Ron and Ziggy

Ziggy and Ron.

For Geoff

The offending piece of equipment

The first we heard from Ron was his generator. We arrived at Canebrake Pool, non-generator campsite, as camp hosts with the hummm of this noisy apparatus as welcoming serenade in this otherwise tranquil bush camp. We decided to ava’ yarn. During our advance to camp Ron we heard Ziggy's feisty yap for the first time. Ziggy the dog is a Shiatsu, Maltese cross and a red hot little guard dog. Nothing gets near Ron’s trailer without being profusely barked at by the little star man. Over the next couple of weeks we heard the word “Ziggy” yelled out in all sorts of different ways. There was a gruff “Ziggy” if someone walked by or a despairing “Ziggy” when his hunting instinct took over and started chasing a bungarra. “He will tear up a goanna if it gets close” Ron pronounced. “That’s why Ziggy is always on the lead”.

Ziggy sniffing out a possible intruder

Ron soon turned out to be always up for a chat and being of true semi grey nomad ilk, we are allowing ourselves more time for other humans of any kind. Over the next three weeks we got to know Ron quite well. Ron is the person who talks the most of anyone I know that has claimed “I don’t talk much”. Ron can chew the leg off a chair but his stories were always fascinating and loved listening to them.

 

 

Ron in the middle of a story

 

 

 

We found out how his home built trailer was set up with the generator, how he stayed at free camp-sites where they allowed dogs, how he had travelled like this for the last 12 years and and how he was living without fixed abode. Ron has three kids he spoke of with some feeling, but was divorced when, in his words,“she found another fellah”. Ziggy had walked into Rons campsite three years ago and they have taken good care of each other ever since. Julie spent hours talking to Ron about grooming, worming, defleaing, what to feed Ziggy and you could see the pair go for “walkies” at least twice a day.



Ziggy just walked into Rons camp

Three weeks after saying goodbye to the pair at Cranebrake we pulled over to investigate a free camping spot called Bromus Dam close to Norseman. “Hey look Jules - it looks like another Ron” I said, pointing at a campsite in the distance. Promptly, from afar the unmistaking yap of Ziggy followed by a gruff “Ziggy". Ziggy excitedly ran to us like we were long lost friends and jumped all over us. We were all very surprised to find each other in this spot. Ron left Canebrake the same day as us and was on his way to a secret locatation around Kalgoorlie to go prospecting. He said with a cheeky grin that a 36 million dollar nugget, like the one someone found recently, would be a great supplement to his pension. In the same breath he said he would not change his lifestyle one bit but maybe emphasise “style” just a little.

Over a few coldies during what's known as the grey nomad's happy hour, Ron passionately talked about the Vietnam war. As a Corporal in the army, he was teaching his fellow soldiers specialising in the art of dropping in behind enemy lines. The troops were just about to be sent in, including young Corporal Ron, when Whitlam pulled the Aussies out of Vietnam. Ron said he felt very frustrated that he and his men could not go to Vietnam and use the skills they had trained so hard for and to do his bit for this country. An interesting discussion developed whether  Ron, in this case, was plain unlucky or if he had dodged a bullet.



We mentioned to Ron our plans to drive the excuisite Norseman to Hyden road and the rugged Holland track on the way back and asked if Ron and Ziggy would mind guarding our van. In my mind, leaving our van with Ron and Ziggy was always a safe option even though we only knew him for less than a month. Ziggy would raise mary hell if anyone came near our caravan. Ron said they were not going anywhere soon and accepted the job and the carton that would come his way.  When we checked in over the phone from Kalgoorlie he mischievously said the van was ok but he had a couple of offers on it.





Ziggy guarding our property

 

When we returned from our Holland track adventure, we sat down for a cuppa with Ron and Ziggy. In the shade of his tarpaulin Ron said, with a glint in his eye, he was chasing “real freedom”. No one bugging him, out in the wilderness and living out his life.



Ron's camp at Bromus Dam

Crucial to living free out bush, he said you needed to have a fresh water source, good enough to wash clothes and do the dishes as he pointed at a 20 litre white container with greenish water and a tadpole swimming around in it.

Ron always had his fly squat handy as the marsh flies were prolific biters. When one such horrid horse fly creature bit Ron on the leg, Ziggy was immediately at hand to lick the bite gently. We were witnessing a close and loving relationship between dog and man.

Ziggy showing affection

If you find a good place to camp next to a billabong and see Ron’s camp and his fiery grey ball of energy go over and say G’day. We wish Ron and Ziggy the best  of luck on the road and we will call his phone number every once in a while to see if they are both ok or just in case he does find that massive nugget.

 

Grey Bits

 
If you like my blog please feel free to share it with others.




Some of the carton we paid Ron with for services rendered

 

 

Flap, flap bloody flap

Flap, flap bloody flap

Everyone has an opinion about what kind of homely gadget to take around Australia. Some people have more opinion than others. If I had a dollar for every shoulda got this or coulda got that I would have no need to play lotto. So let me have a look at putting my own spiel  on finding the ultimate travel set up semi-grey nomad style.

In the beginning….. there was the mattress, blanket and the stars. It just is the most romantic way of camping. It proves real joy does not have to cost an arm and a leg. I have had the pleasure of driving a poo brown, clapped out Kingswood wagon into the red dust and pull up in that non-light polluted spot and lay on my back with a beautiful girl next to me watching many a fallen star. It's awesome. Baked beans for dinner never tasted this good. I can't remember if we ever had a shower. Travelling without money allowed us to have the time of our lives. Who could have thought that less actually equals more.

Simplicity without complications

But…. There are always one or two of those. One morning you are woken by that stunning sun-rise and find a scorpion under that mattress or you get woken in the middle of the night with some hairy-arsed Wombat chewing on your toes.  The weather is obviously a concern when you are that exposed to anything falling from the sky or that sopping dew in the morning. And so…..

The tent was born. I have had the pleasure to have attempted to sleep in a wide variety of tents. On many a hiking trip one or two man hiking tents are very common to use just in case the hut is overflowing with a corporate challenge mob and there is no room at the Inn. Those tents that are touted light weight, try and carry them all day, can be put up in dune pans, little plucks of bush, forest and on rocky cliffs overlooking the most stunning landscapes. Often no pegs are required but it does feel so much safer to have it nailed down with some guide ropes. In torrential rain I noticed that if the inner tent touches the fly you can get yourself Into a serious wet spot. Look! Hiking tents are insanely flexible and only restricted by trespassing laws and lack of imagination.

Next....

The medium size tent was sent to challenge us. If you like a puzzle get yourself a decent size tent. If you turn up at the camp site late at night and you have just walked out of the store with it you are in for the shock of your life. As you cannot yet find your head torch, you will be dependant on your blinding car headlights to guide you. Eventually you will have managed to erect it unharmoniously with your dearly beloved and not a grain of help from the kids that keep on running over the canvas. Several days later you would have found the instructions you kept in a handy place. You know the one place where you would be sure to have found it.  Exhausted, you will lay down on your bouncy sea sickness evoking mattress.  Many a man has flipped his misses up in the air by rolling around on the blow up mattress. From the tent in any commercial or government campsite you can follow the neighbours arguments until the small hours of the morning or worse you can pick up handy skills off two drunk boners mumbling how to take flesh off a bone two meters from were you lay, scared, with eyes wide open. You discover that tents are not snore proof as you lay awake all night working out exercise programs and diet changes for the offending neighbour.

And than… a metamorphosis of biblical proportions.The dome tent. I am to this day scratching my head as to why the traditional tent shape was overrun by its rounded cousin. If you were to camp at the North pole and required to enjoy a blizzard or two? Maybe. Try organising all your square gear in a round tent and remember to feed the right pole through the right sleeve.

With tents it appears that all the gear you thought you needed for this trip is stashed mainly outside. Shipping containers full of stuff on and under tables spreading like a virus through the campsite. Your car will look like a dog's breakfast.  Out of desperation gear will end up hanging in trees . Your campsite will look like post cyclone Armageddon. In and among all stray looking husbands will be asking their wives again and again where the thingymegic is that fits in the dovywhatsit. Aahhh!!  Camping is such great fun.

The Taj Mah tent. A tent for six persons at Boranup 2011.

No don’t get me wrong I love camping in tents.  Bring the kids into nature and yourself back into it too after a long absence . Reconnect to people that  try the get away from the daily grind as hard as you are. Sitting around a camp fire staring into the flame. Roast some marsh-mellows to charcoal. Set up a treasure hunt. Get the kids to build some huts. Have some clean family fun without those damn gadgets.

Just recently we camped at Shelter bay in the Steep Point National Park in Shark Bay. We have this brand new rooftop tent installed  one week before we left which inspired me to write this. This part of Western Australia is famous for being one of the most windiest areas in the world. Julie described the night we spend there as if a Goliath like creature trying to get in all night. Flap, flap bloody flap. Lucky I found some earplugs. We cut that trip short.

So the evolution of camping modes has brought us to Le Moment Surprime. The sexed up version of the long forgotten tent.  Hot canvas on wheels. The holy campertrailer. Slide in, slide out fridges. Kitchen draws, sinks and water taps. Oolalaaa!! Some can be erected by simply winding it up or down others just open up like a clam on heat. I have seen flatscreen TV's that disappear gently into the manifold by the click of a button. All of a sudden we are talking solar blankets, 12 volt bliss and massive water tanks for long hot steamy showers. This will all come at a price.

 

Our old Camper trailer in full flight at Boranup 2011

We had another memorable night in Exmouth 2009, Western Australia where our annex tried to fly to the Eastern states with clothes line and clothes still pegged to it.

What options are left? Foolishly I have always counted out any mode of transport I cannot unhook from my car and leave behind set up. That just about kills off that Winnabago or converted bus idea. Most of those palaces on wheels are way, way, way beyond my price range. But one day I may be persuaded otherwise.

In the end a caravan appeared to be the answer to it all. No flapping canvas if that's your choice. Most caravans will have good square storage spaces and just the right amount of affordable luxury. Have your caravan fully enclosed so you don't have to listen to drunk grey nomads arguing how to park their van. This is just my opinion. No need to get in a flap about it. 

Tips for the camping semi-grey nomad

For camping:

• Make sure there is no reception, electricity and don’t bring a TV for anyone.
• Organise and prepare activities. Eg: cards, treasure hunt prizes, sparklers, glow in the dark sticks, marsh-mellows, extra torches for animal spotting, fins and snorkels etc.
• Remember the fun and games you had when you were young. Pac-Man excluded. What games did you play that your kids could have some fun with?
• Different terrain requires different gear. When we go four wheel driving we leave our caravan behind and sleep in our roofy.  

The rooftop tent in full flight