What do women like about camping?

Hahaha, thats funny, i did the same thing before our July desert trip last year, it was only the the 4th time my partner had been camping, it was an interesting first week hehehehe.

Robin, you wife deserves a medal! Seriously though, that's a wonderful achievement and I bet she got a real thrill out of doing that - with or without lockers.

Cheers,

Val

And a very good point Robin, include everyone.

Both my partner and I like camping, and our son has always been along for the ride and enjoys it also. But as he has got older (11 going on 20..) we realised that we needed to be cogniscant of his interests and to give him time to enjoy the things he likes about camping and being out and about.

Cheers, The Landy

Heather you have summed it up perfectly. And yes we do seem to enjoy similar aspects of travelling. So true about the housework too - and there is even less to do in a Troopy! When we are travelling we make do with a bare minimum of plates, cutlery and mugs, so washing up is quick and easy. I can never quite believe how soon after getting home we are back to heaps of washing up!

Cheers,

Val

G/Day Heather

That's exactly how the Cook feels, she loves every thing about Wild Life ect, the only thing that she stipulates is to have comfort, and a shower every night, oh and maybe a glass of wine most nights around a fire.

Cheers

Heather, exactly how I feel, just love to get out there, the moon, the stars, the sunrises, sunsets, the serenity of the bush, even down to watching the ants working, listening to the birds, I can feel the relaxation of it all just typing about it. House work, ohhh the house work or lack thereof, definitely a big plus. I know we are all different but I do find it hard to believe that there are people who have no desire to check it out and experience it at least once.
Now I want to go again LOL Who started this thread Val???????
Cheers
D

Thanks Heather, my wife hates it out there, but when i tell her she can stay at home she said i could die alone out bush, so she comes along. I hope the more i go the more she will get used to the bush.
Cheers Mario.

Hi Kevin,

It sounds as if we are of similar vintage, so I am pleased to hear that you both do indeed get out and about and "push the boundaries". I guess camping is just a variety of accommodation that you use when travelling - our version of camping involves sleeping in our vehicle, so to some thats not strictly camping either. But for the rest of the adventure, Heather has described it better than I could.

Happy travels and thank you for sharing your story.

Cheers,

Val

Hi Kevin,

I loved reading your story. Sounds like you have had a long and happy marriage and still enjoy travelling together.

And Val if your version of camping isnt strictly camping then ours certainly isnt as we tow a caravan with a corner ensuite. However we regard it to be camping because of the places we often choose to stay. i.e. in campgrounds or free camps, bush camps etc.
It is certainly a simpler life than when we are at home and while we are away I never even think about the house or all those 'things' we do without when we are living in the van.

Cheers,

Heather

Hi Heather,

I reckon that "camping" covers a multitude of different kinds of traveling accommodation, and I agree its about where you stay. The main thing is to get out there and see and do things. As we get more mature and creaky in the joints a bit of comfort doesn't go amiss. Certainly there were times when we were in WA when it was wet and windy that a caravan would have been bliss.

Cheers,

Val

Hello folks

Felicity and I have done many thousands of Kms together, mostly in motels, cabins etc.
Now we're about to do the big lap in our campervan she's reminding me she's always enjoyed sleeping under the stars.. preferably five of them!!
We are looking forward to the journey though, especially if it stops bl**dy raining soon!

Regds Richard R

Val, wet and windy in WA, geezzz that must have been a long time ago, it sure isn't wet here at the moment, or not in our little corner of the State.
I define 'camping' as basically tenting, sleeping in the car, (which hubby and I do quite a bit of when we are too tired to put the tent up for one night LOL), we caravan too but not with an ensuite, (we have an older van) but that is definitely our preferred mode of travel.
Cheers
D

Hi Gazz,

In my working life I got to travel a bit and generally stayed in pretty good hotels/motels. But I quickly became disenchanted with them - after all they were just a bed for the night, and after a while they all started to look and feel the same. Call me ungrateful ....

Now, on the road no two camps are ever the same!

Cheers,

Val.

Hello Queen Vik,

Yes thats a special time of the day isn't it. Camp set up, fire going, drinks cold from the fridge. Then a great sunset.

John is the chief cook in our household, but I dont mind campfire cooking, its part of the pleasure of camping. But from what I have read I doubt that either of us is up to Mick's gourmet standards though!

Cheers,

Val

Hi Julie,

I think there are a lot of like minded women travelling around. It doesn't really matter whether they are tenting or caravaning or whatever, its just so good to be out and about experiencing all the wonderful things our country has to show us.

I'm at a bit of a loss when I hear women say that they would not even consider travelling into country areas, but each to their own. It certainly leaves it less crowded for us to enjoy.

Cheers,

Val

Hi Fiona and Paul,

That's a great story. When we only had film cameras I tended to leave the photography to John but now that we have digital cameras and there are no printing costs we each have our own camera and have a great time taking heaps of photos. They bring back wonderful memories.

I enjoy rock hunting too - each trip I carry a small canvas bag and pop into it interesting bits and pieces that I find. At the end of the trip these are arranged into a tall clear glass container so they are easily visible - another source of memories.

Cheers,

Val

Hi MH,

I always enjoy reading your input on EO. We seem quite similar.

In our case it is always me who could stay longer either in a particular campsite or away from home on a trip. I get used to preparing meals on a tiny area of sink, using minimal cutlery and crockery, and preparing meals to be cooked over the fire (my favourite type) and generally doing without all the things I enjoy having at home.

During the last week of our recent trip to Tassie, my husband remarked casually that he didnt really want to be away for the 5 months or more that I had planned for our 'Winter' trip this year. It really surprised me as I thought he was happy enough on the road, but I have tried to be understanding and have come up with a couple of suggestions as to shorter trips of around 8 to 10 weeks with a break in between. He misses his vegetable garden I think!
(I miss seeing the little grandchildren on a regular basis but we get sent emails with photos and talk to them almost every day when we have reception which is pretty good).

As I had started planning for this trip with more excitement than the Tassie one, I was a bit taken aback really! I feel so much at 'peace' in the outback and feel I need to experience it regularly to keep healthy which sounds weird I know for a person who grew up on the NSW South Coast (although it was on a cattle property with many acres of wide open spaces to explore on horseback)! There is something about the red sand with perfect animal and reptile tracks, the rocky many hued ranges, the clumps of spinifex and stunted trees and that amazing blue sky in the outback which draws me back. Its a particular light which has attracted artists such as Heyson in the Flinders R.

I long to see the country around Uluru and the McDonnell Ranges again as the first time we were there I injured my leg and couldnt really do a lot of the walks I wanted. So we have 'unfinished business' there! We are hoping to travel via the Oodnadatta Track but that depends on weather and road conditions.

Anyway I digress...

Now to decide on a date to leave.....should I start hinting so he starts to think HE put the idea into MY head!!!

Regards,

Heather

Hi MH,

You are spot on with your observation that compromise is the order of the day. If we are lucky we get better at that as we mature.
Interesting comment about it being the men that are the first to want to get home - I had not noticed that. When we come home from a big trip its a bit strange living in a house again, and we do miss the simple life that traveling brings. But pretty soon its time to start planning the next trip...

I do wonder why some folk travel - I recall a couple in Kunanurra a few years ago. She was busy washing everything inside the van, seat covers, curtains the lot, and he spent all day washing and polishing the outside. I reckon in that part of the world there are plenty of more interesting things to do. And they were not living permanently in their van either.

Cheers,

Val.

Hi Lynne,

Interesting observation about home comforts! Haven't noticed that myself, but over the years we have shared most of the things that we have done. John is the main cook and I seem to be the one to discover any mechanical issues with the vehicle! All makes for variety either at home or when traveling.

When we do decide to head for home its usually by mutual consent and then, having made the decision we just want to hit the road and get home quite quickly.

Cheers,

Val

Thanks Min, couldn't have put it better myself. Your point about camping close to the ocean, which reminds me that John and I haven't done that for far too long.

Cheers,

Val.