If it was not for Wiki Camps we might have missed this fantastically run place. We have mentioned Gunna Go before but I have to mention it again (as I believe) it deserves all the accolades I can give it.
Gunna-Go is 30 min South of Bowen and 1 hr 30 min North of mackay, on the Bruce Highway. So you don’t have to veer off if your making your way up or down the east coast. You can park your caravan here and explore the area.
Family Run business
Once you pull in and meet the family who run this park you will see why we and everyone on Wiki camps think they are worth a mention. ( or two or three)
Joy, her daughter Amber and Shane are more then helpful and friendly. They make sure you’re happy with your site and look after the place so well.
The family took over the park about 2015 and are slowly doing it up.
Pet friendly
Big rig sites
Grassy sites or slabs available
Swimming pool
Licenced bar
Meals available
Camp kitchen/bbq area
Laundry facilities
Self contained ensuite cabins
Shaded or sunny camp sites
Group, contract or worker accommodation
Short, long or permanent stay welcome
The amenities are older but absolutely spotless!
The reception sells small basic bits of groceries ( biscuits, pasta, tins etc.)6km north of Proserpine in the Whitsundays
Gunna-Go Caravan park is close to everything but far enough away to feel like you are in the country side.
Airlie Beach – 30min away
Great Barrier Reef – 30min away
Peter Faust Dam – (great fishing) 40min away
Bowen – 30min away
Mackay – 1hr 30min away
Un-powered sites are- $29 per night
Powered sites are -$33 for the first night then $30 each night after
Kui members take 10% off (price is right at April 2019)
Our brand new Jayco Starcraft was ready a couple of months earlier then we anticipated. I guess most people would get excited about that (and we were happy it was ready) but we were not taking off for a few months yet. So we would have to work out where and how much it would be to store it.
We booked an appointment to pick up our new home (this is so they can properly show you everything and how it all works). I videoed everything as Jayco showed us around. It took about three hours. Jayco fitted our three solar panels and battery so we made sure they were in place before leaving.
We made sure we had everything we needed to connect the caravan to the Ute. A 7 pin plug, brake away wire, Towing mirrors etc.
After we got shown around and we were happy, it was time to pay and drive away :0)
Shakedown trip and how we chose to store our caravan
We had booked in to our first caravan park so we could hook on to power and water and get used to the van. Larry also wanted to install the new battery management system. Also he wanted to wire up the in car rear view mirror and electric brakes. ( Visit Redarc website for management system )
We spent four days checking the solar panels were in working order. We went back and forth to Jayco to buy wind shades , BBQ extension hose and ask questions before we moved on.
Jayco Mackay
Heading back towards Airlie Beach we stayed at our first Free Camp, The Leap Hotel. A 48 hrs free camp outside Mackay.
After moving on from there the next day we had a look on wiki camps and found Gunna-go caravan park. It’s about 30min out of Airlie, near Proserpine in Myrtlevale.
We initially decided to stay a couple of nights on power so Larry could still work on what he needed. We also needed to be in the Airlie beach area to get a hard cover put on the back of the Ute. Then we were going to move on for a few more days.
Storing our Caravan
We went to a couple of places that store caravans in Airlie Beach to get prices. After a few trips we asked at Gunna-Go if they would let us store the van at their park for a couple of months. That way we could come on the weekends and would already be set up. They agreed for a very minimal cost per week.
I had read on the Wiki-camps app all the great comments about the owners and they were right. We only had to pay $20 per night when we were home in our van as it was un-powered and we were there more than one night. We parked on a slab that had no power but did have water.
Gunna-Go Caravan Park let us store our vanGunna-Go Caravan Park
Our van has a 218 litre compressor fridge. The fridge operates from the batteries which are charged by the solar. We wanted to test if we could leave the essentials in it while on island for a fortnight and still stay cold. The essentials being, wine and coke for the Jim beam of course. It worked well. We could now stock it with extra essentials. Like chocolate and cheese for our weekends off island.
As we researched into full-time travel, it was clear that we could not just buy a caravan and hit the road. We needed more. ( bugger, I thought you bought a van, hooked it up and away you go, Nope!). We wanted to be completely self contained/sufficient and be off grid as much as possible.
Off Grid And Self sufficient Caravan
This is a run down of what we have that helps us stay in more freedom camps for longer. With this set up, we were able to go three month during our Tasmanian trip without plugging in to power. Everyone’s needs are different but this is what works for us!
The Starcraft came with one 150w solar panelbut we worked out we needed a lot more. So we bought three 200w panels. (Check out Larry’s Solar page ) Just to note, we do have a large compressor fridge not a three way fridge. This is great as we only go through around three gas bottles a year. Less money & trips to get gas means a more off grid and Self Sufficient caravan
The van came with one battery which was 100amp hour (ah). We decided to upgrade this and instead installed three 120ah AGM batteries. Two years later we then upgraded from AGM batteries to Lithium. These are under our club lounge at the front of the van ( refer to Larry’s battery page). We also added an extra 120ah battery to the Ute to work with our extra 2000W inverter.
Although the Starcraft comes with a management system this would not work effectively for our set up. As we had added more to our set up. We bought a Redarc battery management system. This tells us how much charge we are getting and how much we are using.
It’s hard not to check on it several times a day to see what percentage it’s at. When you do see it’s at 100% you cant help but feel a little excited (you will understand once you get one 😉 We still use the Jayco one to read our fresh and grey water levels though.
Redarc Management System
Lithium Mode
Our Redarc Battery management system was the model that came with Lithium charging mode. This was handy as we upgraded to Lithium’s a couple of years after starting our travels. This allowed us to drop lithium’s in, change charging modes and we were all set.
We felt the one 82ltr water tank that came with the van was not enough for our needs. So we chose to install another bringing the total to 164ltr. We can go a couple of weeks without filling our tanks again, more if we catch rain.
Who doesn’t love free water? Our rain water tank was a after thought. Whilst we had been travelling for around 2 years without one we decided that it would make a handy accessory. We mounted a 40 litre plastic tank under the side of our van. It remains empty if we travel to keep the weight down.
Rain Water Tank
When we are free camping and stationary we collect rain water. We do that through a catchment system we made for the awning. We often fill the 40 litre tank with rain water within 10 minutes of a good rain fall. Then pump it automatically to our main water tanks. This allows us to catch the next 40 litres 🙂 Now that’s a tick for making it an off grid and self sufficient caravan.
When we bought the van we got Jayco to install a 82ltr Gray water tank as well. From researching online there seems an increase in places that ask you to be fully self contained ( national parks etc.)
This term varies depending on who you ask. There are a few different opinions to what that means. However, for us, we can go anywhere now as we can contain , black and grey water within our vehicle for later disposal.
We have a 2000w Redarc inverter in the back of the ute that we can run our bigger appliances off. We’ve also installed external power point and cable to power some of inside appliances from the back of the ute. The items we run the 2000w inverter for are :
We decided on getting a 3kg washing machine. Jayco mentioned it would consume ½ a tank of water per wash. We tested it on maximum setting. It used both full tanks for one wash. This was a full wash and worst case scenario on our shakedown trip.
Nowdays we use it off grid and it consumes around 12 litres of water “at a guess” I fill it on the lowest setting and do 1 or 2 washes with that water. Not letting it drain just stopping and starting till its all done. Then spin it all when it’s all done. No rinse needed with our wool wash. See More Of Our Water Saving Tips Here
We have a external water filter system that has three stages of filtration. We attach this when filling the main tanks. It filters water enough that we can take from streams if need be. We also mounted a extra filter on our drinking water tap for extra reassurance.Sometimes you have no idea if your taking water from the main line, a bore or someones filthy rain water tank.
We bought a generator to back up our solar panels if we were in a critical situation. We even tried to use it for our air conditioning and it worked. It’s been 3.5 years and we’ve never used it other than to see if it still goes.
As we will be off grid more often than not we won’t be able to use our air-con ( unless we use the generator). We would rather not use the generator unless its absolutely necessary or if we are the only ones around and not bothering anyone with the noise.
12v fan
Caframo 12V fans, they are small but priceless. We have two over the bed and can swivel it towards the kitchen and lounge. They have a three speed settings and a timer, from two to eight hours, which is great to go to sleep with.
I read online that they were noisy for some people. For someone who slept with ear plugs for years as we lived in a noisy place, I can say it not as bad as I read. Yes there is a little something but when I turned it off one night I could hear traffic noise, so turned it back on. It uses such a little amount power (0.2amps) it’s not worth mentioning.
Check out a heap of Off Grid Accessories at Caravan RV Camping. Use our exclusive code and Save $30 when you spend over $500. Use the code “FULLTIME“ at the checkout to receive your discount!
We had to stay in the Whitsunday for a few more weeks due to work commitments but wanted check out other places. We looked on Wiki Camps and found Glen Erin Farm stay and Bush Camp. Only 30 min North or Proserpine and 10 min South from Bowen.
We had a drive to check it out with some friends and decided it was our kind of place.
There was a resident Kangaroo, green grassy areas, Camp kitchen and BBQ. So the next day we put everything, for the first time, in its proper place and hooked up for our first fully loaded trip.
Please Note: Glen Erin is under new management as of 2022
Photo: Heading out Of Glen Erin Farm StayChecking out the farm with friends and the resident Roo
Glen Erin has a home made wooden sign on the side of the highway, by a dirt track. You drive about 4 kilometres over a railway track. Then past eucalyptus trees, Mango trees and over dry creek beds. We were a little worried in case another van came in the opposite direction, but I’m sure we would have been fine.
Lyn, the owner greeted us when we arrived and so did the Kangaroo. We decided we would have a powered site for a change which was $25 a night. Although we were only going to stay 2 night we decided to stay 4 more.
Photo: Camp Kitchen
The place has pockets of rustic charm along with its bush setting. Like the old caravans that must have been permanent residence at one time, now quaint rustic relics. Personally I love them.
There’s an old windmill slowly being taken over by nature. Theirs also a book exchange in the camp kitchen on an old 60s/70 dresser its like a time warp.
Photo: The rustic camp kitchen windowKitchenPhoto: Part of the rustic camp kitchen
Black Cockatoos are in the trees over head, cows (as we were driving in) Stick insects, Cane Toads, Butterflies and of course a Kangaroo. There are many Eucalyptus trees, beautiful red Poinciana trees and Mango trees.
Lyn told us she was closing camp as she was going away over Christmas, for 3 month. She had booked a couple, with a caravan to look after the place while she was away. They would stay for free, if they feed the chooks and mow the lawn. We wish we had known about it, it would have been great.
Photo: Cows outside the farm stayPhoto: drone shot of Glen Erin farm Stay
If you want to stay at a place with personality and charm and is close enough to the Bruce Highway to get you to Bowen, Airlie Beach or the Beautiful Whitsundays then this is the place.
The lovely people over at Aussie House Sitters have been good enough to give our members a discount. Use our Coupon Code “AHS15%off”. This will give you 15% off your regular membership.
The first bit of downsizing our belongings was due to moving out of a large, four bedroom, rental house. Into one bedroom on Hayman Island. It’s amazing that the bigger your space the more stuff you buy to fill it.
We sold our large items on Gumtree and local Facebook pages and smaller things on a local market. Larry was and still is amazed at what “crap” as he called it, others will buy. I thought my crap to be quite nice actually!
We rented out a shed so we could store our Ute and things we thought we would still need. We kept kitchen equipment, paperwork, photos and trinkets we had collected. Funny thinking, I cant even remember the other things we stored and have now gotten rid of ?
Living in one room, was a great way to see how life would be living in a small space with less stuff.
We only needed a TV and clothes and that’s pretty much all that would fit.
Purging the personal stuff
I’m the main person that likes to keep photos and keepsakes so most of it was mine.
I went through photos and got rid of ones that were not worth keeping. I mean an uninspiring photo of a landscape that has no meaning or a blurry picture that you will never look at. Then my birthday and Christmas cards, yep I used to keep most of them, why? I have no idea! they all had to go. Gifts that people had bought over the years were the hardest to get rid of. My only solace was most of our stuff that we did not sell we took to charity shops.
We lived on Hayman for almost four years and so we could go through boxes bit by bit. Just when I thought I had finished, I would get a second wind and think “No, more can go” it got easier with time. You also start thinking more about the weight of your belongings. The more you look into you start to realise how much you really can take. We still have empty cupboard space in our van but that doesn’t mean we are not over weight.
The purge continues
We have been storing our van and staying at Gunna-Go for a few months. We have been able to slowly empty the shed and fill our home with the belongings we chose to keep. As it happens we still had to much stuff. We had way to much in our cutlery draw, to much bedding and towels, so more out the door.
I’m shore we will get ride of more once we hit the road and discover what we do and don’t use. Or when we go to our first weigh station and discover we need to lighten the load.
I would recommend, if you’re like me and like you’re memories, start purging as soon as you decide to hit the road. It might take you a while to realize what’s definitely a keeper and what’s not.
Have you had to downsize dramatically ? How was it for you ?
What motorhome, caravan, fifth-wheeler or cruiser bus should we get? we started looking in to what type of vehicle was best for what we wanted and what we could tow with our Ute.
Our 2010 Holden Colorado Ute can tow 3 Tonne. This decreased our choice some what. (Info to come on our Ute details and modifications)
As we were going to be full time caravanning, we started talking about what we wanted from our new home. if we wanted a shower and toilet, how much space we wanted, did we want it to go off road? so we didn’t miss some of the best parts of Australia.
What caravan we decided on, A Jayco Starcraft
After researching online, going to caravan shows and caravan yards for a couple of years we decided on a 21ft Jayco Starcraft caravan. It’s a 2016 model with a bedroom slide out, club lounge and on-suite.
Photo by jayco
We would have liked to get a fifth-wheeler but the price was to high for us. Our budget was going to be $60,000 and fifth wheelers were over $100,000. Second hand would have been cheaper but we found them old fashioned and smelly.
Although Larry would have loved the project of doing up a Cruiser bus but we didn’t have a place to park it to work on it.
We liked the idea of a motorhome but as we are planing on working from time to time, we need a separate vehicle. Also we didn’t think this would be good if we wanted to get off the beaten track.
We did look at camper vans but crossed that off the list. We thought it had more moving parts to break when setting it up every single day.
The 21ft Starcraft was at the right weight for our Ute and had everything we had decided we would like. It is not an off road van BUT we have a tent and equipment in the Ute to take us were the van can
We love our Club Lounge
Next thing to do for us was to start downsizing our life to a Caravan lifestyle
