|
|
BREAKING NEWS |
|
|
|
|
|
Police
continue manhunt after attempted child abduction at West Australian
caravan park
  POLICE
are continuing their huge
manhunt after a young girl was snatched from a West Australian
caravan park. The nine-year-old child was sleeping in a tent at the
four-star Dongara Tourist Park, about 350km north of Perth, when
she was grabbed at 6am by a man and bundled into his nearby ute. The
screaming youngster managed to escape as he went to the driver's
side. Police Sgt Graham Clifford told Caravanning News last
Saturday's attempted abduction could be linked to another
incident where a man pulled back the
bedclothes of a 43-year-old woman as she slept at 3am in a tent at
the BIG4 Dongara Denison Beach caravan park about 2km away. Police
have issued an identifit picture of the wanted man (above right). He is described
as caucasian, about 30 years old, slim and driving a white 4x4
dual cab utility with a noisy exhaust and skinny tyres. Anyone
with information should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Contacted by Caravanning News, Dongara Tourist Park
owner Ron Saulsman declined to comment or reveal whether security
at the park, a member of the Top Tourist chain, would be stepped
up. The girl has now returned to her home in Perth, too frightened
to continue her holiday. |
Attempts to 'tarnish' new company's
achievements
By DENNIS AMOR
THE go-ahead businessman behind the resurrected iconic Roadstar brand of
caravans has accused competitors of 'jealousy'.
His hard-hitting comment came after the first models of a new breed of
Roadstar caravan rolled off the production line at his multi-million
dollar purpose-built factory in Melbourne.
Victorian businessman Ken Nizam bought the original Roadstar Industries'
plant and equipment when the 21-year-old company went belly-up in
February owing $1.3 million. He also won the right to use the iconic Roadstar and Compass trademarks, which appear on his new range of quality
caravans.
But Mr Nizam, whose Australian Hitec Engineering company supplied
chassis to the original Roadstar manufacturer, exclusively revealed to
Caravanning News that some other caravan builders were now allegedly
attempting to "tarnish" his achievements in bringing Roadstar back from
the dead.
 Council against driving road through park's heart
COUNCILLORS have voted against driving a highway through the heart of
an attractive Victorian riverside caravan park.
Closing the three-and-a-half star Thomson River Caravan Park at Sale and
building the road through it was one of three suggested schemes being
discussed for flood-proofing the busy South Gippsland Highway.
Minister urged to intervene as parks bulge at seams
A GOVERNMENT minister is being asked to intervene as
Queensland's caravan parks burst at the seams with southern grey nomads.
Caravanners are complaining about the shortage of pitches
and are accusing some unscrupulous park operators of cashing in on the
problem by charging exorbitant fees for what is very often just a 'patch
of dirt'.
Stamp of approval as caravan sales soar
NSW's caravan industry is enjoying a welcome bonanza after the axing
of stamp duty on caravan and camper trailer sales.
According to State Treasurer Eric Roozendaal, caravan sales have soared
by 33 percent since being freed from the unpopular tax on July 1.
Adria's new offerings reach Australia
ADRIA's new
offerings for the Australian caravan market have finally
hit our shores. "The build-up of anticipation over the previous six months has been very
exciting, and finally we have our new range of caravans for our dealers
and the public," a spokesperson said.
Owners flow a fuse over DIY repair kits after safety recall
JAYCO
owners are blowing a fuse after being sent do-it-yourself
repair kits following a safety recall of Campers.
They say Australia's biggest builder of caravans and other RVs is
courting disaster by asking owners to carry out electrical work
themselves.
Beware 'hitchhiking' cane toads
CARAVANNERS
and other travellers to Western Australia have been asked to take extra care over
'stowaway' cane toads. The plea comes after
two toads were discovered in the State, one at a Kimberley caravan park.
It is feared more and more of the unwanted pests are secretly
"hitchhiking"
from the Northern Territory aboard caravans and other vehicles.
Strong interest in beachfront caravan park auction
INVESTORS
and developers are queuing up to bid for a popular Queensland beachfront
caravan park which will go under the auctioneer's hammer this month.
The park in Mackay cannot be redeveloped for private housing because it
stands on land zoned for tourism ... but comes with planning approval
for 72 beach houses. Meanwhile, a Victorian park has been sold for
around $6 million.
Shower block attack leaves caravanner traumatised
A CARAVANNER was punched and choked by a
mentally ill intruder as he showered at a
Victorian caravan park, a court was told.
He now suffers emotional
trauma and is too frightened to use shower blocks and public toilets
after receiving bruising and swelling to his eye socket and a grazed
forehead during the unprovoked Sunday morning attack.
Park owners plan paddleboat venture
NEW owners of a South Australian caravan park David and Tracey
Mahoney are hoping the future will be just plain sailing.
Visitors
to their riverside park could find themselves staying on a paddleboat if
their novel plans come to fruition.
Caravanners tip-toe through carbon footprint minefield
CARAVANNERS are becoming increasingly aware and concerned about their
impact on the environment, according to researchers.
Recent studies suggest that experienced caravanners and new owners are
now taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint.
Government injects $1.4m into visitor
facilities
THE Western
Australian Government will spend more than $1.4 million on visitor
facilities in national parks and other conservation areas throughout the
State’s mid-west region. This follows a 13.5 percent rise in
visitors during the past two years, many of them caravanners and grey
nomads.
 Prestigious awards for RV builder
NEW South Wales recreational vehicle builder Kimberley Kampers is
celebrating after scooping two prestigious business awards.
The Ballina-based manufacturer of off-road caravans, camper trailers,
modified long wheelbase vehicles and roof top tents, collected the
Panasonic Australia Medium Business and the AMP Innovation awards
in this year's New South Wales Telstra Business Awards.
Magazine readership shows
slight increase
READERSHIP of Australia's major caravanning magazines
showed a slight increase in the second quarter of this year, according
to the Audit Bureau of Circulations. Caravan & Motorhomes'
circulation rose 3.1 percent from 19,364 to 19,965, while Caravan
World increased its sales by 32 to 12,861 (0.25 percent).
Testing the waters on tourism practices
THE boss of a Victorian caravan park is putting tourism and its use
of water under the microscope.
La Vergne Lehmann, who runs the 120-site Dimboola Riverside Caravan Park
with husband Paul, has embarked on a research project at the University of Ballarat to gain a better
understanding of the relationship between freshwater and tourism
accommodation enterprises.
Gumnuts
for town's green parks
WHEN it comes to saving the planet, three caravan parks in the same town
are all doing their bit. And their sterling efforts were recognised
recently when the Ballina trio was presented with prestigious and
coveted Gumnut Awards at the
annual Caravan and Camping Industry Association of NSW Awards of
Excellence.
Man dies and other caravanners hurt in spate of crashes
AN elderly man was killed and several other caravanners injured in a
spate of caravan accidents. The 75-year-old man who died had been travelling in a station wagon towing a caravan
when the rig smashed into a tree in New South Wales after overtaking
another caravan.
 Don't sell your home, advise round-Oz travellers
THE Aussie dream of selling up, hooking up the trusty caravan and
disappearing on a round-Australia sojourn continues to be realised by
thousands of intrepid grey nomads.
But one experienced couple has an important piece of advice for
newcomers wanting to hit the road ... don't sell your home.
Top honour for Blue Mountains
park
THE Jenolan Caravan Park at Oberon in NSW carried off the best tourist
and caravan park accolade in the Blue Mountains Tourism Awards.
 Researchers shocked over grey nomads' outback driving
THE ability of grey nomads to drive safely in Australia's harsh and
unforgiving outback has been brought into question by accident and road
safety researchers.
A team of investigators from Queensland University of Technology quizzed
caravanners and motorhomers and were
shocked to discover many had little experience of driving on rural or outback roads.
Shire Medallion for CCIA secretary
THE
secretary of NSW's Caravan and Camping Industry Association has been
honoured for her tireless community work. Lyn Mott, of Bermagui,
was awarded a Bega Valley Shire Medallion in recognition of her voluntary
commitment to the shire's wellbeing. "Ms Mott genuinely cares about the
future of the shire and dedicates a large amount of time and energy to
ensuring it will become a strong regional area," her citation said.
Shedding light on new Narva range
Stylish new
fluorescent lamps from Narva meet a wide variety of applications within
the caravan and motorhome market. Round, oval, square, oblong or slim
line, all are available within the new and exciting range of fluorescent
lamps released by the Australian-owned company.
Dam caravan park plan put on ice
COUNCILLORS have voted against building a new caravan park at a
popular recreational area in New South Wales ... at least not for the
time being.
They decided they could not justify the million-dollar venture at Ben
Chifley Dam near Bathurst, but will revisit the possibility in their
2010/2011 management plan.
Grey nomads urged to join litter battle
CARAVANNERS and other travellers are being asked to help reduce
unsightly litter which is scarring some coastal and remote areas of
Western Australia.
A new Keep Australia Beautiful initiative using 'Outback Packs' is
targeting grey nomads, caravan and camping clubs and 4WD groups
because they visit remote areas and often encounter rubbish.
Innovative caravan prepares to take a bow
THE official launch of what is being billed as
Australia's latest innovative caravan is planned for next month. The
Airflow caravan, which has special airbag suspension allowing it
to 'kneel' when stationary thus easing access, will
make its public debut at the CTIA end-of-year sale at Brisbane's RNA
Showgrounds from October 23-25.
For stories from the
last six editions of Caravanning News, click on the appropriate
month:
Editor: Dennis Amor
PO Box 678
Caloundra
Queensland 4551
Australia
Click to send email
CLICK HERE TO SEND COMMENTS OR
STORY IDEAS TO CARAVANNING NEWS
Sign Guestbook
 View Guestbook
Web pages designed and produced by Dennis Amor
No part of this
publication may be reproduced or transmitted without
the prior
written permission of Caravanning News.
Copyright 2005
Dennis Amor
All Rights Reserved
|
|
|
NEWS DOWNLOADS REACH
95,000 MONTHLY
MORE and more caravanners are turning to Caravanning News to keep
abreast of what's happening in the world of
caravanning. Page downloads recently reached 95,000
monthly ... with
more than 80 percent of visitors adding us
to their favourites, too. |
|
Councillor questions use
of story before final decision is made
I REFER to the
editorial in the July edition of Caravanning News
(Supremo
may oversee peninsular caravan parks).
I note with extreme interest and disappointment that you chose to
publish such an article when a quite lengthy public consultation
process has been entered into by council. Council has not made a
final decision and only accepted the Shattock Report and
proceeded to the next stage. I also must register my disapproval and
anger at my name and a quote being used in the editorial. I am fully
aware that material of a similar nature is on the council website.
To my knowledge it is not public material and I would have preferred
for you to seek my permission, and subsequent clarification of, any
comments I have made in a council debate. I feel you could have
waited until this process had been completed ... unless there was
some prior prompting by someone else!
Cr Grantley Dodd.
Ed's note: This is a running
story which had already featured in
Caravannning News.
As in this
case, it is quite normal for media to carry updates as they develop.
Material posted on a council website is usually for the benefit of
keeping people informed ... so surely becomes a matter of
public record. The matter was discussed in an open meeting of the
council so there was nothing confidential about the proceedings or
Mr Shattock's report.
CN reports
appreciated
THANK you for the lovely stories and trip reports
in Caravanning News. I can't wait for each month to read them.
Duncan Gohl
South Africa
JUST read about your trip to Biloela in
Caravanning News. We are planning a trip up that way next
year and your insight into the roads was great,but hope we don't
strike as much trouble as you and your wife did. Happy travelling.
Bev Freeman
Rest area call applauded
CONGRATULATIONS to grey nomad Ken
Brown, who is campaigning to get a disused Queensland truck
inspection station turned into a rest area (see
Caravanning News,
August edition). I fully agree about the lack of roadside areas
where travellers can stop for a break between the Sunshine and Gold
coasts. Many times I have called into the services at Yatala only to
find there is nowhere to park my caravan and am forced to drive off
without stopping.
Stewart Morgan
New South Wales.
Camaraderie falling flat?
HOW times change. I can remember a time when
caravanners would rush to help if you experienced any sort of mechanical
trouble while on the road. But what is happening to the old camaraderie
among us? When I was forced to change a wheel due to a
flat tyre at a Bruce Highway service station just north of Maryborough in
Queensland not one caravanner even bothered to stop and ask if everything
was ok ... even though at least six caravans drove in and out of the servo while I laboured. As it was, I didn't need any assistance, but it would have been
nice to see a friendly face. It surprised me that no one even bothered to
enquire if I needed help. And has anyone noticed that fewer caravanners now bother to
exchange friendly waves to other caravanners when behind the wheel?
Disappointed
Queensland
State of confusion over TV Smartcard
MY free-to-air satellite Optus Smartcard has
suddenly decided it will only receive ABC television programmes from
Queensland and not from the other states. All other stations are working
normally. Any idea why?
Dawn Smallwood
New South Wales
Ed's note: Caravanning News
understands there has been a court ruling restricting viewers to ABC
broadcasts from the state or territory where the card was registered. This
is only temporary and is linked to a court case.
|
