the Your news and views? Email us at thetimes@thegreynomads.com.au

In this issue: •A watery wonderland •Join our Great Debate •’I can’t keep my promises’

‘We’re not too old to drive!’ GNT readers

The Happy Hour tradition is one which is synonymous with the grey nomad lifestyle but – unless you are travelling with friends – it’s a non-starter until you actually meet people in the campsite in the first place.While many caravanners and motorhomers talk about their endless stream of new friends, others feel they are missing out.“I imagined being just about swarmed by like-minded fel-low travellers as soon as we pulled up,” said Dom G. “The reality was rather different and even though we wave, smile and shout cheery greetings whenever we can, we spend most evenings alone.”Of course, all grey nomads are different. Some are naturally extrovert and are eager to make friends with everyone, while others are more cau-tious. And it’s not just a matter of talking to anyone. While all grey nomads naturally have an adventurous spirit and a love of the open road in common, that is sometimes all they have. Some people are interested in carburettors and some are interested in coq au vin, some like to tell risqué jokes and others like to read Shakespeare plays.For grey nomads who have spent decades interacting with

thousands of colleagues and aquaintances, a casual meet-ing at a van park or campsite shouldn’t be enough to turn their knees to jelly. But con-stantly meeting people from different backgrounds and different places does present a different sort of challenge.“At first I thought people could see we were just novices and that I didn’t know anything about engines or generators and were not worthy of their time,” said Dom G. “And then I thought they might think we had a rubbish rig or had packed badly ... and then I re-alised they could probably just tell I was super anxious!”So, how do travellers assess the people they camp next to, and how do they make a good impression on new people?Harvard Business School pro-fessor Amy Cuddy has been studying first impressions for more than 15 years. In her new book, ‘Presence’, Profesor Cuddy says that people meet-

A senior police officer’s controversial proposal to issue a blanket ban for el-derly drivers has been given short shrift by angry grey nomads.In one of our most popular polls ever, a crushing 94.6% of respondents shrugged off suggestions of an upper age limit for drivers.“This nonsense that age by definition means less capable needs to be seri-ously confronted,” stormed Brian A. “If age brings with it diminishing ability, then why are jumbo jets piloted by over 50 year olds?”Paul S said he predicted massive civil disobedience if anyone tried to impose an elderly driving ban, while Linde suggested it was actually young male drivers who should be taken off the roads.Jo & Warren thought it really came down to com-monsense.“Most grey nomads know when it is better to stop driving, without some cop-per standing over us,” they said.And Alastair had an inter-esting counter proposal.“We need a lower age limit for cops with no brains,” he suggested.

Click to Comment

Finding Happy Hour company on the road isn’t always as easy as it seems

Issue 114: January 29, 2016

Page 1

ing others for the first time soon decide whether they can trust that person, and whether they can respect that person.Psychologists refer to these dimensions as warmth and competence, and ideally you want to be seen as having both. However, warmth is the most important. In other words, don’t start showing off how much you know about solar panels and inverters until you have been through the social niceties with your new campsite companions.“A warm, trustworthy per-son who is also strong elicits admiration,” said Professor Cuddy. “But only after you’ve established trust does your strength become a gift rather than a threat.”* Do you ‘worry’ about mak-ing friends on the road or is it something that just happens? Have you ever befriended someone you wish you hadn’t?

Click to comment

Is the Big Lap really theultimate friend zone?

A new campsite and new friends to share it with

Times

the Times Your news and views? Email us at thetimes@thegreynomads.com.au

Grab the confetti ... here comes the nomad bride!

After more than a decade as a couple, Rod (62) and

Dee (57) are tying the knot ... on the road

So, wedding bells?Yes, we will get married in Carnarvon in April between camp-hosting gigs! We’ve been together for 13 years, and have planned to get married in the Outback for the past three years. Now, the pieces have finally fallen into place for this to happen.

Many congratulations!Thank you. Our ‘wedding party’ will be us, the celebrant, some seagulls and a couple of witnesses, grabbed as they go past. But any grey nomad who is in Carnarvon on April 7 is more than welcome to come help us celebrate!

So, the Big Lap suits you?Yes. We have been on the road now for almost a year-and-a-half, with no immediate plans to stop. We left northern NSW in late 2014 and now, wherever we pull up for the night, is home. While we are travelling, we keep an eye open for some place to call home again.

What do you travel in?Our off-road caravan is a 16’ New Age Manta Ray affection-ately called ‘The Wombat.’ Our tug is ‘Leo’, a Nissan Navara 40D. He is six years old now. The Wombat is self-contained and built to handle the dirt, allowing us to get to magical places off the beaten track. This past year we’ve tackled the Gibb River Road and the Oodnadatta Track, for instance. Our Nissan has been very dependable, but a little extra power wouldn’t go astray, especially when we encounter sandy, muddy or steep roads.

Where do you camp?For the most part, we prefer the serenity of bush camp-ing or more remote national parks. We spend very little time in caravan parks because we don’t usually need the amenities provided. We not only save money by being self-contained, we get to camp in more peaceful, secluded places.

Likes of the lifestyle?The freedom and variety. There are no claims on our time, so we can follow the weather, avoid the crowds, change our plans, move on or stay a bit longer, as it suits us. And the diversity of scenery, culture and climate of this outstanding country means there is potentially something new and interesting around every corner.

Has your trip evolved?Yes, we travel much more slowly now. When we first started on this adventure, we rarely stayed more than a few days at any one place. Now, we have embraced housesitting and national park camp host-ing, stopping for a week or a few and really getting to know a place before moving on. We did our first stint of volunteer-ing at WA National Parks at the end of 2015, looking after a campground in the Perth

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Rod and Dee tackled the Oodnadatta Track

Caravan calamityA fishtailing caravan is thought to have led to a truck rollover, which closed the Bruce Highway at Chatsworth for about four hours. Gympie police said the caravan appeared to have jack-knifed and col-lided with a truck carrying molasses, causing the truck to run off the road and spill its load. The caravanner, in his or her 70s, suffered non-life threatening head injuries, while the male truck driver, in his mid-40s, suffered fractured ribs and minor head injuries.

Campervan crashA 66-year-old man has escaped injury after driv-ing his campervan into a guard rail and damaging two safety cameras on the Dukes Highway at Ki Ki in South Australia. The motorist was reported for driving without due care and will appear in court at a later date. A crane was brought in to remove the vehicle.

Outback boreThe Outback town of Win-ton is gearing up to switch on to thermal power. Bore water which comes to the surface at 86C will be used to create enough power to run all council infrastruc-ture. Bore water has sus-tained the town since a hole was first drilled in 1890.

Bruce bonusWork on a $4.5 million Bruce Highway project to upgrade various intersec-tions between Apple Tree Creek and Childers is to start shortly. The aim is to improve safety and op-erational efficiency for the 6500 road users who use this section of the highway each day, 23% of these be-ing heavy vehicle operators.

Nomads in Brief

Hills. We are lined up to do another couple of gigs at Shark Bay and Ningaloo Reef in the coming months. This will undoubtedly become a regular activity for us.

On-the-road hobbies?Rod is a gifted photographer and loves bushwalking. Crea-tive cooking is my ‘thing’, and I especially love to use fresh local ingredients when they are available. I also love swim-ming and snorkelling.

Favourite place so far?Currawinya National Park on the Paroo River in Queensland has been a special place for us over the years. Great photo-graphic and kayaking oppor-tunities, and so serene. But, since starting on The Big Lap in late 2014, there have been a number of other magical, se-cluded spots. They’re still out there ... it’s a big country!

Click to comment

IIssue 114: January 29, 2016

Character of the road

Stockman’s Challenge & Bush Festival

Murrurundi NSW25–28 February 2016

King of the Ranges Stockman’s Challenge Inc

Dee enjoys a peaceful camp

the Times Your news and views? Email us at thetimes@thegreynomads.com.au

Page 3

Dear Editor Re: Tailgating (GNT: 113). I find this quite disconcerting and agree that it can lead to road rage or at least a trou-bling and unsafe situation. Whether towing or solo, I flick the hazard lights on. I find this usually causes the tailgater to back off, and lets other fol-lowing traffic know of your concern and may cause the tailgater to feel some embar-rassment.

BisDear Editor,Tailgaters probably raise my blood pressure more than any other pest on the road. I have more than 2.5 million kilometres under my belt in 55 years of driving so have seen many tragic accidents caused by driving too close to the vehicle in front. On highways these idiots seem to think that if they sit right up your bum it is easier for them to overtake when the opportunity arises. This is just wrong. They have to get out on the wrong side of the road before they can put their foot down whereas the sensible driver sits back and starts to accelerate behind the vehicle being overtaken.

David H

Dear Editor,In my opinion, the most com-mon reason for someone to be tailgated is that they are travel-ling below the speed limit, sometimes by as much as 20km/h below, and I think they should have to briefly move over to let the vehicle/s behind them to pass. It takes no time at all and reduces frustration for everyone, and it gives you a buzz when you get a thank you wave from another motorist for just being courteous.

Jeff SDear Editor,I think it’s a great idea and a good use of the traffic cam-eras. Other states would be well placed to introduce such measures. Tailgating here in Queensland is rife, particularly with trucks. There is no way in hell they could perform an emergency stop should they have to. I’m seriously thinking about putting a second dash-cam in my car’s rear window and sending off the video foot-age to police.

Robert MDear Editor,What is the minimum dis-tance between cars that is not considered tailgating? What

happens when you are at the required separation or more and impatient drivers merge (cut) in? Theoretically, you will fall further and further behind until so many cars pull in front of you that you end up going backwards and will never reach your destination! Remember that, theoretically, you can start a journey and by only travelling to the half way point between you and des-tination all the time, you will never get there. Think about this, it is a good puzzle.

BranislavDear Editor,Bloody good idea! Myself a truckie, I’m fed up with other truckies sitting on my ar**.

CowboysDear Editor,Trucks and cars will tailgate a rig even when the rig is sitting on the limit of 100kmh. I have even seen traffic behind me speeding up to catch and pass just because ‘it’s a caravan’.As far as ‘educating drivers’, there are no laws against stupidity.

Les CDear Editor,Re: Planning ahead (Jaclyn & Heidi: GNT 113). We travelled

19,000km in 2014 with no plans in place and weren’t disap-pointed once. It’s only when you plan that you can be late or miss out on accommodation!

Shirley CDear Editor,After many years of planning an itinerary – which worked most of the time – we hit the inevitable ‘speed bump’ of circumstances beyond our control. We’d had four days in Sydney in 2007 with a booking for the next leg of our trip at Merimbula. On the last day of our Sydney stay, hubby became ill with a serious case of heatstroke and was way too unwell to travel. Because we had a set itinerary though – and our Sydney accom-modation had no vacancies to allow us to stay longer – I had to put hubby in the vehicle to travel the 400-odd kilometres to Merimbula to reach our next destination before dark. To say it was distressing is an understatement. From that point on we vowed to never tie ourselves to an itinerary again. We now have holidays we call ‘Turn Left At The Driveway’ and wherever we end up that day does us just fine.

Annette F

Issue 114: January 29, 2016

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Page 4

Dear Editor,Insect terror (GNT: 113). The fly is my least favourite insect and I use a couple of ‘Shoo Aways’. These little Australian-designed devices do a great job.

Max SDear Editor,I can’t stand ants! We were overrun with them in our van. They were even in the bed ... and they bite! We used a prod-uct called Talon by Selleys. It is gel in a syringe. Very easy to use. You just squeeze a couple of tiny beads of gel where the ants are tracking and, within 24 hours, all you see is dead ants. Very convenient.

Chris RDear Editor,We always travel with fly spray and heavy duty Bushmans spray for the body. Flies and mossies are the worst. We haven’t seen many other bugs but we haven’t been looking. Unless they ‘splat’ across the windscreen which can cause its own difficulties, we haven’t had a problem.

P DredmanDear Editor,Satellite phones (GNT: 113). We have just been through the process of selecting a satphone and it is important to match your needs to the services offered. It seems to us that being able to send our GPS co-ordinates and make contact by SMS are top of the list and that criteria would knock out some services. We would like

to see the discussion furthered to include: Extension aerials; test calls to verify service; field experience by others; dual SIM phones; chargers; battery life (do we take a spare?); will it run directly from a charger if battery dies?; costs and setting a budget (in our case $440 for near new phone and connec-tion. $15 month thereafter); situations where you may need a satphone; pros & cons of al-ternatives eg. HF & CB radio.

BaggyGreenDear Editor,We take our Iridium 9555 satellite phone along with us whenever caravanning. We mainly free camp and consider the Iridium vital in the event of emergency. Whilst mobile coverage in Australia is pretty good, there is much of remote Australia that has no coverage. We consider the monthly ac-cess fee of $35 through Telstra very reasonable considering the coverage of the Iridium network. At the call rate of $2 per minute, not cheap but – for emergency purposes – this is a lifesaver.

Ross BDear EditorRe: Character (GNT: 113) Well done Steph I wouldn’t have the courage to do it on my own. Most of the women we met travelling solo had a dog as a companion.

Shirley CDear Editor,Congratulations. Welcome to

the freedom of our beautiful country. You didn’t say how old you were although it really doesn’t matter. Being a female myself, I think you deserve a slap on the back for doing this. I don’t think I could – as much as I would love to – if the time came that I was on my own. Congratulations. All your dreams are about to come true.

Glenda MDear Editor, I am also a solo traveller. I have got the 4x4 and off-road van, and have had a few little trips but I still have one left at school who, unfortunately, does not like the van life as much as me. I reckon 2020 will see me out the door and down the road before he de-cides to go to university. I wish you all the best in your travels.

DustieDear Editor,Re: Victoria parks price (GNT: 113). Why are we buying a dif-ferent pass for each state? Over the course of a year, I travel though several states and can’t afford to be buying a pass for each state, so I haven’t been buying any. If I could once again buy one national pass which covered all national parks I would be buying one each year, then I’d be covered no matter where we end up travelling.

Roger CDear Editor,The parks are there for eve-

ryone to use and enjoy and we shouldn’t have to pay for the privilege. The way we use them shouldn’t be discrimi-nated against. Yes, the grey nomad might camp there for a few days but others might use a lot more kilometres of roads or tracks. We have all paid our taxes for many years and now we should be able to reap a few minor rewards here and there.

Graham PDear Editor,Parks Victoria is still greedy. Take a look at $50+ minimum fees for camping at Buchan Caves!

Peter MDear Editor,Planning a trip down the Mighty Murray this year and some of Victoria’s national parks will now be on our itinerary.

Nat’n’David Dear Editor,I am a bit miffed as to why nomads are not allowed to take their domestic pets into national parks. In America, travellers with with pets are permitted into state and national parks. How come a country with a population of 320 million can get it right and we can’t? In any case, the fee reductions will see me camp-ing in Victorian parks more often. And, if we get an appro-priate system in place to allow our pets into parks, I will get a dog and take it too!

Nev the Road Star

Issue 114: January 29, 2016

ON SALE NOW T: 1300 783 128with our Patented Medical Technology.

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Are pageturners best on paper or screen?

Ding, ding! It’s round one in our first ever grey nomad ‘Great Debate’. Every issue, we will be selecting a potentially contentious issue affecting the grey nomad lifestyle and ask-ing you to make your case for one side or the other.And so, without further ado,

LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE!

In the red corner, we have the humble paper book, veteran of a thousand-and-one van park laundry rooms, bringer of joy to millions of travellers down the ages, and the (until now) undisputed king of campchair entertainment.But in the blue corner, we have the challenger. The brash and bold digital upstart, the e-book is now saying the crum-ple-paged champion is too bulky, too heavy to deliver the quantities of Charlers Dickens, Thomas Keneally and Jackie Collins demanded by today’s

Page 5

light-on-their feet caravan and motorhome adventurers.While the first digital book can be dated back to the 1990s, it wasn’t until Amazon released the Kindle in 2007 that traditional publishers started to get seriously nerv-ous.According to some reports, the arrival of the iPad and the iBooks Store further stoked the fire and saw e-book sales skyrocket by up to 1,260% between 2008 and 2010.While many book shops have gone to the wall in the face of the new reality, which has seen e-books make up about 20% of the book-buying market, there are some slight signs that e-book readership has plateaued in recent months.

But is it a bump in the road or a sign that the paper page turners will fight back to win the day? And what do you think? Will increasing num-bers of traditionalists refuse to read a masterpiece off the screen, or will we see paper books become a relic of a time gone by as technology fa-cilitates an ever greater digital interaction between writer and reader?

Click to contribute

Website highlights

Insulting or fair?Recently our websitewww.thegreynomads.com.au reported that while the Fraser Coast Council’s ‘Stop and Shop’ initiative was initially warmly received by some grey nomads, it seems that there are those who now feel it sends out the wrong mes-sage. The scheme requires RV travellers to spend a minimum of $10 at a local business and then show their receipt to obtain a free camp-ing voucher. But is it effec-tively treating grey nomads like children?.Click here for more

Other website must-reads:

Caravan strandedNomad caught out at river

Come camp with us!Travellers may be welcome at Mt Isa lake

Up in flamesVan on fire on tourist route

Such is lifeNed Kelly campsite vandalised

Merchandise magicPolo shirts, stubby holders,

SURVEYIs the ‘Stop and Shop’

plan insulting to nomads? YES NO

Issue 114: January 29, 2016

TheTHE GREAT ‘GREY NOMAD’ DEBATE ... e-books v. paperbacks

Can you judge a book by its cover?

the Times Your news and views? Email us at thetimes@thegreynomads.com.au

Amazing array of water views in Lakes Entrance

While it’s best known for its water-themed activities, even non-fishing, non-boating, and non-swimming grey nomads routinely fall in love with the Victorian town of Lakes Entrance.As well as stunning scenery, magnificent walks, and beauti-ful foreshore gardens, the popular holiday destination – with a permanent population of some 5,000 – also boasts marinas complete with floating restaurants, and an interesting array of shops and cafes.Located some 300 kilometres east of Melbourne, it sits on the man-made channel that links Bass Strait and the Tasman Sea with the Gippsland Lakes. The world-famous network of lakes, marshes and lagoons cover more than 600 square kilometres and the whole area is a haven for wildlife, birdlife and marine life.While tourism is now a major part of the town’s identity, it is the fishing industry that is probably woven most closely into its soul. Lakes Entrance remains the base of one of Australia’s largest fishing fleets and the Fisherman’s Co-Op – among other places – sells freshly caught fish to the public.The esplanade running along the shoreline of the Cunning-

hame Arm inlet takes visi-tors past the marinas, jetties and foreshore gardens, and a number of wooden sculptures carved from tree stumps to represent images of Australia at war add further interest.For the visitor seeking to fully appreciate the magnificence of the town’s surroundings, there is a host of lookouts and walks to enable them to do just that. A stroll across the footbridge that links the foreshore prom-enade to the vast expanse of iconic Ninety Mile Beach is a great place to start.Those happy to take a short trip up to Jemmy’s Point will be equally richly rewarded with a number of places from which to enjoy panoramic views over Lakes Entrance and the surrounding waterways.There’s plenty to enjoy in the area, too. The small com-munity of Lake Tyers, a few

kilometres away is a relaxing place to visit, and 20 kilome-tres or so to the north-east is the Stony Creek Railway Bridge which was built in 1916 and is believed to be the largest wooden bridge still standing in Australia.Not surprisingly Lakes En-trance is well serviced by a number of superbly located caravan parks and there are a variety of other camping options around at places such as Ninety Mile Beach itself, Colquhoun State Forest and further afield in the Lakes Na-tional Park and the Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park.While grey nomads who love to travel with a fishing rod, a tinnie, and a pair of swimmers will be keen to spend as much time as possible in this watery wonderland, they will most certainly not be alone!Click to comment

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QUIZ CORNERLast week’s picture puzzle solution: The winning entrywas sent by Pat P.

Laptop

Win 2 grey nomad bumper stickers!

Email us the solution to this pic-ture puzzle. Winner will be drawn from entries and announced in Issue 115. CLUE: No grey nomad wants one of these behind them on the highway.

Do You Know 1. Trenched Tree (anagram). Heading to this middling adven-ture area will add some colour to life.

2. This WA town is certainly not the old woman of the Pilbara. In fact, it sounds like it’s quite the opposite.

3. Shortest road distance between Mount Isa, Qld, and Mount Gambier, SA (via Diamantina Development Road) a) 2,256km b) 2,432km c) 2,685km

4. What colour is the town between Bathurst and Parkes in NSW?

5. I’m in WA and want to travel from Fitzroy Crossing to Broome. Which highway takes me nearly all the way?

(Answers on p. 7)

Email your entries here

Issue 114: January 29, 2016

Lakes Entrance ... wet and wonderfulPhoto: Courtesay of LakesEntrance.com

the Times Your news and views? Email us at thetimes@thegreynomads.com.au

Page 7

Dear Jaclyn and Heidi,Help. A pledge I made to my wife a few months ago has come back to haunt me and I’m panicking it’s going to de-rail our Big Lap. I’ve got to be honest and say that Maureen was never really that mad on travelling Australia. I had to entice her to follow my dream with promises that we would spend two or three nights in a hotel every month as a ‘treat’ and that she could fly ‘home’ from wherever we were to see the family every three months. I figured once she got started she would love life on the road so much that she wouldn’t want a hotel or a flight home ... but she does! It’s not that she isn’t enjoying herself but I’ve promised her she can have her cake and eat it, too. Problem is. I don’t think we can afford it. But how do I tell her that?

Rob

Promises, promises! This probably isn’t what you wanted to hear, Rob, but I’m guessing Maureen isn’t going to take the news very well at all. I understand that you did this for what you thought were the right reasons but she had every right to negotiate certain concessions over a decision like this which affects her life every much as yours. I suggest that you begin with a grovel-ling and heartfelt apology for behaving as poorly as you already have. Rather than taking the hotel and flights home completely off the table, maybe you can suggest that you might be able to stay in a hotel once every three months or so, and maybe Maureen can fly home every six months instead of every three. But, for Goodness sake, don’t offer that compromise unless you can deliver on it, Rob.

Jaclyn

Poor, poor, Maureen is all I can say. I can’t think of too many women who would like the idea of setting off into infinity and beyond with such a deceptive, patronising, and thoughtless human being as you, Rob. No wonder Maureen insisted on the occasional hotel and being allowed to fly home regularly as a circuit breaker from being cooped up in a van with such a chau-vinistic pig. How dare you lie to your wife over such an important issue? I understand that you were keen to ‘live the dream’ and maybe even believed she would eventually ‘thank you’ for getting her to hit the road but that is no ex-cuse for lying and cheating to get what you wanted. Get a job Rob. Get two jobs if you have to but give your poor, long-suffering wife exactly what you promised her.

HeidiClick to comment

Festival on track for Outback fun The Queen of the Desert Festival, which sees a colour-ful convoy of vehicles travel along South Australia’s iconic Oodnadatta Track will be big-ger and better than ever this year, thanks to the support of the South Australian Tourism Commission.The event promises an unfor-

Arson chargeTwo men have been ar-rested and are expected to be charged on summons with arson after allegedly setting fire to a caravan in Arthurs Seat in Victoria. After the single axle van was torched, flames spread to nearby bushland.Track crimeTwo people have been charged after an aerial police search over South Australia’s Strzelecki Track found a stolen car with a man, a woman and three children nearby. It hap-pened 100km north of Lyndhurst.

gettable four days, providing great Outback experiences ... stories from professional tour guides, wonderful sunsets, the opportunity to take flights over nearby Lake Eyre; and fun and entertainment at the end of the day under the Outback skies in William Creek, Oodnadatta and around the campfire on

Arckaringa Station in the Painted Desert. The festival celebrates the Outback as a setting for many great Aussie films. Participants are encouraged to form a team and to decorate themselves and their 4WDs in the theme of their favourite movie.The festival runs from March

Issue 114: January 29, 2016

Nomads in Brief

23-26 when it joins the Coober Pedy Opal Festival. It aims to support remote communities in South Australia, as well as its charity partner Blue Septem-ber which is striving to raise $15,000 to fight the cancers that affect men. A maximum of 30 vehicles will be participating. Entry fee is $150 per person.

the Times Your news and views? Email us at thetimes@thegreynomads.com.au

Page 8

CLASSIFIEDS

DISCLAIMER: The Grey Nomad Times team is not responsible for any sale, trade, or other transactions between vendors and vendees or advertisers and respondents.

Click here to see all the classified ads on our website

FOR SALE

HELP WANTEDCHARTERS TOWERS, QLDHelp wanted – 140 km north west Charters Towers. Cattle Station. Looking for a couple to help out with basic daily chores – feeding calves, horses, hens and dogs. Checking waters, help with garden. Some mechanical knowledge would be awesome.Nice shady surrounds to park your van or a spot by the river. If you don’t have your own accommodation, we have a comfortable 2 bedroom cottage available. Click here.

***CAIRNS, QLDSeeking an energetic semi retired couple to care take Lilybank B & B in Cairns. Set up breakfast, help with bed making and wash linen, greet guests when they arrive. Furnished cottage, power, car & $500 per week. We have a cleaner, gardener & pool man. Click here.

***WHITSUNDAY AREA, QLDFree site available in the Whitsunday area and wages for a retired auto electrician or retired john deere mechanic wanting to pull up for a couple of weeks break from travelling and make some dollars while enjoying the area. Click here.

***PORT MACQUARIE, NSWA campsite caretaking position is avail-able and suitable for a retired couple with own van. Start date as soon as possible for 3 months or more. Click here.

***

HOUSESITTING

DALY RIVER, NTWe offer free power water pool fresh air peace quiet views, all we require is fit person/s to mow, & use whipper snipper when required. Our home is on a high dry hill (out of flood zone). Available now. Click here.

***GIN GIN, QLD House sitters wanted for the periods 3 Jun – 27 Jun 2016 and 23 Sep – 16 Oct 2016, Our property (45acres) is located between Gin Gin and Bundaberg (14klm from Gin Gin). Duties would be care of our dog, budge and feeding 2 chickens and some ducks. Click here.

***CHARTERS TOWERS, QLDLooking for someone to look after animals in exchange for free power and water. 20 acres 4ks from Charters Towers. Chooks, ducks, birds, dogs and sometimes horses but everything is low maintenance care. Require someone for each of the Queens-land school holidays for at least a week sometimes two. Click here.

***BRISBANE, QLDHouse sitters wanted for pleasant prop-erty in pleasant suburb in south-west Brisbane from 17th March to 10th April, both dates inclusive. There are two cats and a friendly dog. Foxtel and Wi-Fi are included. Click here.

***MONTO, QLDLooking for couple with own van to farm sit for June and July 2016 in Monto area. Shed space for van with power. Property is run as Lucerne hay farm, horse stud and cattle. Active couple that can feed horses, cattle, chooks etc check waters and keep garden alive. Lovely area with all services available locally. Click here.

***GERALDTON, WALooking for someone to park their van in the garden for up to a week over Easter. There is an easy care dog to feed and 4 chooks There is plenty of room for a large motor home with a view over the park power, water and access to a bathroom if necessary. Click here.***

KINGLAKE, VICWhite Angels Horse Rescue, is a beautiful piece of heaven situated in the Kinglake Ranges. If you love animals and beautiful places this is a place to visit and help out. We always need help feeding, brushing, cleaning paddocks and pampering the animals with attention. Click here.

***MURRURUNDI, NSWVolunteers for King of the Ranges Stock-man’s Challenge & Bush Festival 2016.King of the Ranges an award winning Event held annually in Murrurundi, Upper Hunter NSW will take place 25th to 28th February 2016. The Festival organisers are looking for volunteers to assist with a variety of jobs giving lots of opportu-nity to enjoy this exciting Stockman’s Challenge & Bush Festival and meet new people. In return receive free entry to the Event & free camp/caravan site. Click here.

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COLLARENEBRI, NSWWe are looking for a fit, energetic ex-farming couple for caretaking of our property near Collarenebri, NSW. This is a part time paid position. House and electricity supplied. Work would involve checking fences, troughs, sheep, general farm maintenance, painting and the estab-lishment of a garden. Also we need them to be mechanically minded to service our pumps and tractors. Additional paid seasonal farm work also available during planting and harvest. Click here.

***MOREE, NSWEx-farmers required for seasonal tractor work from Mid- March to end of April near Moree, NSW. Work would involve cotton groundwork after picking, winter crop planting and carting. Wage and electricity for van provided. Future seasonal employ-ment for right people if wanted. Click here.

***ADAMINIBY, NSWTemporary position vacant in a quiet rural/farm setting: Mature Experienced Aged Care worker required. This position would suit a person who loves trout fishing, walking, photography/site seeing or who has a partner who just loves to fish. Ap-prox 30 mins to the nearest town. Click here.

*** PILBARRA CATTLE STATION, WA

Cook/cleaner/gardener and boreman posi-tions for energetic couple. We are looking for an energetic couple to work on our cattle station. We require a cook/cleaner/gardner to help maintain station com-pound. We also require a boreman who is mechanically minded to check waters and livestock. Click here.

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CABARITA BEACH, NSWHouse sitters required with own van from 29th march 2016 until 26th april, at Cabari-ta Beach 2488 nsw (20 min from gold coast airport). Home is 250 meters from beach, restaurants,shops & Woolworths. High set home situated on creek/canal which flows out to a large beautiful lake & then the ocean. sitters would have access to power, bathroom , laundry, toilet facili-ties & fridge/freezer in lower level of home & use of kayaks. Click here. ***YAMBA, NSWPet/house sitter/s required for Thursday 15 April to Friday 6 May at Yamba, NSW. Yamba is a beachside town approx. 1.5 hrs (half way) between Coffs Harbour and Byron Bay. Full use of low maintenance villa close to shops, river and beaches. A/C and Foxtel. Off street parking for van.Primary duties are to care for one small dog (Diva) and two cats (Mitsi and Black Cat). Routine is simple (with all food supplied) but companionship for dog is important. Click here. ***TWEED, NSWWe are looking for farm sitters for the Easter holidays to look after our hydroponic herb and lettuce farm. We are located in the Tweed Valley only 40 mins from the Coolangatta airport. Click here. ***

VOLUNTEERING

Issue 114: January 29, 2016