Planning for East Coast Tour 2007- input invited

[Koala]

Hi Reddo
Yes, the boats shouldn't be a problem as both ACT and NSW schools go back on Monday 15 October - they all should leave by Sat or Sun morning. Most of the sites along the creek have electricity. The creek side is also better regards mossies as well.


I drink Wild Turkey seing that you will be shouting
Bye the way, you need 20 cent coins for the showers 40c = 3 minutes.

Ken

[Deleted]

Update

Just got off the "Al Capone" to Ulladulla..... Its all good brudders!!!

Ulladulla Headland Caravan Park booked for 15 sites . Tuesday 16th and Wednesday 17th October.

$10 per head per night.... or you can have an ensuite site for $15 per head per night.
No gaurantees you will be placed near those on normal powered sites if you go with an ensuite site option.

NO DOGS ALLOWED .

Its beginning to become clear that anyone planning on bringing a dog may need to do a bit of ringing around to organise accomodation for their beloved mutts either at home with a relo before heading off on tour, or if they are coming on the tour you will need to search out "boarding kennels" or "Animal motels " ( hound pounds for want of a better word) in each area that we stop at.

Hmmmm "Animal Motels" ... sounds inviting ... might book in to one myself.. Can see myself knocking down a tin of Pal with a couple of beagles, downing a few stubbies by the pool with a coupla cattledogs, playing a few games of snooker with the Jack Russells and finishing the day off having a spa with a couple of zebras
Gunna demand my own flealess hammock sleeping arrangements. ;D ;D
May recommend that the maltese terriers are chained up and muzzled for the night down in the wash house....too bloody agressive to be allowed to socialise with the rest of us.

Cheers all
Red-scoobydoo-do

[Deleted]

Hi All
Only have to organise the thursday night stop over for the 2007 tour. The rest has been booked.... except coledale . I will leave that up to the individuals to give Norm a call.

Can Anyone recommend a good park somewhere around Gerroa, Gerringong or kiama.
I personaly dont want to end up on the headland at kiama. always seems to blow a gale while i am there and is wide open to the elements .
Easts caravan park at Kiama is a great spot but from memory is a bit steep getting in and out of with a van.

here is a link to Werri beach van park near Gerringong.
www.kiama.net/holiday/werri/default.htm
it has a bowlo club next door if ya wanna have a night off camp cooking before we head for Coledale on friday morning.
around $27 for a powered site prices are gradually sneaking up but they are on par with every where else we are staying .

Once again i am open to suggestions. I am happy to let those that have stayed at these parks let us know what they think of them!!!
Other alternative is we get up thursday morning at uladulla after having a day and a bit off the road and then head straight up to Coledale.
Have 3 nights and at least a couple of days not having to pack up and hit the road..
The choice is yours. Lemme know???

Reddo

[Geoff & Jude]

hi reddo

judy and i spent a week at kendalls caravan park at kiama over christmas, then another weekend this month and have booked 2 weeks next jan '08.

great place and nice managment. here's a link.

www.kiama.net/holiday/kendalls/

geoff 'n jude

ps pets welcome in off season

[kingy]

Werri beach van park is as far as we got after Coledale last year Reddo, and all was well, bowlo put on a good feed also.
I dont think you can go wrong with to many parks around that coastal area, maybe a toss of the coin

Kingy

[humpty2]

Totally agree with Geoff & Judy re Kendalls Beach..stayed there on my way back from Coledale 'extended' last year.........top place!!

[Deleted]

Hiya Geoff & Jude, Humpty, and kingy

Kendalls have advised do not have enough room on the 18th Oct.

Have got a reply from Werri Beach Park. OK with 15 sites @ $30 a night.
I have asked for a tentative booking and that deposits be wavered for the group.
just pay when we roll up. will hear from them soon.
Reddo
No Dogs.

[belinda]

Werri is also known as "Windy Werri" for good reason - it can be pretty bleak.

Have you contacted the Surf Beach Caravan Park which is right next door to Kendalls? It has a big grassy area they use for camping in summer, which would work better for a group of vans than individual sites.

In Summer there is camping at Kiama Showground, though I don't know if that is a year-round thing.

I also seem to remember hearing you can camp at Berry Showground, though I've never been there myself.

[humpty2]

Camped at the Berri showground..............the thing about showgrounds is that most of them have trotting tracks and............the owners like to get out early and give their horses a run......say about from 4.30 am onwards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Deleted]

Yo

In response to my enquiry at werri beach. i recieved this....

"I have booked 15 sites for you. We are happy to wave the deposit as long as we are in contact a couple of weeks before arrival with the final numbers (we do no this can still be hard to have) of sites needed. Our contact phone number is (02) 42 341 285 in case people want to add or cancel sites.

Thank you
Sarah

Belinda - Coledale has been known to turn on a burst of southerly and rain at times as well. weather is a real luck of the draw affair when camping./vanning.

Humps.. There is some ancient by- law that states that travellers are allowed to stay at showgrounds and the local council have to provide stabling for the travellers horses.. similar to the old "In keepers" rules. maybe we can push to have our vans 'stabled' for the night.
I use to stay at showgrounds when we went away on the bikes. Police where happy to have us stay there instead of in town.

Jailbarjuice..... Railways ... are you aware that there use to be a railway line running through coledale beach embankment... if we try hard enough we can have it reinstalled for October. In the meantime to compensate you for the lack of trains on this years tour, i have organised the local pony club to come around and have a gymkhana up and down the street at Coledale... 2.30am start ;D. I asked if you can get a ride on one of the ponys... reply was" Sorry we have seen him ...and we dont stock CLYSDALES " ......Bloody kids nowadays have no respect for us old blokes eh.........have they.


Cheers all.

Redduck

[jan]

Hounds on Holidays -The Bitch Box alternatives

Hi there, hubby and I are looking to put our foot forward for this one but as we travel with dogs we have had to seek alternatives. I realise that thursdays accom. is still being negotiated and our plans are not set in cement but we usually also aim for "non park" stops. We welcome anyone traveling with their hounds to join us but I should warn you that the Friday night stop in the forrestry reserve will have dirt track driving, about 4klm I think and we will travel up through Kangaroo Valley (luv that place) roads being narrow.

Our c'van is geared for independant travel which is not everyones cup-of-tea but we will link with the conga line of VV's where we can and join you overnight where we can. We havent stayed at any of these stops btw but that doesnt usually phase us much. Advice is most welcome also.

Coledale is also not pet friendly so we will be there on Saturday on a day visit and if we cant take the doggies into the park then they are used to an hour or two on "guard dog" duty in the van, heat permitting. Though I think one of the muts may be worth more than the van!

Anyways here is a segment of our travel plans, missing the down run and return run from Queensland (Bris) should anyone want to link up. We would LUV company!

Great work you'se have done btw... looking good. We are looking forward to checking out the vv's at Coledale, pitty they chose a no-go zone for the four legged family members.

The Blue bits are our plans... the italic bits are considerations. The numbers are references out of our travel "bible" Camps 3 - Australia Wide, which travels with us everywhere as a camping ref. and gives you freebies all across australia... very handy!

Saturday Goulburn:
Dog friendly freebies: 522 - French VC Rest Area; 21 klm E of Fed. Hwy Jnc. East bound only; 100 m off highway (Toilets & Water but no showers)

Goulburn South Caravan Park: Hume Hwy - 3klm S of PO 02 4821 3233 ($20.50 pwd site; $17.50 unpowered) dogs on leash - Head out to Braidwood via Targo Road. Lunch at Braidwood (87 klm) - Braidwood via Nellingen to Moruya

Sunday: Goulburn - Waldrons Swamp (Moruya)[/color]
Group staying at Nelligen - Bitch Box will push on towards Moruya

Dog friendly freebies: 582 - Waldrons Swamp rest area, 20klm S Batemans Bay or 7km N of Moruya (Hgw 1) (Toilets & water, no showers)

Monday: Nelligen - Batemans Bay to Moruya
Moruya River Breeze C.van Park - dogs allowed. (15 bkd - $23)[/color]

Tuesday & Wednesday: Moruya - Burrill Lake
Group staying at Ulladulla

Dog friendly freebies: 573 - (Hwy 1) Jerrawangala Rest Area: 38 klm S Nowra or 23 klm N Ulladulla. Small vehicles only (no amenities)

Ulladulla: (Zitto dog friendly - group staying Ulladulla Headland C.van Prk )

Freebie Daystop only: Mollymook foreshore, parking area 5klm NE Ulladulla - dogs allowed (Toilets only)

Mollymook Caravan Prk (north of Ulladulla): Cnr Princess hwy & Ilett St, 2klm N of Ulladulla PO 024451939 (dogs on leash)

Burrill Lake (south of Ulladulla): Dolphin Point Tourist Park, Dolphin Pnt Rd 750m SE of PO Burrill Lake 0244551606

Thursday: Burrill Lake via Ulladulla to Kiama

Kendalls Caravan Park - Bonaira St, 2klm S or PO - Pets on application; 0242321790

Pet friendly freebie: 561 Kiama (North) Rest Area 8klm N of Kiama

Friday Kiama to Kangaroo Valley to Wingello
(Friday & Saturday: Group at Coledale Beach Camping Reserve - No dogs)

517 Dog friendly Freebie: Wingello State Forest; camp area 4klm SE of Wingello, via Forest Rd - Dirt road access - travel via Kangaroo Valley – Bundanoon – Wingello

Saturday Paddys river – Hume Hwy – Illawarra Hwy - Pac. Hwy – Coledale – Syd

Coledale day visit: at Coledale Camping Reserve

Thanks for all your hard yakka reddo and others too, and we look forward to meeting up. Missed you at Bribie but your rep. travels ahead of ya!

Jan (and Naum) <- planning a southern hounds holiday for Oct

[Geoff & Jude]

hi jan

i might be wrong, but i think the humpty's had their ferocious hound at coledale last year, so don't give up on staying there until you check out if they did.

geoff 'n jude

[Deleted]

Hi jan

Great stuff.
Good to see someone has picked up the batton and come up with alternatives for the dog owners who want to bring their pooches on tour.

Just a shame that we wont be together all the time and it may take a little coordinating to get on the "congo line' at the start of the day.

I am trying to keep the organising to a minimum this time around . the more you put into an itenary the harder it becomes to stick to it. Ok if everyone is packed on a tour bus or something but not a good idea when trying to travel in convoy for a few hundred miles. All that is happening this trip is we leave around the same time each morning . Do what ya wanna do all day , and at the end of the day we are all in the same area and can enjoy each others company. Nothing worse than trying to organise lunch stops at the same cafe or roadhouse etc. People tend to goof off at different points and places along the way.

Although the parks say "no dogs" i think the rule applies to overnight stays not "visiting dogs" . Almost certain most parks are like Coledale which had dozens of hounds on leads wandering through the park throughout the day.
Just wander in with the mutt and sit down with your esky. i reckon you will get away with it until end of happy 5 hours.
Might have to teach the dog how to drive so when ya have had too much bundy he can take ya back to your overnight roadside accomodation

Reddos dodgey thought for today for dog owners:
If all else fails dress your K9 up in kids clothes and tell the caretaker its an ugly child from your first marraige the defects are due to a throwback on your ex partners side. ;D

So there ya go folks some alternatives for those that wanna bring the family pet. I could handle a night or two in a state forest or national park away from all the bullsh!t toursisty stuff Bring a solar hot water shower and give the passing motorists and exhibition of roadside nude showering .
but i aint taking "Bill " the cattledog with me . So i will stick to the van parks and spoil myself.
Besides his and the cats drinking problem


No- one would want to be in the same car as him after a weeks worth of Pal dog food.

keep us updated on any further identified camping spots Jan. We might have to call you the organiser for "The Fleabitten East Coast tour 2007"

Reddo

[jan]

G'day Reddo & etal

Minimum of planning is just my cup-a-tea ... I hope to aquire someones mobile number to achieve linkups en route for the conga line and as we tend to "pack-up" early (much to earley's disquiet as we found out at Bribie ) then I imagine that we will be catching up with you lot rather than the other way about.

I'm still dealing with the mental image of your forrest shower ROFL but I can offer anyone the use of our "spring to life" shower and toiletry tent alternative (bring your own bucket).

I should also mention for anyone thinking of joining us, that much of the water suply at the "freebie stops" is usually the not drinkable type so you need to have your own water supply. But there ain't nuthin' like waking up to the quiet of a bush mornin' and going to bed in the stillness of the bush night. Now that is travelin'! Even if we are the noisiest blighters on the block. Not to mention the delights of a bush barbie.

jan (an everluvin hubby naum)

[Deleted]

Hidey ho thar kaybees.

Good news...
Bowl has been emptied and washed of its questionable contents .
I discovered last weekend while taking a nude shower in the middle of a busy Newcastle roundabout that the bowl fits perfectly on my head. Much better than the milk crate at coledale.
So the bowl is no longer a "portaloo potty bedpan" it has been promoted to Shower cap.

Between camping trips i use the rose coloured bowl to keep my goldfish in. they Keep swim around banging thier heads on the side... I think the colour of the water is causeing them to haleciennate... helluci... haewloo.... uuummm ....They look like they are "Out of the thier tiny minds"... Oh bye the way the fish are pooing in it too... just like i use to


Reddo ..Multi purpose glass shower caps are cool . Get your friends to buy YOU one .
I love MINE.
Thank you again Kaybees.

Vintage caravans, vintage caravans, vintage, caravans....ditto

[ssiewert]

Hi,my name is Steven and I am the photographer who has come to Coaldale over the past two years taking pics.
I took a photo of a young girl outside a yellow and white caravan.
I talked to her parents and told them that I would send them a photo.
However I lost the address and would still like to get a pic to them.
If they read this or if someone else know how to contact them could they contact me on 0419 766 030.Email:[e-mail]
I look forward to seeing the vans again this October.
Any news on another caravan run would be great as I would like to get on the road with the participants.
I want to try to get something in the Sydney Morning Herald this time.
Regards,
Steven

[trodler]

Hi Steven.
That was my niece at the van door..
I have emailed you my email as I would love to see the photo.
Did you get any other good shots.

Thanks.
Trodler.

[Deleted]

Hi All

Now that we look like having all the van parks booked we can think about what and where along the way.
I recieved this from ken today.
have a read and if we get a bit of interest in it he can coordinate a visit for us.

"Hi Reddo

Just an idea that you can either take on or discard, it doesn't bother me.

On the outskirts of Braidwood there is a private homestead that was built some time last century that is listed by the National Trust. This homestead has all its original fittings and furnishings including the original owners clothing and personal effects - it is just like they disappeared. If you make advance arrangements you can have a private tour of the homestead and outbuildings. If you left Goulburn at say 10.00 you would be in Braidwood in time for a look around the town, maybe buy some lunch at the pie shop and have lunch at the Homestead, do the tour and still be at Nelligen mid afternoon.
I am happy to make the necessary enquiries for you if you think enough people would be interested.
As I say, it doesn't bother me if you do or you don't visit this place.

Ken"

well waddyas reckon folks??

[chippydave01]

Hi guys i drove over the Clyde Mountain about 6 weeks ago and noticed they were re-marking all of the road lines, so they must of known were coming through on the Spring tour. It should be an easy tow compared to the following..View it on full screen and hit the arrow to take you to each picture.
www.slideshare.net/cherax/driving-in-bolivia

After viewing that the Clyde should be a breeze
Cheers Chippydave

[Geoff & Jude]

hi dave

i got a bit scared viewing the first road, but once i started looking at the second one, i had to go down to the garage and get an old seat belt and fit it to the computer chair to finish the slideshow.
those south americans certainly have some guts to use those roads - i wonder what they're like in winter???

geoff

[Susan here]

Dear All
Hope another family can join in ie us. Us and our 3 little ones have bought HDTodds van and we have booked his spot at Coledale. (Some of you may recall us visiting you all over last 2 years at Coledale, I'm the enthusiastic one, Jon's the husband putting up with me, and the kids are just embarrassed to be my kids anyway).
As yet not sure what other days we can manage.
We are having our first trip away this weekend and am very excited. We cannot however all fit in!!!!!!!!!!! so will take a tent.
Are there any other's in Canberra does anyone know?
Susan

[Susan with new van]

Dear All
Hope another family can join in ie us. Us and our 3 little ones have bought HDTodds van and we have booked his spot at Coledale. (Some of you may recall us visiting you all over last 2 years at Coledale, I'm the enthusiastic one, Jon's the husband putting up with me, and the kids are just embarrassed to be my kids anyway).
As yet not sure what other days we can manage.
We are having our first trip away this weekend and am very excited. We cannot however all fit in!!!!!!!!!!! so will take a tent.
Are there any other's in Canberra does anyone know?
Susan

[belinda]

Hi Susan,

believe me, the whole reason for buying a small van is so all five of you don't fit in it. Having a three-berth van means that at least two of the kids get to sleep in a tent or the annexe, and Mummy doesn't have to share the same sleeping space with four males who still think flatulence=funny.

If your kids are very little, it might be that one adult sleeps in the van and the other in the tent for a while (that's how we started), but having two separate sleeping places actually makes it easier for everyone to get to sleep and stay asleep - less movement and noises. It also helps when younger children have earlier bedtimes than bigger ones.

When you register on the site let me know and I'll email you our "checklist for a trip in the van". As well as a long list of things to pack, it has all the reminders from things to do from before leaving ("remove banana skins from school bags, check what homework is due Monday, frogmarch all children to the loo") to when you pull up in the drive at the end of the trip ("do NOT let any children escape into the house unless they are carrying at least one piece of luggage")

cheers

Belinda

[Koala]

Are there any other's in Canberra does anyone know?
Susan[/quote]

Hi Susan,
Welcome to the site and good to see another Canberran - maybe we can start a little klik - we have the WA members and the East Coast guys so why not us in the middle - only joking!!
We are new to vaning and live in Richardson and intend going on the East Coast Tour, we can travel together to link up with the others if that suits you. Our daughters are teenagers now and unlikely to be with us but we are 'kid friendly'. Not sure why but kids usually roll their eyes and run to their mums when I talk to them......maybe stealing their lollies has something to do with it.
Probably won't go to Goulburn for the first night though but rather meet the group on the road or at Nelligen. It will be good to have someone in front so that I can lean on their bumper when my brakes start smoking down the Clyde

Ken

[jnigrelli]

belinda said:

... males who still think flatulence=funny.

cheers

???