On 5th September 2018, I celebrated one year living in my camper on the road.
I decided to celebrate this anniversary at a place I had been to before and enjoyed immensely. Keep River National Park is literally on the border of the NT and WA.
Below are my thoughts after spending a year on the road. I have also included a few selected photos of some places I visited earlier in the trip.
Top photo: Mist in the canopy of the rainforest, Border Ranges NP in northern NSW.
Keep River NP walks slowly reveal amazing views.
Although small, the park is spectacular, with remarkable views unfolding on the walks through this country.
Boab trees adorn the landscape.
Evidence of Aboriginal occupation is presented by some amazing rock art, including this wonderful emu.
Keep river NP is a special place to visit.
So, what about my past year on the road?
My “Grand Plan” of travel has been more or less making it up as I go. I go from ‘here’ and end up ‘there’ and take however long I want to get there.
That’s about as complicated as it gets! I look at a map and work out roughly where I want to go and what might be worth visiting in-between.
Lush rainforest in Border Ranges NP in NSW.
I have covered a fair number of kilometres in this year and have seen plenty of new places. I pick places to visit because they appeal to me. Sometimes I just like the name of a place – how could you not want to visit the town called ‘Rainbow’?
The amazing panorama of the Warrumbungles in NSW.
I try not to drive too far in a day when I’m heading somewhere. I drive slower, because it lowers my fuel usage and also allows me time to appreciate the country I’m travelling through. It hopefully also allows me to react to wildlife; at times I have had kangaroos, emus, pigs, snakes, water buffalo and a kamikaze wombat on the road in front of me!
Sunset view from my campsite in the Warrumbungles NP, NSW. I climbed that hill earlier in the day!
Fuel is my biggest expense and of course, the price varies dramatically, usually rising significantly further away from larger towns. I regularly pay upward of $2.00/litre for diesel out here. But I figure if I want to go somewhere, I have to accept fuel will be more expensive in out of the way places.
Also, you don’t use fuel if you sit still for a few days. So it is incentive to stay for a while in a nice place you find.
Bald Rock NP in NSW. This amazing rock is larger than Uluru but is mostly buried. The views are still spectacular.
We are lucky in Australia, as we don’t have to worry about finding a supermarket. Most towns have one and some are really excellent. But your choice of products may be limited in smaller towns. I am often fascinated to see what you can – or can’t – get. For example, I have seen washing machines and bicycles for sale at the local supermarket but have not been able to buy champignons (too exotic maybe?)
Depending on where you are, buying alcohol can be difficult. Most places up north have limited hours when you can buy alcohol and quantities are strictly enforced. For example, liquor may only be available after 3 o’clock in the afternoon and I can buy beer or wine, but not both at the same time. So it pays to plan your shopping trip in advance.
Kwiambal NP in NSW was a new place for me and I was delighted with the amazing views.
Living in the limited space of the camper, you learn to be efficient, otherwise things get very messy very quickly and that just drives me crazy! I have learnt to only take the things I need to make life comfortable. I attempt to keep everything in its place, but I still often can’t find things when I actually need them…
Waterfall in the Grampians NP in Vic.
One very valuable lesson I have learnt living in a camper on the road is to keep it simple. If it doesn’t work, change it. And if it still doesn’t work, then get rid of it!
I don’t have television and I don’t think I’m missing much! I do have a laptop, so when I have internet access, I am able to keep in touch with the outside world.
I can watch DVDs on the laptop too. I have just finished Series 4 of “Game of Thrones”, having slogged through the previous three gory seasons. But no binge-watching is allowed! I limit myself to one episode per night, so further series of GoT will keep me going for a while yet.
More beautiful rainforest in Border Ranges NP in NSW.
Most places I stop, I head out for walks. I will usually see wildlife and have even encountered a few snakes on my wanderings. I attempt to identify the birdlife I see in the area with the Simpson and Day bird field guide.
This snake was crossing the Oodnadatta Track in outback SA. It is best to assume this is a brown snake and is deadly poisonous. Keep a good distance, as brown snakes are usually pretty grumpy.
I also like to catch the sunset while enjoying a beer (or red wine if I’m in a colder climate). So it can be really nice having a drink outside, keeping an eye out, as most animals put in an appearance around early evening.
Milky Way glows over the Warrumbungles NP. Away from towns, the skies are totally dark, and the stars are truly wonderful to behold!
Of course, some things just seem to take delight in annoying you!
Flies, horse flies, mossies and sand-flies (the most evil of beasts ever) can be bad, depending on where you are. These are mostly, but not always, defeated with repellent. However, my worst nightmare is ants! They use the step-ladder up to the camper as an easy way inside and from there the little buggers get everywhere – including the bed!
Sunset over the Main Range in Kosciuzko NP, photographed from Lake Eucumbene.
Unfortunately, not everyone should travel and it is interesting that some people complain about everything – the roads, the dust, the flies, the heat, the cold… These are a fact of life in the outback but some seem to want everything like it is back home – it is sad and makes you wonder why they leave home in the first place? And a surprising number of campers can be inconsiderate, noisy and sometimes just badly behaved.
But the most annoying thing is when others camp right next to where you have set up. There are 2.5 million square kilometres to camp in and they camp about a meter away from you?
Whale off the coast of northern NSW.
Overseas travellers do this consistently and I think it is because they are actually terrified by Australia. Our wildlife is touted as the “most deadly in the world” and they have all watched “Wolf Creek” (yawn) and expect to be attacked everywhere they go.
So why do they camp so close? How do they know I’m not an axe-murderer? When they camp this close to me, it could very well turn me into one!!!
Brumbies sneak across the road in Judburra/Gregory NP in NT.
What is my funniest memory of the last year? Kids are fascinated by the most intriguing things! A group of kids at a national park campground one school holiday were fascinated by the hole in the ground toilets. I overheard the kids earnestly discussing taking a torch in to solve the ‘mystery’ of what was down the hole… What were they thinking? Of course, the kid’s reaction was predictable – but totally hilarious. I reckon they will be in therapy for years!!!
Happily looking forward to my second year on the road!
