Caravan World Issue 624

It’s already June and the travelling caravan season is full swing right across the country. While the weather isn’t playing fair in the eastern states, we have joined the exodus to Western Australia, where sunny skies and moderate temperatures greet us every morning. We were swimming on the Eyre Peninsula while friends huddled around their heaters back home. The early sunsets take some getting some getting used to, though. Several nights we have sat at the campfire after dinner with our travelling companions and decided it must be bedtime only to discover it’s only 7pm! For last eight weeks we have been travelling with our niece and nephew, their partners, and a third couple in a convoy of four vans and a troop of seven children, all under 10. It’s been…

Regional tourism in New South Wales is set to grow with a $28 million upgrade to Reflections Holiday Parks, which manages some of the best tourist parks in the state, giving grey nomads, families, and holidaymakers the chance to see what New South Wales has to offer. Minister for Lands and Water Kevin Anderson and Reflections Holiday Parks CEO Nick Baker launched Reflection Group’s new Strategic Plan and announced the multimillion-dollar investment this week at the Reflections Lake Keepit Park. “This strategic plan will for all intents and purposes showcase the very best of regional New South Wales to people who are looking to get out of the big smoke and see what this beautiful state has to offer,” Mr Anderson said. “The NSW Government is investing in your community by working with…

It’s already June and the travelling caravan season is full swing right across the country. While the weather isn’t playing fair in the eastern states, we have joined the exodus to Western Australia, where sunny skies and moderate temperatures greet us every morning. We were swimming on the Eyre Peninsula while friends huddled around their heaters back home. The early sunsets take some getting some getting used to, though. Several nights we have sat at the campfire after dinner with our travelling companions and decided it must be bedtime only to discover it’s only 7pm! For last eight weeks we have been travelling with our niece and nephew, their partners, and a third couple in a convoy of four vans and a troop of seven children, all under 10. It’s…

Leading insurance challenger Youi will offer its own compulsory third-party insurance product in South Australia to motorists in the state for the first time. Youi CEO Hugo Schreuder said, “Youi’s market entry from 1 July 2022 would benefit South Australian consumers by further increasing choice of insurance providers.” “Increasing competition is always the best way to ensure that providers are focussed on providing high quality products and customer service within any given market,” said Mr Schreuder. “The South Australian Government has demonstrated its commitment to providing motorists with increased choices by making it possible for new entrants to enter the state’s CTP market.” “South Australia offers a highly sustainable CTP scheme and, when we looked for opportunities to grow our market presence, we saw a strong alignment between the government and regulator’s vision for…

BIRDSVILLE BIG RED BASH The world’s most remote music festival — the Birdsville Big Red Bash — is set to return this July, drawing more than 9000 festivalgoers to the red sands of Queensland’s Simpson Desert for an epic line up of outback entertainment and live Australian music acts including Jimmy Barnes, Kasey Chambers, Shannon Noll, and many more. Taking place over three bumper days and nights during the winter school holidays, the all ages and dog friendly camping festival is staged against the striking backdrop of the legendary 40-metre-high Big Red Sand Dune. Nominated for ‘Festival of the Year’ at the 2022 Queensland Music Awards, The Big Red Bash also features a range of family friendly activities including comedy and outdoor film screenings, scenic helicopter flights, dune surfing, beach volleyball, camel rides,…

FLOOD DAMAGE There’s no doubt that the east coast of Australia has taken a rain-soaked battering this year, in some cases several times. That has of course affected many people in all kinds of ways. Even yours truly in a minor way, even though we live nowhere near the flood-affected area. Not so long ago, I had a couple of days out in the western and north-western areas of Sydney doing a couple of photo shoots. One on a Jayco Journey family caravan, which you are able to read about elsewhere in this issue, and the other was something new in the motorhome world — at least in Australia — a Jayco converted Fiat Ducato motorhome with a pop-top roof. On the outskirts of Sydney, there are or there were in some…