Extended RV travels in Australia

[Kirk]

We spent a month in Australia with Aussie friends that we got to know while RVing here in the states and seeing the RV world there was quite an eye-opening experience. It made me understand why RVs there are so different from those most of us here have ever owned. When we began, we tented and then moved to a popup that we towed with a 4WD but nowhere do we have the sort of boondocking experience that is common down under. This video is one that our friends say is pretty common to their version of boondocking.

SIMPSON DESERT - Part 1 ​

We never got that far out into the backcountry but did see the very edge of it. There are very few commercial RV parks and even fewer public parks with campgrounds that are more than just a place to park. This video is one that is more typical of a family RV trip. It is a totally different RV experience from what we are familiar with.

The Outback Highway & Bush camping in the Flinders​

 

[Tom]

Thanks for posting Kirk. Interesting to watch, although I'm only part way through the two videos (phew!)

 

[Lou Schneider]

I visited Australia for a month in the early '90s. My father accumulated enough points flying from SF to the east coast attending his relative's funerals to qualify for a free round trip anywhere in the world and he gave them to me. I took a month's leave from work and flew over in October. Perfect timing as that's the start of their spring.

I flew into Sydney and toured the country using a variety of means. Rented a cheap, older Backpacker friendly car (if it breaks down you're responsible for getting it back to the rental agency. Never did.) Visited the Blue Mtns in Kaloomba, rode the Zig Zag Railway in Lithgow and drove through the fantastic open air zoo in Dubbo. After returning to Sydney I arranged a Class C rental RV relocation from Sydney to Cairns, essentially free for a week except for fuel with steep penalties if I was late. Stayed in youth hostels and Backpacker motels. Flew from Cairns to Alice Springs and took the Ghan train from Alice to Adelaide, then drove to Broken Hill, Melbourne, Canberra and the Snowy Mtns before returning to Sydney for the trip home.

I took my laptop computer and an external 1200 baud modem with me and (pre-Internet) used Compuserve's local numbers in Australia to email friends and family and check in with the RV Forum. The gear raised some questions with Customs and I had to sign a form stating I would return the equipment to the US or face paying duties to both countries.

 

[Tulecreeper]

I was in Australia twice in my Navy career. The only thing I remember was that the Aussie girls really liked American sailors, and that the Aussie guys didn't. Probably because of the first thing. I know I lost several uniform items that one gal or another pilfered from me when I wasn't looking. A hat, a belt, some ribbons, etc.

And the folks in general were very hospitable. There were notes on a board at the head of the pier that were open invitations for any American sailor to come have dinner with random Australian families. Good people, good times.

 

[Reinigm]

I've watched videos on camping with motorhomes in Switzerland, and it looks very interesting. Think I would like to try it there.

 

[Kirk]

We were in Australia for the entire month of September 2015. Our host is still an active member of Escapees RV Club even though he no longer owns an RV in the US. When we spent the moth with him we based out of his home in Gold Coast and used his Jeep to do a lot of exploring, but not via RV. We did make one- and two-night trips and we did get out into sheep & cattle country, but we never got into what the second video shows. We did visit a couple of Australian commercial RV parks and numerous public campgrounds/parking lots. I think that the most we got inland from the coast was probably about 300 miles and north/south from Brisbane to Canberra. We also spent 4 days in Sydney. We have talked with them about going back to get farther into the outback but between his health problems and those of my wife, it is looking doubtful that we will get to go back.

With Bruce & Pam being long time RV folks, they did make sure that we got to see a wide range of RVs there and most are quite different for any that I have seen in the USA. They owned a motorhome in the USA for nearly 30 years and that is how we met.