allison Durbin on the wall in my teen years before Sailordom........ 8-)8-)8-)8-)8-) ....... Shes 4 yrs older at71 now do I dont want to ruin the memory

1632383438990.png
 
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BJM

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What some people also do not realise is overseas travel insurance will be near impossible to get.Pandemic is now a key out word in most insurers documents!.What the hell is Freedom day at 70% vaccination rate going to be like.The virus is going to goose step north into Qld real quick..Between Yamba where I live and the Qld Border around 10 only in total ICU beds ! This area icludes Byron Bay,Mullumbimby etc,where most of the population do not believe in vaccinations at all. Hospitals in this area run nearly full with normal day to day admissions.I was in St Vincents Private Hosp Lismore Tuesday for day surgery,in the end had to stay overnight they had no spare beds !Found one in ICU. ! Life in the next few months is going to be very interesting.!
 

Drover

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Hey @Crusty181 and @mikerezny , all my good intentions to make a sour dough starter went out the window as I walked past our bakery earlier, his Sourdough is too drool over, smells great, so I bought some................................. I can start munching today, yahoo..:D:D
 

Crusty181

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Hey @Crusty181 and @mikerezny , all my good intentions to make a sour dough starter went out the window as I walked past our bakery earlier, his Sourdough is too drool over, smells great, so I bought some................................. I can start munching today, yahoo..:D:D
Ha, yes its a lot of work and I could also start munching my sourdough today tas well .... if I'd started last Wednesday.

Ive baked breads on and off for forever. Baking any kind of bread is quite cathartic; successfully mastering sourdough is a lifetime achievement and in that regard I'm just a pretender and frequent failure. Whipping up a fresh loaf of any bread, and filling a campsite with the smell of baking bread is almost a religious experience.

The Arnott Bakehouse backing onto the Hunter Rv in Morpeth out near Maitland is a world-class (awarded) sourdough bakery. Our devotion to the sourdough craft required the obligatory pilgrimage to Morpeth to pay homage (and cash) to a titan of the bread world.
 

Drover

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My rusty camp oven shows my slackness now of baking anything............. (well its not rusty really but it would be if I didn't maintain it, hasn't seen any coals for a decade or more)
 

Crusty181

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My rusty camp oven shows my slackness now of baking anything............. (well its not rusty really but it would be if I didn't maintain it, hasn't seen any coals for a decade or more)
I retired the cast camp oven many years ago for a spun steel Bedourie. Very light and with a little care its equally as good for 90% of camp cooking. The lid is my frying pan. I use it mostly every day camping. The cast camp oven was never used as much as I use the Bedourie
 

Drover

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Always liked a Bedourie as I could just throw it in with everything else and it makes a good oil change tray as well when needed, a million uses..... Nowadays its only the 2 of us and camp oven cooking or any cooking now doesn't require the big pot or 3 foot slab of 5mm steel barbie plate, billy's or pot hooks, in fact one small pan on a single burner throw away gas stove is more than enough, the days of a pile of coals cooking bread, stews and cakes is long gone, fighting off the other campers who would float in following the aroma wanting to join us for tea ...................... hell a packet of savoury shapes can last days now............... :ambivalence: :ambivalence: ... you will understand when you have a few more miles up...... Great camp cooking and old age is like throwing some AVGAS down the throat of an old 186 ...... great stuff at first but ends legs up................... some things are best left in the memory.... The pots and pans are now replaced with decent fridge and industrial style wine racks...:congratulatory::congratulatory:
 

DRW

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After spending some time in the south of France in a small village looking towards the Pyrenees there were two bakeries who backed baguettes three times a day, there is no such thing as nice bread in this country, (sorry if I offended anyone)
 
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mikerezny

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After spending some time in the south of France in a small village looking towards the Pyrenees there were two bakeries who backed baguettes three times a day, there is no such thing as nice bread in this country, (sorry if I offended anyone)
Hi,
I agree. I have camped, hiked, holidayed, and studied in France. The taste of fresh French baguettes, regional cheeses, jambon, saucisson (French dried cured sausage), terrine de campagne has no equivalent anywhere else in the world. Especially when bought in the morning, carried in a backpack up the side of a mountain, and eaten at lunch time on a col overlooking the French Alps.

But, it is possible to get close to the real thing with a lot of hunting. French baguettes from Maison Arnaud in Huntingdale can bring tears to your eyes.

take care
Mike
 
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