Author: dean

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IT on the road

So, having been in communications and IT all our working lives, how did/do we deal with raising anchor and living permanently on the road?

We have some answers to most aspects relating to this, that at the moment anyhow, seem to work for us. We’ll try to come back with updates as and if anything substantive changes.

Devices

User devices

As noted above, we’ve been IT-oriented since almost the beginning of personal computers, and from the early ’80s through until we sold our Granville house there have always been multiple PCs in the home. Looking at the space constraints of living in a van (albeit a pretty big one) we made a very deliberate effort to rationalise the number of end-user devices we owned.

As such, we each have a laptop PC (Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14″) running Windows, a Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (Android) and a Samsung S22 Ultra. All of these are starting to show their age a little, but will likely be replaced when the time comes with something generally equivalent.

We both tend to use these vaguely similarly, with slightly different emphases: the PCs for general computing (and games for Dean), the tablets and phones more for content consumption (and Reen’s games/puzzles). This aligns with general observations; on-screen keyboards are limiting and trying to type anything more than a quick email or text message on them is usually frustrating1.

We also consciously try hard to ensure that any content either generated or downloaded is managed appropriately (see below) and this often means using the PC as that aspect seems more straightforward in that environment.

Smart devices

No IT discussion these days can ignore the presence and impact of “smart” devices: those items and appliances that were once considered completely unrelated to computing but are now connect to “the network” to provide information or facilitate control. Noting our deliberately low-key approach to networking (see the discussion below), we have not tried to connect everything we own!โ€”for example we don’t have the wi-fi module installed in the air conditioner (getting out of the chair is good exercise ๐Ÿ™‚ ).

Items currently connected that fit into this category include:

  • the TV, a Samsung smart unit with an ethernet connection; and
  • a digital photo frame, that we use in lieu of having the grandkid’s (and other) pictures in frames; and
  • a Lenovo clock beside the bed (mostly just because we had it already, we probably won’t replace it when it fails); and
  • a Grid Connect camera over the kitchen bench that allows us to keep an eye on the TCs when we’re away from the van; and
  • at least one Arlec smart plug2 providing timed on/off for the towel rail.

Network

During the build of our van, Travelhome freely admitted that they were RV builders, not IT geeks and left all IT infrastructure decisions to us and worked with us to build in what we specified.

The core of our van’s network is a Teltonika RUT-X11 router; an industrial-grade, 4-port dual-SIM wi-fi router with built-in GPS and Bluetooth. It has a significant advantage in that it runs on 12v, and is therefore very power-efficient in the mobile environment.

Currently, only two of the four ethernet ports are connected; to the TV and the NAS (see below), with all other connections being wireless.

We currently have a single SIM installed, with a just-above-entry-level plan from a Telstra reseller that provides a modest data allowance per month. The router can also connect to other wi-fi access points as required, which is useful for saving mobile data, and we both have significant accumulated roll-over data capacity on our phone plans for tethering (to either individual devices or to the router) as needed.

Data storage and management

Having suffered a few data disasters in our time, both at work and domestically, we are acutely conscious of the “value” of our data, and hence the value of managing it appropriately (that last bit means “backup” ๐Ÿ™‚ ).

While this is more properly the subject of it’s own postโ€”I’ll get to that one dayโ€”it’s worth saying here that if you are not backing up your data (documents, photos, contact list, etc), then you’re facing a world of hurt at some point in the future. Note that this is a “when”, not an “if”: sooner or later whatever storage you may be relying on *will* fail, probably catastrophically.

So, what do we do? Without pre-empting the separate post noted above, simply we keep as much data as possible on a NAS (Synology DS918+) which is in turn backed up selectively to Google Drive and more completely to two portable USB drives on a rotational basis.

We also make extensive use of Google Drive and Google Photos3 separately from individual devices, but this is more of “bonus” than an integral part of the primary backup plan.

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Random Bassetts…

…all totally unrelated so far as we know!

This page is a collection of pictures and links to all sorts of other Bassetts both in Australia and around the worldโ€”as noted above, none are any direct relation so far as we know (although there’s a number of them we wouldnโ€™t mind knowing a little better!).

If you happen to find that one of these links is broken or if you come across yet another Bassett why not let us know!

Angela Evelyn Bassett is an American actress. Known for her work in film and television since the 1980s, she has received various accolades, including two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards and eight Primetime Emmy Awards4.
Caitlin Bassett is a former Australian netballer, who played for Giants Netball and the Australia national netball team. Between 2017 and 2021 Bassett captained Australia in international netball tests5.
The “other” Caitlin Bassett is an American actress and US Army veteran. Best known for her work as a lead on NBCโ€™s Quantum Leap, Bassett is the first American female combat veteran to work as an actress in Hollywood6.
Another Aussie Bassett (Keith), at keithbassett.id.au.
Bassett Healthcare in New York State (US) at bassett.org (note the singular, rather than plural of the name in the URL)
David and Kathryn (Rhinehart) Bassett at bassett.net
 bassettbranches.org, the site for the Bassett Family Association
The world-famous Bassettโ€™s Liquorice Allsorts now a part of the Mondelฤ“z International group at www.mondelezinternational.com
Bassett Cove Cornwall (UK)
Bassetts Ice Cream of Philadelphia USA since 1861 at bassettsicecream.com
In Toledo (Ohio, USA) we believe, but we feel like most of our family would fit right in.
Good grief!
Is nothing off limits?

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TCs (travel cats)

When we first started to discuss life on the road, we we quite uncertain about what to do with Sienaar; tossing around various options such as leaving her with one of our kids, etc. At some point the idea of actually planning to take her with us was raised, so we started digging into what that might mean. Fairly quickly we came to appreciate that it wasn’t such an outlandish idea and that there’s plenty of examples all over the web of people who travel with their cat(s).

[And of course, it wasn’t too long before Sienaar was joined by Xena also!!]

Thus the concept of the Travel Cat came to be…

Van design changes

We arrived at this decision early enough that the team at Travelhome had absolutely no issues whatsoever with a couple of small changes we suggested to make a kitty’s lifeโ€”and by extension ours’ alsoโ€”more pleasant.

  • Litter tray location: one of our fears about having Sienaar in the van was that in such a (relatively) confined space there would be a noticeable odour from her litter tray. Reen had already sourced online a roomy, robust and easy to clean enclosed tray7 and using that with a good clumping litter8 in the granny flat we stayed in pending the van’s completion allayed that fear significantly. We then had the Travelhome team configure the space under the TV to have only two drawers instead of the normal four, leaving a spot pretty much the perfect size for the tray. We added an inexpensive litter-trap mat in front of it and it all works perfectly. Best of all, essentially no smell whatsoever (as verified by son-in-law’s very sensitive nose ๐Ÿ™‚ ).
  • Fresh air/outside access: even though Sienaar had always been an inside cat, and a rather timid one at that, we really wanted her to be able to see outside, especially if we were out there under the awnings; and to have safe, protected access to lots of fresh air, etc. Yes, there are the windows, but van flyscreens are not particularly claw-proof nor chunky kitty-proof and we didn’t want to encourage her to spend time looking/investigating/playing near them. The Travelhome guysโ€”especially super-builder Brynโ€”installed a large drawer into the rear kerb-side storage bin, fitted with a security mesh cage, including safety stopper and opening lid. They then provided an opening from this cage through into the bottom of the cupboard beside the TV slide-room. All we had to do was fit a hook latch and there is ready access for kitties out to their cage any time that the cupboard is open (most of the time ๐Ÿ™‚ ).

Actual travel (in the truck)

Legally (and sensibly), animals in a moving vehicle must be properly restrained in the back seat. Lots of advice recommends cages/carry boxes for cats, but this seemed like quite a restrictive and uncomfortable option that would lead to Sienaar (and Xena) fearing or avoiding travel. (Conversely and somewhat weirdly, carry cages seem to be seldom recommended as a long-term travel option for dogs. While I understand the sheer practicality of that for medium/large dogs, lots of small dogs are no bigger than our cats. Very discriminatory…)

Anyhow, we settled on a combination of:

  • a pet car seat9, really just a mesh-lined box with straps to connect around the seat headrest and to the seatbelt, etc; and
  • a comfortable padded bed sitting in that seat10; and
  • a snug, hard-to-escape-from safety vest11 that clips onto a strap on their car seat.

As you can se from the following photos, they both cope with this arrangement quite well; Sienaar just settles in and mostly sleeps while Xena is a little more “wriggly” (I guess ‘cos she’s a bit younger) but really doesn’t complain much or seem at all uncomfortable.

Cats in the truck – both very comfortable but Siennar is (atypically) awake and Xena (also atypically) asleep.

Life with the Travel Cats

So, having come this far and as we approach 12 months in our van, how is life with our TCs?

We reckon it’s a resounding success and I’m betting that if you could get the TCs to answer when you asked, they would tooโ€”they both seem very happy and content with life in general.

Sienaar has taken a long while to get her head around the idea of using the cage very much (did we mention that she’s always been extremely timid) but it seems as if she’s learning from watching Xena and will now sit out there inside her “tunnel” for fairly extended periods if it seems quiet. Xena has a much more outgoing nature and will race out there if she hears someone coming so they can chat with her!

Final caveat

Someway into all this we did come across one issue we had not really thought of and didn’t have a quick, easy solution for: what do we do with the TCs in the unlikely situation that our van is unliveable?

(This came to the fore when we needed to have one of the van slideouts repaired; it had to be removed and there were delays sourcing parts from the distributor, etc.)

As it turned out, we were able to impose on our daughter to assist, and I guess we would do something similar for any future occurrence; but it did highlight something we hadn’t previously considered.

We should leave you, for now at least as their story isn’t finished, with a slideshow of lots (and lots) of TC photos…

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Regulatory, legal and engineering shenanigans*

* in the second meaning ("silly or high-spirited behaviour; 
mischief", with the emphasis on "silly") according to Oxford.

Intro

As previously alluded to in “Truck and van”,ย  trying to get hold of some documented clarification around the legal and regulatory definitions, specifications and status of a 5th wheeler and tow vehicle was a hopelessly frustrating exercise.

There is some very small glimmer of hope on the horizon, as it seems evident that there is a desire and will for Australia-wide convergence of the regulations and related matters. However, all regulatory process move glacially slowly, so holding your breath in anticipation of an outcome is probably not a great plan.

Useful reading

Some documents I found that proved helpful are:

  1. Australian Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development VSB 1 โ€“ Trailers with an Aggregate Trailer Mass of 4.5 Tonnes or less
  2. Transport for NSW Vehicle Standards Information #5, Light vehicle dimension limits
  3. Transport for NSW Vehicle Standards Information #18, Dimension and mass limits for vehicle combinations
  4. Collyn Rivers “Fifth Wheelers are Safer” page (downloaded PDF as of Jan 2024). I also **strongly recommend** Collyn’s The Caravan & Motorhome Book; it’s a good read and jam-packed with solid, technically robust information.
  5. Caravan Industry Association of Australia’s “5th Wheeler Towing” (downloaded PDF as of Jan 2024)
  6. CarsGuide “Vehicle weights explained” (downloaded Jan 2024)

Key foundational facts

Some of the interesting, relevant and usually not-well-understood facts that I uncovered in this research are:

(a) A 5th wheeler is defined as a semi-trailerโ€”see sections 3 and 4 of Ref #2, above. As such, when combined with the tow vehicle it forms an “articulated vehicle” as distinct from a “combination”.

(b) While Ref #2 notes the differentiation between “light” and “heavy” vehicles and refers off to other sources for weight (mass) limits for the heavy class; there is essentially no discussion in that document or any other (such as the referenced Regulation) of such limits for light vehicles, other than the upper limiting point of 4.5 tonnes.

Note: Ref #3 is provided primarily for interest only as it refers and applies only to “vehicle combinations”, NOT “articulated vehicles”.

(c) “Towing limits” are (within reason) defined by vehicle manufacturers not regulation and are almost always a function of the engineering of the tow hitch and it’s attachment to the vehicle.

(d) Applying the same logic to a 5th wheeler shows us that the absolute upper limit of tow capacity is that of the hitch (e.g. 7 tonnes for a commonly used Hayman Reese unit).ย  Referring to (b) above [and hence Ref #2], this becomes 4.5 tonnes to stay within the light vehicle definition.

(e) A 5th wheeler “transfers” some 20% or so of it’s overall weight as load onto the tray of the tow vehicleโ€”see the definition and picture of semi-trailer in Section 3 of Ref #2. The “20% is notional and will vary depending on build and user-loading, but is generally considered close enough by the industry; Refs #4 and #5 confirm this. Thus, for a 4.5 tonne 5th wheeler, some 900 kg (plus or minus) should be expected to need to be borne by the tow vehicle as tray loading.

(f) As is the case for any specialisation, this area is littered with confusing and seemingly irrelevant/contradictory/overlapping acronyms. Ref #1 covers off some of these authoritatively, and Ref #6 is a well constructed summary, albeit from a journalist rather than a regulator.

Australian vehicle specs

In light of the above [esp (e)], it’s worth having a quick look at the payload capacity of some classes of vehicles commonly available in Australia and used as 5th wheeler tow vehicles (or prime movers).

(all figures from carexpert.com.au or drive.com.au or similar)

Normal single or dual-cab utes:

  • 2023 Toyota Hilux, SR5+: 940 kg
  • 2023 Ford Ranger Wildtrak: 997 kg
  • 2023 Isuzu D-Max: 985 kg

“Smaller” American pickup trucks (1500 class):

  • 2023 Chevrolet Silverado LTZ Premium: 756 kg
  • 2023 Ram 1500 DT: 779 kg
  • 2023 Ford F-150 XLT LWB: 794 kg

Neither of these are looking good for being able to legally and safely deal with a high-end 5th wheeler (one of 4.5 tonne or thereabouts).

[As an aside, it’s worth noting that most or all of these vehicles have third-party GVM upgrades available to add a further 500 or so kg to the payload capacity. However the cost and fitting/approval process are non-trivial.]

Light trucks:

  • Iveco Daily 50C Dual Cab: >2100 kg (varies slightly depending on model)
  • Renault Master: ~2100 kg (most info addresses the van variant)
  • Mercedes-Benz Sprinter: ~2800 kg (converted from pounds!!)

It seems fairly obvious that if you really want/need a 5th wheeler that approaches the upper limit of 4.5 tonne, then this class of vehicle is a far better (really the *only*) option.

Some hypotheticals

Assumption: you will have approx 300 kg of payload “pre-allocated”, consisting of (say) two reasonable sized Aussie adults and a bunch of other tools, food, dog(s), etc whenever you are towing your 5th wheeler.

Case 1: normal Aussie ute

Available payload = ~950 – 300 kg = ~650 kg.

Maximum 5th wheeler ATM (see Ref #6) = 5 x available payload = 5 x 650 kg = 3250 kg (or 3ยผ tonnes)

Comment: this is a very modest 5th wheeler, although certainly quite achievable and the calculation allows very little headroom in the ute payloadโ€”take careful note of the assumptions outlined above.

Case 2: smaller American pickup (ute)

Available payload = ~770 – 300 kg = ~470 kg.

Maximum 5th wheeler ATM (see Ref #6) = 5 x available payload = 5 x 470 kg = 2350 kg (or a bit under 2ยฝ tonnes)

Comment: I’m not at all certain that any 5th wheelers with an ATM this low are currently built/sold in Australia. Similarly to Case 1, there’s little payload headroom here.

Case 3: Aussie ute with GVM upgrade

Available payload = ~1450 – 300 kg = ~1150 kg.

Maximum 5th wheeler ATM (see Ref #6) = 5 x available payload = 5 x 1150 kg = 5750 kg (or 5ยพ tonnes)

Comment: this is well over the regulatory limit of 4.5 tonnes. Working backwards, we can see that this also allows some 250 kg of payload headroom on the tow vehicle. However, other factors such as engine loading and vehicle weight relative to the van would come into play at this point and should be carefully considered if you’re looking at a 4.5 tonne ATM 5th wheeler.

Some Conclusions:

Weight considerations are merely one of the first things to be considered when selecting a tow vehicle/prime mover. Although weight matters are critical from a safety as well as legal perspective, as noted above other things will also need to be thought through. I do not in any way mean to downplay their importance, merely assist with clarity around the complex issues of weight in this regard.

I should also stress that I *am not* a mechanical engineer; however I do have over 35 years of experience in drafting and interpreting regulatory and legislative documents and standards. As such, you really should seek further advice;ย  feel free to let me know what you come up with on this page.

[If you didn’t get here from there, this is what we decided…]

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Xena: 2023โ€”

When Nyssa allowed her Balinese blue-point Periwinkle (usually just Peri) to have kittens to Thor, Jacko’s blue-point British Short-Hair, in July 2023 the grandkids decided that it was *imperative* that Grandma have one of themโ€”as Sienaar was Grandpa’s kitty and it just wan’t at all fair that Grandma didn’t have a cat of her own ๐Ÿ™‚

We (Reen ๐Ÿ˜‰ ) chose the one with the cutest face and cheekiest behaviour and named her Xena [the Warrior Princess, to complement Princess Sienaar].

For her continuing story, see Travel Cats.

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Christmas 2023 in Echuca/Moama

[full photo slideshow included in the overall 2023 pictures at the bottom of the post 2023 Trips]

Note–We collected the 5R from Cardiff on Tuesday 5 December and were set up in Granville.

Tuesday 19 December 2023 to Thursday 4 January 2024

Yass, Narranderra, Moama, Finley, Colleambally, Junee, Narranderra, Yass, Granville

Tuesday 19 Decemberโ€”Yass Showground

We left Granville at 1125hrs, it was quite hot (34C) and overcast. We arrived at the showground at 1435hrs and set up for the night. We had to visit the local caravan park to do some laundry drying.ย  The weather continued to be very sticky and during dinner at KFC it started raining very heavily. We then headed to Woolies to grab some groceries and got soaked as we ran from and to the truck and the heavy rain continued all night.

Wednesday 20 Decemberโ€”Narrandera Showground

We left Yass at 1000 hrs, it was cool (14C) and overcast with light showers and when we arrived at the showground at 1420 hrs it was sunny (24C). After getting ourselves set up for the night we ventured off exploring and found the painted water tower display with information boards. We had dinner at The Lazy Lizard Restaurant which had metal lizards and chameleons all over the walls.

ย 

 

Thursday 21โ€“Wednesday 27 Decemberโ€”Coco Bend Caravan Park, Moama

When we packed up and left at 0930 hrs it was already hot (28C) and when we arrived at the caravan park at 1445 hrs it was very sunny (27C). Not long after we had set up we had our first visitor, Maud, Reen’s sister and after she left we headed into Echuca to have dinner with her & Ian.

On Friday Dean put up the Christmas lights outside the 5R. We headed into Echuca, picked up pies for lunch with Maud & Ian and on our way home we dropped into Woolies for shopping. It was now time to set up our early Christmas present of a digital photo frame with some family photos and we then sat outside to eat dinner. It was now time to explore the park, so we set off walking to the Murray Riverโ€”the park is located on a bendโ€”and visited the camp kitchen and on our way back we met the neighbours (camels in the paddock next door) and enjoyed the sunset.

On Saturday we went on a silo art (well, silos and other street art) exploration trip into Victoriaโ€”Kyabram, Stanhope, Colbinabbin & Rochester. It was really interesting visiting lots of small towns that all looked cared for and loved. We had dinner at Maud’s with her family including Courtney, Angus & Jaz and Wes (Reen’s brother), Sim, Olivia, Maddieย & Issy who had arrived just from Gilgandra.

[photos of the artwork we saw are in the overall Silo, Tank and Wall art post]

On Sunday we visited the family at Maud’s until after dinner. Just after we got back to the 5R there was a major storm with strong winds, pouring rain, thunder and lightning all night.

On Christmas Day morning we found the ground was flooded and we had to walk through puddles to get to the truck. We headed into Echuca for a family lunch at Courtney & Dallas’. There were 25 of us eating a delicious baked meal with all the trimmings and desserts. Dean & Doreen, Maureen & Ian with Courtney, Dallas, Kiara, Ali & Alby, Heath & Gemma, Angus & Jazz, Wes & Simone with Olivia, Maddie & Issy, Brett & Liz with Johannah, Mikayla, Jaxon, Daniel & RJ. Then it was back to Maud’s for the afternoon and yummy lunch left overs for dinner.

On Tuesday we spent the day at Caravan Park and in the afternoon we had Maud & Ian and Brett & Liz drop in for afternoon tea and to check out our new home and they were all very impressed. When they left we followed them into town for dinner at Maud’s.

As we were leaving the park on Wednesday Dean found the one soft patch between our van and the park’s road and needed some help from the guy camped next door to get the truck out (thanks mate ๐Ÿ™‚ ). On the way again, off to the Moama Markets which was very busy. We then headed home to pack up the Christmas decorations for 2023 and then it was back to Maud’s for a visit and then off to dinner at Moama RSL with those of the family who were still in town.

Thursday 28-Saturday 30 Decemberโ€”Finley Showground

We packed up to head off at 1000 hrs and it’s very sunny (28C). We stopped for some photos of silo art at Picola and Reen got a great photo of our truck and 5R.

When we arrived at the showground 1210 hrs, it was very sunny (28C) and we were the only van for one hour or so and then about 10 others rolled in before dark. We relaxed for the afternoon, had dinner outside and watched the beautiful sunset with lots of birds and rabbits.

On Friday it was raining on and off all day so we rested and in the afternoon we played our newย  ‘Ticket to Ride’ board game. We had dinner at Country Club Hotel Motel, it was a great steak sandwich.

On Saturday it was hot and windy as we ventured off to explore the sightsโ€”Finley Lake, wall murals at the Bowling Club, a manger scene at St Mary’s Church, coffee at the bakery with wall art, the Boomerang Motors mural, the Railway Park and historical Railway Precinct with 8 info notices, the mural on Tuccal Hotel wall and a model trains exhibition.

Sunday 31 December-Tuesday 2 January 2024โ€”Colleambally Caravan Park

Sunday found us packing up ready to leave by 1030hrs on a cloudy day (23C). We stoppedย  at Jerilderie for fuel and visited Luke Park for coffee & a chocolate bar and checked out the Steel Wings and explored some of the Ned Kelly info trail. We arrived at Colleambally at 1315 hrs and had lunch in the 5R across road from park. After setting up and chatting with the park owner we had dinner. Being New Years Eve we attempted to watch the Sydney fireworks, we saw most of the 2100 hrs display but the TV couldn’t hold reception due to the weather and trees for the midnight display.

HAPPY NEW YEARโ€”WELCOME TO 2024

On Monday we rose late to a sunny (29C-36C) day. We had a very yummy brekkie and then had coffee at the table under the tree beside the 5R. Dean worked at positioning the digital photo frame on the cupboard door and Xena loved playing in the drilling mess.

On Tuesday and another hot (32C) and late start to the day. We ventured off to explore the town and we photographed street signs with bird pics x 16, the irrigation system info, some town history bill boards, a wine cup shaped water tower mosaic, wall art with handprints and had lunch at the Muddy Duck Cafe. That night there was a major storm and torrential rain.

Wednesday 3-Thursday 4 Januaryโ€”Narrandera Showground

Here we go again, packing up to leave, it’s 0935 hrs and it’s already hot (32C). On the way we explored Darlington Point; this is a place we want to revisit. We arrived at the showground at 1130 hrs and it’s hot (33C) and we are set up by 1200hrs. We went for a drive around town and then found a local pizzeria for dinner.

Thursday found us exploring sightsโ€”the Information Centre which was brand new, only just opened after major renovations and very helpful, we had morning tea at the Bakery, took a photo of the historic Coles Building & info board, drove to wetlands (but too wet to enter), visited the Talbot Lake Skywalk, saw the Royal Doulton Fountain (one of only two in the world), and the urn in the Remembrance Garden.

Friday 5-Tuesday 9โ€”Junee Golf Club

On the go again, we are packed up ready to leave at 0936 hrs and it’s overcast (25C) with strong winds.ย  We arrived at the club 1130 hrs and it’s hot (28C) and we are set up by 1200 hrs. It was time to head off into town to find a dump point and then we visited the Information Centre in the Library, the Chocolate and Licorice Factory and had dinner at the Imperial Hotel.

On Saturday we visited the Roundhouse Museum and drove to the Bethungra Spiral where we saw the XPT Melbourne to Sydney train go around a hill and we drove further around to Bethungra Dam, which is well set up for picnicing.

On Sunday and we had strong winds all night and they are even worse this morning. We watched Church via Youtube. It was good to see Sienaar was almost playing with Xena this morning who was going wind crazy. We spent the afternoon doing a cupboard shuffle (moving goods into different places).

It has poured heavily all night and is still heavy this morning so we have decided to stay another night. We ventured out for breakfast at the Railway Cafe, a beautiful old railway building, used well. During the afternoon we played ‘Ticket to Ride’.

Tuesday 9-Wednesday 10 Januaryโ€”Yass Showground

Packed up and ready to head off at 0955 hrs and it’s overcast (23C). We arrived at 1230 hrs and it’s sunny (26C). We went to Woolies, rested and had dinner.
.
On Wednesday we spent the day resting, reading and sleeping. We need to revisit to see the sights.

Thursday 11 Januaryโ€”Granville

On Thursday we packed up ready to leave at 0930 hrs and it’s already hot (29C). We arrived in Granville at 1315hrs into a hot (32C) day. After parking the 5R in Nyssa & Brad’s driveway we set up and spent time with the family.

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Fake old dummy “random” post

This is a fake post, not really a real post at all; although it is actually pretty random.

It’s whole purpose in life is to have it’s creation date faked to older than a year ago to allow me to test some post selection coding.

Once it’s done that, I will probably disable or delete it. If in fact you’re reading this then I haven’t got around to that part yet and you have just wasted a minute or so of your lifeโ€”sorry about that!

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2023 Trips






Trip #1:ย ย  โ€”ย  ย Cardiff, Belmont, Tea Gardens, Granvilleย – the “shakedown” run

Wednesday 24 May to Monday 29 May 2023

We finally take delivery of our new 5th Wheeler, and slowly head to Belmont Caravan Park where we we stayed for two nights. This was to give us a little time to try out how everything works and be near Travelhome in case something doesn’t work. On Saturday 27 May we headed to Tea Gardens where we were camping on our friend’s farm until Monday when we headed back to Granville, where we would park in Nyssa & Brad’s driveway.

While in Granville the time came for Reen’s right knee replacement operation (originally planned pre-COVID)ย  on 2 June at Blacktown Hospital. The op went really well and the physios were very pleased with her progress. However, on Tuesday 6 June Reen began to experience severe stomach issues which continued to worsen over the next 48-72 hours. After many scans, x-rays and other tests it was identified that a major operation was needed to repair three hernias and a twisted bowel. The operation was on Saturday 10 June and all went really well. The hospital stay went from a 4 day stay to 18 days in all, with a great outcome for Reen.

(album includes some pro pre-delivery shots courtesy of Travelhome)

Trip #2:ย  ย โ€”ย  ย Cardiff, Granville

Monday 17 to Friday 21 July 2023

We headed north to Cardiff for some minor warranty maintenance and to also get the first of the decals on the van and truck. We got to camp in the front of Travelhome and also in the work shed throughout this process. The weather was wet and windy so the shed area was better. The van looked a little more finished with it’s name and waves and the Iveco now matched the van. Once everything was finished we headed back to the driveway in Granville.

Trip #3:ย  ย  ย  ย  ย  Murray River Cruise

Friday 25 August to Saturday 2 September

Trip #4:ย  ย โ€”ย  ย Bathurst, Gilgandra, Parkes, Bathurst, Granville

Thursday 14 to Friday 22 September 2023

We left Granville on Thursday morning heading to Bathurst Showground. We set up the van in off grid mode overnight to see how things went. We woke very early on Friday to a very hot morning. We packed up and headed off to Gilgandra. We had an 1100 hrs funeral at Gilgandra Uniting Church for a long-time family friend. When we got to Gilgandra we parked in the street across from Wes (my brother) & Sim’s house. We went to the funeral and then headed back to move the 5R into Wes’ driveway. During our time here we visited the shops, explored the town and spent time with family, catching up. We visited Info Centre, which had only been open about a week and checked out the Museum which had some very old farming equipment. It was also great to see water in the river.

On Wednesday morning we woke and commenced packing up ready to leave, on our way to Parkes Showground. We arrived around 1400 hrs and set up in a lovely grassed spot. We ventured off to visit the Info Centre where there was lots of information on the Elvis Weekend, one day, maybe. We need to come back and visit the telescope.

On Thursday we packed up again and headed for Bathurst Showground. On the way we stopped for coffee and while at the servo in Manildra Dean thought he saw Uncle Alan. When Reen walked back to the servo she saw Aunt Joan sitting in the car at the servo. After a quick discussion we agreed to follow them around the corner to the Museum. We sat in the cafรฉ area of the Museum with them, chatting for about an hour, it was great to catch up. They were keen to have a look inside the 5R and were very impressed. Then it was time to head off again with the promise to come back and visit them. After a good trip through beautiful country we arrived aboutย  1430 hrs.ย Once we were all set up for the night we visited the Info Centre with the idea of visiting here again to see some sights.

On Friday it was time to pack up again and head off to Granville. We had a good trip back and arrived about 1430 hrs and it only took 30 minutes to set up for our stay.

Trip #5:ย  ย โ€”ย  ย Morisset, Cardiff, Granville

Monday 30 October to Thursday 9 November

We were on the move again, all packed up and we are having problems with the lounge slide room not working. After some phone calls to Travelhome and Jim K. we are finally on the road, a little later than normal. We are heading to Morisset Showground for our next adventure. After a reasonable trip we arrived at around 1330hrs and everything worked for setting up. Our plan was to explore Lake Macquarie and we spent a few days driving around the lake and the small towns, checking out the sights. We ventured as far south as The Entrance where we enjoyed a seafood lunch while enjoying the water. We also visited Tuggerah Westfield as we needed to shop and then we visited the Norah Head Lighthouse and sat and enjoyed the ocean views. We went as far north as Caves Beach, which actually had caves and inland to drive through Cooranbong and walked across The Swing Bridge and saw the Sanitarium (Weet Bix) site at Dora Creek.

We had organised to head to Travelhome on Tuesday for them to look at the slide room issue. As we packed up to leave we had more issues with the slide room but Dean managed to get it in. When we got to Cardiff they were quite surprised with the problem, they had never seen it before. We were set up in the shed and they worked all afternoon on it and started again early the next morning. By 1500 hrs on Wednesday they told us that the 5R wasn’t going anywhere without major repair work. That night we discussed our options and by morning had worked out that we, Dean, Reen, Sienaar & Xena would head back to Granville and stay with Nyssa & Brad in Charlize’s room. We got busy packing up all we would need for a few weeks and headed off around 1200 hours. We arrived in Granville around 1430 hrs.

Trip #6:ย  ย  ย  ย  New Zealand Cruise

Monday 20 November to Sunday 3 December

Trip #7:ย  ย โ€” ย ย Christmas in Echuca/Moama

Tuesday 19 December to Thursday 11 January

Images of 2023