tumbleweed the extended australia trip
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- crabmeat thompson
- Huey's Right Hand
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Re: tumbleweed the extended australia trip
friends just cam back from 8 months in a campervan with their 7-yr old girl at red bluff.
they loved it.
they loved it.
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- barnacle
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Re: tumbleweed the extended australia trip
Were planning tassie as well next year from dec forward
no, Im not a surfer, Im just a garbage man".
- crabmeat thompson
- Huey's Right Hand
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Re: tumbleweed the extended australia trip
Ah Tassie. God's country.
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- barnacle
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Re: tumbleweed the extended australia trip
Im sitting on a farm out past Colac prop till late Feb. At the farm I am trading some labour for free rent and will sit out the silly season. The owner of the dairy farm is called Tom, he is in his late sixties and after sitting down and chatting to him I found a bit out about his life story and thought I would share it.
Tom grew up in the Colac region on a farm. His father was a farmer. His grandfather was a farmer in the region. In fact he can trace his family back to the some of the first Irish Settlers that came out here and they were farmers as well. Tom went even as far as back to Ireland in tracing his family history and found that back there they were farmers also. You could say that farming is in his families blood.
Before the GFC dairy farming in this region was strong (according to Tom). Toms sons got married and as a gift he refinanced his farm and bought them both Dairy farms in the region. Life was good and even though they worked from five in the morning till seven or eight at night (with most times only an hour off for smoko).
Then the GFC hit. Prices for Milk plummetted on what they were being paid. In fact its not rising at all whilst the cost of running a Dairy farm is rising. The banks of course dont take this into consideration and repayments remain the same no matter the circumstances.
As the stress got higher the worst was to come for Tom, both his Sons left the farms, they just walked out and left him high and dry. For Toms wife it still cuts deep, she loves her sons but...... well, what can you say. With Tom deep down he understands why they walked out, who wants to live and work such long hours for little pay, though it still hurts.
He now has all three farms up for sale. I have asked him about overseas buyers, he laughed at this and calls them investors. He doesnt like the term overseas buyers. He doesnt want to sell his land to the 'investors' as they will only pay bottom dollar. It wont get him out of dept. He will end up with no home, nothing at all.
As tom looks out over his fields as he talks to me I can only wonder at his shattered dreams. His families history of farming has come to a screaming halt and buy March will be no more, the good times he had in raising his kids on the land is not possible for his kids, that life is finished now. I can almost feel the loss with him.
Tommorow I move out of the milking shed and im going to start preparing one of the houses on the land for painting. I intend to paint the house for Tom and try to spruce the place up so as he says "When a young lass walks into the home she may fall in love with the house and the beautiful land here"
I only hope so for Toms sake and that he gets a fair price thereby getting him out of dept. Hopefully the land will remain in a aussies name.
Its made our family rethink when buying milk. After learning a bit more about some so called big supermarkets and the dairy industry I will never agian buy cut price Milk.
Anyways, have a nice day
Tom grew up in the Colac region on a farm. His father was a farmer. His grandfather was a farmer in the region. In fact he can trace his family back to the some of the first Irish Settlers that came out here and they were farmers as well. Tom went even as far as back to Ireland in tracing his family history and found that back there they were farmers also. You could say that farming is in his families blood.
Before the GFC dairy farming in this region was strong (according to Tom). Toms sons got married and as a gift he refinanced his farm and bought them both Dairy farms in the region. Life was good and even though they worked from five in the morning till seven or eight at night (with most times only an hour off for smoko).
Then the GFC hit. Prices for Milk plummetted on what they were being paid. In fact its not rising at all whilst the cost of running a Dairy farm is rising. The banks of course dont take this into consideration and repayments remain the same no matter the circumstances.
As the stress got higher the worst was to come for Tom, both his Sons left the farms, they just walked out and left him high and dry. For Toms wife it still cuts deep, she loves her sons but...... well, what can you say. With Tom deep down he understands why they walked out, who wants to live and work such long hours for little pay, though it still hurts.
He now has all three farms up for sale. I have asked him about overseas buyers, he laughed at this and calls them investors. He doesnt like the term overseas buyers. He doesnt want to sell his land to the 'investors' as they will only pay bottom dollar. It wont get him out of dept. He will end up with no home, nothing at all.
As tom looks out over his fields as he talks to me I can only wonder at his shattered dreams. His families history of farming has come to a screaming halt and buy March will be no more, the good times he had in raising his kids on the land is not possible for his kids, that life is finished now. I can almost feel the loss with him.
Tommorow I move out of the milking shed and im going to start preparing one of the houses on the land for painting. I intend to paint the house for Tom and try to spruce the place up so as he says "When a young lass walks into the home she may fall in love with the house and the beautiful land here"
I only hope so for Toms sake and that he gets a fair price thereby getting him out of dept. Hopefully the land will remain in a aussies name.
Its made our family rethink when buying milk. After learning a bit more about some so called big supermarkets and the dairy industry I will never agian buy cut price Milk.
Anyways, have a nice day
no, Im not a surfer, Im just a garbage man".
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- barnacle
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Re: tumbleweed the extended australia trip
I meet Peter and Wendy down at a free camp at Lake Colac. They have been on the road for thirty years so far. They have had three kids all born and raised in the bus, they homeschooled the kids and they now all live in Tassie doing quite successfully.
Pet was originally a diesel mechanic and bought the bus from koala coaches before he headed off. Over the years he reworked the motor so that it runs on vege oil. He picks up the oil from Tassie, strains it through a stocking and away he goes. Sixty bucks gets him 2000 kms. The trouble with vege oil is you have to clean out your injectors once a year, costs a bit, but nothing compared to the price of diesel,plus he just does it himself.
He use to pick up money from fixing tractors or whatever he could find but fifteen years ago he took up photography, built a drone, and started photomapping farmers property from a thousand feet in the air and then selling them to the farmers for free camping and $250 bucks a package for six photos. He has now repeat business and finds it easy to to work as much as he wants.
His plan for retierment is to knock on a farmers door, ask if they can pay a small amount of rent to park up their bus and they will just stop travelling and put their feet up.
You meet the most interesting and inspiring people in our country.
Pet was originally a diesel mechanic and bought the bus from koala coaches before he headed off. Over the years he reworked the motor so that it runs on vege oil. He picks up the oil from Tassie, strains it through a stocking and away he goes. Sixty bucks gets him 2000 kms. The trouble with vege oil is you have to clean out your injectors once a year, costs a bit, but nothing compared to the price of diesel,plus he just does it himself.
He use to pick up money from fixing tractors or whatever he could find but fifteen years ago he took up photography, built a drone, and started photomapping farmers property from a thousand feet in the air and then selling them to the farmers for free camping and $250 bucks a package for six photos. He has now repeat business and finds it easy to to work as much as he wants.
His plan for retierment is to knock on a farmers door, ask if they can pay a small amount of rent to park up their bus and they will just stop travelling and put their feet up.
You meet the most interesting and inspiring people in our country.
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no, Im not a surfer, Im just a garbage man".
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- barnacle
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Re: tumbleweed the extended australia trip
Lake Colac sunset. A bloody nice way to end the day with a Jimmy and sit back and watch the sun set.
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no, Im not a surfer, Im just a garbage man".
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- Harry the Hat
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Re: tumbleweed the extended australia trip
if you start up the engine with normal diesel, switch over to the veg when its warm And then use normal diesel again for a few minutes before you shut it down, it would probably reduce maintenance.
- crabmeat thompson
- Huey's Right Hand
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Re: tumbleweed the extended australia trip
love reading your words digger.
Re: tumbleweed the extended australia trip
Some good stuff there, Digger.
Keep it up.
Keep it up.
Beanpole
You aren’t the room Yuke You are just a wonky cafe table with a missing rubber pad on the end of one leg.
Skipper
I still don't buy the "official" narrative about 9/11. Oh sure, it happened, fcuk yeah. But who and why and how I'm, not convinced it was what we've been told.
You aren’t the room Yuke You are just a wonky cafe table with a missing rubber pad on the end of one leg.
Skipper
I still don't buy the "official" narrative about 9/11. Oh sure, it happened, fcuk yeah. But who and why and how I'm, not convinced it was what we've been told.
Re: tumbleweed the extended australia trip
Be weary of old farmers giving you the sob story Digger , quite a few of them have it down pat, so don't wear yourself out working for nothing. The few dairy farmers I've known have pretty long smokos whenever it's offshore
Re: tumbleweed the extended australia trip
Cracking stuff Digger. Great couple of stories there.
Trev wrote:I have always had a lot of time for Dick
smnmntll wrote:Got one in the mouth once, that was pretty memorable
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- barnacle
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Re: tumbleweed the extended australia trip
Im hearing ya crustt, Yesterday put in a full day and walked back to the bus and my missus had a go at me. We are using no power, a little bit of water, probably worth only 25 bucks a day. So Im going to limit it to one and a half hours a day, maybe a bit more every now and then. Im happy to do work for him as working is good for the soul, though I gotta think of my family needs as well.crustt wrote:Be weary of old farmers giving you the sob story Digger , quite a few of them have it down pat, so don't wear yourself out working for nothing. The few dairy farmers I've known have pretty long smokos whenever it's offshore
no, Im not a surfer, Im just a garbage man".
Re: tumbleweed the extended australia trip
So digger did you commandeer the farm ute for that last lot of offshores and get down the coast, would have been hot and dry in colac.
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- barnacle
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Re: tumbleweed the extended australia trip
NO mate, ive been to busy on the farm. Im actually enjoying the work. I haven't worked in such a long time that it feels good at end of day even if its for no pay.
Right now im taking a break and am at the showground/dog track. Not sure if you are meant to camp here, its not advertised and we lucked into it. Only 15 bucks a night. We were told by information that you cant camp here. This place is a gem for the price and a good spot for a base to travel from. Only 2 others here.
We spent the day at flagstaff hill and the kids had a blast. Tommorow we are doing some shopping and hoping to get a surf in on Saturday. The report says swell is up sat but so are the winds. I checked the local banks and it looks like crap everywhere around here. Im hoping on sat with the bigger swell the bay behind the break wall might provide some waves. Its been a while and im amping to get in the water. Sunday we are taking a trip to gibsons for some sightseeing then staying somewhere near there for one night before going back to farm to work again.
Heres hoping I get some surf on sat sun or Monday. If ya see my bus say gday
Right now im taking a break and am at the showground/dog track. Not sure if you are meant to camp here, its not advertised and we lucked into it. Only 15 bucks a night. We were told by information that you cant camp here. This place is a gem for the price and a good spot for a base to travel from. Only 2 others here.
We spent the day at flagstaff hill and the kids had a blast. Tommorow we are doing some shopping and hoping to get a surf in on Saturday. The report says swell is up sat but so are the winds. I checked the local banks and it looks like crap everywhere around here. Im hoping on sat with the bigger swell the bay behind the break wall might provide some waves. Its been a while and im amping to get in the water. Sunday we are taking a trip to gibsons for some sightseeing then staying somewhere near there for one night before going back to farm to work again.
Heres hoping I get some surf on sat sun or Monday. If ya see my bus say gday
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no, Im not a surfer, Im just a garbage man".
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- barnacle
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Re: tumbleweed the extended australia trip
Its taking me a year or so to sort out fins on the board. The original quad set huei made are just perfect.
With the 4s system I have mucked around heaps with it and tried at 6 degree and 4 degree. ive settled for six and have lucked into a great toe in placement im happy with.
With the thruster fins I first tried a sunny Garcia set at six degree and Im just not quite sold on em. Im going to try a K1 set on hueis advice and see how they go. Will try K1 first on four degree. Will only use the thruster set when swell is bigger.
Im also thinking of trying the two Garcia from fins with a K1 on the back. It could be a interesting experiment.
With the 4s system I have mucked around heaps with it and tried at 6 degree and 4 degree. ive settled for six and have lucked into a great toe in placement im happy with.
With the thruster fins I first tried a sunny Garcia set at six degree and Im just not quite sold on em. Im going to try a K1 set on hueis advice and see how they go. Will try K1 first on four degree. Will only use the thruster set when swell is bigger.
Im also thinking of trying the two Garcia from fins with a K1 on the back. It could be a interesting experiment.
no, Im not a surfer, Im just a garbage man".
Re: tumbleweed the extended australia trip
[quote="diggerdickson"]
Right now im taking a break and am at the showground/dog track. Not sure if you are meant to camp here, its not advertised and we lucked into it. Only 15 bucks a night. We were told by information that you cant camp here. This place is a gem for the price and a good spot for a base to travel from. Only 2 others here.
quote]
Digger if your not sure if you are allowed to camp there, who the fcuk are you paying $15 a night too Are yo going to Apollo Bay? probably a bit westerly Saturday.
Right now im taking a break and am at the showground/dog track. Not sure if you are meant to camp here, its not advertised and we lucked into it. Only 15 bucks a night. We were told by information that you cant camp here. This place is a gem for the price and a good spot for a base to travel from. Only 2 others here.
quote]
Digger if your not sure if you are allowed to camp there, who the fcuk are you paying $15 a night too Are yo going to Apollo Bay? probably a bit westerly Saturday.
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- barnacle
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Re: tumbleweed the extended australia trip
Too far crusty:( . supposably the council closed camping here get they still let limited numbers if they can hide them away
no, Im not a surfer, Im just a garbage man".
Re: tumbleweed the extended australia trip
Digger, I've lived here for 20 yrs and never surfed the bay behind the breakwater. I was half tempted just once. Despite the swell size, it will still be very small tomorrow. Best option is probably the lighthouse at Port Fairy. Also, despite the shit banks in Lady Bay, on a big swell, there are sometimes ok waves near the SLSC when the wind is from the W. Incoming mid - high tide usually best. Tomorrow is a bit dicey because there's not 2 tides and it's outgoing all morning until mid arvo so best chance is late - if the winds do as current forecast and stay W all day. Any S and it's a mess
I've done something (absolutely nothing) to my neck last night which is causing serious discomfort. Until it gets better, I won't be surfing
How long are you about? Be good to say g'day in person
I've done something (absolutely nothing) to my neck last night which is causing serious discomfort. Until it gets better, I won't be surfing
How long are you about? Be good to say g'day in person
marcus wrote:and that vicco dude, whatsisname?
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