Innehållsförteckning för Issue 617 från Caravan World

Epson has announced the results of its Climate Reality Barometer, showing the potentially damaging gap between climate reality and people’s understanding of its catastrophic effects. In August 2021, the IPCC reported that, even with massive emissions reductions, some climate change events could take millennia to reverse. Despite this, 46 per cent of all respondents are ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ optimistic about humanity’s ability to avert a climate crisis within their lifetimes, compared to 27 per cent who expressed ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ pessimistic. Of this optimism, 32 per cent said this was due to growing public awareness, 28 per cent due to the ability of science and technology to provide solutions and 19 per cent due to the move towards renewable energies. The top three events most associated with climate change in…

Throughout history, we have traversed our island continent, travelling side by side with our companions (pets included) or newfound road friends. From the nomadic Indigenous, to early explorers such as Blaxland, Wentworth and Lawson, through to pastoralists exploring and drovers, we have always been a nation that has moved around. In the early days of transportation, thoroughfares were full of horseback, wagons and coaches from builders, such as Cobb & Co, which conveyed people, goods and services to remote areas of this vast land. Afghan camel trains criss-crossed the arid central Australian deserts along with pioneers, such as John Flynn, a Presbyterian Minister and the founder of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, who provided valuable services to regional communities. These forerunners forged the many trails and tracks now used for…

Readers, Mike and Renee Garrett, prove outback adventures provide the opportunity for many things, including a dive into Australia’s past. “Crossing the Darling River near the Burke and Wills campsite next to lake Pamamaroo at Menindee in our trusty Nissan GU Patrol and our Goldstream van.” Readers, Robert and Melanie Woodley, have gone out and about in the red dirt on a trip around Aus. “A couple of pictures of my 1989 GQ Patrol 4.2 Turbodiesel and my 2006 Millard weekender offroad van on a recent trip around Australia.” Richard Carlyle made the most of recent exploration of Queensland to stop at Woodgate Beach and take this snapshot. “We stopped for smoko at the John’s Rivers Rest Area south of Port Macquarie. It’s an ideal location to refuel and park…

While it’s true the best laid plans are often broken, starting with a plan is the best way to ensure a great holiday. While it might seem like a romantic idea to throw things in the car, hitch up, and drive off into the sunset, the reality is you’ve probably left something behind, you have nowhere to stay once it gets dark, and you’ve got hungry kids in the back incessantly wailing, “Are we there yet?” If you spend time creating a wish list of destinations, possible itineraries, and driving distances, you can avoid wasting precious holiday time, says Wayne Park, Relationship Manager with caravan and RV finance brokerage Credit One. Every day, Park helps Aussies to find the right kind of RV for the type of travel they want…

As lockdowns start to lift and state borders look to be reopening, getting away on a holiday seems an excellent idea. A caravan that allows some independence where you stay is even more important these days when parks are often booked out. Luckily, being not too big nor too small, a family of four could enjoy both the journey and the destination in the Titan Blackhawk 490F. THE COMPANY Titan Caravans has been around for about 10 years and in that time, have established a network of distributors in most states of Australia. I was pleased to hear that if a breakage occurs in one of their vans, it can be repaired locally wherever you are. This means that you don’t have to take it back to the dealer, which…

Proclaiming itself as the beef capital of Australia, Rockhampton is a thriving city with strong connections to the land. But for northern NSW farmers, any claims as the nation’s beef capital are fighting words because Casino had first dibs, and the rivalry runs deep. Rockhampton’s 3.5 million-strong herds settle the argument these days, though, and the city has half a dozen giant bovine statues in the main street to support their declaration. For many, Rockhampton — or Rocky as it’s locally known — is a stopover on the drive between Brisbane and all places north. But it’s a lot more than caravan parks and cattle because loads of attractions keep visitors interested in more than just an overnight stay — mind you, a break from the Bruce Highway’s rocky ride…

Have you ever peeled the skin off a red grape? Did you realise that all red grapes are actually white on the inside? It actually blew my mind the first time I did this and learnt that the colour in red wines comes from grape skins, and not the grapes themselves. The intensity of the colour is often determined by the amount of time the juice spends on the skins after pressing, which allows the colour to bleed off into the liquid. So what is rosé? Unlike a fairly common misconception, a rosé is not a grape. The label you see on the bottle does not represent the variety used to make the wine, it actually refers to colour and style. A rosé can be made from pretty much any…

A stone or rock flicked up by your tow vehicle can wreak havoc with exposed electrical and plumbing lines or fittings on the underside of your van. Not only are damaged components your van a costly nuisance, it’s also potentially very dangerous. A stone can break wiring leading to your electric brakes, rendering them inoperable — trying to stop a rig without the caravan brakes is putting your life and the lives of other road users at risk due to increased stopping distances. It will also put additional load on your tow vehicle brakes which could cause them to ultimately fail. In remote locations, loss of drinking water from a broken plumbing fitting could also be perilous. Offroad geared vans are more likely to be equipped with stone protection from…

As a long time photographer, I'm a bit of a tragic for photography books. So, coupled with an interest in Australian history, this new release from Ten Bag Publishing was just the shot for some COVID-19 downtime. Following quickly on from the well-received 2020 launch of The Mallee, the same team of talented photographers have again teamed up for the beautifully presented and illustrated journey through Western Victoria in The Wimmera: a journey through western Victoria. When Thomas Mitchell journeyed through the region in 1836, he described “the richness of the soil and verdure on its banks and the natural beauty of the scenery could scarcely be surpassed in any country.” The region became one of the nation’s most productive and prosperous agricultural areas. Like much of Australia, a rail…

With a new management, BelgraviaPRO, Lake Calembeen Creswick Caravan Park is now known as Creswick Holiday Park with significant upgrades underway. New cabins, installation of boom gates, an upgraded camp kitchen and amenities block and a new children’s playground will be added to the Park. The Park, located in the former mining town of Creswick in west-central Victoria, approximately two hours away from Melbourne, is adjacent to Calembeen Lake and is a serene destination for holiday makers, fishing and swimming. The site is surrounded by forestry and the surrounding areas have plenty of trails for walking and hiking for outdoor travellers. Karen Golden, BelgraviaPro General Manager of Tourism and Wellness, said the Park is committed to providing guests with a unique and welcoming experience. “Through our future plans for upgrades…

Dometic has introduced a new renewable and recycled material, REDUX, for a wide range of new products slated for release in 2022. The lightweight polyester is made from 100 per cent recycled plastic bottles with Global Recycled Standard certification. Dometic has used the new material in their new ranges of tents, a new RV awning and some camping furniture expected in 2022. Juan Vargues, President and CEO at Dometic, said their products are created to make outdoor living easy for customer. “By delivering smart and reliable products that are safe to use and strive for resource efficiency during the entire life cycle, we are driving the sustainability agenda in our industry,” he said.…

In our local neighbourhood there are two caravans which are parked up for extended periods, between school holiday times, and for that reason, I know both are caravans used by families. One of them has not only the typical bunk windows, but also a bike rack on the back on which I have seen bikes of various sizes for the junior members more than once. A little further afield, there have been more than the usual number of caravans parked up for extended periods, mostly I’m guessing because of their owner’s inability to travel very far under COVID-19 lockdowns. I mention all of this because chances are, with the upcoming school holidays and the freeing up of travel around some parts of Australia, there are any number of RVs —…

STAY • Peterborough Caravan Park has powered sites from $35. Facilities include swimming pool, laundry, camp kitchen, mini golf, and it’s pet friendly. Visit peterboroughcaravanparksa.com.au. • Orroroo Caravan Park has powered sites from $25 per night. Overlooking Pekina Creek, the park has well-appointed amenities, camp kitchen, is near the town’s swimming pool and shops, and is pet-friendly, orroroo.com.au/caravan. • Centrally located Quorn Caravan Park has powered sites from $39. Set among a leafy bush garden with great views of the ranges, there’s also a recreation room and camp kitchen. Visit quorncaravanpark.com.au. • The Hawker Caravan Park has powered sites from $33. Shady grounds, private ensuite sites available (from $100 for minimum two nights), swimming pool, camp kitchen with TV. Visit hawkercaravanpark.com.au. FREE CAMPING • Free camping is available at the…

This magazine wouldn’t be anything without you, our readers, so we want to know what you think. We want to hear your feedback to help us improve the magazine and website and our content. Tell us what you like, what’s useful and what you want to see more of. You can fill this in online, using the QR code below, or on paper, and send your response to 3 Wyman Place, Braeside, VIC 3195. Please know your answers will be anonymous and used for our content planning only. 1. Do you own a Caravan? Yes No Looking to purchase a caravan 2. What age is your Caravan? Less than one year old 1-3 years old 4-5 years old 6-10 years old Over ten years old N/A 3. What make or…

In June 2021, we were invited by AL-KO to attend the launch of the AL-KO Tow Assist at Sandown Raceway in Melbourne. The Tow assist is a three-part safety package that includes ABS, as well as sway mitigation and lane change assistance. It's set to comprise the next generation in active safety braking technolo›y for caravans, campers, and trailers. Partnering with Bosch, a leader in automotive safety technolo›y, has seen this automotive level of safety brought to the RV market. We spoke with Ergun Kirmaci from ALKO International to tell us more about this exciting and revolutionary technolo›y, as well as questioned Ken Nizam from Roadstar Caravans and John Chant from Gateway Caravans to get their views and insight from a manufacturing and dealer perspective. WHAT IS IT? Tow Assist…

When we’re out and about hiking or even walking through the bush or desert, we’re faced with an issue upon return to the caravan: dirty shoes. Australian-owned and made, a brilliant inclusion to your next trip to clean off your feet before heading into your van, are muk mats. These green, grassy mats are water-resistant, made from recycled materials and come in a variety of sizes and different trim colours to suit your rig’s aesthetics. Originally designed to keep sand, dirt and grass out of the car after a surf, the Australian owners realised how useful the mats were for a range of experiences, whether it be after running, playing footy, after golf, riding or camping. When stepped on, they thoroughly clean your feet so you can step inside your…

Jayco has released ‘A Guide to your Jayco RV’ series on its Jayco Australia YouTube channel, aimed to teach travellers how to make the most of their trip. The online educational series will guide travellers on a range of ‘how-to’ topics, from connecting gas bottles to managing RV water tanks, effectively using the control panel, plus more. Chris Hoover, Jayco’s caravanning expert with over 19 years of experience in the RV industry, will feature in the videos. “We were finding that both new and seasoned RV enthusiasts had a strong demand for a dedicated online resource centre to help simplify things that they were unfamiliar with,” he said. With a video uploaded each week, the series is free to watch and can be revisited whenever travellers need refreshers, with new…

BIG4 St Helens Holiday Park is giving away 958 free nights to Tasmanians this November. The promotion is for 900 site nights and 58 accommodation nights for stay during November 2021. Peter Robinson, whose family has owned BIG4 St Helens for seven years, said Tasmanians deserve a break, with the giveaway inspired by the messaging of the recent RUOK? campaign. “This was the only thing I could think of and given accommodation is what we do, it seemed like a good fit,” he said. Angus Strachan, Director Business Services, BDO, who create the Caravan Industry of Australia’s Economic Benefit Report, said holiday parks are an enormous contributor to their regions. “Together with the well-established significant financial and employment contribution, they are also the reference point for holidaymakers to launch into…

The Kooljaman campground has announced it will close due to major upgrades, following one of its most successful seasons. According to the ABC, an email was sent to operators and tourists announcing the closure, due to major upgrades needed to meet compliance standards and meet the expectations of guests. A second email said the infrastructure around the Cape Leveque Lighthouse had begun to fail. In a statement made to the ABC, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) rejected claims that the lighthouse and associated infrastructure had been allowed to deteriorate. "The iconic lighthouse, a local landmark, was extensively refurbished in 2018, and remains in excellent condition and working order," the AMSA spokesman said. Owned by the Djarinjdin and One Arm Point communities, the closure is a negative for the communities,…

With a B.E.S.T. (Bacteria Elimination Silver Treatment) water filter, you can ensure you have clean, safe water – wherever the road may take you. The filter means you can safely draw water from town, tank, creek or bore water sources to fill your caravan’s tanks, while the chemicals and sediment will be removed and the bacteria destroyed. The filter is multi-directional, can be used after long periods of non-use and involves a simple, DIY installation. How to win If you’re stumped by a technical or towing problem, send your question to submissions@emprisegroup.com.au with ‘Tech Talk’ in the subject line or send a letter to Caravan World Tech Talk, 3 Wyman Place, Braeside, Vic 3195. All entries must include your full address (not for publication).…

Set within a huge working cattle station 90km west of the mining town of Paraburdoo in the Western Australian Pilbara region, Cheela Plains Station Stay was a real surprise when we called in during our recent travels. The tone for our visit was set immediately as we pulled in, with the camp host warmly welcoming us at the reception door and giving us a rundown about the station and its many attractions and facilities. Promoted as an oasis between the Ningaloo coast at Exmouth and the beautiful Karijini National Park, Cheela Plains is a true outback experience teeming with variety for anyone travelling through this region of the state. EXPLORING THE GROUNDS Accommodation options out here include comfortable cabins or powered and unpowered campsites, all set around a lovely green…

BURRA TO PETERBOROUGH, 87KM Terowie hit the headlines on 20 March 1942, when US General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in the south-west Pacific, arrived in the bustling railway town 230km north of Adelaide. Travelling by train from Alice Springs to Melbourne via Adelaide, MacArthur made a speech that was to become one of the most famous of World War II. “I came out of Bataan and I shall return,” MacArthur said on the platform of the Terowie Station, after his contentious retreat from the Philippines. Today Terowie, 64km north of the old copper mining town of Burra in South Australia’s mid-north region, looks like a movie set — so much that you almost expect to see a horse and buggy trundling along the empty main street.…

Opus have made a name for themselves on the Aussie camper trailer market with their innovative inflatable tent sections. This easy set-up idea was inspired by the founders observing inflatable field hospitals while serving in the military. Opus introduced their campers in 2012 and launched the hybrid range in 2020. The motivation for joining the hybrid segment was simple — Opus found that many of their customers entered the RV market with a camper trailer, enjoyed it so much and then wanted to step up to a hybrid. WHAT’S IN A HYBRID Those just starting their homework may ask what is the difference between a camper and a hybrid — and a caravan for that matter? Campers are trailers with a tent section in the top half that packs down…

Mulga is one of Australia’s most iconic and widespread plant species, occurring in every mainland Australian state except Victoria. It lends its name to a bioregion — the Mulga Lands — where it dominates 254,000sqkm of semi-arid outback extending from south-west Queensland into northern New South Wales. It’s a sparsely populated region, whose vast expanses are mostly used for grazing sheep and cattle. At its heart, straddling the Paroo River, lies the Currawinya National Park, one of Queensland’s largest conservation reserves and an internationally significant Ramsar wetland. Home to the endangered bilby, the park offers some of the best remote bush camping in the state and the opportunity to witness the spectacle of bird aggregations in numbers rarely seen outside Kakadu or Lake Eyre. “Home to the endangered bilby, the…

With vaccination rates rising steadily, there’s light at the end of the COVID-19 lockdown tunnel. When all borders finally open, our capital cities are going to need a good dose of tourist love. Instead of avoiding cities on our Big Lap of Oz — like we often do — here are the top reasons why you should venture into the CBD. CANBERRA 1. Get high on the views with a dawn Balloon Aloft flight. 2. Sip into Capital Brewing and Bentspoke Brewing for uniquely Canberran beers. 3. Don your captain’s hat on a GoBoats picnic boat along Lake Burley Griffin. 4. The National Zoo & Aquarium is the place for animal lovers. For the ultimate experience, leave the van for a night and stay at Jamala Wildlife Lodge where you…

“I didn’t come here for dolphins.” It was a contentious statement to make in this part of the world. I had just entered Western Australia’s Shark Bay region, a UNESCO World Heritage site renowned for its rare natural attractions such as Monkey Mia — a beachside haven for ever-friendly dolphins that attract tourists from all over to see. But was I not interested in its famous flippers? “But, of course, I would be happy to see them,” I quickly followed up to my partner as we crossed over into the 26th parallel, a circle of latitude running east to west 26 degrees south of the equator. We were headed 823km north of Perth along the Coral Coast Highway and had just passed the lone brown road sign that stood on…

Much has been written about Land Rover’s all-new Defender, most of it good, but how does it stack up as an all-terrain tow vehicle? That’s an important question for many people who have invested their deferred overseas holiday money in a well-equipped offroad caravan and now need a comfortable and capable vehicle to tow it to destinations unknown. Neither of the first two Defender variants to arrive in Australia late last year really hit that elusive towing sweet spot. Now the range has been expanded with the customer’s choice of two ‘Ingenium’ modular inline six-cylinder diesel engines available for the more popular five-door Defender 110 longer wheelbase models. While the Defender 110 P400, with its 3L twin turbocharger petrol engine, is still the real powerhouse of the engine range, most…

CAMPFIRE GRILLED PRAWN TACOS TOTAL TIME: 1 hour SERVES: 4 INGREDIENTS • 500g prawns, shelled and deveined • Salt and pepper • 2 tbsp olive oil • 1 small lime, juiced • 1 clove garlic, minced • 1½ tsp chilli powder • 1 tsp ground cumin • ½ tsp paprika • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper • 8 white corn tortillas Prawn taco sauce • ½ cup sour cream • ⅓ cup whole egg mayonnaise • 1 small lime, juiced • ½ tsp cumin powder • ¼ tsp salt • 1tsp green sriracha hot sauce METHOD In a mixing bowl, whisk together oil, lime juice, garlic, chilli powder, cumin, paprika and cayenne. Add prawns, coating all over with the sauce. Marinate for 30 minutes. In the meantime, fire up the campfire…