Date: February 5th 2010

 

Westprint Friday Five February 5, 2010  

Included this week:

·         New Hema Navigator

·         Information from Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia Ltd

·         The Friday Funnies are back!  

 

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To view the range of products from Westprint use this link

www.westprint.com.au

Unless otherwise noted all special prices listed in the

Friday Five are valid for seven days.

Friday Five 5.2.2010

1.      New Hema Navigator – HN5 - $990.00 Voice guided street level mapping with Route 66 software. A wide range of digital maps available covering all of Australia using OziExplorer CE with moving map display. Also has Memory Map software included, 5" touch screen display, 2GB on-board memory plus 4GB Micro SDHC card, Bluetooth & FM Transmitter, Rear-view camera ready. (Camera not included), Uses Active Sync program to communicate with your desktop computer. For further details on how these navigation units work and what is included click here. For a limited time (28th Feb.) Westprint will include all 25 of our digital maps for just $59.95 – Normally these would cost $235.00.  All Navigator units are removed from the packaging and field checked in both the OziExplorer & Route 66 programs prior to despatch to customers, regardless of whether or not the Westprint maps are loaded

2.    End of Stock Videos. $15.00 plus $5.00 post each. Will sell separately. Titles are: Fishing and Fourwheeling Cape York by Lifestyle Video Productions (1 copy), Across The Cape by Make and Margie Leyland (4 Copies), Mount Gambier and District 1920 – 1980 (1 copy), Namatjira the Painter (1 copy).  

Second Hand Books.

We have a good supply of second hand books at present. Most of our books, particularly those with dust jackets have been covered in archival plastic sleeving. Covering these books seems to take forever but it makes a huge difference to the wear and tear of fragile books.  

3.    Tobruk Commando. Gordon Landsborough. Hardcover, 1956, book in good condition, dust jacket in fair condition. One only $18.00 including post.  

4.    Rascals, Ruffians and Rebels of Early Australia . Frank Clune. Hardcover, ex-library, 1987. In excellent condition but with usual library marks and stickers. One copy only $22.00 including post.  

5.    Hell West and Crooked. Tom Cole. Excellent condition, published 1990. This hardcover edition is richly illustrated and includes photos. One copy only $30.00 including post.  

 

Books are allocated on a first-come first serve basis. To reserve your copy of any of the following books please email info@westprint.com.au with the title you are interested in. All emails will be answered during the following week, either with details of how to pay, or a ‘sorry, the item has already sold’ email. Where possible, postage on multiple items will be recalculated to offer you the best price.  

Postage Rates. These items will usually not be found on our website. Orders will be supplied on a ‘first come, first serve’ basis. Westprint normal postage rates are now $8.50 for one book, $11.00 for two books, $13.00 for 3 or more books. Free post applies to orders of more than $150.00. Postage rates apply to Australia only. Airmail postage rates apply to overseas orders.  

Disclaimer.

Please note that the opinions and articles included in the Friday Five are not necessarily those of the Westprint mob. Nor do we endorse any products (other than our own), or tours listed in contributed articles.  

A note from Jo:

·         Thank you to everyone that emailed us over the Christmas break. I will try to answer all emails over the next few weeks.

Over the Christmas break we went camping on Kangaroo Island . What a beautiful place to spend a few weeks relaxing.

Regular readers may remember that we were intending to go to K.I. last year but we ended up with a 10 year old with a broken foot, in plaster and on crutches. This didn’t seem all that much fun for camping and climbing in and out of a 4WD.

The only slight dent in our plans this year was when our 14 year old rang me at work on Christmas Eve and said ‘Mum, what do you do for a red-back bite?’ Luckily there were no adverse effects.

Our kids are fairly accident prone; we have had one child airlifted from William Creek to Coober Pedy with a badly cut eyebrow; later, a broken elbow in Coffs Harbour, a choking toddler (ie turning blue) coming in to land at Perth airport and numerous broken bones etc at home.

I feel compelled at this point to give a plug for our local hospital because we have such excellent service. A couple of months ago a truth I had heard but not seen before was confirmed: “When you are 12 years old, racing around on a hockey field and get smacked in the face with a hockey stick, you bleed – a lot”.

At 1.00 pm I was confronted by our 12 year old, Adam holding a towel to his head and with face, arms, clothes and even legs covered in blood. However, since he was still conscious and walking. I figured it couldn’t be as bad as it looked, rang the hospital and asked reception to notify Accident & Emergency that we would be there in a few minutes then bundled him into the car. We were met at A&E by a staff member (with numerous towels) and taken straight through to a cubicle where she and I cleaned up most of the blood so that we could identify what needed to be done first. Stitching a cut above the eye was the first priority so she rang the doctor (who works in private practice close by) and asked that he come and stitch as soon as possible. While waiting she set up the dressing trays etc. so that when the doctor did arrive he could start work almost immediately. This he did and after giving a few local anaesthetic injections was starting his first stitch – at 1.20pm . Twenty minutes from injury to first stitch is an impressive record at any hospital. As an added bonus our local doctor has played ice hockey and so he and Adam were able to swap gruesome injury stories.

We now have two kids with matching scars on their eyebrows – sort of like a weird family brand.  

Notice – we will be short staffed during March and April

·         Sonya will finally be having some time off during March and travelling in South Australia . Jo and Graeme will be travelling in Queensland during March and John and Bev will be travelling in New Zealand . We hope to have staff to keep our premises open but if you are travelling please phone first to check. 03 5391 1466.  

Caravan & Camper Responsibility

·         Last year you were very supportive of an article that I submitted to you titled ‘Do the right thing”.  That article received wide publicity. I have now revised it and am seeking support for it to be published again.

The reason that I am doing this now, is that people will soon be starting their winter migration north, and we have some serious problems with overcrowding in rest areas, people overstaying the allotted time, and others draining grey water onto bitumen carparks. These are just some of the issues that we are dealing with.

We now face a real threat of losing many of the benefits that we currently have in these areas.

Any support you can give will be greatly and sincerely appreciated.

Phillip Berr, Manager Projects and Member Benefits

Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia Ltd

 

Accepting responsibility

Being an RV tourist in Australia brings with it certain responsibilities. CMCA spend a considerable amount of their resources in lobbying governments at all levels for increased and improved benefits for all mobile tourists travelling throughout this wonderful country.  

Sadly, there are those who do not do the right thing, and they subsequently give all RV tourists a bad name. They also make it very difficult for us when negotiating with local Councils for new and better rest areas and new dump point installations.

Once again, as the winter migration to the north commences, we need to get the message across to those who do not do the right thing about the consequences of their actions.  

Parking and camping

This year we are facing major problems in Queensland and the northern part of Western Australia . If people continue to do the wrong thing as they did last year, we are in real danger of losing many of the great overnight rest areas that are currently available to us. One of the main issues is people overstaying the time limit. If an area is posted as being a 24 hour rest area, that is exactly what it means. Many car parks in beachside locations in northern Queensland are available for overnight stays. If people continue to abuse this privilege, then we may lose these areas. Just because others may abuse the privilege and stay longer does not mean you can, or should.

Please do not park in a manner that blocks a local resident’s view, and do not park in a residential street. If you are asked by a Council Ranger to move on, please do not abuse them. If fees apply to an area, please pay them. Councils have to maintain these areas, and to avoid paying fees is only abusing a privilege.

Please do not hang washing out around your vehicle whilst stopped in a rest area. This creates an unsightly image, and only damages our reputation in the eyes of Councils and the general public.

Always ask yourself, “Would I want someone camped in front of my home? Or blocking the lovely view that was the reason I bought this home?”  

Water

The lack of water is still a major issue in many towns across our country.

Please remember that it is the local residents that pay for this water, and in many towns they are still on strict water restrictions. Always ask before filling your water tanks, and perhaps pay a couple of dollars into a local charity box. Do not wash your vehicle. Not only is this wasteful, but it is the easiest way to get the local community and the local Council offside. Except in a commercial car wash

Power

If you are staying in a caravan park on a non-powered site, please do not hook up to power after dark. Some caravan parks have now removed areas that they had made available for self-contained vehicles at a nominal cost due to people doing this, or using the ablution blocks when they have not paid to do so. You may think no one will notice or it is not a big issue, but remember, caravan park owners are business people trying to make a living, so please don’t try and cheat them. Next year when you go to book in your area in the ‘self-contained’ section of the park, you may wonder why it is no longer available. And the privilege has been lost to everyone due to your actions. Sometimes it is only one person that can cause the loss of these privileges.

Another problem is people stopping overnight adjacent to a Council structure such as a camp kitchen, and then connecting their van to the power overnight. This is just abusing a privilege that the Council has provided.

Disposal of waste water – travel without trace

Unless you are given permission to do so by the controlling authority, NEVER discharge your grey waste onto the ground, especially if you are parked on bitumen.

Wherever possible all grey and black water waste should be discharged into a dump point. We acknowledge that this is not always possible, so in extreme cases it will need to be buried in the bush. There are strict parameters for doing this. DO NOT discharge the waste directly onto the ground surface. This is nothing less than environmental vandalism, and can create serious health issues, especially in areas where children may play.

Please do not flush grey and black water holding tanks or their hoses with a hose attached to a potable water outlet. This can cause contamination, not just for your water, but for others using the outlet after you.

RV Friendly Towns™

Whenever possible, please support the RV Friendly Towns around Australia . When visiting an RV Friendly Town™, please remember that they have had to meet very strict criteria to be part of the scheme. However, not every RV Friendly Town™ may have exactly what you are looking for. For example, the rest area that has been provided for short term stays may not be within walking distance of the main street. It may have been established on the only land available. Please do not complain to the council or local business people if something is not where you think it should be.  

It is important to realise that the actions of one person can cause the loss of a benefit enjoyed by so many Members. One persons bad behaviour can tarnish the image of all RV tourists, and can indeed give all RV tourists a bad name. Please remember that abusing someone may make you feel better, but the ramifications can hurt many others.  

This industry will continue to grow at the current rapid rate. We will need more rest areas and dump points around this wonderful, beautiful country. We need all the help we can get to do this, and the best help we can get is for everyone to at all times, ensure that their behaviour is exemplary.  

To enjoy this wonderful lifestyle, and to ensure that we all continue to do so, PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING.

 

Friday Funnies

·         An Aussie truckie walks into an outback café in South Australia with a full-grown emu behind him. The waitress asks them for their orders.
The truckie says, 'A hamburger, chips and a coke,' and turns to the emu, 'What's yours?' 'I'll have the same,' says the emu.
A short time later the waitress returns with the order 'That will be $9.40 please,' and he reaches into his pocket and pulls out the exact change for payment. The next day, the man and the emu come again and he says, 'A hamburger, chips and a coke.' The emu says, 'I'll have the same.' Again the truckie reaches into his pocket and pays with exact change.
This becomes routine until the two enter again. 'The usual?' asks the waitress. 'No, it's Friday night, so I'll have a steak, baked potato and a salad,' says the man. 'Same,' says the emu. Shortly the waitress brings the order and says, 'That will be $32.60.'
Once again the man pulls the exact change out of his pocket and places it on the table.
The waitress cannot hold back her curiosity any longer. 'Excuse me, mate, how do you manage to always come up with the exact change in your pocket every time?'
'Well, love' says the truckie, 'a few years ago, I was cleaning out the back shed, and found an old lamp. When I rubbed it, a Genie appeared and offered me two wishes. My first wish was that if I ever had to pay for anything, I would just put my hand in my pocket and the right amount of money would always be there.'
'That's brilliant!' says the waitress. 'Most people would ask for a million dollars or something, but you'll always be as rich as you want for as long as you live!' 'That's right. Whether it's a gallon of milk or a Rolls Royce, the exact money is always there,' says the man. The waitress asks, 'What's with the emu?'
The truckie sighs, pauses, and answers, 'My second wish was for a tall bird with a big butt and long legs, who agrees with everything I say.'  

·         True story from Dixie

I recently taught my grade 6 class a unit on government. In a follow-up test, I asked the question: "What does democracy mean?"

One very intelligent girl responded: "The freedom to elect your own dictators." ... made even funnier by the fact that she was from the Philippines .  

·         From Chris

Q. What do you call a sandal wearing Frenchman?

A. Phillipe Pheloppe  

·         My husband, Mike, and I had several stressful months of financial difficulties. So one evening I was touched to see him gazing at the diamond wedding ring that symbolized our marriage. "With this ring..." I began romantically.

"We could pay off Visa," he responded.

 

To all of our Faithful Friday Five readers.

Please be aware that there are numerous reasons why your email address may be deleted from our system. One of the main difficulties is that many spam companies also use the program we use for publishing and this means the Friday Five may be rejected as spam. If you do not regularly continue to get the Friday Five please check with Graeme at info@westprint.com.au Remember to include a phone number or other alternative contact.

New email addresses are constantly and automatically being added to our list. If you do not wish to be part of our Friday Five group then please unsubscribe from the link at the bottom of this newsletter. This takes effect immediately. Westprint apologises for any inconvenience.

 

 

Cheers for now,

Jo

 

 

 

 

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