And back again in Brisbane

The week at Bargara was very relaxing.  The resort is right on the beach, and a lovely beach it is!  Apparently it is an egg laying area for turtles, so much of it is protected (and rightly so).  Bundaberg is nearby and that is where they make Bundaberg Rum, so a factory tour was certainly on the "Must do" list.  Six million litres of rum are produced each year, 97% of which is consumed in Australia.  They were preparing a special release and our tour group was privileged to see the much more manual intensive bottling process:  The special 1 litre bottles are put onto the line manually, washed & filled as per normal (automatically), and the hand corked & sealed.  The release was going to be in five days hence, and the waiting line had already started!  There are actually Rules for Lining Up!  Collectors are certainly keen!!  We got to sample some rum and I bought a few bottles also.

The Big Barrel, the information centre for Bundaberg Ginger Beer, was also on my list.  It wasn't a factory tour, rather a self guided tour through the Centre describing the history, process etc.  Very interesting, informative but perhaps, having brewed ginger beer in the past, not as enlightening as the rum factory.  

The town of Bargara is a bit out of the way, but is a popular holiday destination as well as a very pleasant place to live.  Being out of the way a bit it was later being 'discovered', but there are a lot of very nice new houses, with the older original ones on the market, most likely to be torn down by a new owner, either for a new modern house or a block of units.  The beachside land is beautifully developed into parklands, with walking tracks, picnic tables and BBQ's for quite some distance.  Very pleasant and much appreciated, judging by the numbers using it.

The daily routine wasn't strenuous by any stretch of the imagination:  Walk along the beach, perhaps a stop for coffee or ice cream, a drive to see the area or washing clothes (real washing machine & dryer!), long shower in the heat of the day and then tea followed by another walk.  I tried fishing but the afternoon winds were quite strong & the beach reasonably shallow so I couldn't get out beyond the breakers, which were quite a way out:  I didn't have to clean any fish either.

The week ended too quickly and the drive to Brisbane on 24 September was an uneventful five hour drive.  To date I've traveled 4328 km since leaving Brisbane on 30 August on this trip, and 7,737 km since leaving Tassie.  The aim was/is to trial the Grey Nomad life and it has been an experience!   Living in a van takes some adapting, it seemed every time I stopped I re-arranged things; yet I still seem to dig deep when I need an item, but less and less.  Power capacity has been greatly improved with the solar panel charging my stand-alone single 105AH deep cycle battery which keeps my laptop running and therefore communication with the world.  I'll be replacing the current house battery - a normal car battery - with two 105AH deep cycle batteries to allow me to free camp longer.  Cooking is pretty basic, mainly to keep washing up to a minimum:  Water isn't so much the problem, rather disposal of grey water.  The people and their rigs vary greatly.   At the top are large motorhomes with all the comforts, some including a car in tow.  A fellow in Gin Gin was getting his converted large bus cleaned up after 6 months free camping in remote areas, to return home again.  Another couple I met sold up, bought a motorhome to live and travel in.  Many have a 4WD with a caravan or campertrailer and go out on trips, returning home for a while to plan the next one.  There are even some traveling on a motorcycle with a trailer.  They all seem to talk about the freedom, some of them find it the best lifestyle for their economic circumstances and they all seem to agree it's a good life!  One fellow told me he and his wife returned after a few months away and he was looking forward to the next trip:  When his wife said she wasn't going anymore, he found another woman and took off again!  There is always someone willing to help if needed and they are a supportive community generally. 

Despite it's penchant for gravel roads & garden paths, the GPS is essential.  Having the Camps6 sites programmed in is terrific as they can be a bit out of the way at times.  For getting around larger towns & cities - essential!  You can quickly find the nearest petrol station, shopping centre, specific shop, Eg Jaycar, even the nearest toilet!  With the advantage of Bluetooth as well, you can be assured of never missing a telemarketer's call.

Now to plan the next rip.