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Post by kiwijim on Jul 8, 2011 18:40:48 GMT 10
Howdy Al, Darn pity about the Micro wave, I've got a spare one here if Ya going past. ;D ;D ;D Have a good and safe holiday and don't leave the camera at home, or on the bench top, ;D  We want to see plenty of good Pic's when you return. Cheers kiwijim  |
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Post by bobt on Jul 8, 2011 21:05:46 GMT 10
gee. al
Not a good start. Hope it improves and the weather does too.
Its dam cold down 'ere at the moment
Like kiwijim says.. lots a photos please.
bobt
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2011 19:45:14 GMT 10
See you in Crows Nest Al - hope you packed your winter woolies its gonna be cold - hopefully some snow!! You never know with the weird weather we've been having lately! Hope you packed your camp oven there will be a few bubbling away Friday night.
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Post by millard1399 on Jul 27, 2011 21:37:30 GMT 10
G'day All, We arrived back home this afternoon, after our 19-day trip away to Crows Nest in Qld and back. The Millard has clocked up another 2400 kms of trouble-free towing, which now makes a total of just over 8000 kms in four trips since the van restoration was completed last year. Not bad for a 35 year old van, ay?! I'll have to post the pictures in a few separate posts, so those readers with slower internet connections are not overloaded with too many pictures. This first picture was taken at a rest stop at Kempsey on the north coast of NSW, and shows Papa Van, Mama Van, and the itty bitty Baby Van  ...  We bought a new $69 microwave oven at Coffs Harbour (home of the "Big Banana") after searching around a few shops looking for a 'cheapie'. The "boss" was a very happy camper after that.  We kept making our way up the NSW north coast until we got to Grafton, and then went inland up the Great Dividing Range towards Glen Innes on the New England Highway. Just outside Grafton, we stopped at a roadside rest stop and chatted to another caravanner who had just come down the mountain pass. He said they'd spent the previous night at Glen Innes and the temperature had got down to minus 11 degrees! Struth!! Needless to say we decided to get up on the Range and head north as quickly as we could, to the warmer temps in Qld. We made it to Tenterfield in NSW (home of Peter Allen and the 'Tenterfield Saddler' song) and spent the night with the temp getting down to zero. This pic shows the frost on the roof of the car the next morning. Brrrrr...bloody freezin'!!...  But at least the sunrise that morning was spectacular...  Kiwijim, I'm going to send "the Boss" over to attend one of Jean's photo-shooting classes. I spotted a 'rare' 1970 Franklin fibreglass van, in a carport beside a house, north of Tenterfield. I even did a U-turn on the highway so we would pass the shed in both directions (...there was no room to pull over). I said to her, "Just keep clicking the shutter as often as you can!" This is the best photo she took...  ...the van is right behind the grab handle on the A-pillar.  We ended up getting to Crows Nest (which is 43 kms north of Toowoomba in Qld) on the Wednesday afternoon, two days earlier than we planned. The nights were too bloody cold to hang around in NSW. We had a couple of nice sunny days in Crows Nest before the rest of the Vintage/Classic vans started arriving on the Friday. And on the Friday it started raining...and it rained on the Saturday...and it kept raining on the Sunday. These photos show some of the vans and the fog on the Sunday morning...   ...to be continued... |
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Post by millard1399 on Jul 28, 2011 12:48:38 GMT 10
Part 2... Despite the wet weather and the biting wind, the weekend at Crows Nest was another successful event. I don't know how many vans ended up being there, but I managed to catch up with a few people who had classic caravans there. Forum members Phil & Louise; Bob & Jacqui; Bob's mate 'Steve' who had a mid-70s Coronet; and Brendon & Stacey (hope I've spelt those names correctly), who had a magnificent 18-footer '79 Viscount Supreme, towed with a Holden Sandman...   I was jealous, and drooled all through the van when I had a look-through... One of the vintage members took this photo of me under the awning of our van, all rugged up against the 'coolish' weather...  The shade cloth I made for the end of the awning was BRILLIANT!! It sheltered us from the cold wind blowing through the awning. The red/white annexe mat was a great addition to the van, and kept the water away from our feet. The "Ritec" fold-away picnic table was handy, but at 15kgs it's a bit heavy to lug around easily. The "Boss" cut her finger when she trapped it in the seat brackets when she was packing it up on the Monday, so she's not friends with that piece of equipment at all. I think we might ditch that set-up, and go for something a lot lighter. One of the vintage owners had some trouble with his Holden ute, so we farewelled them on the Sunday as the RACQ took their car and van back home for them...  We stayed an extra night after all the others left, and we packed up on the Monday morning. The Millard road sign that's 7 kms south of Crows Nest has been changed... This was last year's photo...  ...and the same sign from this year...  I'm not sure what's happened to the original sign, but I suspect there's a Millard owner out there somewhere with a street sign attached to their van (not me though ) ...more to come... |
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Post by viscount6116 on Jul 28, 2011 13:04:05 GMT 10
G'day Al Except for the rain looks like you guys had a great time!I'm with you on that 79 Viscount Supreme reckon I'd be drooling over it as well judging by the outside condition! As for the ute it just doesnt seem right seeing an Aussie classic like that getting carted off on a tow truck! Anyway keep them photos coming Cheers Andy ;D |
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Post by bobandjacqui on Jul 28, 2011 17:20:54 GMT 10
G'day Al, Good to see that you arrived home safe. Mate the weather was what it was  couldn't do anything about it. Geez we had a good time though aye ;D We'll catch up with at Nationals next year Cheers Bob and Jacqui |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2011 19:24:22 GMT 10
Glad you had a good trip back Al it was a great weekend away despite the probs we had - all part of the joys ... |
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Post by millard1399 on Jul 28, 2011 19:43:38 GMT 10
Part 3: Ok, we're getting to the end of this trip... Kiwijim, I wanted to mention that the hardware store in Crows Nest was closing down when we were there, and they were having a 50%-off storewide sale. Needless to say, I was in the shop very quickly and managed to get some goodies that I can use on the vintage van restoration I've got going at the moment. So, even when I drive 2400 kms from home, I can STILL sniff out a bargain! ;D ;D After we left Crows Nest, we headed down the Range towards Brisbane, and took the motorway down to Coolangatta at the border. Heaps of roadworks around the Tweed Heads area sent our GPS into a real spin, and we ended up going down a few roads that weren't the right ones. It was late in the day, and we were starting to panic that we'd be going round and round for the rest of the night. We finally found our way to the turn-off to the caravan park we were looking for, and had an overnight stay at Chinderah, which is just south of Tweed Heads. We camped beside a couple of seniors in a camper unit on a 1-tonner. Note the design of the trailer being towed by them...  ...because this is how they get around to do their sightseeing during the day...  That would have to be the COOLEST outfit I think I've ever seen!  Next stop after Chinderah was Yamba, at the mouth of the Clarence River, north of Grafton NSW. We had received many comments and compliments about the Millard during our travels, and when we pulled into the caravan park at Yamba, a woman came over and asked if our van was the same one that was in the Caravan World magazine. I said the van was in one of their magazines last year, and she said "Yes! The magazine is in the laundry, and she'd just been reading about it!" Struth, no hiding from fame, is there?! We ended up spending four days at Yamba, because the weather south towards home was really crappy. Luckily we managed to avoid any of the rain they were copping further down the coast, so we made the most of our time there. Yamba is one of those places that seems to have become a "retirement village". Lots of oldies must have sold up and moved there to enjoy the climate. In the caravan park we stayed at, we played "Spot The Millard" in amongst all the big new white boxes...  On the road into Yamba, there was a '70s Crusader van that was being used as a roadside stall to sell sugarcane mulch, etc...  One of the cheapest ways to do a river cruise is to catch the local ferry. We did a 45 minute trip each way from Yamba, on one side of the rivermouth, to Iluka on the other side and upstream a bit. Cost us $6.60 each way, but if I'd taken my recently-received Seniors Card with me (left it at home ), I would have only had to pay $3.30 each way (...one bargain I didn't get, kiwijim  )...  I wouldn't have minded being able to buy this 16ft Golf caravan that was parked near us in the caravan park, but the owners wouldn't part with it ...  There was a storage compound down the back of the park, for people who couldn't keep their vans at home, I guess. There was a mid-60s Millard in there, and a mid-70s Coronet behind it...  ...and a '70s Viscount looking in the other direction...  We tested out the other strip of shade cloth that I'd made. It looks like it would be useful in summer to provide that little bit of extra shade out from the awning...  But enough of Yamba. Our days were running out, so we had to head for home, crappy weather or not. We stopped at that rest stop at Kempsey again (the Papa van rest stop). If you're wondering who's hogging all the old caravans, this photo from the rest stop shows a farm full of them...  Onwards further south to the Forster-Tuncurry region for an overnight stop. The wild weather had caused big seas along the coast. This photo shows the waves breaking over the southern breakwall at the rivermouth...  ...and a group of porpoises foraging for food in the rivermouth...  Our last stop was a couple of nights at Newcastle to spend some time with relatives, and then home after that. During the whole of our trip, we saw about 10 vans from the Classic era being towed on the highways, but never came across any others at the caravan parks we stayed at (other than the permanent on-site vans, of course). Last year, we only saw a couple of vans on the road from the '70s, so it seems they are getting more popular as time goes on. Best I find that ideal 16-footer before these Classic vans become far too expensive ... Hope you enjoyed the trip photos as much as we did. cheers, Al. |
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Post by philouise on Jul 29, 2011 12:45:27 GMT 10
G'day Al.
Glad to hear you got home safe n sound.
Yamba is a top spot - good choice.
Cheers. Phil.
p.s. we had a van tyre blow out on the way back from Crows Nest - lucky i had a spare (but it was flat) - so, lucky i had a pressure pump.
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Post by kiwijim on Jul 30, 2011 2:48:48 GMT 10
Howdy Al, Excellent Trip Report there "Young Man", We're glad to see you had a very interesting time, At the mention of the name "Tenterfield" the Dear One's ears pricked up, then the comment " We've Been There" and you're right, it was flamin cold there as well, Did you hop into the Highest Pub in the Nation, just a few clicks back down the track ? First a bit of praise, finding that Hardware shop closing down was a Bargain-Hunters dream ...."Dam" missed the Hunter-of-the-Month award again. Now..... Shane Shame Shame, You'll just have to get your act together,.......... 1/ Climb out of bed, 2/ Shove on the specks, 3/ Go to bathroom, shove teeth in while there, 4/ return to bed room, get dressed, check wallet for SENIOR CARD and any cash (if the Missis hasn't been there before you) Now you're ready for a new day of Bargain Hunting. ;D ;D ;D I am mighty impressed at the amount of Classic vans you spotted on the trip Al, there's plenty of ammunition in those fields for any enthusiastic C Cer, it's great to know there are so many Classics still around, lets hope a lot of them are saved before "Mr Rot" gets into them. Thanks for the great Pic's Al, just a pity the weather was a bit crook, I'm sure it will be better for the Nationals (when held in the West) Cheers kiwijim |
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Post by atouchofglass on Jul 30, 2011 8:01:17 GMT 10
Hey Al
Love that trike. ;D
Keep the photos coming as it is always interesting to see where others get to holiday.
Cheers
Atog
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Post by millard1399 on Jul 30, 2011 10:38:22 GMT 10
Kiwijim, I was kicking myself AGAIN yesterday for not having my Seniors Card in my wallet. My son and his family are going to America next week for a 19-day holiday. I went to the local money exchange yesterday to get some US dollars for the grandkids to spend over there. The woman at the counter asked if I had a Seniors Card. "Yep, but I don't have it with me." The woman said they give a discount on the commission to Seniors Card holders. Struth! Never would have expected that!! I'm starting to learn how valuable these cards can be... ;D ;D Atog, I have a soft spot for motorbikes, being an old rider of bikes in past years (...too decrepit to handle bikes now ). I thought the trike was the BEST, and secretly wished I could be on one of those things in my twilight years. Maybe a little 50cc scooter would be the go?? cheers, Al. |
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Post by kiwijim on Jul 30, 2011 21:52:53 GMT 10
Howdy Al, See..... it just proves, how good the Senior's card can be, I have found that the Pension Card can be just as helpful, It was the Pension card I showed when I purchased the Camps 5 book before our trip, A quick flash of that card got me a nice 10% discount off the book price. I got another surprise yesterday, checked the bank balance and found a deposit of $250.00 for being a good Pensioner from the Govt man, ;D ;D ;D I'm still amazed at the saving you can make by showing either card, well worth carrying them at all times. ;D cheers kiwijim |
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Post by bobt on Jul 31, 2011 21:41:42 GMT 10
Hey Al Thanks for the up date. Great photos. We saw a similar trike on a trailer behind a motor home in cardwell, did not get to talk to the owners.  bobt |
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Post by millard1399 on Aug 2, 2011 18:40:12 GMT 10
Got a shock in the mail today...  When we left Crows Nest, we travelled down via Ipswich to the Motorway to Coolangatta at the NSW border. We stopped at the Customer Service Centre at the start of the Motorway, and paid the toll over the counter. I double-checked with the girl that the amount she was charging me covered the whole trip, and that it included the caravan. "Yep" to both, she said. Today we received a "Demand Notice for Non Payment of Toll". Toll due but not paid = $1.51 Administration charge for Notice (get this!) = $21.32! Struth!! Onto the blower to try and sort it out. Nice young fella says we haven't been charged the correct amount for the distance we travelled. Doesn't know why, but he'll feed some information back to the Service Centre to make them aware of it. He says if I'm prepared to pay another $2.48 today, he'll reverse the Demand Notice and the full Toll will have been paid. I did that 'quick smart'! Crikey, if you can't believe the people who actually work in the Service Centre to tell you the right Toll amount, who CAN you believe?? The young fella I spoke with today said it happens from time to time. Lucky I kept the receipt I originally got from the Service Centre, so I at least had a few details to work with. Don't you get caught, bobt, if you use the Motorway like I did! cheers, Al. |
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Post by bobt on Aug 3, 2011 21:25:33 GMT 10
ouch ouch.. first for not charging the correct fee and second for actually checking that the fee you were charged was insufficient, then having the gall to write to you and charge you an administrative fee.. I don't call that fair and reasonable. If you wanted to create havoc with that I think you have all the necessary ammunition.
We have come that way a couple of times. We will be stopping over at Hamlyn Heights on the way home so will be using it again. We have an "etag" that works for all the "Tollways" on the east side. It is a blessing. Cannot remember ever looking to see what they charged for the trip I will have to tell swmbo to show me the account next time it comes in.
thank you for the warning..
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Post by viscount6116 on Aug 4, 2011 9:53:34 GMT 10
G'day Al Bl##*y useless govt departments you gotta love em dont ya The left hand has got no idea where the right hand is unless they have it in your pocket hey! Cheers Andy  |
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Post by millard1399 on Aug 5, 2011 12:20:29 GMT 10
G'day All, Here's a little project I've been pottering with for the last couple of months... It's a custom-made clock for the Millard. You might remember a couple of months ago I won an old Millard vinyl wheel cover on ebay...  I took a photo of that Millard logo, and using some graphics software on my computer, I created a clock face and superimposed it onto the logo picture. Then I added the year and chassis number for the Millard to the photo...  When we were away on holidays recently, I finally found the style of clock that I'd been searching high and low for...  First, I had to pull the Station clock apart...  I didn't like the red lacquer on the timber, so a bit of paint stripper was used to remove it...  After recoating the timber in some Baltic Pine woodstain, plus a couple of coats of Estapol, the final clock when it's all put together looks like this...  In about a week's time when the Estapol has cured properly, the clock will be fitted to one of the overhead cupboard doors in the van. Not a bad effort for a mug, ay?! ;D cheers, Al. |
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Post by kiwijim on Aug 5, 2011 18:56:51 GMT 10
"Geez" Al, I don't know about a Mug's job, That clock is fantastic, it sure will look great hanging in the Millard. A great bit of work there "Young Fella" Seeing we can't get any more stickers for this Group, and seeing you have a bit of time on your hands, Why not make clocks to order ? Something like Rosewood backing for Olympics and a Scottish patten for Thomson's, maybe a Ruby colored one for some Viscounts, and so on and so forth ;D ;D ;D Good to see you haven't been waisting your time sitting around Al, us retirees have to leave our mark on this planet some-where. ;D ;D kiwijim |
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Post by bobandjacqui on Aug 6, 2011 7:14:08 GMT 10
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2011 13:54:04 GMT 10
It would be interesting to know how much someone would pay for that piece of craftsmanship.
Your always thinking outside the square mate.
Looks fantastic, agree with Jim, when are you taking orders ha ha
regards
teflon
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Post by millard1399 on Aug 6, 2011 16:27:40 GMT 10
G'day fellas, Thanks for your good feedback. ;D I was pretty chuffed with how it worked out. As I said above, I hunted high and low for a clock that was the right size for a caravan, and which also looked like it had a bit of quality about it. The one I bought cost me $15, so it was relatively cheap compared with other clocks I've seen in shops. The only other thing I had to buy was some double-sided sticky tape to tape the clockface into position. Now I've got 39.8 metres of tape left over, so if you ever need some... All the rest of the stuff I used was already in the shed. The diameter of the timber surround is 195mm and the diameter of the clockface is 140mm, so the clock is a good size for a van. When it's fixed in position next week, I'll post another photo to show the final job. cheers, Al. |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2011 23:41:04 GMT 10
Love the clock Al. looks a real treat , but there is a price to be paid for your talent , I have just become the lucky and most fortunate owner of a sewing machine it went something like this . Watching my beloved Stkilda on Friday night when a very excited person of the other gender (Sonia) walks in from shopping and happily shows me the new machine ,great i say you will be able to do some wonderful crafty stuff on that little beauty ,Oh no she says if that fella on c\c can sew then surely you can,,, thanks Al
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Post by millard1399 on Aug 7, 2011 19:58:07 GMT 10
Ha ha ha, peterg ;D Sounds like Sonia has sussed you out good and proper, and is not going to fall for any of your "reverse psychology" tricks! Looks like we'll be seeing some of your handiwork REAL SOON! cheers, Al. |
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couldn't do anything about it. Geez we had a good time though aye 
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