Camping in State forests of Queensland is fun and costs very little.
Whether you want the comfort of tap water and hot showers or like to rough it away from the crowds.

A State forest is a natural area managed by the EPA Enviromental Protection Agency & Qld Parks & Wildlife Services.

To book your campsite and get a permit to camp, contact your local DNR office. They can also give you information on any special conditions that may apply at the site. Detailed maps are available from Sunmap, RACQ, Department of Environment and Heritage and DNR

When you arrive at a campground, check signs or the self-registration hut for special instructions on setting up camp.
If you have pre-booked and paid for your campsite, set up camp in any vacant site or as directed by the Ranger.

Facilities at campgrounds vary.
At some camping areas you can expect a good range of facilities including vehicle parking, campsites, toilets, showers, barbecues and picnic tables.
Others are fairly basic with campsites, toilets and water.
Many have few or no facilities.
Many State forest camping areas provide toilet facilities designed for access by persons in wheelchairs .

Unless prohibited by signage dogs restrained on a leash or lead are allowed in State forests but are excluded from most campgrounds and may not remain on the State forest overnight.
The above restriction does not apply to registered guide dogs.
However, there are a number of campgrounds where dogs are permitted
Other domestic pets including cats are not allowed in State forests.

By Raymond Laubert

This is my third article on full-time RV living. In this article I am going to cover those chores that we tend to do once every 6 months or so. Some of these are seasonal items.

Most of these seasonal or semi-annual tasks deal with the fact that your RV is considered a vehicle. As such there are maintenance and inspection items that need to be taken care of. First is the semi-annual washing and waxing of the RV. For this I recommend that you go out and purchase a cheap high pressure washer. I got a Black & Decker model from our local Wally World (Walmart) for about $60 a few summers ago and we are still using it. Remember we are full-timers and do not have a lot of space to store items. So one of those big powerful wheeled jobs is not a good idea. This is also one task that you can easily find someone else to do. This year we actually had a local company come in and wash our rig. It cost us $60 and saved us 6 hours of time. They did not do as good of a job as we do, but then again he didn’t spend 6 hours washing and waxing the rig either. I think he was done in an hour. I am pretty sure come spring time, he will be getting another call to clean our RV. Seems to me that I have better things to do than spend a good part of the day for my wife and I washing and waxing the trailer.

If you are going to do this yourself, start on the roof! You will be so surprised at how much dirt and crud comes off the roof. If you wash the sides first, you will only end up rewashing them later.

As with any wheeled vehicle you have to perform some maintenance every now and then. Did you know that tires lose about a pound of pressure every month? That means that over the course of a year your tires on the RV will drop 12 lbs in air pressure. It’s a good idea to keep the pressure up in the tires. They will last longer and the stability of the RV will be better. Another task that needs to be done periodically is lubrication. This includes the axles and bearings. If you have a generator, you also need to change the oil in it just like a car. Every three months at least, whether or not you use it. That is one of the reasons we didn’t get a generator. Our 12 volts batteries have supplied enough power for the few times the lights went out.

If you sit in one spot for too long, the jacks, wheels and king pin stands are going to sink into the ground. About once a year or so, it doesn’t hurt to level the RV. For us that means hooking up the truck, taking the load off the jacks and maybe moving the trailer a couple of inches to more level ground. Doesn’t take long. In addition to leveling the RV it exercises the tires a little bit.

We had to replace our water heater this year. Seems we missed some maintenance steps which included draining and flushing out the water heater and replacing the cathode rod. Guess I can’t complain too much, went 6 years on the one we got with the RV originally. Our RV repairman provided some maintenance tips which I have added to my annual inspection tasks. Cleaning the Hot Water Heater, Hot Air Heater and Refrigerator are now annual tasks. By the way, cleaning the refrigerator is not the inside part. RV refrigerators have a heat exchanger on the outside that needs to be cleaned of bugs and dirt.

Another annual task for me is to exercise the slide outs. Ours are out all year round, so my annual inspection is to pull them all the way in, check for lubrication and then extend them out again. Some slide outs use hydraulics and some are electrical. Each have different maintenance requirements. Check your owner’s manual for any details, if there is nothing listed as your RV dealer.

Finally, there is the vehicle inspection. Some states require them and some don’t. We are currently in Pennsylvania and they do require inspections. It is a once a year requirement which happens to be when I get all of my maintenance done as well as any other inspections that might be needed or desired.

Well there you have it. Life in an RV. My wife and I love it. In fact, we are now buying a new RV and expect to pick it up soon. I hope you have found these articles interesting and have gained some knowledge on full time living in an RV.

Raymond Laubert is the owner of several web-based businesses including RD-Webhosting and theweekendchef. Ray is married to Daisy and they have four grown children. Ray and Daisy have been living full time in their fifth wheel for 6 years. Ray is a full time MS SQL Server Database Administrator and Daisy is a legal secretary. Both live and work in Pennsylvania.

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A Week in the Life of a Full Time RVer – Part 1

By Raymond Laubert

Living in an RV full-time is not so different from living in an apartment, until you get to the chores. Most of the chores only take a few minutes to complete or can be hired out to your local RV Repairman. Weekly chores are basically the same as anyplace you live. You have to do some cleaning every now and then. Our 39 ft RV takes my wife about 30-45 minutes to clean front to back, including running the vacuum. If we wipe down the wood work, it might take an hour. So daily cleaning is a lot less work than an apartment or house.

Chores start to change however, once we move to the weekly and monthly chores. Instead of cutting the grass or shoveling snow, spreading fertilizer, raking leaves, cleaning out the gutters etc, in the RV we have to dump and flush the storage tanks, sanitize the water holding tank, level the trailer, check tire pressure, wash and wax the rig, change the burned out lamps, and put up or take down the sun room.

Starting with the weekly chores, the most common chore will be dumping the holding tanks. Now some people will tell you that as full timers you can leave the holding tanks open all the time. I have heard this from many people, but when you ask the ‘experts’ they all tell you the same thing, these tanks are designed to hold the liquid waste and then dump it once it becomes � to full. This process flushes out all the wastes. The thinking is if you leave the tanks open all the time, only the liquid waste will flow out to the drain. Solid waste will build up in the holding tanks and eventually need to be cleaned out. I kind of compromise, during the spring, summer and fall we leave our tanks open and perform a good flushing and cleaning of them once a month or so. During the winter we keep the tanks closed. Why only in the winter? Freezing! When the temperature drops the liquid waste begins to freeze in the drain pipes. Over the period of several days it can totally clog the pipe and you are stuck with at the least a clogged pipe until it warms up or it could actually crack and break, leaking liquid waste into and around your camper. Let’s just way we learned this from experience, several times.

Now the process of dumping the tanks and flushing them is very easy. I would recommend that you do purchase a product called King Flush which provides a central shut off valve and a hose connection. Once this is attached to the sewer connection of the RV you can flush the individual tanks whenever you want without much effort. You simply shut the valves to the tanks you do not want to clean, attach the water hose to the King Flush and close the King Flush valve. Turn on the water and let it flow back into the open tank until 3/4 full or so. Shut off the King Flush Water and open the King Flush Valve. Your tank will empty, tanking with it the solid wastes. Sometimes I do this 3 or 4 times if the tank is really dirty. The whole process may tank an hour. Whatever you do, do not try to multi-task when flushing the tanks! You can easily over fill the tanks and it WILL flood into the trailer. By the way, during the winter, I do not flush the tanks. But again if you read the reasons why to keep the valve closed you probably understand why it isn’t needed.

Of all the chores, the dumping and flushing the tanks are probably the worst chore. For me it was kind of like cutting and raking the yard when we had the house. It has to be done, but no one said you had to like it.

I was going to talk about the semi-annual chores here; I am running out of room. So look for my other articles on RV living. Please remember to leave comments if you liked this article. Also if there is a subject you want to know more about dealing with RV living, please let me know.

Raymond Laubert is the owner of several web-based businesses including RD-Webhosting.com, theweekendchef.com and lapidaryforbeginners.com. Ray is married to Daisy and they have 4 grown children and 10 grandchildren. He love cooking, camping and faceting (Gem Cutting).

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Dunk Island

A recent article in the Cairns Post high lighted the questionability of various awards.

When a product or business get an award for say 2011 … surely it has to be for it’s performance over that 12 month period.

Dunk Island Resort which was devastated by cyclone Yasi in February of this year (2011)  …… due to allegations of raw sewage leaks making the area an undesirable place to visit has just won a globally recogonised Tourism Award for 2011.

Dunk Island Resort has been closed since the cyclone with no date set for reopening

The devastated island  has been named Australia’s Leading Resort for 2011 in the World Travel Awards.

To quote the paper “The awards are regarded as the “very highest achievement that a travel product could ever hope to receive”, founder and president Graham E. Cooke said.”

My question to Mr Cooke is … how do you pick the winners of your awards?

Surely to be able to judge a location and give it an award a visit to the site is necessary.

Unfortunately if we as travellers are to visit various  destinations on the recommendation of major award winning these awards awards need to be assessed using more current information.

I did not picked up this story to run here to rubbish the devastated Island resort but rather to point out that there are so many great locations around that never even get a mention during award presentations.

So talk to your travel professionals before you decide your next vacation they are in the know.

Would like to point out that I am not in the travel industry and not affiliated with anyone in the industry.

I just love to travel our great country.

Picture Cairns News

However when I received this in an email I felt compelled to share it with you.

I  emigrated to Australia over 40 years ago –

On the  ship there were Poms, Italians, Germans, Yugoslavs, Czechs and Greeks,  (Note – All European people!!) all looking forward  to starting a new life in Australia.

I arrived  with $42 in my pocket and that’s all I had to my name.

Did I put my hand out??

Of course not – I  got a job and paid my way just like everyone else who  came to this country back then.

Now,  it’s my taxes that subsidize these people who think they  have Gods given right (read Allah) to come here and  criticise  those of us who have worked for the  country we now call home.

If  I didn’t like what I saw when I got here I would have  gone home – they have the same option.

If they  don’t want to become an Australian, they can…………….GO  BACK TO WHERE THEY CAME FROM – WE DON’T NEED THEM  HERE!!!

Our  Australia When  will this stop
They  want 2 of Their own public holidays, because  Christians have Christmas, Easter & good  Friday
They  force our children to eat Halal Meat Pies and  Sausage Rolls from the school canteens, so the  Muslim kids can feel more Aussie, we were not  consulted about this change, they went ahead and  just did it.
Our  foods are slowly all becoming Halal foods, our  cheeses, chocolates even good old sanitarium  foods

Our  Government is ALLOWING this to happen, it has to  stop now, while we still have some power to be  able to stop it.

Regarding   Our National Anthem

I  am  sorry, but   after hearing they want to sing the  National Anthem in  Arabic –   enough is enough.

No where or at no other  time in our nation’s history, did they  sing it in Italian, Japanese, Polish, Irish   (Celtic), German, Portuguese, Greek, or  any other language  because of immigration. It was written in English, and should be sung word for word the way it was   written.

The  news broadcasts  even gave the translation — not even   close.

I am  not sorry if this  offends anyone, this is MY COUNTRY – IF IT IS   YOUR COUNTRY SPEAK UP —- please pass  this  along

I am  not against  immigration — just come through like everyone  else.

Get a sponsor; have a place to lay  your head; have a job; pay  your taxes, live by the rules AND LEARN THE LANGUAGE  as all other immigrants have in the past — and  LONG LIVE Australia  !

PART  OF  THE PROBLEM. Think about this: If you don’t want  to share  this for fear of offending  someone—–YOU’RE PART OF THE PROBLEM   !!!!

Will  we still be  the Country of Choice and still be Australia if  we  continue to make the changes forced on  us by the people from  other countries who  have come to live in Australia because it is   the Country of Choice??

Think  about  it!

IMMIGRANTS,  NOT  AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT.

It  is Time  for  Australia  to   Speak up.

A charitable night of camping held at a wide range of Parks across Australia.

Give camping a go and support a local community cause with BIG4 Holiday Parks.

Join thousands of happy campers for one night of charitable camping under the stars, and pay just $20 to secure a site at participating BIG4 Holiday Parks, with all proceeds going to local causes.

BIG4 Holiday Parks is proud to launch Camp and Care with BIG4, The event encourages families and friends to try camping for the first time and to explore a new holiday destination close to home.

Ray Schleibs, CEO of BIG4 Holiday Parks, says Camp and Care with BIG4 allows families and friends to enjoy a quality weekend together, whilst also supporting a local community cause.

“BIG4 Parks are integral members of their community and Camp and Care with BIG4 gives everyone the opportunity to enjoy a night of camping at a flat fee of $20 per site, with the added bonus of knowing the Park has donated this money to a local person, group or organisation in need,” Schleibs says.

“For the past six years, BIG4 has run a free night of camping known as Come Camp with BIG4 to reintroduce people to the best holiday park accommodation on offer in Australia. As the event and our Parks continue to grow in popularity, we decided to use this popularity to assist local charities and other community causes,” says Schleibs.

Many Parks will be hosting additional activities over the weekend to celebrate the event such as pancake breakfasts and face painting, in-park concerts and BBQs to name a few. The event will no doubt be a date marked in all Australians’ diaries, just as it has been for the last six years.

BIG4 Holiday Parks is well known for being located at key tourism destinations across the country with a variety of different settings and Park experiences to choose from. Whether the Park where you choose to camp is situated on a famous coast or beach, set amongst lush bushland or close to a world-famous winery, there are over 180 locations Australia-wide to choose from depending on your holiday style – majority of which will be taking part in this great event. Each individual Park offers a unique experience and showcases impressive facilities ranging from resort style pools and adventure playgrounds, through to giant jumping pillows and bike hire to keep the whole family entertained.

Where: BIG4 Holiday Parks across Australia

Date: Friday 11 November 2011

Cost: $20 per site
(All proceeds go to a local charity or fundraising cause of the individual Park’s choice)

Booking: BIG4.com.au/comecamp

The first step to cleaning your tent is to setup in a place where you have access to electricity and low pressure water.

Step 1. Light Cleaning

Tools needed: A shop vacuum, Brush head accessory, and extension cord.

Thoroughly vacuum the entire tent using the shop vac and brush head extension. Do not use without the brush head accessory. Carefully sweep the brush head from side to side to clean the entire floor, walls, interior roof and all seams. Repeat this process on the exterior of your tent. This is usually the only cleaning your tent will require.

Step 2. Heavy Cleaning

Tools needed: A non bleach laundry detergent, bucket, very soft bristle brush, water hose with spray attachment.

This process should only be used on heavily soiled tents. Mix a small amount of detergent in your bucket with slightly warm water. Lightly wet one section of your tent with hose sprayer. Dip soft bristle brush into soapy water and very lightly brush tent to clean, taking care not to put excessive pressure on any part of your tent. Lightly spray washed area with water hose and spray accessory to remove soap. After the entire tent has been cleaned, leave the tent setup to dry completely.

Things you should not do:

Never use a power washer to clean your tent, high pressure and chemicals used in their soaps can be very harmful to tent fabric.

Never use spot removers, these contain harsh chemicals and cleaners that can remove the waterproofing from the fabric and cause water leaks and fabric deterioration.

Using a common sense approach to cleaning and maintaining your tent will give you years of use and enjoyment.

About the Author:

Byron Tabor, an enthusiastic camper, hiker and backpacker since childhood, enjoys the great outdoors and all nature has to offer. An expert in camping gear and accessories, offers family camping tents in many sizes and styles to fit just about everyone’s budget.

Copyright: Byron Tabor. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

When it comes to travelling in New Zealand, there are many ways to get around and many different places that you can stay. New Zealand is a small country with a very large tourism industry, and they have accommodations of all kinds for every traveller that comes to the country. Caravan parks in New Zealand are a very popular choice for many because of they are a cheaper alternative accommodation for those travelling on a budget. Also known as “holiday parks”, these destinations are scattered throughout the entire country and include rental units, power hook ups (for campervans), tent camping, standard rooms, and more.

There is so much to see and do in New Zealand that many travellers choose to take motorhome self drive tours of the areas that they want to see, whether that be the North or South Island. These parks offer them the places to stop, rest up and enjoy a meal whilst still being able to enjoy creature comforts and have a good time. Caravan parks in New Zealand often have playgrounds, BBQ’s, patios and a variety of other features and amenities that travellers can enjoy. If you want to enjoy a great ‘kiwi’ holiday, caravan parks are the place to be.

Getting away from it all doesn’t mean that you have to give up everything that you know and love. Caravan parks in New Zealand can afford you with the ability to get away from it all and still be close to things that you enjoy or need on a daily basis. You can find hot showers, great meals, fun family activities and more at caravan parks, making them the perfect choice for any New Zealand family holiday.

When there is so much to see and do on your holiday, it can be hard to pick and choose which things you like and which you can live without. Fortunately, caravan parks in New Zealand will allow you to drive around the country, see whatever you want and stop for a fun and relaxing rest whenever you need it. Of all of the vacation options for New Zealand holidays, this one is by far the most popular, and for obvious reasons. Just make sure that no matter what, you plan the vacation that is right for your family, because that’s really all that matters.

Great Lake Holiday Parks location has commanding views of Lake Taupo and the evening lights of the Taupo town centre. From the park there is easy access to northern boat ramps and beaches.

Great Lake Holiday Park is part of Kiwi Holiday Parks, a group of 50 plus independently owned accommodation providers throughout New Zealand. With one, two & three bedroom self contained accommodation, deluxe cabins, standard cabins, powered and non powered sites offering a great choice of affordable accommodation to suit all budgets. Great Lake Holiday Park is a popular choice for individuals, families, extended families, groups, whether they are sporting groups, school groups, or family gatherings

If you are looking
for caravan parks in NZ visit our website today: http://www.greatlake.co.nz/

Camping & Caravan Parks

Kiwi Holiday Parks

Jasons Travel

Holiday Parks Association

NZ Holiday Planner

You waited with great anticipation for this moment – Holidays are here!
There it is – your motorhome. Fully equipped, beds are made, a breakfast basket on the little table by the window, the tank is full and you are ready to go.

You probably have some questions when you handle a large vehicle for the first time. The change from driving a car to “piloting” a Motorhome requires some special attention and concentration. Always obey rules and regulation and use common sense.

The Motorhome is longer, larger, higher and heavier than cars you are used to driving but they are easy to handle. After the first km’s of driving you will find that they respond beautifully and are fun to drive. So don’t worry!

Please read the motorhome’s instructions carefully before you get behind the wheel. You will avoid mistakes and your travel through our beautiful country will be pleasant and trouble free.

Many of the hazards encountered on the road result from incorrect loading of an otherwise safe Motorhome. Overloading is the most common cause of accidents. A slight over load or poor weight distribution can seriously restrict steering and braking. It can also result in sudden blowouts an breakdowns. You can help control this situation.

To minimize swing and wobble keep the vehicle’s center of gravity low. Store heavy items low, forward and between the axles: lightweight items high. Try to balance the load between the vehicle’s two sides. Make sure everything is in place and easy to get at when needed. Secure all cargo inside and outside the vehicle or it will shift. Always leave room for the usual ground gear: leveling plank, wedges, water hose, jack and tools.

Avoid carrying spare gasoline; if you must, carry it in the storage container possible, tape the lid shut to prevent spillage and protect it with a shield.

While you are at the gas station check your motor oil, automatic transmission oil, radiator water, battery water and tire pressure. Heat in the desert can affect the tire pressure, over or under pressure can cause problems in steering your Motorhome.

Check your travel route every morning before you start. Plan for a camping place for the night for rest stops and dump stations. Also consider gasoline stops, especially if you travel in the desert.

Reserving a campsite in advance can save a lot of frustration later, especially during high season. When traveling without reservation, the earlier in the day you stop, the better are your chances to get to a good campground.

When driving into the campsite, especially at night, scout around the area of you on foot. A large log, a hydrant or other obstacles can punch through the paneling, tearing pipes or wiring and causing costly repairs.

Make sure you park level at the campsite. A board under one wheel or under one side might be all you need to do this. Check for rocks and jagged outcrops near the entry door. Avoid loose wires or hoses around the Motorhome. Check fuel lines and all connections before you use your appliances. Use a soap and water solution to detect leaks, NOT a match!

Should there be a leak somewhere, (it can happen because your Motorhome is constantly in motion) be sure to air the entire unit thoroughly, before using any matches or open flame. Your Motorhome is equipped with a fire extinguisher. Use it if needed. Dirt and baking soda are also great and effective agents to fight a fire. Do not use water! It can be very dangerous. Water on a gas or oil fire results in a bigger fire. Water on an electric fire can result in death or injury.

When you leave the camping place, it is a good idea to check your packing list for all items. It also helps to check the members of your travel party. You’d be amazed, how many travelers forget wives and kids. Disconnect all wires and pipes, shut off appliances (except the refrigerator). Drive the Motorhome off the boards or other supports and stow away. O around the Motorhome campsite for any articles left there. Always allow a little more time than you think you will need, to get started. Check your planned route and rest stops.

Written by Birgit Jurock for Happy Holidays Motorhome Canada

Birgit Jurock lives in Roberts Creek on the

Sunshine Coast in British Columbia, you may reach her at birgit@jurock.ws.