Posts Tagged ‘campervan’

MANY Aussies have done the famous trek from Melbourne to Sydney along the Hume Highway, but make sure you take the time to stop in a little town called Tumut.

Once grabbing a campervan rental in Melbourne head north and you will arrive at this amazing little destination after about six or seven hours later. Tumut is just before Goulburn, and is only a 25-minute drive from the highway – you won’t be disappointed! This is where you will find Australia’s only remaining original broom factory that makes good old-fashioned straw brooms. Prices start at just $10 each and have an impressive 10-year guarantee! There’s some serious sweeping to be had in these brooms, so you can’t really go wrong. Furthermore, these brooms are an absolute must for your campervan, caravan or motorhome, as they get into all the nooks and crannies. No matter what it is you are sweeping up, nothing beats a straw broom! And while at the factory you can actually watch them make one while you wait. It’s extraordinary to see them do it. All is original machinery and the process is relatively quick, too! They are a great bunch of guys who work there and they’re more than happy to let you watch them strut their stuff.

Also in Tumut, make sure you catch up on some Aboriginal heritage and culture. Pay a visit to the Tourist Info Centre (straight across the road from the Broom Factory) and ask for Shane. He is the area’s Aboriginal Culture Specialist and will give you an insight to the local Aboriginal history – it’s fascinating, and is a look at Aboriginal history like you have never seen before.

So when you’re next heading north or south along the Hume Highway, which can be otherwise quite boring, make sure Tumut is a must-visit destination on your itinerary. It’s an easy drive from the highway and quite picturesque, too, especially if you lob there in Autumn when the colours are amazing. It’s a great little town with all services, including a Maccas which will thrill the kids … and some grown-ups!

Tumut is certainly one of the best “hidden treasures” we have found in all our travels.

PETER “SPIDA” EVERITT
The Great Australian Doorstep screens on Channel 7TWO in Australia. Visit www.thegreataustraliandoorstep.com.au for more information about Spida and his family’s travels throughout Australia.

While Coffs Harbour and surrounds offer some wonderful sites, attractions and lovely beaches, take the time to head up the Pacific Highway for a coast-hugging journey of four hours or so to one of the most peaceful places in Australia – Crystal Castle in Mullumbimby.

Though the trip is easy on the eyes, it’s the final destination that truly treats all the senses. This beautiful place in the Byron hinterland is ideal to enrich your own spirit and that of your partner’s, so make sure you plan to spend a good day there. In a nutshell, simply get on Park Beach Rd on the way out of Coffs and pick up the Pacific and head north.

While a direct route with no stops will get you there in about 3 and a half hours, for road-tripping romantics it might pay to set up a seven-day campervanning itinerary that takes in a few stopovers along the way, such as Grafton, Yamba, Lennox Head and Byron Bay. For us on this trip however, we picked up a Rental Car in Coffs Harbour from DriveNow and headed north.

Certainly stay a night or two in gorgeous Byron Bay and we suggest getting up bright and early one morning, head into town and load up on some energy with a scrumptious breakfast at funky cafe, Twisted Sister. The juice, the coffee, the eggs, the everything about this little eatery is A+. From here, it’s time for an enchanting visit at Crystal Castle, about half an hour from Byron and nestled in the hinterland.

Crystal Castle has a breathtaking landscape like no other in Australia, with an ancient labyrinth walk amidst mystical statues, giant crystals, gardens and refreshing rainforest. In the Castle itself there are tons of exquisite crystals and jewellery, books, aura photos, tarot readings, and a Lotus Cafe with an excellent laid-back menu. It really is a peaceful part of the world to recharge your batteries, go for a romantic stroll and simply “be”.

AUSTIN BONHAM

WE took advantage of the great deals offered through this super website for last minute campervan hire and did a test drive.

After an easy online booking process, and super deal thanks to the DriveNow gang, we and took one of Maui’s Jayco Conquest campervans for a spin to Adelaide. Peter and I have come to the conclusion www.drivenow.com.au offers the best way to test drive a motorhome (or campervan) without going all out and buying one up front. You know what? it’s actually better than hiring a car and staying in motels and I will even go a stretch further to say it’s tonnes better!

In the Maui you can cruise along and stop wherever you want, thanks to the fact the vehicle comes complete with full bathroom, so there’s no need to be hang on until you get to the next town! It’s such a breeze and so much more comfortable.

One afternoon, after a late night, I decided I needed a nap in the afternoon, so we pulled off just before Bordertown in South Australia and took a nap in the rest area. And a comfy one at that! All snuggled up in bed. You really can’t beat that.

Sheree sat out under the awning with a book and a cup of coffee and took in the views for an hour or so while our son Boston and I slept. In that sense it’s an even safer option than hiring a car and choosing to stay in hotels/motels. The best aspect for me and Sheree, as parents, is the fact you have a fully operational bathroom. On two of the nights we were very late getting into our stop, so we had a dinner stop and showered Boston and got him ready for bed and he fell asleep in his car seat. When we arrived, we simply just popped him into his bed. So quick and so very easy!

The Maui motorhomes are really easy to drive, too. You only need a normal car licence and, honestly, they are incredibly user friendly. Don’t be put off by their size because when you are on the road, you don’t feel any different. The Maui campervans are easy to reverse as they have full reversing cameras so even first-timers will think its a breeze! Better still, they are automatic too.

I’ve decided we would not travel any other way, especially on long trips and travelling with the kids! So don’t do car and motel – do a campervan and give DriveNow a spin to experience it first before you buy!

PETER “SPIDA” EVERITT
The Great Australian Doorstep Series 3 is now on Channel 7TWO.

THE Grand Pacific Drive departing from Sydney doesn’t take long to lose yourself in the chill factor as you leave the city behind and enter its southern fringe and into the sub-tropical lushness of the Royal National Park. It pays to stop off for a walk here and explore one of the oldest national parks in the world.

From here, it’s a leisurely drive  offering spectacular scenery, dramatic coastal cliffside views and sandstone heaths inland. Stop off at the Hindu Temple in Helensburgh or enjoy a spot of  horseriding at beautiful Otford to really fire up the romance-o-meter before jumping back in the camper to head to Stanwell Tops for some amazing views. Before long, you will reach the charming seaside suburb of  Thirroul – reportedly the Aboriginal word for “Valley of Cabbage Tree Palms”. Thirroul was a former coalmining hamlet boasts excellent surf beach at Sandon Point. It’s golden beachfront has a wonderful grassy area to enjoy a coffee from a local cafe or kick back with a picnic. This was the place that inspire writer DH Lawrence to pen his novel, Kangaroo.

It’s only a half hour cruise along the seaside drive from here to reach Wollongong, one of the most liveable regional cities south of Sydney. A magical place to park your campervan for a night or two is at Shellharbour Beachside Tourist Park. This park’s lovely beachfront location is only a short stroll away from Shellharbour Village and its restaurants, shops and cafes. At night, I highly recommend an evening spent at the Lagoon Restaurant to set the mood and enjoy a wonderful feast of fresh seafood right on the oceanfront.

Some of the nearby attractions worth exploring here include Blackbutt Reserve, Seacliff Bridge and the Illawarra Fly treetop walk (pictured).

AUSTIN BONHAM

CALLING all lovers, it’s time to warm up your wheels and start your engines – the DriveNow team has asked me to suggest some of the most romantic drives in Australia for starcrossed lovers.

Forget the caravan of love, our focus is the campervan of love and you needn’t worry about forking out for a costly mobile love machine with wheels as you can hire a camper for a steal on the DriveNow website. Click up a pick-up and drop-off deal from Melbourne and you are all set for the first of our Romantic Drives series in 2010 – Great Ocean Road. Without further adieu, pop a rose in your front grill and hit the Princes Freeway and Bellarine Highway to make your way to the charming township of Queenscliff.

There’s nothing like a bit of coastal road cruising to kick-start your journey along the Great Ocean Road, which is possibly Australia’s most romantic scenic route. But make be sure to stop off at Queenscliff as a starting point for a day and night spent absorbing the spoils and sights of this historic township. Meander around town and check out grand Victorian-era buildings, great pubs, an ice creamery and if you happen to be there in the last week of November you just may catch the legendary Queenscliff Music Festival.

From there, you’ll be all loved up and ready to let your camper hug the coastline and enter little hamlets townships in surfer territory, particularly Barwon Heads, Ocean Grove, Torquay (where Great Ocean Rd officially starts and what is home to some iconic surf shops and famous surfing hot spot Bells Beach) and it’s well worth setting up camp in Anglesea for a stop over to enjoy the spoils of a superb beach and an amazing 35km surf coast walk. The drive from Queenscliff to Anglesea is a leisurely 1hr and 15 minute drive (with no stops).

The last stretch of this romantic itinerary recommendation is to set off early after check-out from Anglesea and take in Airey’s Inlet for an hour or two (beautiful lighthouse to explore and great fish’n'chips for lunch) before heading to Lorne for a stay for multiple days. It takes about 45 minutes to reach Lorne from Anglesea without any stops.

Lorne is a tourism hotspot very popular in the warmer months but don’t just stick to the perimeter of the township – explore yonder and discover amazing waterfalls and rainforest in the Otways, or dart off in your car to nearby Wye River (check out the amazing pub on the hill overlooking the ocean!) and Apollo Bay.

Fresh sea breezes, quaint little hamlets, top beaches, seaside restaurants, lovely holiday parks to set up camp, interesting shops to wander through … why wouldn’t you choose a romantic weekend or week away along Great Ocean Rd?

AUSTIN BONHAM

LEAVING Normanton, we headed south to a teeny, weeny place called Quamby.

The roadtrip was surprisingly easy thanks to good roads and not a lot of road trains, thankfully on this particular day. There were plenty of cattle, though, so you still have to be careful. The cattle around these parts seem to have sound road skills. Believe it or not, I actually saw a herd of cows stop and wait and then cross the road, unlike the horses up around Cooktown who wait, then run out in front of you!

There is little warning that Quamby is approaching, so don’t blink or you will miss it. The town of Quamby – and, yes, it still is a registered town – has a population of only 5 (three of whom are the barmaids!) and just one property. However, many moons ago Quamby was a vibrant little village and one of the main Cobb & Co stations. Now it’s a great pub, with accommodation out the back – donga style. You can hook up your van to their power or use a donga.

It’s such a neat, quaint and interesting place that you do really have to stay a night. They have their own resident bull, Camel, who is a real character and they have their own Bundaberg Rum water tank sitting in all its pride and glory on the hill out the back. Yes, it’s all very Outback and very welcoming. The pub is big, with tons of room, so sit inside or sit outside, fire up the Barbecues and enjoy the best cooked breakfast you will find on the road. All the facilities are nice and clean and, of course, you will always get a nice cold beer, not to mention the mean roast dinner that’s on the menu! And the barmaids here are tourists and have some cracker stories to tell.

Situated just 120kms out of Cloncurry, it’s also worth noting that there’s no mobile phone reception unless you drive about 250m up the road and around the next corner.

You will not find Outback style or hospitality like you do at the Quamby Pub.

PETER “SPIDA” EVERITT
The Great Australian Doorstep – visit www.thegreataustraliandoorstep.com.au

HEADING south and inland from Cooktown down to Mt Surprise was, well, a bit of a surprise – a pleasant one.

Definitely take the short-cut and head along the top of the Atherton Tablelands, and cut out going back through Cairns. It’s a great drive that’s fairly easy until you reach Rolleston. From then on its only bitumen for the width of one car, down the middle of the road, so drive your campervan and carry your load carefully especially on corners, as chances are others coming towards you are using the middle of the road too! The other half of your lane is orange dirt and badly corrugated, so it’s slow going. Every now and then you will get a double land of bitumen, but not often, and no there’s no phone reception from thereafter either.

It feels like the road is never ending, but it’s because of the slow going and the frequent pull-offs you have to make. But once you enter Mt Surprise, this little town never fails to surprise! It’s a tiny town with a pub built in the back of someone’s barn, a petrol station, post office, fish and chips shop and café. Just remember there’s not much phone reception here but there is a pay phone out the front of the petrol station.

We stayed at Bedrock Caravan Village and we can’t recommend it highly enough and you needn’t worry about staying anywhere else but there. It’s awesome! Fantastic hosts Joe & Jo bend over backwards to make your stay totally and utterly unforgettable, with singalongs around the camp fire, camp dinners and the best part is that they also own the local tours company out to the Lava Tubes and Volcano Rim. The Lava Tubes are amazing, still in their pristine, natural state, including the bones of many dead animals littering the floors of the tubes. It’s grea to see they haven’t commercialised it and it really hits home about how often we have ruined national treasures through tourism. You will not be dissapointed, not for a second. Joe is full of knowledge and has a great relationship with the local elders, which only lends charm to a very memorable experience.

Make sure you stay at least three or four days in Mount Surprise. You definitely will not regret it.

PETER “SPIDA” EVERITT
The Great Australian Doorstep is coming to 7TWO on Australian television. Visit www.thegreataustraliandoorstep.com for more information

THE drive from Mossman to Cooktown is brilliant. It isn’t an easy drive, but still it’s really worth the while. Make sure you stock up on everything before you head off and there are plenty of stops along the way including some great photo opportunities.

Cooktown is a place full of wonder and it certainly wasn’t what I expected, that’s for sure! Simply put – it is stunning and there is no other way to describe it. And the history you will see and learn is astounding. I knew so little before going there it was actually embarrassing.

For starters, the lookout will take your breath away and if you are an avid photographer, you will spend hours – even days – taking photos. The Mt Cook lookout is the first port of call to get your bearings and start your adventure of the area. From there we headed back into town to the James Cook Museum. This museum is housed in the old Nunnery, and is even haunted some will tell you! But the exhibits they have there are quite remarkable, especially given how remote Cooktown is. I would say it’s even better than most of the mainstream museums on the east coast!

We stayed at the Big4 Cooktown, and it is so good you won’t need to think about staying anywhere else. They even have a wash down bay for your vehicles, two swimming pools, tonnes of room, huge, lush green sites and the biggest and best camp kitchen ever.

The following day we took a tour – highly recommended – with Guurbi Tours. They will show you sacred Aboriginal sites and “birthing grounds”, which are like nothing you have ever seen. Cooktown itself has all the services for you to stock up including the ANZ bank. If you feel like a day trip, head back south about 90kms and take the turn off to The Lions Den. This is a remote pub and camping ground, but oozing so much hospitality and charm. They have new owners and the place really is a buzz. And if you like a quiet ale, you just have to go to the Top Pub in the main street of Cooktown at sunset – that view will never be beaten, especially with a cold lager in the hand!

PETER “SPIDA” EVERITT
The Great Australian Doorstep is coming to Channel 7Two in 2010! Stay tuned! Visit www.thegreataustraliandoorstep.com to purchase DVDs and find out more about the show.

WHO ever would have thought that a place like Mossman was only a 90-minute drive north of Cairns.

Tucked away in the beautiful hinterland and on the base of the Daintree. Mossman hides one of the most spectacular and entertaining places that is simply unforgettable – The Karnak Playhouse, owned by world famous Diane Cilento! It is so enchanting, I could have stayed there forever. They do world class stage performances and when you throw the setting into the equation, it’s really something out of a story book.

After leaving the Playhouse, we took in the Mossman Gorge. Once again, somewhere you simply do not want to leave after experiencing it. The scenery is so untouched, which is awesome to see, and make sure you take your swimmers as the big swimming hole is fantastic! Best of all, you don’t have to be fit as you can go to the main viewing platform. It’s an easy 250m stroll with only a few stairs.

Once back at the Riverside Caravan Park, the kids wanted another swim and what better way to do it than in an Olympic-sized swimming pool right in the confines of the caravan park. Sure beats swimming with the crocodiles in the nearby river!

Mossman is very small but has all the amenities you will need. It sure has changed a lot in the past 10 years when Sheree was there last. She couldn’t believe it and all for the better too. The corner pub has great meals at affordable prices and you can watch the latest in all sports on their screens (should the caravanning and kids and wife be getting to you!)

PETER “SPIDA” EVERITT
The Great Australian Doorstep can be found on the How To Channel on Foxtel. Visit www.thegreataustraliandoorstep.com.au to purchase DVD copies of the TV series.

BIDDING farewell to Ayr, we headed off for a leisurely four hour drive north to Cairns and I couldn’t wait! The Great Barrier Reef, the shopping, the Kuranda Railway, the Skyrail … so much to do.

We stayed at the Coconut Holiday Resort and this was a five star park in the truest sense. This is an ideal place to set up camp after a long drive in Queensland in your campervan or caravan. With everything from unpowered grassy sites right through to three bedroom condos, two enormous pool areas, the best children’s play activities you could think of and it even has its own restaurant where you can sink your teeth into the best fish and chips going around. Just ask Sheree, she had them almost every night! Must be a Kiwi thing.

The first day we spent out on the reef on the Quicksilver Reef Escape. Unfortunately the day wasn’t such a good one, so we could only go as far as Green Island as the visibility out on the reef wasn’t good, but Green Island certainly didn’t disappoint. We went on the glass bottom boats, the submarine and took a walk through the stunning rainforest, before finishing up with some snorkeling. A great day was had by all, and actually was all the better for none of us having any unwanted sunburn!

The next day we took in the Skyrail up the mountains and the Kuranda Railway back down. You really have to spend an entire full day doing this as there are so many great photo opportunities and some fantastic shopping up at the Kuranda Markets. You will never get a view anywhere else like you do from the Skyrail. Boston, our youngest, really loved the Kuranda Railway, he thought it was James and Percy towing us.

On our third day we took a drive up the gorgeous coast road up to Port Douglas. ‘Why don’t we live here’, I keep asking myself. I am definitely heading back up there to live one day. Every day really is beautiful one day and perfect the next. And the one highlight for all our kids was Muddies Water Park on the waterfront boardwalk in Cairns itself. Definitely something Boston will never forget, and a bonus for me – its all free!

PETER “SPIDA” EVERITT