RV Life - August 2010

Gary Blake

(This is the second half of the story of a motorhome trip in Australia taken by Gary Blake and Wendy Johnson, marine photographers who live in England. They traveled 1,250 miles along the coast from Brisbane to Cairns.)

By Gary Blake

As we continued our motorhome journey on the east coast of Australia, we crossed the Tropic of Capricorn at Rockhampton. Darkness was falling and there was no way we could reach our intended campsite, so we camped in the wild, listening to the surf breaking under palm trees. This is what

FREE CAMPING FREE CAMPING

Passing through Albany on I-5?
Need repairs or service on your RV?
Either way stop and spend a night or two. Tour our facility and
find out why people from all over the NW are bringing their RVs
to us for their Service and Repair needs. We understand RVs.

RV Dump Station • Chassis Repair • Collision Repair
Air-Conditioning Service • Appliance Service • Diesel Repairs
Performance Products • Safe Secure Parking for Overnighters

www.mckaytruckandrv.com

6225 Old Salem Rd., Albany OR 97321
Just off I-5 exit 238
4 miles N of Albany, OR
at stop sign, turn right, go 3/4 miles
541-928-3331

motorhoming is all about—to be free as the wind, to wake up early and stroll along a deserted beach (or a forest glen) at 5 in the morning, before the searing sun gets a grip.

Our rented KEA motorhome was a perfect roadrunner on the flat Queensland coast road. The satellite navigation system was a great asset and the supplied Henna Australia Road Atlas and Jason’s Australian Guides were all we needed to go anywhere.

Lots of towns in Australia are RV friendly with welcome signs offering dump points and fresh water. The publication “The Wanderers Mate” has listings.

The cruise control was a joy over long distances but we were on guard for the sudden bends and took heed that Greyhound bus drivers and truckers pulling multiple trailers (an Australian road train) are instructed not to deviate from a “straight driving line” when Eastern Grey Kangaroos nibble the grass that verges on the Bruce Highway. It is thought that swerving to avoid an animal will often cause more damage than hitting these large but harmless creatures. I counted 140 dead kangaroos on the side of the road during a 50-kilometer stretch north of Rockhampton.