Caravan World Issue 619

I hope you have found a quiet place for some summer relaxation and the Christmas lunch has settled. There’s is some excellent reading this month to help fill in a few sun-soaked hours and inspire you to tackle a coastal adventure, and if you plan a drive along the beach, Ron Moon lets you in on his secrets for making it back to firm ground. The January break is an excellent caravanning month, and I see thousands of vans have ventured out after months of waiting faithfully in the driveway. So, take it easy — it’s a holiday and it’s supposed to be fun. On top of all the Christmas cheer, the new year is a time of reflection and thanks to many readers, we have lots to think about. The response…

Australians believe the move to Electric Vehicles (EVs) is important to curbing climate change. A survey of 1001 Australians by Savvy has revealed that 73 per cent agree that the move is important to reducing CO2 emissions and keeping global temperature rises to 1.5 degrees. The survey found that younger Australians are more likely to buy EVs, but 79 per cent of those surveyed believe affordability needs to improve before they will purchase. With the current prices, 40 per cent stated they may purchase EVs in the future, with seven per cent saying they intend to buy one within the next 12 months, and 30 per cent said they cannot afford one. Influencing buyers' decision to change to an EV are improved government subsidies, improved infrastructure and improved driving range, but the biggest concern…

Head over to Central West New South Wales this April, with the Parkes Elvis Festival set to return from 20 to 24 April 2022. More than 200 Elvis and speedway inspired events will feature, with festival favourites Northparkes Mines Street Parade, Renewal of Vows Ceremony, Goodsell Machinery Miss Priscilla Dinner, free Cooke Park Main State Entertainment and Elvis Gospel Service also returning. A range of new events will also showcase this year, such as a Speedway Exhibit of rare and classic race cars, racing stars meet-and-greets and virtual reality simulators, a Pin-Up Pageant for rock and vintage fashion lovers as we as Sons of Sun, a wild rock and roll play about Sun Records, Memphis. The festival attracts over 24,000 fans, with this year’s Festival theme being Speedway, with attendees encouraged to dress…

Selected Sunrise Caravan models will now feature Safiery Victron Inverter/Charger Systems with lithium batteries. Based in the Moreton Bay Region in South East Queensland, Sunrise Caravans’ partnership with the Queensland-based Safiery will offer customers, what Sunrise Caravans claims, freedom and independence with access to power anytime and anywhere. The partnership will also allow caravan owners the opportunity to experience more off-grid experiences, with the system allowing for in van and mobile monitoring so owners can know exactly where they are power and enery wise. Steven Andonovki, Director at Sunrise Caravans, said they are excited to improve and enhance caravanning experiences for their customers. “More and more Australians are choosing to venture at home and a lot of them are curious about the offroad and off-grid adventure,” he said. “That means, they need greater access to…

WONDERDOME, the largest 360 cinema experience ever in Australia is being held in Sydney’s The Entertainment Quarter until Sunday 30 January 2022. This ‘Pop Up’ theatre combines fully immersive visuals with leading-edge technologies to dissolve the boundaries between digital and physical where audiences can experience a new reality. Captivating crowds at Coachella and Burning Man in recent years, the extrasensory experience is currently in Australia where art, film and music fuse together to create a unique virtual reality experience — without the goggles. WONDERDOME Co-Founder, Chris Decker, said the boundaries of the screen are dissolved in the dome, allowing viewers to become part of the film. “Viewers are immersed into multiple worlds, from thrilling rides through galaxies to emotive journeys navigating natural landscapes,” he said. The program features a catalogue of the world’s most successful…

The Caravan Industry Association of Australia (CIAA) has highlighted that more needs to be done to help rural tourism operators connect with Electric Vehicle (EV) users. CIAA has acknowledged the Australian Government’s release of the Future Fuel Fund but is calling for a matched grants scheme for caravan parks and other regional accommodation providers to invest in charging stations that are suitable to charge all types of electric vehicles. The CIAA has estimated that a $3 million investment from the government would provide an additional 2000 chargers across 1000 caravan parks in regional Australia. Stuart Lamont, CEO of CIAA, said sometimes the only accommodation in regions are the caravan parks which are ideally placed, and therefore, are where EV charging points should be as EV owners base their road trip holidays on where…