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Viral pic of illegal camper sparks local outrage

<p>A viral photo capturing an L-plated Mazda hatchback sprawled across two parking spaces with a rooftop tent erected atop has ignited a storm of controversy in Noosa, Queensland.</p> <p>The image, taken at the Woods Bay carpark by Facebook user and Noosa local Martin Doyle, has thrust the issue of illegal camping and parking violations into the spotlight, prompting calls for stricter enforcement from exasperated locals.</p> <p>The uproar stems from a perceived flouting of parking restrictions and an apparent disregard for Noosa's efforts to curb illegal camping. In response to mounting complaints from the community, Noosa Shire Council implemented a trial "no-parking" zone from 10pm to 4am in August 2023. Despite these measures, reports of overnight campers persist, raising concerns about the strain on local infrastructure and the environment.</p> <p>After Martin shared his contentious photo online, lamenting the lack of enforcement, he urged the council to take firmer action. “Come on council get some teeth and get serious about this camping illegally business,” he wrote. “This was not the only one overnight camping in the area and clearly not homeless.”</p> <p>His sentiments echo those of many residents who are frustrated by the sight of carparks resembling makeshift campgrounds, complete with tents and – worst of all – human waste.</p> <p>While some sympathise with the financial burden of traditional camping accommodations, others argue that respecting parking regulations is non-negotiable, particularly in densely populated tourist hubs like Noosa.</p> <p>The issue also extends beyond Noosa's shores. Similar conflicts between locals and visitors occur in tourist destinations nationwide, from Newcastle's Horseshoe Beach to coastal towns in Far North Queensland. The allure of scenic vistas and budget-friendly travel often collides with the need to maintain order and protect fragile ecosystems.</p> <p><em>Image: Martin Doyle | Facebook | Noosa Council</em> </p>

Travel Trouble

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Tragic news after camper missing for 12 days

<p>Human remains believed to be that of missing camper Jessica Louise Stephens have been found by Northern Territory Police. </p> <p>The 35-year-old went camping at Kakadu National Park almost two weeks ago, and was reported missing by her mother on October 18. </p> <p>On Saturday afternoon police released a statement saying that they have recovered the remains on Nourlangie Rock, near where Stephens was believed to be travelling. </p> <p>Police also confirmed that the remains were located within the original search area. </p> <p>In an earlier statement, NT police reported that they found Stephen's belongings “a considerable distance from the walking track in harsh terrain”. </p> <p>It was reported that her vehicle was found <span style="font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">in a car park near Nourlangie Rock. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Acting </span><span style="font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, system-ui, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Arial, sans-serif;">Senior Sergeant Steven </span><span style="font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, system-ui, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif;">Langdon said that the search and rescue operation for Stephens, which commenced on the 24th of October, had covered around </span><span style="font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, system-ui, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Arial, sans-serif;">140 square kilometres of the national park. </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, system-ui, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Arial, sans-serif;">Search efforts had been hampered by extreme heat, with temperatures reaching up to 48 degrees Celcius. <br /></span></p> <p><span style="font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, system-ui, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Arial, sans-serif;">Police have reported that they are in contact with Stephens' family and are preparing a report for the Coroner. </span></p> <p><em><span style="font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, system-ui, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Arial, sans-serif;">Image:  ABC News/ </span></em><span style="font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, system-ui, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Arial, sans-serif;"><em>Karon Evans/ Getty</em></span></p>

News

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Survival guide for cool-weather camping

<p>Being comfortable is king to enjoying winter camping. Take a look at our suggestions to help you gear up and get out there when the weather is cold but the campfire is hot.</p> <p><strong>Shelter</strong></p> <p>It’s one of the most important aspects of camping in any season! Your bedding and shelter arrangement should be both comfortable and functional so you can always create a home away from home.</p> <p>Winter around the country can mean different things – for instance, some camp spots during winter are often covered in a blanket of snow where as at others the temperature is cool at night and moderate during the day. Depending on the type of winter you’ll be camping in, you’ll need to adjust the shelter and bedding options to suit but there are a few things every winter camper should be aware off.</p> <p>Make sure your tent pegs are suited to the type of ground where you’ll pitch your tent or shelter. For example in light sandy soil conditions a strong sand peg should work well however in snow covered ground or loose sand locations a longer sturdier peg will keep you tent and shelter firmly in place. Laying a ground sheet underneath your tent will help keep the dew and moisture away from your gear. Pitching your tent or shelter in a location that will take advantage of the morning sun is also a nice touch and one that your fellow campers will appreciate!</p> <p>If you’re likely to be camping in light snow or humid conditions, it’s a good idea to pitch a flysheet over your tent or even a tarpaulin. This will trap “dead air” between your tent and the cold air providing extra insulation and will also help reduce moisture and condensation from appearing in your tent. The same principle applies to your swag – a fly and ground sheet will help prevent condensation and creating a layer of dead air will help give you a comfy and warmer sleep.</p> <p>Hot Tip: Using a ground sheet underneath your tent or swag will help prevent moisture from entering your shelter from below.</p> <p><strong>Sleeping</strong></p> <p>What you sleep in or on can also affect your comfort level. In cold conditions the humble airbed isn’t the best insulator so it’s a good option to use a self-inflating or 4WD mattress. These bedding options also trap dead air and your body warmth will help to create a warmer bed of air to sleep on. Your choice of sleeping bag is also important so it’s a good idea to match the bag to the climate. Along with fill material and weight, sleeping bags are also rated on their insulation or temperature rating. Sleeping bags such as the Blackwolf Zambezie sleeping bag are suited to sub-zero temperatures where as less insulating sleeping bags will keep you comfortable in plus zero degree conditions. Some of us “feel the cold” more than others so it’s important to take this into consideration when deciding what sleeping bag you’ll need. We recommend using a sleeping bag rated to below the temperatures you’re expecting – it’s easier to make yourself cool than it is to add extra warmth.</p> <p>Hot Tip: Hot water bottles are great additions for a warm sleep.</p> <p><strong>What to wear</strong></p> <p>Dressing in layers is a great idea as this allows you to adjust your warmth to suit the conditions or activity. A base layer such as thermals will control your core body temperature. An insulating or middle layer such as a fleece jumper will create a micro-climate and trap warmth around your body. An outer or protective layer will protect you from the elements such as wind or rain.</p> <p><em>How To: As most of your body heat is lost through your extremities don’t forget your accessories such as beanies, scarves and gloves.</em></p> <p><strong>Cooking</strong></p> <p>Everyone loves a warming winter meal and we all have memories of a great winter stew or roast. Bringing these meals to the campsite in winter and sharing them with family and friends are easily some of the best pleasures of winter camping. Cooking over a fire is a great idea as the campers are able to enjoy the warmth provided by the fire whilst the meal is cooking. Options for cooking over a fire include the traditional cast iron cookware or fire grill and cast iron plate. Cooking options not needing a fire include thermal cookers such as the Dream Pot or a Cobb cooker. These options are perfect for cooking delicious stews, soups and roasts.</p> <p><em>Hot Tip: When cooking with cast iron, charcoal briquettes provide a long burning and consistent source of heat making cast iron cooking so easy! If firewood is your heat source, don’t forget to bring enough firewood for your heating and cooking needs!</em></p> <p>With a heap of easy cooking options available there’s no reason why you can’t be sharing a warm and hearty stew or sensational roast on your next winter camping trip.</p> <p><strong>Winter warmers</strong></p> <p>Comfort and warmth are key for enjoying your winter camping experience. Hot showers and gas heaters are just two options that will make your winter camping trip much easier and more comfortable. Gas heaters are great as they are portable and provide a constant source of heat. Water heaters such as the Coleman Hot Water on Demand system are popular options for winter campers – who can say no to an instant warm shower or hot cuppa?</p> <p><em>First appeared on the Ray’s Outdoors website. <a href="http://blog.raysoutdoors.com.au/expertadvice?category=Camping" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Visit them</strong> </a><a href="http://blog.raysoutdoors.com.au/expertadvice?category=Camping" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>here for more camping advice</strong></a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="../lifestyle/caravan-camping/2015/05/4-campfire-recipes/">4 simple and delicious campfire recipes you should try</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="../lifestyle/caravan-camping/2015/05/outdoor-photography-tips/">Outdoor photography tips to help you take shots like a pro</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="../lifestyle/caravan-camping/2015/03/bush-damper-recipe/">How to make bush damper</a></strong></em></span></p>

Domestic Travel

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Infamous Coffin Confessor offers guests the chance to sleep like the dead

<p>Some of the best ideas in life come from a quiet night at home with our thoughts, as well as some of the most unique. </p> <p>Or, as the case may be with the Coffin Confessor, some worth ‘dying’ for. </p> <p>Bill Edgar, who rose to the public eye when he began offering his services as a ‘coffin confessor’ sharing the secrets of the terminally ill at their funerals, was lounging around and enjoying a few ports when inspiration struck him, and his new venture was set into motion. </p> <p>As Bill told <em>Sunrise</em>, “I thought ‘I’ve got a great property for camping’. A lot of people have been intrigued about the Coffin Confessor, [and] I thought, ‘well, why not coffin camping.’</p> <p>“Lo and behold, here we are.”</p> <p>And so, Bill’s unique take on an Airbnb stay - and trying before you buy - took off, with the enthusiastic entrepreneur offering guests the opportunity to embrace their inner vampire and catch some sleep inside of a coffin. A real coffin, no less.</p> <p>Situated in the Gold Coast hinterland’s Tamborine Mountains, Bill’s experience is a far cry from your average bloodsuckers. No tombstones linger around every corner, guests won’t be walking face first into any cobwebs every second step, and the coffins are - as Bill explained - “nice and warm”.</p> <p>The most common question Bill - who already has six bookings for his experience - gets is over whether or not they are actually real coffins. The simple answer? Absolutely. </p> <p>He was quick to assure potential customers that they can’t become trapped in there, and they shouldn’t be dreadfully uncomfortable, as “you can’t suffocate and you can’t lock yourselves in because I’ve taken the locks out. They’ve all been modified for protection, obviously.”</p> <p>As well as the coffin cabin - which looks to be a modified shipping container - comes ‘the main room’, which Bill described as somewhere guests could “enjoy”. He went on to explain that they could make themselves a coffee there, or breakfast, all while enjoying the “quirky” experience and stunning views the location has to offer. </p> <p>“It’s a lot of fun, it’s different,” Bill declared. “And, you know what, at the end of the day thousands of people - even millions of people - will swag. They lay in swags … just a glorified body bag.”</p> <p>And to wrap it all up, he noted that “we’re all going to die. I suppose it’s now getting to the point where people can now talk about it without it getting creepy, or anything like that.</p> <p>“I think people will always be intrigued about death and the afterlife.</p> <p>“Try before you die.”</p> <p><em>Images: Sunrise / Seven</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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Fun camping activities for the whole family

<p>Dust off the tent and grab the sleeping bags because it is well and truly camping season! A traditional summer pursuit for many families, camping is not only great fun for all ages but a wonderful family bonding times. If you’re camping with the extended family this season, here are some activities that will engage even the most disinterested kid. Get ready for some wholesome fun that does not involve technology!</p> <p><strong>Scavenger hunt</strong></p> <p>Make it a competition so everyone, even the adults, get involved and active! As you will likely be around nature, create a nature-themed hunt. It can be as simple as collecting items like leaves of certain colours, different shaped rocks, snail shells or even spotting different types of bugs and animals. In this case, get everyone to take a photo of the item. Make sure you warn kids of things to avoid like certain poisonous or prickly plants that might be around.</p> <p><strong>Obstacle course</strong></p> <p>Create the ultimate outdoor obstacle course to challenge the whole family. It can be as easy or hard as you want so set it to accommodate all ages and activity levels in the family. Obstacles like crawling under picnic tables, skipping stones, long jumps on a beach, hanging off a branch are all options. Use what is at your campsite and race each other with the ‘losers’ having to cook dinner or collect firewood.</p> <p><strong>Nature watching</strong></p> <p>Since the whole family will be in the thick of the bush, take the time to get to know nature better! Most national parks and campsites will have brochures of types of animals and birds in the area or grab a guidebook and go bird and animal watching. Or learn about the different types of flora in the area. Just be sure to respect nature and not damage anything.</p> <p><strong>Learn new skills</strong></p> <p>A camping trip is a great time to teach the kids how to read maps and compasses (or brush up if you are rusty). Reading a map and compass is quickly becoming a lost skill but one which is still important. Make it a bit more fun by going orienteering. Create an easy compass course and see how well the family follows directions.</p> <p><strong>Cook up a treat</strong></p> <p>If you are lucky enough to have a big campfire blazing away at night don’t waste the opportunity and cook up some camp favourites. The classic damper is a great option, otherwise toasting marshmallows while sharing stories is the perfect way to unwind at night. Or you can create s’mores, an American favourite of marshmallows and chocolate sandwiched between crackers.</p> <p><strong>Ghost stories</strong></p> <p>Even the most disinterested grandkids will be engrossed with a night time session of ghost stories around the campfire. Engulfed in the blackness of night with not much signs of civility, the scare factor is heightened. If nobody can think of any good ones (we recommend you have some prepared to scare everyone!) or the grandkids are too young, play the game where everyone contributes a sentence which slowly builds an often outrageous and hilarious tale.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p>

Travel Tips

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Everything You Should Know Before Going Caravanning

<p>If you’re looking for a fun and unique way to see the country, travelling in a caravan or motorhome is an excellent way to go. In a sense, you get to take your house with you, and you can stop anywhere you want along the way. Before you hit the open road, however, it’s a wise idea to make a few preparations. Driving motorhome is different from driving most other vehicles, and being aware of those differences can make your journey safer and more enjoyable. Here are five things to keep in mind before you cruise off into the sunset.</p> <h3>1. Have your vehicle serviced and inspected</h3> <p>No matter what kind of vehicle you’re driving, you need to make sure it is roadworthy before you pull out of your driveway. Whether you own the motorhome or are renting it, always insist on a pre-trip service and full inspection. Once it gets a clean bill of health, you can pack it up and hit the road with confidence. The last thing you want is to have your long-anticipated road trip come to a premature end because of a preventable maintenance issue.</p> <h3>2. Practice driving the motorhome before you hit the road</h3> <p>Chances are you won’t have a lot of problems driving a motorhome on the highway, but navigating smaller streets can be a real challenge in such a large vehicle. Put in plenty of driving practice before you leave home and learn how to use all of your mirrors to determine your position and back the vehicle safely.</p> <h3>3. Consider installing a reversing camera</h3> <p>If your motorhome doesn’t already have one, consider installing a reversing camera. It’s a handy accessory that will make pulling into those tight parking spaces a lot easier and give you additional peace of mind. (Alternatively, if you’re traveling with passengers, you can always ask them to check behind the vehicle before you reverse.)</p> <h3>4. Be aware of handling differences when driving</h3> <p>Driving a motorhome is different from driving a car or even a full-sized utility vehicle, for that matter. The higher centre of gravity means you need to take turns wider, and the large size means you’ll need a bigger turning radius. Again, practicing ahead of time can help you get used to handling such a large vehicle. You will also need to be mindful of the wind speed as you drive. When the winds get strong, it could cause the vehicle to drift unexpectedly. Take a tighter grip on the wheel when it’s windy, and give other drivers more space.</p> <h3>5. Consider forming a convoy!</h3> <p>Chances are you’ll meet other motorhome drivers on your road trip, particularly if you’re traveling down a popular road trip route. If you are all going the same way, consider teaming up with the drivers you meet at campgrounds, local attractions and restaurants, and forming a motorhome convoy. Traveling with other drivers is fun, but it can also enhance your sense of safety: a large convoy of motorhomes will be easier for other drivers to spot.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/travel/camping-caravanning/Everything-You-Should-Know-Before-Going-Caravanning" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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Top 10 worst camping mistakes and how to avoid them

<h2>Watch out for these campsite rookie errors</h2> <p>Ah, family camping trips: the chance to commune with nature, bond with your loved ones and create lasting memories. What could go wrong? Lots, actually. Lack of planning and preparation could turn your dream holiday into a real nightmare.</p> <p>Here’s how to avoid some of the more common camping mistakes.</p> <h2>Not testing out new equipment</h2> <p>Picture this: in anticipation of the big family camp out, you invested in a deluxe portable gas barbeque.</p> <p>You’re excited to fire it up at the campsite to feed the hungry kids when you realise, all too late, that the thing doesn’t work. Uh oh.</p> <p>Failing to test out new equipment is one of the biggest mistakes that campers can make.</p> <p>With anything you take out camping, you want to make sure you know how to use it beforehand; set up a new tent in your backyard, learn how to use that BBQ and climb inside a new sleeping bag to make sure it’s big enough before you set out on your trip.</p> <h2>Storing toiletries in your tent</h2> <p>Most campers know that keeping food in your tent is an open invite for a furry friend slumber party.</p> <p>But other products may also entice critters.</p> <p>People often forget that things like toothpaste, insect repellant and soap can attract animals, so keep all personal-care products safely locked away in your car or in the same dry bag you use to store your food.</p> <h2>Arriving in the dark</h2> <p>It can be frustrating to set up camp in the dark, especially if you’re staying on an unfamiliar site.</p> <p>Try to arrive during daylight hours to give everyone a chance to find the toilet and get the lay of the land.</p> <p>Of course, arriving after dark is sometimes unavoidable (hello, long-weekend traffic).</p> <p>In those cases, try using head lamps to light the way so your hands are free to set up equipment.</p> <h2>Underestimating the weather</h2> <p>Funny thing about the weather – it rarely seems to listen to the daily forecast.</p> <p>You could look at the weather report, see that it’s beautiful and leave the raincoat at home.</p> <p>Then it starts to rain on day two and you’re stuck.</p> <p>Always pack rain gear for every member of the family and plan some rainy-day activities to keep everyone in good spirits until the storm passes.</p> <p>And don’t forget extra socks.</p> <h2>Not packing a repair kit</h2> <p>Nothing puts a dampener on a camping trip faster than a leaky tent (pun absolutely intended).</p> <p>Luckily, you packed your handy dandy repair kit, right?</p> <p>Here’s what you need:</p> <ul> <li>extra rope</li> <li>metal pole</li> <li>sleeves to reinforce bent tent poles</li> <li>sewing kit to patch up rips and tears</li> <li>roll of duct tape</li> <li>extra pair of shoelaces (in case your first pair breaks)</li> </ul> <h2>Skimping on food</h2> <p>Taking just enough food for the duration of your trip could leave you in a tight spot if something goes wrong.</p> <p>For example, let’s say you’re going on a hiking trip, someone twists their ankle and you have to stay an extra day.</p> <p>You should also have a plan B in case someone accidentally burns the pancakes or drops the sausages right into the fire.</p> <p>Pack one extra day’s worth of meals and a stash of snacks and energy bars, just in case.</p> <h2>Forgetting a first-aid kit</h2> <p>A well-stocked first-aid kit could save your trip from ending miserably at the nearest emergency room.</p> <p>Check the contents of your kit to replace expired medications and to ensure you have everything you need.</p> <h2>Keeping a messy campsite</h2> <p>It’s wonderful to spot animals in their natural habitat, but not so much fun to find them feasting on the contents of your cooler.</p> <p>Leaving food and rubbish strewn about your campsite can attract unwanted visitors and ruin the experience for everyone.</p> <p>If animals eat your food, it’s not healthy for them and could also be a problem for future campers because animals can become habituated to getting food at the campsite.</p> <p>Avoid this problem by keeping meal supplies and garbage locked away in your car, or strung up in a dry bag on a designated pole or tree.</p> <h2>Showing up without a campsite reservation</h2> <p>You probably wouldn’t show up to a hotel without a reservation and expect to get the room of your choice.</p> <p>The same goes for campsites – particularly in the busy summer months.</p> <p>Avoid disappointment by reserving your campsite well in advance.</p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/travel/camping-caravanning/top-10-worst-camping-mistakes-and-how-avoid-them" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Aldi’s popular $50 travel item is back

<p dir="ltr">Have you ever been so tired you wished you could roll out of bed and bring it with you? Well, this Aldi sleeping bag takes you one step closer to fulfilling your dream.</p> <p dir="ltr">The “One-Z wearable sleeping bag” is back by popular demand as part of Aldi’s Easter ‘Special Buys’ camping range.</p> <p dir="ltr">The onesie sleeping bag has arms, legs (with detachable feet), and even a hood so that you can become one with your sleeping bag.</p> <p dir="ltr">The $49.99 item is fully insulated, with an elastic waistband, dual zipper access, and side ventilation on the legs.</p> <p dir="ltr">It’s officially coming back in stores nationally on Saturday, March 25 and will be available in three sizes – small (suitable for someone around 155cm-169cm tall), medium (170cm-183cm) and large (184cm-200cm).</p> <p dir="ltr">The One-Z has been so popular for years that when a German retailer announced it was back in 2017, the post generated over 92,000 comments.</p> <p dir="ltr">“ALDI Australia: Please tell me these gems will be restocked!” one person commented after learning how quickly the item sold out.</p> <p dir="ltr">Aldi will also put up four-person tents for $169 and six-person tents for $199.</p> <p dir="ltr">Travel camp quilts, another camping essential that will keep you warm will also be up for grabs and this time for $10 cheaper than last year, now priced at $59.99.</p> <p dir="ltr">Some other items that will be up for sale include a portable hammock with a foldable frame for $79.99, and a solar portable charger that you can attach to your backpack for $59.99.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 28W mono folding solar charger will be able to charge your electronic gadgets including phones, tablets, power banks and some DSLRs.</p> <p><em>Images: Aldi</em></p>

Travel Tips

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How to survive camping in bad weather

<p>When the elements are wild and unpredictable it can make for an unpleasant camping trip. Here are our top tips to surviving camping in bad weather.</p> <p><strong>Don’t go</strong></p> <p>This seems like the obvious choice but many people still move forward with their trip as it’s a waste of all the time, planning and preparation. However, nobody is likely to have a good time, especially grandchildren, if you’re cooped up in a tent or caravan for the entire weekend. If it’s possible to postpone the trip, then do it.</p> <p><strong>Location</strong></p> <p>Even if conditions are sunny and perfect when you arrive at your campsite, always think about the best location to pitch your tent if it does happen to rain and storm. Where will the water run? When the water hits the tent, will it pool in the indentation you set up? Steer clear of gullies, river banks in case of flash flooding.</p> <p><strong>Extra shelter</strong></p> <p>When you’re camping in the winter months, even if it’s forecast to be clear, it’s always a good idea to bring extra shelter. You can use this extra shelter to provide protection for your camping gear, provide an area to cook and eat, and if there is a leak in your tent, use as a tarp.</p> <p><strong>Wet-weather gear</strong></p> <p>When you need to move around a campsite in the rain, appropriate wet-weather gear will keep you dry and warm. That means waterproof jackets and hoods, ponchos and rubber boots – and when it comes to camping gear, you do usually get what you pay for. Make sure you have a few sets of spare clothes as well in case you do get a drenching.</p> <p><strong>Waterproof bags</strong></p> <p>Sometimes your gear will get wet and since you don’t want wet things in your sleeping area, store them in bags. Ensure dry things stay dry by also storing them in waterproof bags.</p> <p><strong>Wet weather activities</strong></p> <p>Be prepared with an arsenal of wet weather activities such as cards, board games, puzzles and crosswords to do. Otherwise, go for a drive and explore the area – you could find some great spots to check out when the weather is dry or have some fun splashing in the mud and rain with the grandkids.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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LGBT+ history: the story of camp, from Little Richard to Lil Nas X

<p>Although camp is difficult to define, it probably doesn’t need much description. </p> <p>Ever since 1956 – when former teenage drag queen Little Richard began performing his tribute to anal sex, “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F13JNjpNW6c&amp;ab_channel=Darwinner">Tutti Frutti</a>”, while wearing a six-inch pompadour, plucked eyebrows, and eyeliner – camp has increasingly been accommodated into social acceptance and understanding. It has been adopted and adapted by celebrities including Dolly Parton, Prince, Elton John, Ru Paul, Lady Gaga, and Lil Nas X. It was the theme of the 2019 Met Gala, prompting widespread commentary about what camp is.</p> <p>Susan Sontag, whose work inspired <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/style/photos/2019/05/met-gala-camp-on-theme">the Met Gala Ball’s theme</a>, wrote in <a href="https://qz.com/quartzy/1419465/susan-sontags-54-year-old-essay-on-camp-is-essential-reading-to-understand-culture-in-2018/">Notes on Camp</a> (1964) that camp is about “artifice and the unnatural”, a “way of seeing the world as an aesthetic phenomenon”. Camp, Sontag continues, is “the spirit of extravagance”, as well as “a kind of love, a love for human nature”, which “relishes, rather than judges”.</p> <p>Sontag also writes, however, that the camp sensibility is “disengaged, depoliticized”, and that it emphasises the “decorative … at the expense of content”. But camp is intricately enmeshed with queerness, and is anything but disengaged and merely decorative. Rather, in subverting social norms and rejecting easy categorisation, it has a long and radical history.</p> <h2>Camp’s political beginnings</h2> <p>For many working class queer men in urban centres such as New York around the turn of the 20th century, camp was a tactic for the communication and affirmation of non-normative sexualities and genders. This was enacted at <a href="https://www.basicbooks.com/titles/george-chauncey/gay-new-york/9780786723355/">Coney Island male beauty contests</a>, <a href="https://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/queens-and-queers-rise-drag-ball-culture-1920s">Harlem and Midtown drag balls</a>, and in the streets and saloons of downtown Manhattan. </p> <p>As historian George Chauncey established in his book <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/2952659">Gay New York</a>, the so-called “fairy resorts” (nightclubs whose attraction was the presence of effeminate men), which sprang up downtown, established the dominant public image of queer male sexuality. This was defined by a cultivated or performed effeminacy, including make-up, falsetto, and the use of “camp names” and female pronouns. </p> <p>These men questioned gender categories, and did so by behaving “camply”. In this way, camp evolved as a visible queer signifier. It has helped some queer people, both then and since, “make sense of, respond to, and undermine”, in Chauncey’s words, “the social categories of gender and sexuality that serve to marginalise them”.</p> <p>Decades later, in late June 1969, not far from New York’s former “fairy resorts”, a group of queer and trans teenagers used camp to dramatically shift the outcome of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/stonewall-riots-global-legacy-shows-theres-no-simple-story-of-progress-for-gay-rights-119257">Stonewall uprising</a>. A series of demonstrations against the closure of a popular gay bar, these protests are often credited with launching the gay rights movement. </p> <p>Facing an elite unit of armed police, the youths marshalled their campest street repertoire, joining arms, kicking their legs in the air like a precision dance troupe. They sang “We are the Stonewall Girls / We wear our hair in curls,” and called the police “Lily Law” and “the girls in blue”. Once again, camp accomplished a powerful subversion, this time of the presumed machismo and authority of the police.</p> <h2>Liking camp</h2> <p>Camp offers a critical stance that derives from the experience of being labelled deviant, highlighting the artificiality of social conventions. For the writer Christopher Isherwood, whose 1939 novel <a href="https://shop.penguin.co.uk/products/goodbye-to-berlin-by-christopher-isherwood">Goodbye to Berlin</a> became the darkly camp musical <a href="https://masterworksbroadway.com/music/cabaret-original-broadway-cast-recording-1966/">Cabaret</a> (1966), camp was underpinned by “seriousness”. To deploy it was to express “what’s basically serious to you in terms of fun and artifice and elegance”. </p> <p>Two of the 20th century’s campest artists, Andy Warhol and <a href="https://makeyourownbrainard.cal.bham.ac.uk/">Joe Brainard</a>, took Isherwood’s stance on camp seriously, and based much of their careers on the belief that “liking” was a valuable aesthetic. Both are famous for the camp excess of their imagery, producing work that featured multiple iterations of camp images. </p> <p>For Warhol, it was Marilyn Monroes and Jackie Kennedys. For Brainard, pansies and Madonnas. Even, in Brainard’s case, a transgressive, dramatic account of how much <a href="https://blog.lareviewofbooks.org/interviews/wonder-talking-joe-brainard-andrew-epstein/">he liked Warhol</a> , featuring the words “I like Andy Warhol” repeated 14 times. Warhol also embraced camp as a personal style, performing a theatrical effeminacy that equated to a strategic queerness designed to discomfit those among his contemporaries who held him to be “<a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/575/57574/popism/9780141189420.html">too swish</a>”.</p> <p>Warhol’s use of camp finds an echo, in the 21st century, in the work of <a href="https://theconversation.com/lil-nas-xs-dance-with-the-devil-evokes-tradition-of-resisting-mocking-religious-demonization-158586">Lil Nas X</a>, a musical artist who similarly deploys Sontag’s iteration of camp as “a mode of seduction — one which employs flamboyant mannerisms susceptible of a double interpretation”. </p> <p>His smash hit “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2Ov5jzm3j8&amp;ab_channel=LilNasXVEVO">Old Town Road</a>” (2019) is a queer country/hip-hop cross-over, whose music video is replete with sequins, tassels, chaps and choreographed dancing. Much of this was ignored by some fans who only appeared to notice Lil Nas X’s commitment to camp on the release of the video for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6swmTBVI83k">“Montero (Call Me By Your Name)</a>” (2021).</p> <p>Montero features the biblical Adam making out with the serpent in the Garden of Eden, before gleefully riding down a stripper pole to hell where he performs a lapdance for Satan (all characters played by Lil Nas X). Like Warhol, Lil Nas X uses a camp style to put visuals to repressive narratives and double standards. </p> <p>In particular, he claims camp transgression for black queerness, enacting, once again, a critical stance on the contradictions and condemnations that serve to marginalise those who don’t, or can’t, conform. His work confirms, in other words, that camp is much more than a quirky outfit. That it is a strategy, as much as a style.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/lgbt-history-the-story-of-camp-from-little-richard-to-lil-nas-x-174501" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Art

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5 ways to stay cool while camping

<p>The temperature is beginning to soar and when you’re heading out on a camping adventure the last thing you want is to feel hot and bothered, especially if you’re living in a tent. Luckily there’s no need to forgo the adventure altogether if the forecast predicts stinking hot days, just follow these tips.</p> <p><strong>1. Position your campsite</strong></p> <p>Before you set up camp, think ahead to position your tent where there will be the most afternoon shade. Remember what’s shady in the morning might not be the case as the day progresses.</p> <p><strong>2. Air the tent</strong></p> <p>Try to set up your tent as late as possible to avoid heat building up inside. Leave the fly off and open up doors and windows so any breeze can cool the tent.</p> <p><strong>3. Wear light clothing</strong></p> <p>Pack for the weather so bring plenty of light-coloured, loose-fitting and moisture-wicking cloths. Wear a hat and lather up with the sunscreen. This will help keep cool while you traversing the bushlands.</p> <p><strong>4. Plan suitable activities </strong></p> <p>Seek out hot-weather activities like exploring caves or swimming in rivers or pools that will keep you cool in hot conditions. If you plan to do outdoor activities schedule them in for the morning or evening, when the sun is not so hot.</p> <p><strong>5. Hydrate and eat cold foods</strong></p> <p>Load up on cold food you don’t need to cook like salads, fruits and ice blocks. And make sure you keep hydrated. Water is best over dehydrating drinks like alcohol, coffee and tea.</p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Travel Tips

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10 vintage camping hacks every camper should know

<p>Camping out for more than a night or two can bring the same challenges – ones my own family faced all the time, back when most people lived without air conditioning. When we’re hit with crazy humidity or rainy days, I’ve had to recall my mother’s old tricks for keeping the salt from clumping, the grill clean, and much more, so we can enjoy great meals made over a crackling fire.</p> <p><strong>Create a dry box</strong></p> <p>Invest in an airtight and waterproof container to store your camping essentials. I’m talking a box of matches, a torch plus batteries, first aid supplies, a few protein bars, and any other small, must-have items. This will come in handy if you’re camping in damp or rainy conditions.</p> <p><strong>Invest in a small thermometer</strong></p> <p>Place a small stick-on thermometer inside your esky lid to ensure that the temperature inside is a food-safe 1.6-4.4C°. And if you want to upgrade your esky situation, invest in a waterproof cooler light so you can see what you’re looking for after the sun goes down.</p> <p><strong>Make your own ice packs</strong></p> <p>Keep a few empty milk containers or water bottles the weeks before you head out into the wilderness. Wash thoroughly, allow to dry, and refill with clean tap water at home. Freeze and place in your cooler to keep the contents cool but dry.</p> <p><strong>Save aluminium foil</strong></p> <p>Save that used aluminium foil! Crumple it up and store in a zip-top bag to take along. Use it to scrub down the campfire grate or grill, clean your cast iron skillet or Dutch oven, and to scrape bark off your marshmallow sticks.</p> <p><strong>Keep your salt from clumping</strong></p> <p>Take a cue from your local cafe and put a few grains of rice in your salt shaker to keep the salt flowing instead of clumping together. Using a plastic shaker with a snap-down lid is also helpful to keep moisture out and salt inside where it belongs.</p> <p><strong>Don't forget your spices</strong></p> <p>Bringing along armfuls of spices can seem inconvenient, but you still want flavour in your favourite camping meals, right? Instead, repurpose Tic-Tac containers and other small, food-safe tins and use them as makeshift spice jars. Store them in a zip-top bag or plastic tub to keep them dry.</p> <p><strong>Prep what you can in advance </strong></p> <p>Once you’re in the great outdoors, you won’t want to spend a ton of time meal prepping. Opt for no-cook meals or prep your ingredients at home before you leave. Pancake batter can be made at home, stored in a clean container or squeeze-top bottle, and kept in the esky until you’re ready.</p> <p><strong>Get creative with your fire starters</strong></p> <p>A proper campfire is made with crumpled paper, kindling and firewood, but that can be a lot to gather. Instead, you can get your fire started with some unconventional materials, like dryer lint (you can pre-portion this by stuffing it into toilet paper tubes) or even corn chips!</p> <p><strong>Bring your cast iron skillet or Dutch oven from home</strong></p> <p>Don’t fuss with multiple pots and pans when you camp or special camping cookware. Instead, bring just your cast iron skillet or Dutch oven. Cast iron can withstand the elements and can be used over a propane cooktop, grill, or straight over the campfire.</p> <p><strong>Grab some bright-coloured ribbon</strong></p> <p>Stop tripping over tent tethers and running into the clothesline! Tie neon-coloured ribbon (or even fabric scraps) onto these cords to keep from getting tangled up. Use these old-school tricks and your entire outdoor experience will be way more enjoyable.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/travel/10-vintage-camping-hacks-every-camper-should-know?pages=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>. </em></p>

Travel Tips

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The best camping spots in Australia

<p>When the days are sunny and the nights are balmy, it means one thing: camping season! There is very little that trumps a camping holiday that combines fun, affordability and experiencing the great outdoors. We are so blessed in Australia to have it all – the bushlands, red desert, coastal beaches and lush rainforests – so wherever you camp out you are sure to find natural beauty. There are too many great camping options to list but here are some to get you started.</p> <p><strong>VICTORIA</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Grampians National Park </span></p> <p>With more than 30 tracks leading to spectacular lookouts atop summits or over waterfalls, the Grampians National Park is a great site to set up camp. There are remote campsites, like Borough Huts and Boreang grounds, which are ideal for adventurous multi-day hikes or if you are after a spot more accessible, Hall Gaps is a great spot with toilets and fireplaces.</p> <p><strong>NSW</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Kosciuszko National Park</span></p> <p>You can pretty much camp anywhere in NSW’s largest national park but our recommendation is up near the Main Range trail. As it includes Mt Kosciuszko – Australia’s highest peak – you will be privy to the most breathtaking views. This is recommended for the more adept hikers and campers, though, as they are no facilities.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Booderee National Park</span></p> <p>Camping in the Booderee National Park gives you access to the pristine white sands of Jervis Bay. Camp at secluded site Green Patch (great for families) or the grassy patch at Cave Beach, which is near some great surf.</p> <p><strong>SOUTH AUSTRALIA</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Lake Eyre National Park</span></p> <p>Spanning 9,500 square kilometre, Lake Eyre is an oasis in the middle of the South Australian desert. Camping in Lake Eyre National Park is akin to living in the sand dunes. The sites at Halligan Bay, ABC Bay and near Muloorina Station are accessible only by 4WD. While it’s one of the most remote camping experiences, it’s well worth it if you are up for the adventure.</p> <p><strong>WESTERN AUSTRALIA</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Mitchell River National Park</span></p> <p>Located in a remote part of the Kimberley, Mitchell River National Park contains some of the most majestic waterfalls and Aboriginal rock art. Camp at Mitchell Falls to see the much photographed Mitchell Falls waterfall which stretches and flows through four tiers.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Cape Le Grand National Park</span></p> <p>Home to the beautiful pure white sands of Lucky Bay, Cape Le Grand National Park is great for all sorts of activities – bushwalking, swimming and camping under the stars. The campsite has solar-heated showers so you can warm up after a swim in the clear azure ocean.</p> <p><strong>QUEENSLAND</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Hinchinbrook Island National Park </span></p> <p>Wander through dense rainforests, sandy beaches, cascading waterfalls, rugged headlands, palm wetlands at Hinchinbrook Island. There are some great walking tracks ranging from short and easy to the more challenging, as well as many rugged bush camping opportunities available at Nina Bay, Little Ramsay Bay, Banksia Bay, Zoe Bay, Sunken Reef Bay and Mulligan Falls.</p> <p><strong>TASMANIA</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Flinders Island </span></p> <p>Locating at the northern tip of Tasmania, Flinders Island is a hidden treasure. There is great fishing, scuba diving opportunities (there is a number of wrecks in the area), bike riding, hiking and horse riding with numerous public campsites around.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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Camping tragedy as parents and 6-year-old girl killed

<p>A nine-year-old boy who was camping at an Iowa state park in the US with his parents and six-year-old sister has survived a shooting that killed the rest of his family.</p> <p>The Iowa Department of Public Safety identified the victims as Tyler Schmidt, 42; his 42-year-old wife, Sarah Schmidt; and their daughter, Lula Schmidt, all of Cedar Falls, Iowa.</p> <p>Their bodies were found in their tent early Friday at the Maquoketa Caves State Park Campground, about 290 kilometres east of Des Moines.</p> <p>Authorities said the suspected gunman, 23-year-old Anthony Sherwin, was found dead on Friday in a wooded area of the park with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.</p> <p>Mitch Mortvedt, assistant director of the Department of Public Safety’s division of criminal investigation says that the motive for the attack was still unknown.</p> <p>“We don’t know what led up to this, what precipitated it,” he said, adding that so far, “the investigation has not revealed any early interaction between the Schmidt family and him.”</p> <p>Adam Morehouse, brother to the victim Sarah Schmidt, said the family had no connection to Sherwin and he believed it was a “completely random act.”</p> <p>Cedar Falls Mayor Rob Green, who said he is a neighbour of the Schmidts, posted on Facebook on Friday the 22nd of July saying that the couple's nine-year-old son, Arlo, “survived the attack, and is safe.”</p> <p>The post did not say whether Arlo was in the tent or even at the campsite when the shootings happened, and the mayor says he doesn’t have those details. It was confirmed Arlo was on the family's camping trip, but said he didn't know the boys whereabouts at the time of the shooting.</p> <p>“He is with family and he is OK, but I have not had any interaction with him,” Morehouse said.</p> <p>“As far as I know, he was uninjured physically.”</p> <p>By the evening of Saturday the 23rd of July, more than $108,000 had flowed into a crowdfunding campaign created for Arlo.</p> <p>The page, organised by a cousin, Beth Shapiro, said: “Arlo is a strong boy, surrounded by family and friends who are supporting him as best we can.”</p> <p>The killings prompted the evacuation of the park and campground, including a children's summer camp. After the evacuations, Sherwin allegedly was the only person unaccounted for.</p> <p>He said that during the course of the investigation, authorities learned Sherwin was armed and “that of course heightened our awareness.” Iowa allows people with permits to carry firearms virtually anywhere in the state.</p> <p>Officials did not say if Sherwin had a permit and provided no information about the firearm used to kill the Schmidts.</p> <p>It was reported that Sherwin was from La Vista, Nebraska.</p> <p>Felicia Coe, 35, of Des Moines, was at the campground Friday morning with her boyfriend and his two sons, ages 11 and 16. She said the 16-year-old went out early to go running, and she was talking with someone at the park at about 6:30 am when two park rangers dressed in helmets, vests and carrying what looked like automatic rifles told them to leave the campground.</p> <p>More law enforcement and an ambulance showed up, at the time, Coe did not know what happened. But she recalls seeing a little boy standing near the paramedics.</p> <p>“He was in his pyjamas. I distinctly remember he had one blue tennis shoe,” she said. She later saw a picture of the Schmidt family online and said she recognised the boy she saw as Arlo.</p> <p>“He’s got this really cute, floppy-curly, moppy, strawberry-blond hair that’s really distinguishable,” Coe said. “He was in these super cute little pyjamas, like a cotton T-shirt and shorts that matched. ... He was just standing there. He wasn’t crying. He wasn’t distraught. But he also wasn’t being comforted. He was just standing there by himself.”</p> <p>The Schmidts moved to Cedar Falls in 2018 and had been active in the community ever since, according to Morehouse.</p> <p><em>Image: Schmidt and Morehead families / Facebook</em></p>

News

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Top tips to camp like a pro

<p dir="ltr">No matter where you are, there’s nothing like heading into nature and setting up a tent beneath the stars.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, whether you’re heading to a local campsite or adventuring further afield to find a secluded spot to set up your tent, you’ll need to do some preparations to ensure your camping trip is as smooth as can be.</p> <p dir="ltr">For campers who may be new to the experience, Brooke Wood, a camping expert and operations manager at <a href="https://www.hipcamp.com/en-AU">Hipcamp</a>, has partnered with Toyota to share some top tips to help you prepare for your next trip to the bush.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-50bca015-7fff-148a-6454-51305d73891b"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">But, before you take on any of her tips, Brooke says the most important thing to do is ensure you have the right attitude to camp.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/03/brooke-wood.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Brooke says having the right attitude is the most important thing to have the best camping experience. Image: Supplied</em></p> <p dir="ltr">“‘Adventure is what you make of it’ is something I tell my kids over and over again,” she says.</p> <p dir="ltr">“No two campsites are created equal and a holiday is what you make of it. Go with the right attitude and you’ll be guaranteed a great time.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Without further ado, here are Brooke’s five top tips for a smooth camping trip.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Don’t forget the shovel!</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">If accessing a 4WD only property, don't forget to take recovery tracks and a shovel. If you're a beginner, park your vehicle in a safe spot and have a reccie on foot to check whether it's in your capability to tackle it. I've done this many times (and proceeded on down!). Slow and steady wins the race. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Keep things cool</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Invest in a good quality esky to keep the valuables cold. Beginners start with a good quality ice esky. Those who have been bitten by the camping bug should invest in a cooler that's plugged into your dual-battery in your 4WD. That's when you know you've reached the camping elite! </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Stay extra-hydrated!</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Know the situation with drinking water, is there plenty of potable water at the campsite? I always take my own extra 40 litres of water from home. Can never have too much water.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Fire ‘er up! (Responsibly)</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Brush up on your campfire skills and know local fire regulations. Most <a href="https://www.hipcamp.com/en-AU">Hipcamps</a> permit fires all year round (excluding fire ban periods) which is great, but it's everyone's responsibility to be fire safe and thoroughly extinguish campfires before you go to sleep at night and before you leave.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Food glorious food! </strong></p> <p dir="ltr">It's such a special time to share meals with the ones you love - this is where the memories are made. It's ok to pack those items that aren't 'everyday' foods at home. My kids associate Milo cereal with camping because that's the only time they get it. Create special memories around food. We also love 'special drinks' when camping, quite often the fizzy comes out for a bit of fun.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-d566dd5a-7fff-30fa-8ddb-136ea34421d6"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @hipcampau (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CZ-HfZAhTgs/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a>)</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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Foolproof tips for first-time campers

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When planning a trip, many people prefer to tone it down with a camping holiday in the bush, rather than embark on a city escape. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For first-timers, there’s a lot of things that can either make or break your next camping trip, and it’s always good to be prepared for any situation. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking on </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Today Extra</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, expert organiser Anita Birges has shared her top tips to make your next camping trip a success. </span></p> <p><strong>The tent is everything</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anita recommends picking a tent with “plenty of room”, which can make or break a trip when travelling with large groups or with kids. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In terms of pitching your tent when you reach your destination, Antia advises to pick a shady spot that is clear of hanging branches, and to practice pitching your tent in the </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">backyard before you embark. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anita also recommends staying at a powered campsite that has access to amenities such as toilets and barbecues, especially for first time campers. </span></p> <p><strong>Invest in your mattress</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Camping is no fun if you’re too tired to enjoy it, so invest in some good quality air mattresses that are easy to blow up. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Alternatively, double sleeping bags are a good idea, giving you the chance to snuggle up with your partner on colder nights to keep warm. </span></p> <p><strong>Go all out with extras</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anita recommends going all out with the extras to make sure your camping trip is as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Extra items such as a gazebo, folding chairs and compact table are sure to make any trip easier. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As well as these extra luxuries, essentials such as a good-sized esky, first aid kit, cleaning items and an abundance of toilet paper are a must. </span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credits: Getty Images</span></em></p>

Travel Tips

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Family camped 100m from Cleo Smith share details of the day

<p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p> <p>A family-of-seven who were camping less than 100 metres from where Cleo Smith vanished have come forward and broken their silence about their ‘scarred’ and heartbreaking stay at their site.</p> <p>It has now been over two weeks since the four-year disappeared from her family’s tent at the Blowholes campsite near Carnavorn in Western Australia in the early hours of October 16.</p> <p>Detectives joined the huge police operation dedicated to Cleo’s disappearance, and spent Sunday going door-to-door in the young girl’s hometown Carnarvon as the search continues.</p> <p>Queensland couple Rob and Kira Prince were camping at the Blowholes at the time and describe their stay as something they’ll never forget ‘for all the wrong reasons.’</p> <p>The couple are travelling around Australia in a campervan with their five children, which they’ve been documenting on the Our Aussie Adventure Facebook page.</p> <p>The family uploaded photos of their time at the Quobba Blow Holes and shared a police flyer regarding Cleo’s disappearance.</p> <p>‘This camp was beautiful with both rugged cliff faces with powerful waves and lagoon like beaches and the blowholes were absolutely incredible,’ the family posted on Sunday.</p> <p>‘Unfortunately our stay here was scarred by the disappearance of Cleo Smith from a tent 100m from our site.’</p> <p>‘With four-year-olds of our own this was truly terrifying and heartbreaking. It is a day we will never forget – for all the wrong reasons.’</p> <p>‘While we physically moved on from here once the campground closed, emotionally we are very much still there longing for a positive outcome for Cleo and her family.’</p> <p>The family told The West Australian they've spoken to police 'a number of times.'</p> <p>Detectives door-knocked a number of homes along the North West Coastal Highway in the North Plantations, 5km from Cleo's hometown on Sunday.</p> <p>It comes as Cleo's frantic mum issued yet another public appeal on social media for her daughter to come home. 'My kind hearted baby girl mummy wants you home,' Ellie Smith wrote in an Instagram story on Sunday.</p> <p>Ms Smith also posted a missing persons image of Cleo urging anyone with information to contact police.</p> <p>She and Cleo's stepfather Jake Gliddon have been ruled out by police of having have had any involvement in the girl's disappearance.</p> <p>Earlier on Sunday, the owner of a shack which captured Cleo’s voice on its CCTV system has opened up about the 'panicked' moments after the little girl vanished. Dave Sadecky handed over the crucial CCTV of little Cleo to police which placed her at the campsite on the night before she vanished.</p> <p>The motion sensitive camera is installed inside their beach shack which was just 20 metres away from the family tent and takes a wide-angled photo of everyone who enters or leaves it. The camera captures audio and images from inside a painted wooden box with a glass front and is quite hidden from those passing by.</p> <p>When Mr Sadecky and his wife learnt of the news surrounding the four-year-old, they immediately jumped on their quad bikes to join the search. 'I didn't know the ins and outs of what was going on but everyone was panicked,' Mr Sadecky told The West Australia.</p> <p>'People dropped everything and came to help … they were everywhere on Saturday like ants — it's not a normal sight.'</p> <p>The couple ended up scouring the area for 10 hours on the day Cleo was last seen. She had woken up at 1.30 am on the Saturday to ask her mother Ellie for a sip of water but when her parents woke again at about 6am, she was gone.</p> <p>'Everyone was emotional, people were clearly stressed and anxious but wanted to help. We've never had anything like this happen before. We're there every other weekend, we're kicking ourselves we weren't there that night,' Mr Sadecky said.</p> <p>He said the campsite would now be 'tainted' from what happened, a local at Blowholes himself.</p> <p>He added there was a tight-knit community in the area and that often people would leave their doors unlocked. Meanwhile, a close family friend of Cleo's mother Ellie Smith and stepdad Jake Gliddon said detectives are not wanting to give them any 'false hope'.</p> <p>'There's nothing worse than saying, ''We're going to find her'', or, ''We think we've got the person'', and then they don't have the person or they don't find her,' the friend told The West.</p> <p>It comes after it was revealed detectives in the 100-strong taskforce had responded to 200 potential sightings of Cleo in the two weeks since she disappeared.</p> <p>'Unfortunately all of those have proved unfruitful,' Detective Superintendent Rob Wilde said.</p> <p>'That's been national as well, other policing jurisdictions have helped us and followed those leads through for us, so we're very grateful for that.'</p> <p>While none of the leads have been accurate yet, he is still calling on the public to continue searching for Cleo and reporting any potentially useful information.</p>

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Cleo Smith’s family speaks with new details

<p><em>Image: Facebook</em></p> <p>Police are now focusing on a “worst-case scenario” in the hunt for missing four-year-old Cleo Smith – as her shocked parents revealed she had been sleeping metres from her baby sister before she disappeared from the family’s tent.</p> <p>A disturbing picture of what happened the night she vanished is emerging, with police revealing there were a “lot of people” circulating the campsite at the time and Cleo’s parents revealing horrifying details about the moment they realised she was gone.</p> <p>Four-year-old Cleo was last seen at 1:30 am on Saturday near the Blowholes campsite north of Carnarvon in Western Australia before she vanished.</p> <p>Cleo’s mother Ellie Smith said she had woken up around 6 am on Sunday to find their tent zipper was nearly completely open and her daughter was nowhere to be seen.</p> <p>She revealed Cleo had been sleeping in a separate area of the tent, with her baby sister just metres away.</p> <p>For that reason, police are now focusing their efforts on investigating the “worst-case scenario” that little Cleo was abducted from the tent while her family lay sleeping, with a complex criminal investigation underway.</p> <p>They have also admitted that she may have been taken interstate by now.</p> <p>Inspector Jon Munday said Cleo could “potentially be anywhere now” given it's been five days since she was last seen.</p> <p>“We can’t rule out the fact Cleo may be still in the area, we can’t rule out of the fact she’s left the area and if she’s left the area that is probably our worst-case scenario because that really paints a sinister picture with what’s happened,” he said.</p> <p>"It’s a race against time. We’re just trying to find some answers.”</p> <p>The entire area where Cleo vanished has been declared a potential crime scene, with the campsite closed and investigators imploring anyone who has been in the area to come forward.</p> <p>Inspector Munday said the case was a “mystery we’re trying to unravel”, as he revealed “quite a lot of people” had been staying at the Blowholes campgrounds that night.</p> <p>“We’re tracking and tracing all of those people at the moment, but there’s also nothing to indicate that there’s any cause for the wider community to be alarmed,” he said.</p> <p>On Tuesday, Cleo's distraught mother Ellie Smith and partner, Jake Gilddon, spoke publicly about her disappearance for the first time since posting about it on social media over the weekend.</p> <p>Ms Smith said Cleo would never wander off and would have asked for help to unzip her sleeping suit if she needed to use the toilet.</p> <p>“She’s lazy when it comes to walking,” Ms Smith said.</p> <p>“She would never leave that tent alone.”</p> <p>Asked if they feared someone had taken Cleo, Ms Smith said the family was still hoping to find her.</p> <p>Ms Smith said someone had to know where Cleo was.<br />“Someone has to – it’s been four days,” she said.</p> <p>“I got her some water and she went to bed,” Ms Smith said. “I checked on Isla, made sure she was OK. I got back in bed and that was it really.</p> <p>“We went back to sleep. (I later) woke up to Isla wanting a bottle. As we passed the divider, I went into the other room and the zipper was open. Cleo was gone and that was about it for Saturday morning until everything started.</p> <p>“She was gone. The tent was completely open. It was about 30cm from being open.</p> <p>“I turned to Jake and said: ‘Cleo’s gone.’</p> <p>“We went looking, checking, making sure she wasn’t around the tent. Then we got in the car and started driving around everywhere.”</p> <p>Ms Smith said she was very familiar with the area.</p> <p>“We literally grew up probably like 100m from where our tent was – that was where we stayed at the same age, so we just looked everywhere that we went as kids and we couldn’t find her,” she said.</p> <p>“Then we realised we have to call the cops because she’s not here.”</p> <p>Ms Smith described what was going through her mind at the time.</p> <p>“Where is she? She needs breakfast. What is she doing? Everything was going through my head,” she said.</p> <p>Appearing emotional during the interview, Ms Smith described her ongoing anguish.</p> <p>“We haven’t really slept. We’ve had so much family help us and support us,” she said.</p> <p>“Everyone asks us what do you need and really all we need is our little girl home.”</p>

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Police release new image in search for Cleo Smith

<p><em>Image: WA Police</em></p> <p>Cleo Smith’s biological father has reportedly spent three hours talking to police after his four-year-old daughter went missing at a remote campsite.</p> <p>According to Seven News, Daniel Staines was asked to give a statement at Mandurah Station, 1000km south of where Cleo went missing.</p> <p>He reportedly did so willingly and appeared with his parents by his side. There is no suggestion he has had anything to do with his daughter’s disappearance.</p> <p>It came as police released footage of the campsite Cleo disappeared from as a desperate search for the missing four-year-old entered its fourth day.</p> <p>Cleo was last seen at about 1:30 am on Saturday at the Blowholes Campground in Macleod, 50km north of Carnarvon in Western Australia’s north.</p> <p>Her parents woke up a few hours later at 6 am and realised she was gone, and set about their search with other campers before contacting police.</p> <p>Her sleeping bag had also disappeared, and other campers in the area reportedly heard a car screeching away from the area at about 3am.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844916/new-project.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/90e7c861c4c84440b03053444bba9c78" /></p> <p>Image: WA Police</p> <p>The remote campsite, popular among Carnarvon families, is surrounded by sand dunes, shrub lands and rocky terrain, with a few surrounding beach shacks owned by locals.</p> <p>Apart from the small cluster of shacks and caravans, the area is desolate, with a pristine beach being the only thing disrupting the otherwise vacant land.</p> <p>The grounds take their name from nearby blowholes, which can be spotted about 1km north of the campsite when waves smash against the cliffs and shoot through the rock holes.</p> <p>Adjacent to the campsite is a white sandy beach and coral-filled lagoon, which is popular among families for snorkelling and picnics.</p> <p>While beautiful and picturesque, the area can also be deadly, with ‘king waves’ – powerful, unexpected waves up to 10 times bigger than the waves before them that come without warning. This is a frequent occurrence.</p> <p>The Carnarvon Shire Council closed the Blowholes observation area in July last year after a person was nearly swept into the ocean after a dangerous king wave.</p> <p>“There is a well-documented history of multiple fatalities and injuries on the Quobba coastline from king waves,” the council’s warning read.</p> <p>“King waves inundate areas of the coastline far above the normal expectations of most people. Extreme caution is advised visiting the coastline at present.”</p> <p>WA Police inspector John Munday revealed that in search for Cleo, authorities were “throwing everything we can at this search in these initial stages”.</p> <p>An Australian Maritime Safety Authority jet had been brought in, along with other patrols including drones, helicopters and SES crews.</p> <p>Police were investigating the possibility she had been abducted, revealing that her red sleeping bag was also missing from the campsite.</p> <p>“It’s a very tough environment there, we feel desperately for the family in this very unusual situation where we don’t know where Cleo is,” Inspector Munday said.</p> <p>We’ve brought in forensic examiners from our homicide and crime division as well, we’re not ruling anything in or out.”</p> <p>He said on Sunday crews were “going as hard as we can, as long as we can, to try and find Cleo.”</p> <p>Police are also investigating the possibility that she has wandered off and become lost.</p> <p>So far, three nautical miles south of the camp has been covered in the marina search, as well as one nautical mile north, and one nautical mile out to sea.</p> <p>Cleo was last seen wearing a pink/purple one piece sleepsuit with a blue and yellow pattern.</p>

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