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Editor: Dennis Amor
PO Box 678
Caloundra
Queensland 4551
Australia
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Caravan 'explodes' after
running off road |
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Above: All that was left of the caravan after rolling. Below
right: The damaged tow vehicle |
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A CARAVAN disintegrated after
rolling on a desolate stretch of road in South Australia. The lone
caravanner, aged about 40, escaped unhurt when his rig ran off the
Stuart Highway near the Island Lagoon viewing area about 160km
north of Port Augusta. Witnesses said the caravan began "swaying"
as it descended a hill and then careered off the highway. No other
vehicle was involved. Round-Australia caravanner Bruce Moir told
Caravanning News the driver looked "shocked and dazed"
after escaping from the wreckage. "The
caravan gave the appearance that it had exploded," he
told us. "All that was left were the
wheels and chassis, with the floor still attached. It was reduced
to just bits of flat aluminium and plywood, with the poor man's
food and belongings strewn everywhere." |
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Operating
margins improve despite cost pressures
By Dennis Amor
FLEETWOOD Corporation, manufacturers of
the Windsor and Coromal range of caravans, reported another record
result for the 2008 financial year.
In its preliminary final report, the company
revealed that its financial position "remains
strong", with manufacturing operations in South Australia, Northern
Territory and Victoria all returning higher profits compared to last
year.
Revenue increased by 10
percent to $344 million mainly due to
Fleetwood winning significant contracts during
the year. Despite cost pressures and labour problems,
the company still improved its
operating margins, the report said.
But it reported
that activity in its recreational vehicles
sector had been "subdued" and revenue had risen by only 3 percent to
$192.5 million. [More]
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Family devastated after brazen
robbery |
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POLICE are hunting brazen
thieves who made off with a Victorian family's caravan. "We took all
precautions to secure our 'van but that didn't stop them," Peter
Tirpkos told Caravanning News. "It was stolen from the front
of our house while we were at home. We are devastated." Peter, his
wife Daphne and children Jessica (13) and Matthew (10),
of Mill Park, were planning
a dream trip to
Cairns in North Queensland in the 15-month-old custom built 19ft Royal Flair. "We were
going to travel up the Great Inland Highway to Cairns and down the
South Coast back home," Mr Tirpkos explained. "But all our hard work
and sacrifices we made to purchase the caravan have come to nothing.
We bought the caravan because the family loves freedom and
the great outdoors,"
he added. The caravan is described as a 2007 Royal Flair Van
Royce Elite, registration R90218. Anyone with information should
contact their local police station. Meanwhile,
thieves also stole a Jayco Expanda campervan from outside a house in
Northcote, Victoria. Plucky neighbours
in Bastings Street
tried in vain to stop the
crooks from driving off after they had hooked the campervan onto a
Mitsubishi. |
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The missing Royal Flair caravan |
Hundreds roll up for annual caravan gatherings
MORE than two hundred
caravanners have converged on the Casino Village RV Resort in New South
Wales. Scores of caravans of all shapes and sizes rolled into the
resort this week for the Australian Caravan Club's second annual muster. The
five-day event, which wraps up on Sunday, September 28, features a full
programme of social activities including line dancing, bush poetry,
lectures on various aspects of caravanning and a police presentation on
road safety. Meanwhile, 300 caravans are packed into the
Rockhampton Show Grounds as part of the Combined Caravan
Clubs of Queensland's annual state rally. Scheduled
seminars during the event include 'caravanning and road trains' and
'general roads rules applicable to caravans'.
Park set to fall under auctioneer's hammer
THE Ace
Caravan Park at Tin Can Bay in Queensland could fall under the auctioneer's
hammer this month. Located in a prime spot on
the esplanade, the 34-site, three-star park has already attracted interest
from developers. It will go to auction on September 11.
Special deals to celebrate birthday
THE
BIG4 chain of holiday parks is celebrating its 30th birthday this month
with a range of special offers. Celebratory
deals differ from park to park and caravanners are urged to check the
organisation's web site
here for details. CEO Terry Goodall
said: "We've come a long way in the last 30 years and are proud to deliver
the best experiences and memories for many Australians."
No
'out of this world' offers for desert
UFO park
A Northern Territory caravan park located in a
desert area ranked fifth in the world for UFO sightings is up for sale.
But the owner told
Caravanning News there had been no "out of this world" offers for the
BIG4 park. "Banks are really tightening up," he said. [More]
Wildflower photographer dies in road accident
AN elderly caravanner died in a road accident while
taking photographs of Western Australia's wildflowers.
And a Victorian couple leapt from their 4WD towing a
caravan when it erupted in flames in New South Wales.
Meanwhile a NSW man had a lucky escape when his caravan
overturned on a remote road in WA.
[More]
 CCIA members excel at prestigious awards
CARAVAN and Camping Industry Association of NSW members were well
represented in the recent South Coast Tourism Awards.
The area's camping and caravan industry was placed firmly in the limelight
with no fewer than nine of them receiving recognition in the prestigious
awards during a gala dinner at Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre in Nowra.
[More]
Police warning as thieves target
navigation systems
VICTORIA police have urged caravanners to take more care of their
satellite navigation systems.
This follows the release of official crime figures
which reveal a big rise in thefts
from motor vehicles, with thieves particularly targetting GPSs.
[More]
 Safari
fuels argument for RV holidays
A CARAVAN hauled by a 4WD proved to be the
thirstiest rig in the great fuel safari between Queensland and Victoria.
The 1400km carefully monitored trek aimed to show that recreational
vehicles were still among the cheapest form of holiday in the current
climate of high fuel prices. [More]
Green scheme set for blast off
THE Australian Caravan Club will launch a major new
environmental initiative this month.
It will take place as caravanners from all over Australia converge on
Casino in New South Wales for the club's second National Muster and Annual
General Meeting. [More]
 Locating
dump points made easier
CARAVANNERS travelling through Queensland will now find it easier to
locate dump points.
A new interactive Government website pinpoints grey and
black water disposal sites around the Sunshine State. [More]
Park owners confused over booze rules
WEST Australian caravan park owners claim they are still in the dark
over their responsibilities during the upcoming schoolies celebrations.
They complain there is still confusion over the interpretation of the
Liquor Control Act which police warn will be rigidly enforced during this
year's Leavers Week revels. [More]
Mayor disputes fall in visitor numbers
CLAIMS that caravanners have shunned Queensland's Gold Coast because of
high fuel prices have been disputed by the local mayor.
Some reports insisted that caravan parks had seen a dramatic fall in
visitor numbers as bowser prices hit an all-time high.
[More]
Karate expert sends
caravan crooks packing
THIEVES chose the wrong caravan to rob when they went on a crime spree
in a NSW town. The hapless
raiders found themselves at the receiving end of a karate expert who awoke
as they rummaged through his caravan in the dead of night. [More]
 Caravanners gear up to grab a bargain
CARAVANNERS and other travellers are gearing up to grab a bargain at a
series of shows in New South Wales.
'Pre-summer' sales of caravanning, camping, touring and holiday products
will feature at the Penrith and South Coast Caravan, Camping and Holiday
expos in the coming months. [More]
 Spotlight shines on grey nomads
THE curtain has risen on another stage play featuring those ageing
Australians who turn their backs on dreary suburbia for a life on the open
road. This time, actors Sandy Gore and Terence Donovan take on the role of grey nomads in
David Williamson's Travelling North.
[More]
Apple Isle axes multi-vehicle
concessions
PENSIONER caravanners in Tasmania will no longer be able to enjoy
multi-vehicle registration concessions.
The State Government has announced it is limiting cheap registrations to
either one motor vehicle, caravan, trailer or motorcycle.
[More]
For stories from
the last six editions of Caravanning News, click on the
appropriate month:
Caravanning News - August 2008
Caravanning News - July 2008 edition
Caravanning News - June 2008 edition
Caravanning News - May 2008 edition
Caravanning News - March/April 2008 edition
Caravanning News - February 2008 edition
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Copyright 2005
Dennis Amor
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Park owners urged to stop their 'bleating'
THE rubbish stories I
read about overnight stays and camping are
laughable. In the main
they are not verifiable and as such should not be printed.
Just because
someone chooses to build and operate a business (caravan park) does
not mean
that it has to be supported through government
controls at all levels. I run a business and I certainly do not
receive the leg up that caravan
park
operators do ... in fact,
quite the opposite. My advice to
caravan park
operators is to stop your bleating and meet the market like the rest
of us do.
Philip Bagley,
Victoria.
Fair reporting appreciated
REGARDING last
month's
Caravanning News article headlined 'No campaign to erode freedom
of choice'. Thank you very much for the very well presented manner
in which you put my reply. I was concerned that there would be a
strong bias against our association. Your even handedness is greatly
appreciated.
Earle Orenstein,
Executive Officer,
Victorian Caravan Parks Association.
Karol rests
her case
READING
an old issue regarding the lack of
rest areas in
the Northern Territory,
I really feel this is untrue. There are
truck areas and caravan areas. In
three months we have not seen one truck in
a car and caravan rest area,
but have seen at least five
caravans in truck areas. Rest areas and
town rest areas are about 70 to 80km apart
and seem more than adequate for the travelling public. If drivers
are that tired they can certainly stop at
roadhouses in towns and pay a caravan
park.
Karol Fisher,
Bundaberg,
Queensland.
Keep up the great work
THANKS again for another great read and,
more importantly, thanks for keeping us informed. I can't begin to
imagine the hours you spend gathering this information and putting
it together. Keep up the great work!
John,
via email.
WHAT a great website! We are new to the
motorhoming group and every bit of information is a great help to
us. We hope to be self sufficient when travelling and so I read with
delight your list of rest areas ... very helpful indeed. We try to
get away for a few nights every now and again to sort out our
"Winnie" in preparation for future longer trips. Thank you for a
very delightful and informative site.
Good luck in the future.
Trish Patterson,
Cooloola Cove,
Queensland.
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Pride of
place for oldest caravan
CLAIMED to be the world's
oldest vehicle-hauled caravan, an Edwardian holiday home is the centre of
attention at a UK museum. The single-berth timber caravan, once
described as a 'shed on wheels', was built in 1908 and takes pride of
place at the Motor Museum in Llangollen, North Wales. The historic
caravan, built by a Mr A.W. Haslam, was last used in 1960.
UPROAR has erupted over a decision to allow New Zealand Motor Caravan
Association members to overnight at a former rugby league ground.
Opponents argue the site at Tolaga Bay on the North Island's east coast
should be reserved for use by locals.
AN AMERICAN has been arrested after allegedly keeping his wife and
four children virtual prisoners in a dirty and squalid caravan for three
years. Police said Raymond Thurmond locked his family in the caravan at
Beaver Creek, Georgia, and allowed them to leave only once in that time.
A WELSH caravan park is bloomin' happy after winning its latest award.
Tree Tops in Gwespyr, Flintshire, has taken supreme honours in a national
flower competition for the 16th year running. Standing in 15 acres, the
previous winners of the David Bellamy Gold Award is a blaze of colour after
producing 15,000 plants from its already established stock.
OH DEAR, what can the matter be? Indian movie star Sreeman found
himself with egg on his face when a faulty lock trapped him inside his
caravan's toilet during filming for his latest film near Ennore. The
embarrassed actor's frantic cries for help went unanswered for 40 minutes
before he was freed.
A NEW kidney dialysis
unit for holidaymakers has been installed in a British caravan park. The
facility has been set up at Dinlle Caravan Park near Caernarfon by the
South Derbyshire Health Authority ... because many of its kidney patients
take their holidays in the area near Snowdonia in North Wales.
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