The planning begins!

[Ashevo]

Holidays have been approved through work and now the planning can really start. We are heading off at Christmas for 6 months to do a lap. Heading from Karratha WA and going anti clockwise. Hoping for a month in each state. Have done most of WA so will be concentrating on the East coast and Top End. Wife and 3 young girls are all excited. Happy for any advice or suggestions. Hoping to do a mixture of free and paid camping.
Cheers
Ashley

 

[cruza driver]

Very jealous Ash have a great trip and plenty of memories to be made,enjoy.

I bet xmas can't come soon enough

 

[17triton]

Sounds like a great trip in the making!

 

[crackacoldie]

Woo hoo, let the fun begin! Look forward to hearing about the planning and then the trip.

 

[chartrock]

Wow, 6 months planning and 6 months travelling. Sounds like it should run to perfection. Enjoy the next 6 months as well as the following 6 months.

 

[Ashevo]

Very excited guys. Have been thinking of the trip for about 3 yrs now. We are hoping to cross the border into SA around New Years Day 2014. Would be interested in people's experience with booking ahead? Do we need to book months ahead for city caravan parks or is a couple of weeks ok? We want to be as flexible as possible and not forced to move on from somewhere we are loving.

 

[17triton]

View attachment 14154 Very excited guys. Have been thinking of the trip for about 3 yrs now. We are hoping to cross the border into SA around New Years Day 2014. Would be interested in people's experience with booking ahead? Do we need to book months ahead for city caravan parks or is a couple of weeks ok? We want to be as flexible as possible and not forced to move on from somewhere we are loving.

I think all of January and easter are going to be your biggest issues when you get over this way. We go to Warrnambool every christmas and all the parks are pretty well booked out. I know you wont be this far over maybe some SA members can give you some advice over there.

 

[Soaring]

Looks like you have planned this to follow the weather so you should be 'fine' in that regard. (Pardon the pun, he he ).
As triton says, Christmas/ Jan will be busy at all the popular park, so I'd try to book now if possible. It does tend to lock you in to being at certain places at defined times, but after jan/feb, you will be able to be a little looser.

 

[Brad]

Very jealous... Gotta do one of these longer trips some day.

 

[BUSH PALACE]

Great work youll have a ball !!

 

[Ashevo]

Booking 1st sites today. Starting with bokings in Adelaide. When asked for the size of your van what do people say with a 17-56-2?
cheers
Ashley

 

[Brad]

For my 18 I say 18 foot and the bed ends fold out further.

 

[billykidd]

our 16.49 actually ends up at 24' extended, ie the rear bed out and including the draw bar, so that's the length I tell the parks as that is how big a site we actually want. we always mention it is an Expanda also.

 

[Xpandafan]

Agree, helpful to mention it's an Expanda - most CP's know what you're talking about. Some Park sites are pretty compact, seem to be getting smaller as vans generally become more compact. I usually mention overall open length...mine's 8.4m (27'6"). Some sites are back to back or are blocked off by trees or buildings, and I got caught out once where couldn't open rear bed end.

 

[Ashevo]

Thanks for the advice people, great site! I think I will quote 25/26 ft to be safe. 1st month nearly locked away. Another question is when free camping do people feel ok leaving their van locked up (with a coupling lock) while they do day trips?
Cheers
Ashley

 

[Brad]

I check that my insurance is paid up, then lock my van and go and enjoy the day.

 

[Xpandafan]

Thanks for the advice people, great site! I think I will quote 25/26 ft to be safe. 1st month nearly locked away. Another question is when free camping do people feel ok leaving their van locked up (with a coupling lock) while they do day trips?
Cheers
Ashley

Coupling lock and wheel clamp thingy. Can be broken into even in Parks, but tow aways happen more often than you might imagine. Maybe also add a Winchester sticker on the van somewhere. Thieves might not want to be disturbed by a returning "hunter"

 

[17triton]

I`d be putting a coupling lock on at the very least. Anything to make it more difficult for any low lifes!