A true Sunny Coast local, my little sis is really taking her talent further forward.The Saturday just been, we packed out the down stairs area at the Wharf Tavern in Mooloolaba. Co-hosted by local radio announcer Caroline Hutchinson from 92.7 Mixfm, Livi blew us all away with her beautiful singing (I am biased though!) & released to the world her very first EP. In the years just prior, Livi’s greatest achievements include being a top 6 finalist with Ronan Keating on X-Factor (Top 24 overall) & last year Livi was a top 4 finalist in the Toyota Star Maker at the Tamworth Country Music Festival

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The post The Singing Sister EP Launch appeared first on Camping Country Australia.

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Rumour has it, we’re all getting a little soft as we get older when it comes to the cold & camping. Who would have thought a few years ago that we would be taking heaters away with us camping? With an increase in fires being banned in some camp grounds, I have noticed a large increase in camping heater sales over the past few year. To date, camping heaters have been incredibly dangerous & their heat output has been laughable……… “That is until now!” Primus have just produced what I consider the best camping heater I have ever seen. For those of you lacking storage space in your caravans, camper trailers of motor homes. This little beauty called the “Portable Buddy”, is compact, light weight & with a fold down handle will store in a fairly compact area.

Being a father of 2 young girls & paranoid about safety, the Portable Buddy camping heater has 3 features that blow most other camping heaters to the weeds:

1. It has a built in Low Pressure Regulator.

• Regulators reduce the gas pressure from your gas bottle to your product (Turns it from high pressure to low pressure). The major benefit here is the fact it will aid in stopping your gas heater fuel into a ball of flames should your heater fall over.
• (Note: Most camping gas heaters are classed as high pressure. This means there is no regulator (other than a small jet) & they are screwed directly onto a gas bottle. If they tip over, raw liquid gas is injected into the gas jet of the heater & it causes a large flame to blow out through the burner. (Very dangerous))

2. Built in tip-over safety shut-off system.

• If the Portable Buddy does tip over, not only does it have the added safety of a regulator (mentioned above), it also has a tip-over safety shut-off valve that is activated.
• (Note: Heaters should never be left unattended ay any time)

3. Low oxygen cut off valve.

• The heading speaks for it self. If the oxygen level starts to reduce too much there is a built in cut off valve.
• All camping heaters must be kept in a ventilated area & are for use outdoors only. Unfortunately if you wish to use a camping heater inside a tent, camper van, caravan or camper trailer, it is illegal to do so.
• (Note: Gas Heater use oxygen & they produce Carbon Monoxide which is odourless. This can be fatal & as you can imagine has happened in extremely cold countries like Europe & the U.S.A. It’s pretty simple….just keep it in a ventilated area)

So, the big question is, “Will it keep me warm?” In short YES! However there are many, many variables. How cold is it, where is the heater position/situated, how many of you sitting around it, how high have you got it turned up….etc???

The only way I can answer this is by quoting the specifications given by the supplier & they are:

• Will heat approx. 18 sqr mtrs
• Will produce 9000 B.T.U’s of heat on high & down to 4000 B.T.U’s of heat on low.
  • B.T.U’s stands for British Thermal Units. Whilst I cannot correlate this to anything that will explain the heat output, I can give you this fact. Most camping gas heaters I have had in the past, have had a maximum of up to 4000-5000 B.T.U’s of heat. So the 9000 B.T.U’s of heat that the Portable Buddy puts out, is brilliant!
  • Come in & let’s spark one up. nothing like feeling the heat first hand.

The gas consumption of the Portable Buddy is 189 grams of gas per hour on high. It runs on non-refillable gas canisters that contain 465 grams of gas. This will give you 3 hours on high & up to 6 hours on low.

Come in & have a look at one for yourself. As with everything I put on the shelf here at Camping Country Australia. The Portable Buddy is:

• A very high quality product that I have individually sourced myself.
• Primus is a privately owned company here in Australia (the name is used under license).
• Fits with in our guarantee here at Camping Country Australia.

“If I wouldn’t use it, I won’t sell it….guaranteed!”

If you wish to be notified by text message when our upcoming in store demonstrations are coming up (CLICK HERE)

Or to keep up to date on everything camping & all that is happening here at Camping Country Australia, make sure you like us on Facebook 

For any questions you may have on the Portable Buddy camping heater (CLICK HERE).

The post Camping Gas Heating appeared first on Camping Country Australia.

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If you are interested in learning all there is to know about 12 volt batteries & solar power, you are in for a small surprise. On Saturday the 25th of May, I have arranged local 12 volt professional Tony Villiers, to carry out an in-store 12 volt demonstration here at Camping Country Australia. It is a back to basics talk for those who are just starting out, as well as loads of of knowledge for those of you want more technical information. (CLICK HERE)

As with all of my in store camping demonstrations, my desired outcome is for : “You to leave my demonstrations with more knowledge than you came in with & anything you learn will most definitely help to make your next camping experience the best ever!”

Not only will Tony be explaining all there is to know about 12 volt batteries & solar, he will be here to answer as many questions as possible that you may have. Like all of our previous instore demonstrations, these questions never fail to turn into some fantastic discussions from people who have similar issues or requirements that they need filled & are not quite sure of what to do. This is where Tony can help you out.

What: 12 volt battery & solar demonstration.
When: Saturday the 25th May 2013
Time: 2:00pm
Where: Camping Country Australia
68 Wises Rd, Maroochydore
Extra: “Please,” bring a collapsable chair.

I look forward to seeing you all here. In the mean time, any questions, please don’t hesitate to send me an email direct. (CLICK HERE)

If you wish to be notified by text message when our upcoming in store demonstrations are coming up (CLICK HERE)

Or to keep up to date on everything camping & all that is happening here at Camping Country Australia, make sure you like us on Facebook 

The post 12 Volt & Solar Demonstration appeared first on Camping Country Australia.

So many of our customers make the effort to ask how my girls are going. I have been writing my news letters since 2007 & a few of the original founding news letter readers have seen the photo’s & transition of Kerri pregnant, right through to images of the past 5 years with Maisie hitting the big 5. They certainly do grow up incredibly fast, I just have to keep reminding myself how special these young years really are! Happy birthday to our “Little Mai.”

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Married 6 Years

Isn’t there a saying “You get more for murder?”… Just kidding Kerri, I don’t know if  I can even write that. (But I have) On the 14th was our 6th anniversary & what I consider “The day Kerri really landed on her feet!” (We all know it was me who grabbed the better end of the deal) It’s been a wonderful & rewarding 6 years, here is to us both enjoying many, many more…. “Love you Kez.”

The post My Family appeared first on Camping Country Australia.

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With the dry season supposedly kicking in up north in the coming months (time will tell), this time of year we start to think about camping refrigeration in the bush. With this in mind I thought it appropriate that I do an in store 12volt camping fridge demonstration. If you are looking at purchasing a camping fridge & you are totally bamboozled by the plethora of camping fridges & contradictory information out there, I would love to clear the haze up for you. I will be discussing everything from power consumption, size, volume, weights, brands, temperatures, manufacturers…… you name it, the lot!

Like most of my past 12 volt fridge demonstrations, they always evoke many questions & this is great because it always delivers the answers we have all been waiting for & not just from me, but other people.

• What: In Store 12volt camping fridge demonstration
• When: 27th April 2013
• Time: 2:00pm
• Where: Camping Country Australia
• 68 Wises Rd Maroochydore Q 4558
• Buderim if using a GPS
• Need: “Please” bring a portable/collapsible chair. An hour to stand is too long for many.

As always, I look forward to seeing you here personally. It will be a great chance to catch up on the modern world of portable camping refrigeration & some great information on all that 12volt fridges have to offer.

For any questions regarding the above demo please send me an email: (Click Here)

The post 12 Volt Fridge Information appeared first on Camping Country Australia.

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Almost every time we have bad weather on the Sunshine Coast, you back your life that we are going to have people in looking for gazebo spare parts. Cheap quality gazebos are renowned for their lightweight fabrics puddling water & then in turn stretching, tearing & losing waterproof-ness. When this happens & the water starts to puddle in the roof, the amount of stress left on the poor little frames usually amounts to a major collapse & is quickly followed by a mass use of on site gaffer tap quick fixes! This is not always from the gazebo, it can quite often come from a gazebo that has been set up incorrectly……yes that’s right, “Human error!” (Can you believe it?)

So what I thought I would do is put on an instore gazebo training session. I will personally teach you how to set up your gazebo the correct way & all by yourself. I will be demonstrating how to set up both a 3×3 mtr & a 3×6 mtr gazebo correctly, the Stress Free way! With plenty of secret little handy hints that will make life easier when setting your gazebo up. I will be giving a full running commentary on the 3 different models & styles of gazebos on the market.

Probably the most exciting part of it for me is the fact I will be showcasing the latest new gazebo canopy available. It is 100% waterproof (that’s right “100%” waterproof!!) is incredibly tough & there are no failing stitched seams. This new fabric has totally heat welded seams that physically cannot leak. It will change gazebo’s forever…..

To find out more:

• What: Gazebo demonstration
• When: 20th of April
• Time 2:00pm
• Where: Camping Country Australia.
• 68 Wises rd Maroochydore Q 4558
• “Buderim” if using a G.P.S

I look forward to seeing you there personally. Bring your awesome questions & as always I will be able to answer them for you.

The post Gazebo Demonstration appeared first on Camping Country Australia.

About 8 ears ago I had a legend of a man work for us here at Camping Country Australia by the name of Rohan Brial.  Rohan & I become great mates in the time he was here. He resides with his wife, Nikki in the picturesque land of Canada. Rohan & Nikki have two beautiful kids by the names of Oscar & Poppy (I probably spelt them wrong!). It was great to see them all. Like all good people you meet in life, it may have been 8 years since we spoke, but it felt like yesterday when we started talking! Good to see you guys.

Maisie’s 1st day at school.

Under water World

Sitting in doors waiting for the rain to clear is not fun. Especially when it hadn’t pulled up stumps for 48 days in a row! Not to let that stop me, I packed up Maisie & Sari & we headed down to Under water World for a few hours. Everyone else on the Sunshine Coast had the same idea, but none the less we had a ball. Isn’t it intriguing how much kids love animals? They were both fixated on every single animal they looked at, both large & small. Sari wasn’t overly keen on the large sharp tooth animals but the seals made her laugh! Energy used well, an afternoon nap by all was required (Including dad) & some time away from the idiot box was enjoyed

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The post Jarrods World-March 2013 appeared first on Camping Country Australia.

Whilst many caravans, trailers, motorhomes etc… have built in water tanks, my father always taught me to have a back up jerry can full of water in my vehicle as a safety precaution. For those of you like myself who don’t tow anything & who need jerry cans for water, you are in exactly the same boat. So at the end of the day, the jerry can is a real essential part of the camping kit. (Just not real exciting to talk about)

The one constant I hear from customers with jerry cans is “I need it to fit into this size.” Because of this, I now have a range of sizes to suit:

(I would like to add, that all sizes are an approximate only & as close as I could get, with a measuring tape & the naked eye!!)

5 Litre Upright
Width: 100mm
Depth: 110mm
Height: 310mm

10 Litre Upright
Width: 160mm
Depth: 240mm
Height: 360mm

20 Litre Upright
Width: 170mm
Depth: 340mm
Height: 520mm

15 Litre Box
Width: 280mm
Depth: 280mm
Height: 300mm

20 Litre Box
Width: 280mm
Depth: 280mm
Height: 360mm

30 Litre Drum
Diametre: 285mm
Height: 530mm

60 Litre Drum
Diametre: 385mm
Height: 690mm

Having jerry cans is great, but at the end of the day we also need to get the water out of them to wash up etc….. This is where it can become a little bit tricky.

Most Jerry cans have a bung on the side of them (at the bottom) to screw a tap into, which is great. However when we are traveling with the jerry can, it is not recommended that the tap be left in, as it can damage easily. So each time you use the jerry can, you have to tip it on its side & re fit the tap or the bung. This can be heavy if it is full of water.

So quite often it could be easier to have two small jerry cans rather that one large one. Two smaller jerry cans will also usually stack better & in to smaller spaces. This can help balance the weight in your trailer or car, is easier to lift & if one of them ruptures, the other is still full (Risk management in its finest).

Depending on the cap that fits on to the jerry can, some of them will have a thread on the under side of the cap. this allows you somewhere to store the bung when it is not in use. (This has saved the loss of many a bung over the years.)

Last but not least, I have found a new tap that has changed things considerably for me personally. I now use the 20 litre box style jerry cans with which these cap-style-taps fit. The reason for this:

I am not replacing a bung & a tap constantly
It travels well. There is no tap on the side that can get damaged.
This tap is easy to use, especially for my kids. (many taps today are hard to turn)
Tap has an air inlet valve & a liquid outlet. Stops gurgling & splashing & no need to release the top cap to allow water to flow.

Any questions on the above. Please feel free to email me (Click here)

The post Jerry Cans appeared first on Camping Country Australia.

DATE OF VISIT
Thursday 16TH – Sunday 19th August 2012

WEATHER
Warm clear days, cool nights.

LOCATION

• If travelling on the Bruce Highway from the Sunshine Coast, turn right at the Tin Can Bay/Rainbow Beach turn off on the south side of Gympie
• Follow the Tin Can Road for approx 45 minutes then turn right at the Rainbow Beach turn off and travel another 20 minutes
• On your way into Rainbow Beach, turn left onto Carlo Road (IGA supermarket is on the corner). Rainbow Waters Tourist Park is 2.5km down Carlo Road

FACILITIES

• Powered and unpowered sites, cabins and villas (sleep 2-6 people).
• Large amenities block
• Laundry with dryers, ironing facilities and clotheslines
• Covered camp kitchen with gas BBQs, microwaves, kettle, toaster, fridges, tables, and washing up facilities.
• Playground
• TV and games room
• Convenience store, sells milk, bread, drinks, ice and bait. Has a small range of grocery items but Rainbow Beach is only a short drive if you are in need of more supplies. Boat hire business next to the park sells tackle and bait, ice and firewood also.
• Fires allowed
• Dogs allowed
• Floating pontoon for use by park guests
• Fish cleaning facility
• Council boat ramp adjoins park

ACTIVITIES

• Boating, fishing or crabbing in the Tin Can Bay Inlet. Unfortunately we didn’t catch any mud crabs during our stay, but we did get a very nice catch of whiting. We were also lucky enough to have our own up close experience with a very friendly dolphin while we were out fishing in the boat.
• Dolphin feeding at Tin Can Bay. Dolphin Ferry Cruises leaves every morning adjacent to the park.
• By far my favourite thing to do in Rainbow Beach is the walk to Carlo Sand Blow. Drive to the end of Cooloola Drive and it’s a short walk along the track to the sand blow. The views are awesome, as are the coloured sands that Rainbow Beach is famous for.
• Kayaking
• Beautiful Rainbow Beach is only 2.5km away and is perfect for swimming, surfing, beach fishing and 4WDriving.
• There are so many tours/activities to do in Rainbow Beach, the office in the park has brochures to help you out

FAMILY FAVOURITES

• Harry’s Choice – Playing with the coloured sand at Carlo Sand Blow
• Georgia’s Choice – When the Dolphin swam up to our boat
• Sonia’s Choice – I couldn’t decide between the two so I chose both. Our close encounter with a dolphin in Tin Can Bay Inlet and walking Carlo Sand Blow

RATES

• UNPOWERED SITE – OFF PEAK
• $32/night for 2 people, $10/night/child for 3yrs+

• UNPOWERED SITE – PEAK
• $37/night for 2 people, $12/night/child for 3yrs+

• POWERED SITE – OFF PEAK
• $37/night for 2 people, $10/night/child for 3yrs+

• POWERED SITE – PEAK
• $45/night for 2 people, $12/night/child for 3yrs+

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CAUTIONS

Don’t forget to pack your insect repellent, the sandflies can be bad

Rainbow Waters is a great park for families and grey nomads alike. For us this park is just about everything we are looking for when we go camping, the sites are flat, grassy, shaded and well maintained, the amenities are clean and tidy and there is so much to see and do. There are areas within the park that could easily accommodate those of you wanting to go camping with a group. Rainbow Beach is one of my favourite places to visit, so really my only negatives would be the bities and that we were only there for three days. I will definitely be back but next time for a longer stay.

To view other road tested camp sites on the Sunny Coast (Click Here). We haven’t been doing the camping directory very long. However it is growing slowly & I have made sure that all information is from a non biased Camping Country Australia customer or staff point of view.

The post Rainbow Waters Tourist Park appeared first on Camping Country Australia.

Details are:
Date: 23rd March 2013.
Time: 2:00pm.
Where: Camping Country Australia. 68 Wises Rd Maroochydore.
To bring: Everyone must bring a fold chair to sit on.

I look forward to seeing you all here, I think it will be an absolute cracker of a time!

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