ON THE ROADwith Clyde & Charmaine

Issue #0046 April 2016Official newsletter of www.caravancaravan.com.au

For The Love of BooksThe historic goldrush village of Clunes in Victoria, half an hour north of Ballarat, is the venue for Booktown, a festival dedicated to the love of books. The 10th Anniversary Clunes Booktown Festival 2016, themed ‘Journeys through time and place’, will be held on Saturday April 30 and Sunday May 1.In this modern age of tablets, smart phones and almost unlimited instant Internet access to anything that has ever been published, avid bookworms are still able enjoy the simple pleasure of holding a printed book in their hands, leaving through the pages and devouring a good yarn.Clunes is famous for its bookshops. Providing everything from the collectables to the bargains, the small shops to the large shops stock thousands of titles. Set in a heritage rich landscape, Clunes is located 36 km north of Ballarat and 142 km north-west of Melbourne. It is a member of the International Organisations of Booktowns.

This year, special guests include Australian luminaries Anna Bligh and Stan Grant. There are over 70 book traders, 40 authors speaking, 9 general entertainment acts, 8 educational acts (4 for kids and 4 for teens), various kids activities, an Exhibition in the old

Wesley Bluestone focused on our theme, plus 90 minutes of slam poetry from ‘Newstead Tattoo Presents…’ and last, but not least, good food and books galore. It should be fun! A weekend pass costs just $10 and this includes access to all author talks. It is superb value for money, and should be a great weekend for all.

Clunes Caravan Park is an excellent base for discovering this historic area. Leave your caravan here and explore Avoca, Arrarat, Maldon, Creswick, Mt Beckworth Wines, Pyrenees Wineries, Dunolly, St Arnaud and Talbot. None of these are more than an hour’s drive away and many within just 15 minutes. Be sure to tell your hosts about this website.

On The Road with Clyde & Charmaine

Official newsletter of www.caravancaravan.com.au

Clear Blue Waters of Naroomaby Steve Collins

Steve Collins is a broadcaster and travel writer who publishes Grumpy’s Getaway Guide and runs the online radio station, Radio Roaming. He also produces Podcasts for the caravancaravan.com.au website.

The South Coast of New South Wales is a remarkably beautiful part of the world. There are many small towns, bays, beaches and forests where you can find solace, indulge in a variety of water sports, or just sit back and enjoy the view.Located roughly half way between Sydney and the Victorian border is the town of Narooma. Named after the Aboriginal term for clear, blue water, the town is reached via the Princes Highway, which winds its way through the town then follows the ridges of the hills until it drops down to cross the Wagonga Inlet. This inlet is a popular with fishers and kayakers and provides a safe mooring for the many boats which ply the waters of the Tasman Sea.Narooma is quite hilly as it seems that the Great Dividing Range has crept its way forward to collide with the sea. The coastal scenery changes with the weather. On sunny days the greenery of the coastline contrasts marvellously with the deep blue of the sea, which is separated from the land by lonely golden beaches and treacherous cliffs. Narooma’s mood changes on a stormy day when the gunmetal greyness of the choppy waters is broken by the roar of waves smashing against the rocks and churning up the beaches.

Most people visit Narooma to enjoy the water. Fishing, kayaking, surfing, diving and sailing are all popular activities. In season, when whales are migrating up and down the coast, whale watching is very popular. About 8 kms offshore is Montague Island a designated wildlife reserve which is home to a colony of fur seals, little penguins, sea eagles, hawks, terns and peregrine falcons. The waters around the island teem with fish. You can tour the island, which also has an historic lighthouse.A variety of Montague Island Nature Reserve Tours are now on offer through Narooma Visitors Centre and local charter operators. NPWS Guides meet the boats at the Island’s jetty and escort you through the Island’s fascinating history, abundant wildlife and unique environment. Tours depart at 9am, 12.30pm and evening

penguin tours are also available in season. Bookings can be made at the Narooma Visitors Centre. Call in or phone: 1800 240 003.There is also a Lighthouse Museum which is located at the Narooma Visitor Centre. The original Montague Island light is on display here. It warned ships of coastline dangers for 105 years before being replaced by a newer, more powerful light.Behind the town, in the hinterland, is Gulaga National Park where the dominating feature is Mount Dromedary, which was named so by Captain Cook during his discovery of the East Coast of Australia because it reminded him of a camel. Although there used to be mines within the present park boundaries, all activity has ceased and it remains a good place to enjoy walks through the rainforest.

Lighthouse Museum

Clear Blue Waters of Narooma

Montague Island is well worth the trip

Gulaga National Park

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On The Road with Clyde & Charmaine

Official newsletter of www.caravancaravan.com.au

Crossing the Nullarborby Phil & Pam Crockart

For those contemplating crossing the Nullarbor for the first time, fear of the unknown can be the overriding emotion as they prepare for their adventure. Here is a story of a couple as they took on this adventure and relate their experience for others who are considering doing the same. Phil and Pam Crockart take up the story...I have to admit, it was with some trepidation I started towing my caravan from Milang (SA) to Perth. I planned to make Kimba on the first day, loaded with water, food and many other items I was advised to take.The truth is that I didn’t need the water (we had plenty) and we got away with 300 to 400km a day to reach our first goal (Esperance) within a week of leaving. The last decent water was Penong at the start of the Nullarbor and our caravan stop at Fraser Range near Norseman at the other end.Fuel prices were a bit frightful at the very remote stops like Giaguna, Balledonia etc. It made a lot of sense to think about a long range fuel tank. At the start we filled the tank at Mt Barker in SA for 95 cents a litre, the most expensive was $1.54 on the trip. Maybe a long range tank has its merits. Our average mileage was 14.3L/100km, due to a headwind most of the way across. We have a Ford Ranger XL diesel, towing a Jayco Starcraft at 2.6 tonnes.Food was easy for us, even at free camps. We had cooked and frozen about 20 meals for the trip. These ranged from rissoles to snags and chops for the BBQ, anything simple to cook without electricity. We still have plenty of gas despite using the fridge on gas at free camps.Trucks on the road were not a problem. We communicated via CB and most of them were appreciative of our input. Don’t forget to flash the headlights when the last trailer is clear so the truckie can pull in safely, they will thank you for that courtesy. Our speed was around 80 to 90 km/hr. This speed, I felt was a safe and easy towing speed. The truckies and other road users respected that as well.All in all we had a pleasant and safe trip, it’s not as daunting as I expected despite being a bit expensive on fuel. By the way, we put the extra water in our tanks at Fraser Range and still haven’t used it.Photos by Phil Crockart

Nullarbor Roadhouse

Moodini Bluff

Twiggys CampSunset at Twiggys

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On The Road with Clyde & Charmaine

Official newsletter of www.caravancaravan.com.au

Variety Posite Bike Dash 2016by Charmaine Camel

Clyde Camel on Bike 88 is hitting the road again in the 2016 Variety Good Guys Postie Bike Dash. This event will be staged from 30th October to 4th November with overnights at Lithgow, Orange, Wellington, Muswellbrook and Gloucester. Along the way we will be visiting schools, distributing much needed help. We would like you to help us raise $20,000 for this wonderful charity.Last year Clyde Camel raised, with the help of members of caravancaravan.com.au, over $9,700 for Variety. He was the second highest fund raiser out of a field of 38 entrants. This year he is intent on breaking all records and we need your help to achieve the target.Variety is a charity that provides help for disadvantaged and disabled children, to enable them to reach their full potential. They visit schools and provide much needed learning aids, sporting equipment and special needs furniture. Variety has been doing this important work for over 40 years.Many years ago, well known philanthropist and businessman, Dick Smith started the “B to B Bash” with Variety. An excursion consisting of old cars being driven from a town starting with B and ending at a different town starting with B. The Bash raises millions of dollars each year for the projects that Variety runs. In addition to the Bash, there is the Variety Splash, an event for boats and the Variety Postie Bike Dash.All of the participants who raise funds for Variety are volunteers who pay their own expenses along the way and contribute a significant amount to the donations. But we also need the help of our friends and this is where you can make a big difference. A website has been set up to receive donations and it is operating now. In addition to accepting donations, the website provides interesting information and news about the event.We understand that people have different circumstances and not everyone is in a position to make a large donation. Any amount that you can manage is welcome.You can check out the website at www.caravancaravan.com.au/sponsors and see the amount that has been raised so far.

If you, or anyone you know would like to participate in the Dash, there are still a few places available. The first step is to visit the Variety Website which has information about how you can join in or help. Here are some photos from the 2015 Dash.

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