Dobbie's Golfing holiday has teed off!

[Dobbie]

We're finally on the road and testing out the new van!

All good so far, and all the stuffing around and frustrations before we left are now forgotten.

I think!

Free camping at the moment and going to try to nail down water consumption if I can..but the gauges are crap.

Goods....love the van, love the finish, love the bed setup, love the shower a lot, love the pullout kitchen setup....and most of everything else.

Bads...we attracted the rain to dry old south east qld so packed up in the rain this morning, after a deluge at 3am and are now drying everything out. If that's the worst that happens, I'm happy.

 

[bigcol]

good stuff mate, hope you bring sunshine as well to the SE Qld.......

 

[dagree]

Good to see you finally getting the Golf out and getting it dirty... well wet at least!

What ever the weather...... Just enjoy yourselves

 

[Drover]

Well come down here, dry as chips, could do with a visit by Huey........................set up looks like a Gypsie camp..lol,lol......Glad to see you got away eventually, don't worry about the water gauges, you do know that trying to watch and check your water consumption won't do any good because when get around to relaxing your consumption will change, I look at my gauge once a day and if one tank empties I know it's time to chase some more up......................................camping on the edge of town makes life easier as I load 80lts in the ute so we can have a decent shower..............don't go for the camp way out in the sticks caper, lived there long enough before........novelty has worn off..........edge of town like a black fella is good.

 

[Dobbie]

Hi @Drover ....yep it does look a bit like a gypsy camp. That's fine ....the photo was taken at dawn in the rain as I tried to rescue the stuff that was waterlogged.

Even the chairs that were undercover were saturated. We just shoved everything into the car, changed camp and dried out yesterday. No real problem.

and you know what an effort i put into taking and loading photos!

One thing i noticed yesterday was the effect of the hatch position ....in the Jayco we always had good airflow but this one only has a hatch over the shower. No issue but interesting.

The other plus for jayco is the size of the picnic table. ..jayco wins on that.

I'm not getting anal about water...camping tends to promote ponderings about how to do things better.....so that's my excuse....we've actually got loads of water, a campfire, a bbq and a water view today so it's all looking good.

 

[mikerezny]

View attachment 48226 We're finally on the road and testing out the new van!

All good so far, and all the stuffing around and frustrations before we left are now forgotten.

I think!

Free camping at the moment and going to try to nail down water consumption if I can..but the gauges are crap.

Goods....love the van, love the finish, love the bed setup, love the shower a lot, love the pullout kitchen setup....and most of everything else.

Bads...we attracted the rain to dry old south east qld so packed up in the rain this morning, after a deluge at 3am and are now drying everything out. If that's the worst that happens, I'm happy.

Hi @Dobbie,
I see that you are already promoting red nose day. Well done!

enjoy the trip.
Mike

 

[Drover]

You know I can't resist a stir, a good camp always has a touch of Gypsie to it, well mine do anyway..........you have got me going about water tanks though, just refilled one of mine as it went empty, the flamin thing only took 3 Jerry cans, thats 60lt, I want to know wheres the other 20 t's supposed to be 80lt tanks, pick up is on the bottom but the fill is only half way up the tanks it may not be able to push the water all the way, buggered if I know but something to think about as I lay back in the lake.........possible addition to the latest mod list......................I tell you what though a spare Thunder Can is very handy.......

 

[Dobbie]

Mike. It's pink.....and cost all of a dollar at the Reject shop.

I was looking for a bucket to keep the connectors dry, saw this and thought "why not?" I haven't walked into the hitch once since I've used it.

and the water tank gauges have now gone to full! Same place camped, two good showers last night plus other water use...loo....still hitched up, car hasn't moved......and the tanks have gone from 3/4 to 4/4.

and the 12v fans are great...I just need to find a good spot to carry them easily. Not the roof bag where they've been.

I think I believe in miracles!

 

[dagree]

Well come down here, dry as chips, could do with a visit by Huey

You called???????
:rain: :smow:

 

[Dobbie]

We've had a great week wandering so far and have just arrived at Woolombombi Falls and Oxley Wild Rivers NP.

It's cold and wet! An unusual experience for us lately.

Signal here is weak and intermittent but will attempt a review of this campsite when I can.

@Drover's reviews have inspired me.

We've only done about 1100 kms and spent about four days in each place....Kilkivan bush camp and Leyburn. I'm so relaxed I've read three books and am now ready for some gorge walking in the cool....if I can get up the energy.

The van is going well and we seem to have settled into it, with almost everything up to expectations. One of Anderson plugs, fitted to the van has dropped a lug..no solder and lousy crimping but I shoved it back in and it's working so far. I'll have to find someone to solder it and refit it as I certainly don't have the tools with me.

Apart from that, it tows well and I think all the bits and pieces work! So far, so good.

 

[Drover]

Well thats great, you can crimp it if you have a set of pliers and taking care give it a squish....It's a pain but I always prefer to solder them, as they are damn hard to crimp properly....................2300km, 3 weeks ,have to stop soon too much $$ on fuel.

 

[Dobbie]

You're on the fuel overspend!

It's still cool here...wonderful and the NP most impressive.

Lousy internet but I'll a very quick review before it drops out.

Venue: Wollombombi national park
40ks east of Armidale on waterfall way.

Price. National park prices $6 pp per night...honour system

Facilities....very good pit toilets, good flat sites for van access, tap water, fire pits with a great swing over cooking plate. Firewood provided though not much here now.

Walking tracks, great lookouts, beautiful gorge, lyrebirds and lovely starry nights with no lights anywhere. Beautifully peaceful and quiet.

Access.....short single lane road

Highly recommended though I'd imagine it could get very hot in the middle of summer.

No photo as yet, sorry.....internet won't let me load one.

 

[Drover]

That means I get in for free as I have a NSW NPWS permit, free to old codgers on application, even QLDers..............................I have a design for a very natty bushmans crimper, just a large nut that is cut and you use it as a die, carry a couple of differn't sizes and covers all eventualities, saves $70 on a decent crimper which actually is probably way better as I keep losing the damn nut and whacker........

 

[Dobbie]

I've actually got a big crimper for Andersons....but it's at home!

Where it belongs.

I've shoved the bare wire back into the lug as I can't get the inside bit (note my technical description) out to try to crimp it...then used gaffa tape and a prayer.

and I don't think the NSW National park pass gives free camping...sadly. It does remove the daily car charge (now $8 a day I think) and we're trying to spot a ranger to check on any concessions for old codgers. That's you!

I'm surprised you've given up fishing as those greedy NSWelsh sting you for fishing licences as well.

That's one benefit of getting older....not many, but one.

 

[Drover]

One thing about having The Old Coots Card, get a free pass into NSW Parks just have to pay camp fee's, you have to apply, can do it online just fill in the form and email it to them and in about 3 weeks you get a NPWS Pass, I reapply each year, don't care about fishing licence either my Old Coots Card is my NSW Fishing licence. And they don't discriminate where your from .

 

[Drover]

I just checked the radar and it looks like bluddy heaps of rain at your place, might need a boat when you get back.

 

[Dobbie]

Yep...big rains and storms there and here.

Just picked up the email warnings and it seems there's no power at home. We have house sitters so I hope they're coping.

We're just trying to work out what the weather's going to do for the next few days.

Here, we're still setup but on a riverbank ...with warnings for the river so need to be careful but no one around here seems to be concerned.

National park....not an option if the winds get up ....so we'll look for somewhere a bit more protected.

Either way, I think we'll pack up slowly and move on.


:rain::rain::rain:

 

[Drover]

When at Bingara and storms around I always check the radar for rainfall up stream, lots of rain, it's pack and move off even though sunny over the camp. Phone hasn't rung so house hasn't washed away.

 

[dagree]

Head for the high country and stay safe guys.... Saw the weather you are getting on the news tonight :smow:

 

[Drover]

If the rivers start to flood your stuck as the roads close to north and south, paddle only east and forget about trying the mountains.