Queensland

Submitted: Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 11:57

ThreadID: 30597 Views:5439 Replies:20 FollowUps:14

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Fone

Hello all,
I am new to this forum and would like ALOT of help and information. My hubby and I are taking off around Queensland in April with our 2 kids - 4 years and 20 months. While we have done alot of beach camping and driving, they have all been for trips less than a week with esky, dry ice and tent.

This time we are borrowing a camper trailer, will have an 80 series Landcruiser and a tent for the times we are camping on the islands.

What I would like to know are any exceptional places to go. We are starting off in Expedition NP, then to Carnarvon, then on to Emerald and Sapphire to take the kids fossicking (any tips, we know nothing about fossicking), then to the coast where we have no plan except to head north and see what there is to see. Then we will head back inland to Undarra Lava tubes, down to Winton then back to the coast to end the trip on either Northwest or lady Musgrave.

Will we need a fridge, what sort, what battery system, how many litres etc.

What sort of fuel consumption with a trailer?

What sort of communication device would be best, we will hopefully be doing alot of hiking.

Does anyone have a zodiac that they blow up when needed, how long does it really take to blow up and are they a good idea.

Any particularly pretty spots to camp along the way and not so well know but special NParks to visit?

We are trying to stay in NP to keep camping costs down.

What sort of set up should the truck have, we don't plan on doing any full on off roading but are thinking of going to Lakefield NP and possibly to Diamantina (but i think it seems like an awful long way to go, and we will be going out to the place where the dinosaur stampede is, which seems far enough to me). ANyway so will a winch be necessary, or will straps be enough? Anything else that is really important?

Any tips on storage and how to set the truck and trailer up?

I think that is enough for now. I am sure all these question have been asked, but as i have 6 weeks to plan, a house to finish renovating and 2 assignments to do I am cheating and hoping you will all be kind enough to do the work for me.

Thanks alot,
Fiona

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Reply By: Wizard1 - Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 12:21

Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 12:21

Usaully the setup requirements you mention take most people several years to establish, unless you have a very healthy bank account or just won lotto.

Everyone will give their opinion on what they think YOU need.

You need to analyse what your camping and travelling plans/requirements will be. How long will you stay in one place? How will you refidgerate your food? Ice or fridge? The size of the fridge depends on how much you are willing to pay. Go to some camping shops and see how much they are first. You may think you need a 110 litre fridge, but are you willing to give up $1200 plus for one?

Will you have power? If you need power how much do you want to spend to get it? Generator or battery setup?

You need to look at your current setup and budget. Go to a few 4WD accessory suppliers like TJM or ARB and get an idea of storage solutions and tips on vehicle setup. The first reality check you will get is the cost of all this stuff.

Every reply you get will be based on thier personal experience and needs which may not suit yours. We started out making observations of what other people had and whether it suited us and then went about slowly building up our setup. You may find someone will say you need this and you don't use it, but you wasted a lot of money getting it.

Of the things we spent money on those at the top that made all the difference were:

Dual battery system (runs the fridge and caravan when we tow it)
Roof rack (Carry lots more stuff)
Rear _Affordable_Storage_Drawers.aspx (which I made myself to keep cost down), and
The portable fridge (need fresh food and cold beer).

AnswerID: 154050

Reply By: Member - Collyn R (WA) - Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 12:24

Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 12:24

Fiona
With respect you are asking too much.

The answers to almost all that you seek are already available from any number of books and websites.

I and many others on this forum willingly respond to specific requests but to even begin to answer this one would take weeks!
Collyn Rivers

AnswerID: 154052

Follow Up By: Shaker - Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 12:46

Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 12:46

"The answers to almost all that you seek are already available from any number of books and websites."

Try the SEARCH on this site, top centre above the threads!

FollowupID: 407971

Reply By: Member - Jeff H (QLD) - Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 12:41

Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 12:41

Hello Fiona,
Agree with Col; But , recommend beach camping at Carmila S of Sarina (72 hr free ), Broadwater NP west of Ingham and Blanco Falls, W. of Kennedy (now a 'book ahead'area, unfortunately.)
Keep an open timetable - one could devote a lifetime to any of 30 regions 'round Aust.
Happy travels
Jeff H.

AnswerID: 154058

Follow Up By: Trevor R (QLD) - Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 23:01

Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 23:01

I would second Jeff's camping spot at Carmilla beach and if money's tight (who's isn't) then I would also reccommend to find other freebies like this. Many of them up and down this great state if you look and ask for them, only downside is they are generally busier and most only have a couple of days stopover at best.
Others like Carmilla are Rollingstone (N of Townsville 50 km), Calliope River (near middle turnoff to Gladstone) Babinda Ck at Babinda township NQ. The list can be much longer than this but these are the pick of the freebies in my opinion. I have a list of roadside stops and rest areas that allow short camps in QLD if you want I could scan it and email or if you want try RTA for the same map, don't know if it is still produced ??

Cheers Trevor.

FollowupID: 408114

Reply By: Cheiffy - Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 13:25

Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 13:25

Hi Fiona,

Like the other say, you are asking for quite a lot and it would be difficult to hit every nail on the head, but here are some ideas.

Write a meal plan and compare this to your itinery. This way, you can research the towns you will be visiting in order to restock your supplies, i.e. can we get fresh meat, milk etc. Once you have this sorted, you will get some sort of picture as to how much food you may be required to have and what size fridge (if any) you may need. If you do decide on a fridge, I would suggest a dual battery system. Generators arent always allowed at some campsites.

To help you with your itinery, check out the Qld gov website, this is a very useful tool which will no doubt help with your planning. It contains all sorts of info on the towns, roads etc.

http://www.driveqld.com.au/qldhols/drive_queensland/my-itinerary/index.cfm

As for your vehicle set up, you mentioned that you will have an 80 series. Does this mean that you dont have one yet? If this is the case, the first thing I would do once you get one, is to drive it into a mechanics workshop with clear instructions, if it looks worn - replace it. If your like me with mechancial stuff, always leave it to the experts. As for storage, you should have room in the camper trailer. With the added weight of the trailer, you really need to do some fuel sums. We hired one and couldn't believe the drop in economy, but this maybe different for your vehicle.

I think you might have to put the renos on hold and concentrate on your trip, or vice versa. I hope this may be of help.

Cheers

Cheiffy

AnswerID: 154069

Reply By: Member - Troll 81 (QLD) - Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 13:29

Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 13:29

Hi Fiona

You say you have 6 weeks.....if you are setting up from scratch then I think you are going to be pushing to get everything done. How long are you going for? It takes most people years and years to setup their trucks the way they want them. But looks like money is not a problem for you guys so you might be able to get everything done in record time :-)

I have a 60l chescold Fridge and it's great for long camping trips if you are not moving around allot. If you going places where there won't be mobile phone reception then a HF or Sat phone is the way to go...very expensive but you can hire the Sat phones. You prob wont have time to get into the HF, you need to do a course on that.

Your fuel economy is going to be shot, with a fully loaded car and trailer. You might have to look into long-range fuel tanks or allot of Jerry cans.

Like the others said read through the forums theirs allot of good info here

Enjoy

AnswerID: 154070

Reply By: ExplorOz Team - David - Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 13:29

Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 13:29

Fiona,

Have you read the other sections of ExplorOz - Almost every question you asked is published in articles in Topic Search (LHS of screen). Trip Planning, Vehicle Requirements and the On the Road sections - menu at the top.

It would be best to read up on some of this content and then come back to the forum with specific questions or when you want to refine your thoughts.

David (DM) & Michelle (MM)
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Currently Mapping in the Field Across Australia Fulltime in 2024 - 2025

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AnswerID: 154071

Follow Up By: Fone - Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 14:35

Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 14:35

WOW I can't believe so many have already replied!

You are all quite right and I have probably asked too much at once!

We have taken the truck in for a check up and will be heeding the mechanics advice and getting alot of worn things replaced - we are buying a friends parents well maintained vehicle but it still needs alot doing to it. It has a long reange tank on it but no dual battery set up.

No we don't have an unlimited budget (which is why we are National Park hopping $8/night versus $20 plus in a camp ground) and we did go into a 4x4 store and went into shock at how much things cost, which is why it would be nice to have some idea of the essentials eg Fridge versus esky and dry ice.

Thanks Cheiffy for the menu plan advice, that is a great idea and as we have some idea of what we are doing when we are west it should be fairly accurate for us. Getting a fridge is something that I am leaning toward but as we don't want to get a generator a dual battery is obviously the way to go, unless the dry ice and esky way is possible out west and along the coast. I thought the 60 ltr one would be big enough for us. But have no idea about brands - have only seen the Waeco one.

Thanks Rick and Julie for the fossicking advice. I can't wait to go, both of the kids will love it. Our youngest is a bit of a tomboy and will have a feild day playing in the dirt.

Thanks everyone for replying and keep and please don't feel like you must answer everything at once, even if it just something small i really appreciate it.
Fiona

FollowupID: 408000

Reply By: fox - Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 14:07

Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 14:07

Hi Fiona,
As in the previous post...if you're moving about a lot don't go for the 3 way fridges....go for one of the compressor types...Engel, Waeco, Trailblaza and the list goes on...also a dual battery setup will prove invaluable....with the family, I'd be inclined to look at 80L as a starting point...not the 40L

No one has mentioned your fossicking virginity....we went through Sapphire and ended up in Rubyvale...go to the caravan park behind the Post Office and diagonally accross form the Pub....Great meals at the pub...and "Foxy" at the caravan park will steer you onto some of the better fossicking providers. Was $5.00 per bucket of wash when we were there in 2000 and again in 2001. OLD BOB I think it was had the best fossicking...his wash was salted with some nice colour....Sadly BOB was diagonsed with cancer when we were there, so might not be there....Foxy will know.
Don't get a miners right and dig on the Govt fossicking areas unless you have all the hand tools and sieves etc...you can hire them all at Foxy's but the ground is like concrete and you'll soon be broken units....back to the $5.00 buckets....it's more fun and you won't ever retire on the BIG STRIKE.....that's why everybody is doing the $5.00 buckets for the tourists...more regular income for them.

We found lots of small sapphires and had them cut on the fields at around $20.00per cut.....LOTSA FUN.

Have a wonderful time on your trip.....we're off to the Red Centre for 2 months...May and June....Can't wait.

Safe Travelling
Rick & Julie

AnswerID: 154078

Follow Up By: Scoey - Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 17:31

Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 17:31

Hi Fiona,
A good mate of mine grew up in Rubyvale and has a large claim there. He is always amazed at how brazen or ignorant "tourists" are about fossicking on his claim or through his wash. Do it properly and you'll have a ball, wander somewhere where you shouldn't be and don't expect a warm welcome. Guess I'm just saying - check it out first. I was 4X4ing behind Sapphire (no intention of fossicking) when I got a bit lost. Stopped to check my map and had a warning shot fired over my truck. My fault, but still need to be careful!

Cheers

Scoey

FollowupID: 408042

Reply By: Member - Phil [Sunshine Coast] - Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 14:48

Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 14:48

Giday Fiona, yer well where to start? the trailer your borrowing, so nothin to do there, make sure it has a spare. most of your time will be on good roads & maybe some beach, yo have already done that, so you would have a good comp. & tyre gauge? snatch strap,something to tow with,& PROPER recovery points on the veh.[not b/bar or t/bar] Maybe a fridge[60l] ,although you wont be to far from ice every cuppla three days? Fuel, I averaged 16.8l/ 100ks. towing a o/rcamper with tinnie & o/b in a 60series non/t. last yr over 10,000ks . If you go the fridge, you really do need a dual battery setup. Communication, your not goin 'remote' so maybe just a cdma? Well ,thats about all I can contribute ,but have a great trip!!!

Phil.

AnswerID: 154088

Reply By: Shawsie (Member - Qld) - Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 15:37

Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 15:37

Hi Fiona, here's my 10c worth ;o) My wife & I went to the Dinosaur stampede SW of Winton in LATE December. We took the road from Jundah to Lark Quarry, then onto Winton (400km). The gravel/dirt road is VERY well maintained and wide and will easily accomodate the CT - we we're doing 80km/hr. Lark Quarry is well worth the trip as you'll be amazed at the size of the footprints and how many there are (1000's). You MUST be there at the tour times as you can only see them on a tour, so check the website for times. As far as all the other stuff you've asked for it'll be asnwered in due course LOL - good luck ;o)

AnswerID: 154092

Reply By: Member - Beatit (QLD) - Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 15:43

Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 15:43

G'day Fiona,

A lot of ground for 6 weeks and a lot in hospitable places. The places you mentioned can take a lot of time for a good look and most are within the definition of civilisation (some sort of facilities nearby) so possibly no need for toilet and shower tents (and the gear to go with these) unless you already have these. I wouldn't concern yourself with a winch unless you plan to head off the beaten track.

As already mentioned the information you ask requires a more detailed response. Make sure you have a first aid kit, a shovel for those toilet stops, a garbage bag for the rubbish and some games for the ankle biters.

If you decide on a fridge you will need to consider what sort (generally 12 volt or 3 way) and should you go 12 volt a means to keep the power up to the fridge (this is a huge topic on its own). Possibly you might get by with an esky as already suggested but that requires the purchase of ice on a regular basis and this could be a little to restrictive.

In respect to storage, a lot of travellers find the need to get _Affordable_Storage_Drawers.aspx for the back of their vehicle so as to allow better organised packing. Also a roofrack could be usefull. In short you have to pack all your gear (food, clothes, spares, etc) in the trailer and the car and ultimately we all face that question "what do we leave behind" - so the more organised you are the more you can take.

Kind regards

AnswerID: 154093

Reply By: Howard T - Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 16:16

Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 16:16

Hi Fiona,
I have some knowledge of the gemfields as i spend a fair amount of time out there.
There are few places to stay out there including the camping ground behind the Post Office at Rubyvale..
Sapphire has a great c/park called the Blue Gem and a lot of seasoned "rockhounds" stay there. Most are only to willing to offer advice. They also have the "salted" bags of wash you can purchase. I believe there have been some good stone found in these bags.
My suggestion is that you have a really good look around. There are a couple on mines you can actually go down and have a look. One is the Miners Heritage at Rubyvale and anouther called the Bobby Dazzler but I dont know if its still operating.
If you do happen to find some stone there are a few cutters out there that can be trusted to give you yours back as the finished product..
Most of the places that have the wash for sale also have their own preferred cutters.
Have a great trip
Howard.

AnswerID: 154101

Reply By: Joombi - Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 16:27

Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 16:27

Fiona,
on your way up call into Charters Towers, have a beer & a (Great) feed at the Courthouse Hotel in the Main Street, ask the publican whats to see & do around "The Towers", no doubt he will help you out...
40k's north (Towards Greenvale) is the "Fletcher Creek" campsite, its a spring fed creek, beautiful place to camp & its free & you gotta go to the Atherton Tablelands, there is heaps to do & see, if you had your full 6 weeks up there you wouldn't see it all,
hope this helps...
Rick....

AnswerID: 154102

Follow Up By: Howard T - Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 16:39

Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 16:39

Hi Rick
Are you a Towersite or just travelled through?
Howard

FollowupID: 408026

Follow Up By: Joombi - Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 17:13

Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 17:13

G'day Howard,
yep, I'm a Towersite, there are some beautiful places around here, a lot of people don't know about half of them, both my wife & I have jobs that get us around the bush a fair bit so we get to see a lot of stuff only the property owners & their ringers know about...
there are caves around here on private land where you would swear the occupants have only just stepped out, you can see tools, spears & even where the fire was.......
The Great Basalt Wall NP is one of the most unexplored places in NQ, there is only one point of entry by car & its not marked, even Qld Parks & wildlife get Choppered in for 3-5 day stretches because even if you find the entrance, you can only drive about 300m in, all the rest is on foot, if you love to walk around the bush & take photos of animals that are that quiet because they have never seen a human, this is the place, but be prepared, its a very rugged, unforgiving place.....

FollowupID: 408033

Follow Up By: Fone - Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 17:24

Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 17:24

Hi Rick,
I LOVE caves so if there is any way that we can see caves let me know - seeing things like that is why we are travelling.
Thanks
Fiona

FollowupID: 408038

Follow Up By: Member - Norm C (QLD) - Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 17:37

Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 17:37

Hi Joombie. Grew up in the Towers myself. Mother still lives there as does a sister and her family.

Red falls used to be a great place, but I understand the property owner has now stopped access. Pity if it is true, but I can't blame him I suppose.

I left before the mines reopened, so spent my childhood playing around the old mullock and cyanide heaps and climbing into old mine shafts (they weren't even fenced at the time). Much different now.

In town, the Venice Battery is well worth a visit.

Court House Hotel wasn't a safe place to visit when I was younger, but that is another change.

FollowupID: 408045

Follow Up By: Howard T - Friday, Feb 10, 2006 at 08:22

Friday, Feb 10, 2006 at 08:22

Hi Norm & Joombi,

Great to hear from a couple of blokes from the "Worlde". I was born and bred up there and still have most of my family up there including my Mum and Dad who are in their late 80s.
Lived near the Venus Battery on Millchester Road and used to play around it and the old cynaide heaps. Had a mine shaft and mullock heap right behind our place. Great fun as kids.
Did a lot of fishing around red falls and the Fletcher at the junction with the Burdekin.
Just come back from there. The Court HOuse is OK.

Howard

FollowupID: 408166

Reply By: Fone - Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 17:39

Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 17:39

Thanks again everyone, just reading about the places you are suggesting is making me impatient. I should have re read my post - we are LEAVING in 6 weeks but will be travelling for 3 months.

The _Affordable_Storage_Drawers.aspx we saw at the 4x4 shop were over $2000 so i don't think we'll be getting those, Hubby thought he could try and make them if they seem necessary and as a few people have mentioned them I guess they are something that is very useful.

I'm pleased a winch doesn't seem essential - again they were a bit of a shock.

So a CDMA phone has pretty good coverage out west and in the north? We are thinking of going to White Mountains, Expedition etc, and wanted something reliable in case of accident. Satellite phones are very exp to buy, but i guess we could sell it when we come back if that is the best way to go. Have no idea what a HF phone is!

Hmmm sounds like a fridge is the biggest problem. As we will be spending a bit over a week at Expedition and Carnarvon to begin with there is no way we could get ice. I know we can get big dry ice blocks in Brissy, can we get them in towns along the way? I don't think we can live on canned tuna and UHT milk for 3 months.

What about second hand fridges?

Still need a battery though. Hmmm there is alot to this food business.

AnswerID: 154113

Follow Up By: Cheiffy - Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 19:59

Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 19:59

H Fiona,

Have you had a look at hiring the equipment you need? Things like fridges, Sat phones etc can be hired for a reasonable amount. If you do a search you might just find what your looking for.
I have a set of those _Affordable_Storage_Drawers.aspx you were looking at and we absolutely love them. Life was meant to be easy after all.
When you stay at Carnarvon Gorge, you will no doubt be staying at the Takarakka Resort. It was around the $20 per night for us but you have no other alternative except for the more expensive (flash as well) other resort. Sorry, I dont remember their name.
I can understand your shock when you went shopping and once the bug bites, you will (or your Husband for that matter), have no hesitation paying good money for quality equipment.
Good luck to you

Cheiffy

FollowupID: 408073

Follow Up By: Peter - Friday, Feb 10, 2006 at 09:31

Friday, Feb 10, 2006 at 09:31

One thing for to reduce cost is to buy some large plastic boxes ( we use nylex ones they are about 900 X 450 X 200) Then Build a shelf in back of crusier ( This can Be removeable)

We like this because all cooking and food are stored in these. We can then take them out and move to wherever they are needed

Peter S

FollowupID: 408182

Reply By: SmithyWA - Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 21:24

Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 21:24

Hi Fiona

You mentioned kids back there somewhere. Having done a few trips ( presumably with them) you will have a few ideas to keep them occupied. We have a couple of seat organisers on the back of the front seats that the kids put there stuff in. They can get to their things during those long runs. Mine like colouring in books, sticker books, playing with the digital camera and we also listen to kids stories on the CD player which keeps them occupied and provides a chance for mum and dad to tune out and have a conversation. Before we go away our 2 kids get to pick a few things they really want to take thus feeling part of the whole preparation thing.

At the end of the day, don't forget to make the trip enjoyable for them and be flexible enough to call it a day if they have had enough of sitting in the back.

Have a great time.

Cheers

Mark

AnswerID: 154158

Follow Up By: Fone - Friday, Feb 10, 2006 at 18:22

Friday, Feb 10, 2006 at 18:22

Thanks Mark, yes the back of seat things were on a list somewhere but long forgotten so thanks for reminding me!
Fiona

FollowupID: 408338

Reply By: Dazmit - Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 21:47

Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 21:47

Hi Fiona

We did a Outback QLD trip last year - heard enough reports from travellers that the Lava tubes were overpriced - we went to Cobbold Gorge near there - great spot and great people http://www.cobboldgorge.com.au/ , also Lawn Hill gorge was great.

Larq Quarry near Winton for the dinosaur prints was good as well.

Enjoy as we certainly did.

Cheers

Darryl
Brisbane

AnswerID: 154169

Reply By: Scrubcat - Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 22:50

Thursday, Feb 09, 2006 at 22:50

Fiona,
Check with Telstra regarding CDMA coverage, I improved reception area by heaps by buying a CDMA mobile phone,( just a basic phone without all the whizbang stuff ), that would fit to a "patch lead" and connect to a 6db high gain antenna, not very expensive and now when away I can phone home from areas where I previously had no signal.
The people at the Telstra dealership set me up with all I needed for around $350.including phone but I fitted antenna etc. myself.

With all the above suggestions I reckon you will have to postpone the trip for 12 months :) lol.
enjoy it when ever.

AnswerID: 154195

Follow Up By: Fone - Friday, Feb 10, 2006 at 07:50

Friday, Feb 10, 2006 at 07:50

Hi, that sounds positive. My Mum has a CDMA phone so we could just steal hers and then fit the antenna and bits.

I have had some fantastic suggestions. I don't think i could postpone it now - but might have to make it for 4, 5 or 6 months..... i wish.

Fiona

FollowupID: 408155

Reply By: Member - Jeff H (QLD) - Friday, Feb 10, 2006 at 00:33

Friday, Feb 10, 2006 at 00:33

Struth Fona,
Leaving in 6 wks for 4mths!! You lowdown rotten bugger--you owe us all a beer or 3 .
Same as every one of us owes a mint to those who shone the torch for us.
Show your kids as much as u can it won't ever leave them.
Teach.

AnswerID: 154220

Reply By: Moose - Friday, Feb 10, 2006 at 14:37

Friday, Feb 10, 2006 at 14:37

Hi Fiona. Where abouts do you live? If in Brissie you can come over for a chat if you like. We've done heaps of travelling and your hubby can check out the simple storage system I have in the 80. If interested let me know how to contact you and we'll go from there.

AnswerID: 154304

Follow Up By: Fone - Friday, Feb 10, 2006 at 18:20

Friday, Feb 10, 2006 at 18:20

Hi Moose,

My email address is broc_and_fiona@yahoo.com.

We live in Paddington and would love to look at your set up and have a chat.

We have done quite alot of travelling with and without the kids, and while i don't mind repacking backpacks for the family for a week, 3 months is just too long to not have everything organised and given a place. Plus _Affordable_Storage_Drawers.aspx just seems so practical and easy. The shop ones are just too much for us though.

Bware has made a good point that we can pick things up along the way (i suppose I just want to have it all organised before we go so that I can relax). While on Fraser we would just tie a tarp to our old hilux (it has since gone to heaven), and we have all the usual camping gear, it is a fridge and storage that we have never had to deal with and I am starting to get a bit concerned.

I did have a look through one of the fridge postings yesterday before I posted but have to admit that i gave up. There is an AWFUL lot of info on fridges and thought if I just slipped my question in there I might get more of a straight answer.
12v seems like the way to go rather than gas powered, but then we need either a generator or dual battery set up. I saw that Waeco had a battery to run their fridge off.

Has anyone successfully travelled, ate well (canned tuna and span everynight doesn't appeal) with coldish drinks with dry ice and an esky? Is this possible? It certainly would be cheaper, but i don't want to find that after 2 weeks we can't actually get dry ice and then have to try and buy a fridge and set the battery up.

I know i am asking alot, and do understand that it takes years for some set ups. We don't need to have all the fancy things (can go without showers and nothing wrong with a shovel and hole in the ground), but food and peace of mind is very important.

Thanks again everyone and I especially love the places to go tips.
Fiona

FollowupID: 408337

Reply By: Member - Bware - Friday, Feb 10, 2006 at 16:13

Friday, Feb 10, 2006 at 16:13

Hi Fone,
I think you would be surprised at how cheaply you could do this. You aren't crossing the Simpson; you can get by with an esky and minimal gear and if you've got a good travel kitty you can make SOME improvements along the way like a decent tarp for shade, a bigger gas cylinder, an air compressor etc, as then you will know what suits your needs from your travels. It's great to dream about your ultimate rig, but you can start with nothing and add on from your personal experience to suit your individual needs.

AnswerID: 154323

Reply By: Member - Bware - Friday, Feb 10, 2006 at 16:34

Friday, Feb 10, 2006 at 16:34

AnswerID: 154326

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