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Industry News May 2022

Check out what’s happening throughout the industry with insurance options for our two-wheel-drive owner readers, some great news about the Birdsville Races and a major tourism award in South Australia. CLUB 4X4 GOES 2X4  Club 4X4 Insurance has recently broadened its offering to two-wheel-drive vehicles and SUVs. Company chief Kalen Ziflian said: “We recognise that many of our policyholders have a daily driver that is not a 4X4. We wanted to help these people and offer a multi-policy discount. So, when you sign up for an additional vehicle, you’ll receive a discount not just on your daily driver, but on your 4X4 too.”  Currently, Club 4X4s Comprehensive Daily Drive Insurance is only available to policyholders. So, if you have your 4X4, caravan or camper-trailer insured with Club 4X4, you can access the Daily Drive Insurance and the associated discounts. The multi-vehicle discounts vary depending on the vehicle or trailer but are up to 10%.  Club 4X4 also offers the new multi-vehicle policy to be covered by a single policy schedule. You can have one simple payment per month and a single renewal date across all your vehicles to make managing your insurance easier.  To find out more, call 1800 CLUB 4X4 (258 249)  BIRDSVILLE IS BACK!  The iconic Birdsville Races is back in 2022, ready to celebrate its 140th anniversary!…
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Engel Outback Gourmet: Cheese and Spinach Cob

Pat has done it again and it couldn’t be simpler. Just tear off chunks of bread and douse them in the cheese. Delicious!  This cheese delight is very easy to prepare and should be enjoyed around a roaring campfire. According to Recipe Pocket, Cob bread is a crusty round bread that can be made into one large loaf or smaller individual rolls. It’s a simple free-form bread that does not require a bread tin, making it great for cooks who only have basic baking equipment. It can be hollowed out to make a bread bowl for hot dips which is exactly what Pat has done in this yummy recipe. INGREDIENTS  1 large cob loaf (round)  1 big handful of spinach leaves, finely sliced  1 small onion, finely chopped  1 cup mayonnaise  1½ cups cheddar or tasty cheese, grated  250g cream cheese (Philly is good)  1 teaspoon mixed dried herbs  Salt and pepper  THE PROCESS  1. Preheat your camp oven to low/medium and drop in a trivet.  2. Slice a lid off the top of the cob and scoop out the inside – try to keep it in large pieces – leaving at least 2cm thickness of walls and base.  3. Mix all the other ingredients in a bowl, then fill into the cob.  4. Place the loaf on your trivet…
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Insurance premiums for your 4X4 are getting more expensive, but why? And how can you save a few dollars?

Have you received your 4X4 vehicle insurance renewal yet? If you haven’t, you’re likely to be in for a shock as our resident not-so-grey nomad Marty Ledwich found out recently when his arrived. Unfortunately, the news isn’t good. Premiums are on the rise. A couple of weeks ago, I was sitting in our new caravan, working on my laptop, looking for things to do during our visit to Canberra and thinking “how good is my life”. That was until my email pinged that I had received a notice for my car insurance renewal. Normally I would just flick this over to my wife who takes care of our finances and not give it a second thought but something inside me made me open it up and check it out. I had heard that premiums were on the rise. Crikey, that was an understatement. The next words that came out of my mouth cannot be repeated here. Suffice to say I had a bit of a shock. The insurance premium on our 200 Series LandCruiser had risen by 30%. No, that isn’t a typo. A 30% increase or an additional $300 per annum! Given we had not had any claims or changes in circumstances in the last 12 months, I was keen to find out what had happened.  I called my insurer (who…
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Budgeting for The Big Lap

How much does it really cost to travel around the country in an RV? Now on his third lap of Oz, Marty Ledwich shares his tips for budgeting for the big lap and sticking to it.  Budgeting for the big lap is one of the most asked questions on caravanning and camping Facebook groups, and for good reason. You need to know how much it is likely to cost before you head off. But how much should you budget for the big trip and how do you stick to the budget? Well, after being on the road now for the last three years and not having gone broke yet, we reckon we have the answer and it is a lot simpler than you could imagine.  HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?  It is almost completely impossible for me to say to anyone how much the big lap is going to cost them for one fundamental reason. My particular situation would be completely different to the next person. I travel with my wife and our three dogs. I have an income but my wife does not. We sold our home and all our possessions so we have no pre-existing bills to pay with the exception of the costs of insuring and maintaining our car and caravan, both of which we own outright.…
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Engel’s Outback Gourmet: One-Pot Spaghetti Recipe

Recipe by Pat Callinan Images by Tommy Salmon Minimisation of washing dishes should be one of your highest priorities when it comes to camp cooking. So that’s why I’ve resurrected this tasty ninety-year-old recipe – in an attempt to wash one less dish… Don’t worry, it goes alright too… INGREDIENTS 200g bacon (diced) 2 medium onions (diced) 1 capsicum Worcestershire Sauce 2 tins crushed tomatoes 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup red wine (Greenskin Cab Merlot) 2 red chillies 1 bag spaghetti Basil Leaves Fresh Parmesan STEPS 1. Brown the onion and the bacon in some olive oil. 2. Once cooked add the liquids along with the capsicum and chilli.  3. Heat it up to a boil and then add the spaghetti. 4. Put on a slow boil for 15 minutes. 5. Top with fresh basil leaves and parmesan to serve. 
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The Triumph and Tragedy of William John Wills

William John Wills was the man behind the success of the epic Burke & Wills story. He is an unsung Aussie hero, but you have heard of him? He is an unsung hero, but you have heard of him. Seems like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? You mention the name William John Wills in any outback pub, and there will be a bit of head-scratching, but mention Burke & Wills, and you’ll be met with knowing nods and maybe even a deprecating monologue on how foolish they were.   But to focus on the few bad choices they made is to do the whole story, and in particular, William John Wills, a massive injustice.  Wills was born in Devon, England in 1834 to Dr William Wills, and his wife Sarah. Will’s early life in England saw him attend St Andrews Grammar, and he was also tutored by his father. After school, he worked with his father while undertaking courses at a couple of local hospitals.  Like a lot of folks in the UK at the time, Dr Wills had a keen interest in Australia, in particular, the gold mining that was taking the world by storm. An 18-year-old Wills and his brother Thomas both boarded the Janet Mitchell in Dartmouth and set sail for Australia, arriving in Port Phillip in January…
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Snakes, Disssspelling a few myths

When it comes to poisonous snakes in Australia, their reputations are more myth than reality. We try to set the record straight. Australia tops the list of countries for having the most dangerous animals. Up near the top of this list are snakes. There are about 170 species of terrestrial snakes and 32 seas snakes. Of these snakes, 104 are venomous, 40 to humans, but only 12 are likely to inflict a bite that could kill you. We are fortunate here in Australia to have a very effective first aid treatment for snake bites. On average, we see 3000 snake bites a year, with an estimated 300 lives saved by antivenom. We have an antivenom program thanks to The Australian Reptile Parks venom milking program, which has been running since the 1950s and continues to be the sole provider of snake venom in this country. Due to this program, Australia only sees an average of 2-3 deaths per year from snake bites.  Most species during our winter months in the cooler climates of Australia will become inactive. The duration of inactivity depends on the species and where they live. Some snakes like the Tiger Snake and Copperhead are tolerant of colder conditions, so they may still be active during the cooler months. Most snakes are more active during the warmer…
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Engel’s Outback Gourmet: Creamy Seared Lemon Chicken

RECIPE BY PAT CALLINAN, IMAGES BY TOMMY SALMON ADVICE: RECIPE This dish is a hearty campfire delight, although it was admittedly cooked on the gas burners of the EzyTrail Ceduna.  It’s a relatively simple cook, aided by a nice splash of Greenskin Wine (which is undoubtedly too fancy for cooking, but we had it in the pantry!). For the uninitiated, Greenskin Wine is quality Aussie wine that comes in 750ml sachets that don’t leak or split. And the upside is they can be stacked more efficiently than regular bottles, and weigh a lot less (so travel better). THE PROCESS Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and sear until brown and almost cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan, and then brown the onion and garlic, and add the chicken stock, white wine and mustard powder. Cook for around 10 minutes or until reduced. Add the chicken back to the pan, until cooked through. Reduce heat, and stir in the cream and lemon juice being careful to simmer, and not boil the sauce. Serve over a bed of brown rice, and garnish with fresh lemons and basil or coriander. Enjoy! INGREDIENTS 1kg chicken breasts1 x brown onion4 x cloves of garlic1 cup chicken stock1 teaspoon of mustard powder1 x cup of white wineJuice of two lemons¼ cup cooking…

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Is Bigger, Better when It Comes to Van Tyres?

WORDS BY CARAVAN COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, IMAGES BY TOMMY SALMON ADVICE: CARAVAN TYRES Professional automotive engineer Colin Young P.Eng from the Caravan Council of Australia reckons many have got it wrong Tyres play a critical role in determining the Handling and Stability characteristics of all caravans on the road. On a few frightening occasions, the tyres selected by a ‘van manufacturer have been dangerously “under-engineered”, in that their Maximum Load Rating was less than the Maximum Load that the tyres could legally (as per the GTM Rating) be subjected to! In far too many cases, the tyres selected by the ‘van manufacturer have been hideously “over-engineered”, in that their Maximum Load Rating was much higher than the Maximum Load that the tyres would ever be subjected to! While there may be some other opinions on how much a tyre should be loaded to, for caravan tyres it is reasonable to have the maximum Load applied to a tyre, at around 90 – 95% of the Rating. Certainly, it should not be around 50 – 60%. “BIGGER ain’t always BETTER”… certainly applies to caravan wheels and tyres. If you are not happy with the way your ‘van handles on the road, or if you have any other concerns about your ‘van’s Tyre Size or Inflation Pressures, you should discuss the issues…

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Season 14 | Episode 3

Chernobyl is just a name, right? If you like your four-wheeling on the ‘hard’ side, then missing this episode will be a big mistake.   Pat and Bill tackle the rugged tracks around…
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Big Red Bash still on….for now!

Preparations for the Big Red Bash event continue in Birdsville with the full support of Queensland Health and Tourism and Events despite COVID-19 lockdowns.  Event organiser and director of the Outback Music Festival Group Greg…
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