Motorhoming Australia: A parallel RVing world "Down Under"
By Gail Bennett
Australia is an island continent similar in size to the United States.
But with a population of 20 million, that's only six percent of the 300
million people in America. Australia is a land of vast contrasts with
the usual populated and vibrant metropolises of the big cities, the
outback where you can travel for some time without seeing another
person or vehicle, and all the small- to medium-sized towns in between.
Away from the more populated East Coast you can free-camp in the middle
of nowhere and see not another soul for a few days. Most times, though,
if you do pull up in the middle of nowhere, but near a road in the
middle of the afternoon, within a short time you will have a few camp
companions who are looking for safety in numbers.
With such a small population (in comparison to the USA) our roads need
not be freeways from city to city. Whilst you will drive on freeway
conditions between Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne the rest of Australia
is two lane highways (one lane in either direction). Whilst you can see
the "real Outback" if you stay on the bitumen you can also spend many
kilometres on outback dirt roads and tracks if your motorhome is
suitably set up for such conditions.
Being in the southern hemisphere we travel north for winter instead of
south as the Americans do. During the months of May through September
the Outback and far north comes alive with travelers and friends who
tour
these parts either regularly, as "full timers" or as the "trip of a
lifetime." Many couples or family groups take three months paid long
service leave to travel "around the block" that is "travelling around
Australia," as we Aussies call it. Others take many years to do the
same
lap.
We have a great family in the motorhoming fraternity with two Australia
wide clubs whose main focus is meeting people and having a great time.
The Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia (CMCA) has 46,000 members
and fosters a very close 'family' relationship which is exemplified by
its famous motto, "Laugh More – Live Longer." This sense of
belonging extends throughout the nation where the club's network of
chapters provides a solid support base for members on the move and a
strong social framework for those in the same region. With this many
members you do not go far without finding a familiar blue sticker of a
club member.
With this family atmosphere you will often meet up with someone you met
at a free camp either the night before or a few nights ago. You catch
up -- find out where the best deals are, where the cheapest fuel is and
where the next free camp is. You can find yourself meeting up with the
same people again and again around Australia. For me traveling and
motorhoming is just as much about the people you meet as the places you
see. We have met many great people in our motorhoming outings either
with our local chapter of the CMCA or on our long term trips "around
the block" and many of these will remain life long friends.
This is just a very brief overview of motorhoming in Australia. I look
forward to expanding these and many other topics in coming articles.
See my website MotorhomingLifestyle.com for articles and information about RVing in my part of the world.
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| A big rally "Down Under" can look a whole lot like a similar one in North America. Two major rallies are held each year in Australia with 1,000 to 1,200 motorhomes participating for the week-long affairs. |
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