Caravan World Issue 614

After travelling last week from my border home on the NSW south coast to Victoria for some reviews and office meetings, I was one of many caught in the latest sudden lockdown. With no indication from the government that I would be allowed to complete my journey the next day, it meant a long drive into the night with a van in tow to get home. It gave me plenty of time to think about long-distance driving, and I recalled some early advice about travelling with a van. Someone suggested the 222 rule, and fortunately, it has nothing to do with the 303 rule from the Breaker Morant movie. Let's start with the premise that caravanning is fun. Towing a van for long distances at a single stretch may not be the…

Victoria’s central west will have 65,106 hectares of new national parks to protect the area’s unique environment as well as to give locals and tourists alike new outdoor experiences. Lily D’Ambrosio, Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, said the national parks and reserves will protect habitats for rare and threatened species and will increase recreation and tourism in the region. “These changes will improve how we manage and care for our precious natural environment, and will ensure these areas can be used for recreation for generations to come,” she said. The new parks will be formed by linking already existing forests, parks and reserves, with the largest bringing together Lerderderg State Park and much of the current Wombat State Forest to create a new national park covering more than 44,000 hectares between…

Researchers from the University of South Australia have confirmed Australia’s first sighting of Aphis lugentis on Kangaroo Island’s Dudley Peninsula. The black aphid invasive species was found feeding on seedlings of Senecio odoratus, a native species of daisy that is commonly known as the scented groundsel. Kangaroo Island has 16 native Senecio species, with at least 10 of these of conservation concern. The aphids are a pest that sucks the sap from plants, and spread across multiple continents over the past 20 years, originating in North America. Wildlife ecologist and Associate Professor Topa Petit found the aphids and said they could threaten plants in the Compositae (daisy) family. “[The] aphids were tended by several species of native ants that were feeding on their honeydew, showing easy integration for the pest in its new environment,” Dr…

Art Gallery New South Wales has announced Gippsland Art Gallery as the sole Victorian host venue for the 2021 Archibald Prize. The Gallery will be the first regional location to host the prestigious prize for portraiture, which is celebrating its centenary year, from 8 October to 21 November 2021. The Archibald Prize, first awarded in 1921, is the country’s most well-known art award and is awarded to the best portrait painting of anyone from politicians to celebrities, and sporting heroes to artists. The Gallery’s location provides a great base for travellers wanting to explore the Victorian region this spring. The 2021 Archibald Prize went to Peter Wegner for his portrait of Guy Warren, and the 2021 Packing Room Prize went to Kathrin Longhurst for her work titled Kate.…

Announced at the Let’s Go Queensland Caravan and Camping Supershow in June, Essential Caravans and Lotus Caravans have merged to create a new dealership called Lawrence RV. The move was made to meet the increased demand for offroad caravans, in which the brothers, Dale and Jason Lawrence, have more than 25 years of combined experience. Both companies will be rebranded with the new name, along with the doubling of the size and capacity of operations of their Queensland dealership to open a new dealership in Burpengary within the next 12 months. Essential Caravans — recently awarded a People’s Choice Manufacturer Award in 2020 — will continue to be stocked and allocation will increase between 30-50 per cent to meet demand. The new dealership will provide prospective caravanners with a dedicated customer lounge with a…

New South Wales’s Condo Skyfest Miima Warrabinya, Reaching for the Stars, is set to run from 3-4 September this year. The immersive event celebrates over 65,000 years of Wiradjuri heritage and will be held in the grounds of the Wiradjuri Study Centre. This year’s program includes traditional and contemporary Wiradjuri dancing by local and visiting groups, live music from singer-songwriters and storytellers, boomerang throwing, a parade of illuminated sky lanterns, workshops of Wiradjuri language, Indigenous art exhibitions, stargazing with professional astronomers and Indigenous food. A range of diverse stalls will also be set up promoting and selling indigenous-themed products and services, and the event will finish with dramatic fire sculpture as a grand finale. Now in its third year, the alcohol-free, family-friendly event brings together people of all backgrounds from throughout Central Western NSW…