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Is Eurovision finally cool? That depends on your definition – ‘cool theory’ expert explain

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/vanessa-brown-142590">Vanessa Brown</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/nottingham-trent-university-1338"><em>Nottingham Trent University</em></a></em></p> <p>With an aesthetic dependent on novelty and spectacle, and a structure that’s both disjointed and drawn-out, Eurovision – for some – cannot fail to fail. In its “failed seriousness” (the phrase writer Susan Sontag <a href="https://www.artandobject.com/news/what-camp-met-tries-define-ineffable">used to describe “camp”</a>), the song contest has all the exaggerated expressiveness that audiences associate with kitsch. So, how could it possibly be cool?</p> <p>I’m interested in viewing the show through the lens of <a href="https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/45239/1/1507168_Brown.pdf">cool theory</a> (which identifies different kinds of cool and breaks those down into core qualities). “Coolness” itself is a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14797585.2021.2000837">slippery and controversial term</a> that can mean almost opposing things.</p> <p>For some, “cool” is simply what is fashionable. It can also be a rebellion against what is fashionable. Or an anti-social attitude in which nothing and no one else matters beyond your own stylish persona.</p> <p>Indeed Sam Ryder – the UK’s near-win Eurovision act of 2022 whose high energy performance combined epic, earnest vocals with flowing natural locks, pearly teeth and a bejewelled one-piece – told the Guardian in 2022 that cool is “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/may/19/cool-is-the-enemy-eurovision-hero-sam-ryder-on-how-he-ditched-his-ego-and-found-his-joy">the enemy</a>”.</p> <p>The profile of Ryder claimed he had no interest in the “detached rock star” exterior. This refers to the sense of unwillingness of “cool” musicians to have their dignity compromised by other people’s rules – an unwillingness to be caught making an effort.</p> <p>But Eurovision is all about effort. A publicised drama of rehearsals and heats, nervous waving and nail biting in the green room – the performers are just generally far too eager. Because whether it’s death metal or pared back electronica, being liked is what these musicians are here for.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RZ0hqX_92zI?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption><span class="caption">Sam Ryder’s 2022 Eurovision performance.</span></figcaption></figure> <p>On the other hand, it’s hard to imagine the uber-cool 1960s <a href="https://www.loudersound.com/features/krautrock-communism-and-chaos-the-anarchic-story-of-can">krautrock band Can</a> giving two hoots what a jury in Brussels would make of their genre-defining understated rock. Nor the jazz men Miles Davis, Charlie Parker or Lester Young, who set the parameters of cool performance with their sharp, formal attire and <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/cool-shades-9780857854643/">refusal to acknowledge the audience</a>.</p> <h2>What kind of ‘cool’ is Eurovision?</h2> <p>Although the performers of Eurovision aren’t detached, the audience can be. Sociologist Janna Michael’s <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1469540513493206?journalCode=joca">2015 study</a> of European urban hipsters revealed that the point of cool is not what is liked, so much as how it is liked. This goes some way to explaining Eurovision’s appeal.</p> <p>Since the 1980s, Eurovision has been presented (certainly in Britain) as something to enjoy in a specifically detached way, through irony. From 1973 to 2008, former commentator Terry Wogan’s flippant narration allowed the audience to collude in a knowing superiority over the event, finding its failed seriousness funny.</p> <p>The cult following of Eurovision among those with a camp sensibility was further endorsed by the appointment of comedian Graham Norton as Wogan’s more obviously camp successor.</p> <p>Do these fans love Eurovision because they enjoy the catharsis of the unabashed release of “bad taste”? Or because they enjoy feeling superior to those people (and nations) who genuinely engage with the drama of the competition? This is a side of <a href="https://www.abebooks.co.uk/9780719066153/Kitsch-Cultural-Politics-Taste-Ruth-0719066158/plp">cool’s ironic detachment that celebrates disdain for others</a>.</p> <p>However, many British fans now speak enthusiastically about the tolerance and openness of Eurovision. As <a href="https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/showbiz-news/eurovisions-rylan-clark-blown-away-26873868">host Rylan Clark said this year</a>: “Everyone is welcome.” In recent years Eurovision has become more obviously and consciously open to gender diversity and aligned to LGBTQ+ tastes.</p> <p>This was crystallised by bearded Austrian drag queen Conchita’s winning performance in 2014. The <a href="https://metro.co.uk/2023/05/11/eurovision-alesha-dixon-and-hannah-waddingham-turned-into-drag-queens-18770837/">drag makeovers given to all three semi-final hosts this year</a> confirmed the contest’s status as a space which endorses self-creation, individuality and tolerance – all aspects of the cool attitude.</p> <h2>Becoming mainstream</h2> <p>In the past, scholars of the theory of coolness have often focused too heavily on men and masculine, emotionally blank forms of “cool”, with composure and self-possession at their heart. Though this brand of cool is eloquently expressed in jazz, it is also visible in the consummate performer of drag.</p> <p>Thanks to the popularity of shows such as RuPaul’s Drag Race, drag – once enjoyed purely in LGBTQ+ subcultures – is now mainstream entertainment. This is perhaps one reason Eurovision has suddenly become perceived as “cool” <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120607180110.htm">by some</a>. But experiences of exclusion and marginalisation have historically been the conditions in which modern cool has been forged.</p> <p>The very fact that Eurovision has been viewed for decades as a cultural white elephant, a place of almost inconsequential melodrama, gives it the potential to be resurrected as cool.</p> <p>Liking Eurovision was once an anti-mainstream position. This gave the show the potential to become “cool”, through both its exaggeration of qualities seen as undesirable by dominant social tastes, and its willingness to push the boundaries of convention, despite the detractors.</p> <p>The concept of cool is complicated – and it is changing. Indeed, <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120607180110.htm">some recent studies</a> have shown that perception of coolness is connected to activism and pro-social traits. Eurovision may seem like sparkly fluff, but perhaps now more than ever, it is also a vehicle for promoting greater acceptance of other ways of life. It’s all cool.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205600/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/vanessa-brown-142590">Vanessa Brown</a>, Course Leader MA Culture, Style and Fashion, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/nottingham-trent-university-1338">Nottingham Trent University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty </em><em>Images </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-eurovision-finally-cool-that-depends-on-your-definition-cool-theory-expert-explains-205600">original article</a>.</em></p>

Music

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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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Top 10 worst camping mistakes and how to avoid them

<div class="slide-image" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #444444; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;"> </div> <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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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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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.co.nz/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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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 the 22nd of July, 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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"Do not camp here": Bride forced to apologise over passive aggressive sign

<p>A bride in the US has apologised after a handwritten sign claiming a public campaign spot for her wedding reception caused a furore online.</p> <p>The woman was initially shamed in a Reddit thread after a photo of the pre-wedding message was posted online.</p> <p>"We will be hosting our wedding ceremony and reception please do not camp here," the message read.</p> <p>"We have an entire guest list arriving for the weekend to celebrate so if you decide to anyways we will set up around you and do it anyway.</p> <p>"Make sure you have a gift and a disk for the BBQ. PS this will be a loud music and late night type of weekend so if you're here expect that. There will be 50 of us. Thank you for understanding."</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 500px; height: 376.00644122383255px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842004/screen-shot-2021-06-24-at-14953-pm.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/a5b5d547d8784e3ca2f29986097774b1" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>Image credit: Reddit</em></p> <p>The post received mix responses, with some furious and others finding it hilarious.</p> <p>"Bridezilla calls passive aggressive dibs on a public use area in my neighborhood where we all walk, atv, and camp," the poster of the photo wrote.</p> <p>"No permit, no contact info, no restrooms or trash facilities, and definitely not enough woods for a 50+ person blowout."</p> <p>"Right. Too cheap or too broke to rent a venue but sufficiently self-important to demand a gift. This is hilarious," one Reddit user wrote.</p> <p>"This would make me want to camp. And I hate camping," another wrote.</p> <p>"Okay, I'll call your bluff and all my friends and I will be camping in the middle of your ceremony. You'll just proceed around us, right?" yet another wrote.</p> <p>A few days later, another update was posted, with the bride-to-be offering an apology.</p> <p>"I in no way wanted to offend the community," the woman, who describes herself as a "forever Alaskan" posted to Facebook.</p> <p>"My sign was an effort to detour punk kids trying to party. I can assure the community that we will not be a disturbance and that we will not leave a mess.</p> <p>"We are forever Alaskans and avid campers. I never in a million years thought the community would uproar.</p> <p>"I invited 10 people who have multiple kids most of which are toddlers and young kids under the age of 15. My wedding is at 5 and this was a beautiful public area we adore.</p> <p>"I know the guidelines for fines and I will be contacting the troopers in the morning to make sure they are on notice, how many people will attend, and to make sure I can proceed."</p> <p>She claimed the message was to deter certain members of the community.</p> <p>"…I was afraid of drug addicts and party animals. I apologise to anyone insulted," she wrote.</p> <p>"I'm so sorry for all the confusion we just want to enjoy our peaceful ceremony with our family."</p>

Travel Trouble

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"I'm not judging you": Stranger leaves heartwarming note for mums camping in caravan park

<p>A heartwarming note posted in a caravan park in Victoria has welcomed mums during the school holidays.</p> <p>The letter, posted to Facebook page<span> </span><em>Mum Central</em>, was addressed to "all the mums" and has since been liked over 1,200 times.</p> <p>“To all of the mums, when I look at you or are in ears reach of you trying to discipline or comfort your child I want you to know I am not judging you,” the note reads.</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FMumCentralAU%2Fposts%2F1901262980032974&amp;width=500&amp;show_text=true&amp;height=609&amp;appId" width="500" height="609" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></p> <p>“I admire you, your strength, patience and the pure determination you have to try to give your family beautiful memories is priceless.</p> <p>“Love and respect to you all! Happy Easter.”</p> <p>Mums of course loved the note and shared their joy at the understanding note leaver.</p> <p>“Think we would have appreciated this note that time we camped at Shoal Bay,” one person said.</p> <p>“I’ve had a retired couple say that to us in Mildura, it was so lovely to hear and talk about when they’d travelled with their three kids. Kids and camping can be mayhem(but worth it),“ another added.</p> <p>“I wish all campers thought like this. Taking children camping is sometimes difficult,” a third chimed in.</p>

Caring

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Parents condemned for crazy clifftop camping spot

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <p>A couple has been slammed for camping with their child on the edge of a cliff in Yorkshire, UK.</p> <p>The Coastguard in the UK was furious and needed to move the family away from the area.</p> <p>“Today’s call was to attend a section of the Cleveland Way to issue safety advice to two adults and a child camping on the cliff edge,” the Staithes Coastguard said.</p> <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fstaithes.coastguard%2Fposts%2F1857131324439338&amp;width=500&amp;show_text=true&amp;height=752&amp;appId" width="500" height="752" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe> <p>“An Officer from North Yorkshire Police also attended due to breach of coronavirus restrictions.</p> <p>“Safety advice was given from Coastguard Rescue Officers due to the dangerous location of their tent, especially with recent landslips.</p> <p>“If you see anyone at risk or in danger at the coast, immediately call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.”</p> <p>As a social media post was put up about the incident, people have slammed the couple for being "braindead".</p> <p>“Not just being stupid for themselves &amp; putting a child in danger but using up valuable time with the coastguard when they could be elsewhere,” one user wrote.</p> <p>Another agreed, saying: “Beggars belief! You can see where the ground has partially broken away! Braindead”.</p> <p>People were particularly angry as the trail where the family were found has recently seen devastating landslides.</p> </div> </div> </div>

Travel Trouble

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How camp was the Met Gala? Not very

<p>The Met Gala is an annual fundraising event for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute where fashion and celebrity often collide. It always manages to raise eyebrows and this years’ theme, “Camp: Notes on Fashion,” has generated much debate. A <a href="https://junkee.com/met-gala-camp-runway/204314">common question</a> many fashionistas and cultural critics are asking of each outfit is “ …but is it camp?”</p> <p>This kind of overly analytical and far too serious commentary on a sensibility that is supposed to mock such things is intriguing but not surprising given how the concept of camp has evolved.</p> <p>In 1964, author Susan Sontag penned perhaps her most influential essay, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36436100-notes-on-camp">Notes on Camp</a>. It was one of the first attempts to try to pin down camp’s qualities and parameters. It’s clear why she chose to write some notes rather than a formal essay; because camp is a sensibility or a way of perceiving the world, it is quite difficult to treat systematically. In fact, Sontag would say that it often defies the very idea of systematisation.</p> <p>For Sontag, camp is “the love of the exaggerated, the ‘off,’ of things-being-what-they-are-not”, and though it is not merely visual, it has often been expressed in the visual styles of décor, architecture, cinema and fashion.</p> <p>Certain aspects of Art Nouveau, old Flash Gordon comics, women’s clothes of the 1920s like feather boas and fringed garments, celebrity dandies and “sissies” like Oscar Wilde and Paul Lynde, “overwrought” performances by classic Hollywood actresses such as Bette Davis and Judy Garland and so on. Key to camp is a sense of affectation, of style over substance. But equally important is the way one looks at those things, how one appreciates affectation.</p> <p><strong>Missing the point</strong></p> <p>Many of the gowns and costumes at this year’s Met Gala attempt to capture the essence of camp, and in trying to do so miss the point of camp entirely. There is nothing discernibly camp about Jared Leto carrying around a replica of his own head. Quirky and strange? Maybe. But nowhere near camp.</p> <p>Another interesting example was Celine Dion, who wore a glittering tribute to Judy Garland and the Ziegfield Follies, designed by Oscar de la Renta. While inspired by camp figures, it is not the outfit here that is camp but rather the person wearing it. Dion is arguably a contemporary camp icon, and she would be camp regardless of what she wore. This is because her celebrity image owes more to her overly emotional songs and the way in which she performs them, her goofy persona, and the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkIPaxBsWy4">heightened emotion of some of her public statements</a>.</p> <p>People with a camp appreciation of Celine Dion enjoy her ironically, finding the style of her public personality thoroughly entertaining. Such appreciators would probably also love the fact that she apparently <a href="https://www.vulture.com/2019/05/celine-dion-thought-met-gala-theme-literally-about-camping.html">initially thought</a> the theme for this year’s gala was “camping.” In nature. Bless her.</p> <p>Other guests such as Billy Porter approached the camp sensibility much more accurately by incorporating outrageous pomp and performance to their attendances.</p> <p>Porter came dressed like some kind of Egyptian goddess, carried in on a litter by six nubile, shirtless men. While this adds a certain spectacle, it was, like every other guest’s appearance, a designed, rehearsed happening.</p> <p>For Sontag and many thinkers who came after her, there really are two ways of “doing” camp. One is the “naïve camp” and the other is “conscious camp.” Naïve camp is the Judy Garland kind of camp. Garland did not intend to be a gay icon, but she became one because her earnest, overwrought performances invited a large portion of queer people to view her as a camp figure.</p> <p>Gay men in particular appreciated the affectations in her performances, in a similar way to how drag queens are appreciated in the queer community. They are not appreciated for how well they perform but for how much they perform, for how much extra they put into their lip-synched song and dance.</p> <p>“Conscious camp” is what was on display at the Met Gala this year. Take Lady Gaga’s “Russian doll” of dresses, each layer referencing old Hollywood glamour to an over the top degree. An oversized version of Marilyn Monroe’s dress in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is removed and beneath it is a sleeker black, femme fatale number, followed by another reveal of a more realistically proportioned pink dress. Gaga is well-versed in queer and pop cultural aesthetics, and there was a fun narrative here, but its barrage of old Hollywood references don’t necessarily make it camp.</p> <p>Contrast this with Amber Valletta’s rather simple, but effective costume: she looks like she is wearing a giant, green loofa, and in most of the photos looks to be taking herself way too seriously. That’s the sort of camp Sontag might enjoy.</p> <p>The best kind of camp is the kind that doesn’t know it is camp. Which is just another way of saying you can’t really design and wear your way into the camp sensibility.</p> <p><em>Written by Matthew Sini. Republished with permission of </em><a href="https://theconversation.com/how-camp-was-the-met-gala-not-very-116742"><em>The Conversation</em></a><em>.</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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Freedom camping: Australia vs New Zealand

<p>Freedom campers in New Zealand may think they have it tough, but Tony Allsop reckons the Aussies have it even tougher.</p> <p>Born in Wellington in 1940, Allsop fell for the freedom camping lifestyle when he first moved to Australia at 19 and went on to carve out a career in writing and taking photos for caravan magazines on both sides of the ditch.</p> <p>Now retired and based in Queensland's Mackay, he still freedom camps regularly, but says the days of going walkabout (or driveabout) and expecting to be able to set up camp in a secluded spot in the wilds are long gone.</p> <p>"In New Zealand there are many free camping spots and councils even set up places for free campers. Here now, councils are making it illegal to camp unless you are completely self-sufficient, have holdings tanks for both grey and black water and there's a limit to how long you can stay."</p> <p>Many so-called free camping areas in Australia are now patrolled and have introduced fees "as the rubbish and toilet paper has become intolerable"</p> <p>"Rubbish left at sites is a big problem in Australia, whereas it was not so bad in New Zealand [on a recent trip]. Backpackers are often blamed in Australia and we have had some bad experiences here with them. Once, two of them high on drugs wanted to fight us at 1am."</p> <p>The costs associated with maintaining caravan parks have forced many to close or sell to developers, he said, pointing to the recent example of Discovery Parks buying the Top Parks brand. </p> <p>Allsop is a camper of the old-school variety, having spent his formative years travelling around the East Cape, Napier and other parts of the North Island with his camping-mad dad. He slept in an old army surplus pup tent alongside his parents' larger canvas one until the family upgraded to a comparatively flash plywood caravan with louvre windows when he was 10.  </p> <p>"Compared to these days it was all very primitive. Caravan parks just had toilets and showers - that was about all."</p> <p>On his first working holiday in Australia, he met three fellow Kiwis who were travelling around the country in an old Plymouth and even older Chrysler towing two caravans (old as well of course) and decided to join them. </p> <p>"Two of the guys had girlfriends travelling with them so I had to sleep in the Plymouth or cheap hotels."</p> <p>Despite the dodgy accommodation and poor state of state of the roads in Queensland at the time - most were dirt and some were little more than tracks - he was hooked. </p> <p>After two years back in Wellington, he moved to Brisbane permanently and married his girlfriend Denyse, a doctor who luckily happened to love camping just as much as he did. </p> <p>In 1974, the couple set off in their new two-door Ford Falcon on what was to become the first of several "round-Oz" trips. </p> <p>"We freedom camped a lot, sleeping in the car or beside it in sleeping bags on a deserted beach."</p> <p>They spent a year on the road, covering thousands of miles and picking up work whenever and wherever they needed it. </p> <p>"We met very little traffic and most roads were dirt. It was a real adventure in those days."</p> <p>While the couple now travel in relative luxury in a well-equipped modern caravan, they consider their second round-Oz trip in 1988  - in a 1986 Holden with a small off-road camper - as the greatest camping trip of their lives. </p> <p>"We stayed mainly off-road on this 10-month trip and saw very few people as caravans with all the ensuites, batteries and DC-DC chargers... We camped on wonderful isolated beaches, in national parks and the made the most of our small camper with no real amenities apart from those I put in ... We really felt like explorers as some places had seen no traffic for a long time."</p> <p>But while it might have been basic, their camper was still more or less self sufficient. Allsop had installed a battery under the seat - which they used to power two lights, one inside and one out - they used a black plastic bag left out in the sun as a shower and carried a gas stove, small fridge-freezer and port-a-loo. </p> <p>Returning home, the couple had an eight-year flirtation with boating before returning to their true love of caravanning. </p> <p>Allsop had begun freelancing for RV magazines when they set out on their third Australian tour in 2001, this time in a custom-built Roadstar caravan with low-power features which allowed them to stay off-road for a week without having to recharge their batteries. They had such a good time that they simply kept going - and going (they've only just settled down after 17 years of spending six months on the road). Denyse retired from medicine to help Allsop write, take photographs and shoot video and he says they "did very well". </p> <p>The couple enjoyed a mixture of freedom camping at staying at caravan parks. </p> <p>"Solitude, having a quiet beach or tropical forest to ourselves was wonderful and yet staying overnight sometimes in a van park was also good. The happy hours, community barbecues and companionship of other campers was very welcome in some van parks."</p> <p>These days, however, Allsop finds himself whether freedom camping in Australia has changed irrevocably - for the worse. </p> <p>The couple have had several bad experiences in freedom campsites near towns where "youths have run rampant on drugs and alcohol.</p> <p>"Nowadays we always make sure there are other campers there and try to get an off-road site by about midday, as they tend to become full in Australia by around 2pm."</p> <p>Some popular sites are crowded with more than 200 vehicles during high season and they are usually packed in like proverbial sardines.</p> <p>"You are parked as close as or closer to your neighbour than in a van park and on a dusty site. You also have no control over noisy neighbours. Apart from the cost, is it worth it?"</p> <p>Have you been freedom camping?</p> <p><em>Written by Lorna Thornber. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>.</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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Expert tips for a more comfortable camping trip

<p class="MsoNormal">When you’re camping in the great outdoors, preparation is key. In this video from eHow, camping expert Charlie Vance takes us through a series of expert camping tips.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">From packing your tent to making sure you’ve got the necessary supplies, this tips will ensure your next foray into the great outdoors is much more comfortable.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">To review the tips, check out the video above.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Do you agree with the tips in this video? Have you ever been on an extended camping trip? And if so, where did you go? Share your story in the comments below.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><em>Video credit: YouTube / eHowSports</em></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span>Have you arranged your travel insurance yet? Tailor your cover to your needs and save money by not paying for things you don’t need. <strong><a href="https://elevate.agatravelinsurance.com.au/oversixty?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=content&amp;utm_content=link1&amp;utm_campaign=travel-insurance" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">To arrange a quote, click here.</span></a></strong> </span><span>For more information about Over60 Travel Insurance, call 1800 622 966.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2016/09/6-more-great-spots-to-camp-in-australia/">6 more great spots to camp in Australia</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/domestic-travel/2016/08/6-tips-to-choose-the-right-caravan/">6 tips to choose the right caravan</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2016/08/camping-is-the-best-way-to-experience-lizard-island/">Camping is the best way to experience Lizard Island</a></strong></em></span></p>

Travel Tips

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6 more great spots to camp in Australia

<p>Grab your tent and your sense of adventure – it’s time to go camping with this list of some of the best places to camp in Australia.</p> <p><strong>1. Springlawn, Narawntapu National Park, TAS</strong></p> <p>Here’s your chance to camp with some furry friends. Narawntapu is renowned for its wildlife, so much so that it’s often referred to as the Serengeti of Tasmania. At Springlawn you’ll find common wombats happily trundling around the grass, and because of repeated exposure to humans they will let you get quite close. Just don’t try to pat them.</p> <p><strong>2. Mitchell Falls, Mitchell River National Park, WA</strong></p> <p>The Kimberley region in northwest Australia is one of the most remote areas of the country, but intrepid campers will be rewarded for their efforts. The Mitchell Plateau is around 16 hours by road from Kununurra and a further six kilometres from the campsite you’ll discover the stunning four-tiered Mitchell Falls. The walk itself is equally beautiful and you can cool off along the way with a dip in a freshwater pool.</p> <p><strong>3. The Fortress, Grampians National Park, VIC</strong></p> <p>There’s something extra special about sleeping outside without even the thin walls of a tent between you and the elements. At The Fortress you can roll out your sleeping bag on a rocky ledge overlooking the mountains of the Grampians. The views are spectacular and at night you’ll be sleeping under a blanket of stars.</p> <p><strong>4. Lucky Bay, Cape Le Grand National Park, WA</strong></p> <p>This sheltered bay on the southern coast of Western Australia, around 45 minutes from the town of Esperance, is an idyllic spot for beachside camping. Turquoise water meets blindingly white sand and you can spend your days swimming, snorkelling, fishing and surfing. Lucky Bay is so lovely that even the local population of kangaroos spend most of their time hanging out on the beach.</p> <p><strong>5. Poepple Corner, Simpson Desert National Park, QLD</strong></p> <p>If you really want to get away from it all, why not try camping in the harsh landscape of the Simpson Desert? Poepple Corner marks the spot where Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory meet in the middle of the desert, around 175 kilometres west of Birdsville. You’ll need to be entirely self-sufficient and there are no designated camping areas, but it’s a starkly beautiful, one-of-a-kind experience you won’t find anywhere else.</p> <p><strong>6. Main Range, Kosciuszko National Park, NSW</strong></p> <p>Camp on the roof of the country at the highest campsite in Australia. The views stretch out across the lush alpine landscape and the air is clean and crisp. Freezing temperatures mean it’s not much of a winter campsite, so visit in spring or summer for an endless carpet of wildflowers and bright, sunny days. You can camp just about anywhere in the park, so can be as remote or as close to civilisation as you like.</p> <p>Have you ever camped at these locations? Where’s your favourite place to pitch a tent? Let us know in the comments.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/travel/international/2016/08/best-camping-destinations-in-the-world/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>6 of the world’s best camping destinations</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/international/2016/06/5-amazing-attractions-to-experience-in-alice-springs/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>5 amazing attractions to experience in Alice Springs</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/travel/domestic-travel/2016/06/10-lesser-known-new-zealand-holiday-spots/"><em><strong>10 lesser-known New Zealand holiday spots</strong></em></a></span></p>

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Camping is the best way to experience Lizard Island

<p><em><strong>Jenni Ogden, 68, is the author of </strong></em><strong>Fractured Minds</strong><em><strong> and </strong></em><strong>Trouble In Mind</strong><em><strong> and her first novel, </strong></em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27037952-a-drop-in-the-ocean" target="_blank">A Drop In The Ocean</a></span></strong><em><strong>, was published in May. She lives on Great Barrier Island in New Zealand.</strong></em></p> <p>Lizard Island. I’d yearned to go there ever since my days as a volunteer turtle tagger on Heron Island on the southern end of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Lying 1,197 kms north of Heron, Lizard had almost mythical status amongst the laid-back turtle research team on Heron. Its remoteness, beauty and fascinating history made up for the fact that our favorite beasts, green turtles, didn’t nest there in great numbers.</p> <p>Over the years I checked it out on the internet; not only was it much harder to get to than Heron or the many other islands we’d stayed on, but the only accommodation Lizard offered was in the boutique hotel, rumoured to be one of the top ten in the world, with prices to match. There was a research station, but my husband and I had moved to New Zealand and had different research interests by then, so staying there wasn’t an option.</p> <p>A few years ago, after retirement from our university careers, we purchased a small apartment north of Cairns, in order to escape our New Zealand winter for a few months every year. To ensure we didn’t become too boring we added camping trips in remote places to our winter activities, and I became an expert online booker of Queensland Parks and Wildlife campsites. And there it was; Lizard Island, a campsite for $10.60 a night for two, ten nights’ maximum stay. How come I’d never heard of this before? Looking at the August 2012 bookings online, there were not a lot of takers for the five sites. Even better.</p> <p>Getting there with our camping equipment and all food for ten days was the first challenge, but for a retired couple who that same winter intended to spend seven weeks driving our 4WD to the tip of Cape York and sleeping in a tent on the ground (“Geez mate, don’t wanna do that. Crocs. Get a roof-top tent.”) it was easy-peasy: Stick the camping stuff and boxes of food and wine on the resort barge a few days in advance, and then fly over in the hotel resort plane, direct from Cairns, making sure to arrive after our supplies. The resort plane cost what 8-seater planes do, but when divided by ten blissful nights costing only $106 for the entire time, it was a done deal.</p> <p>Aha. Second challenge. Getting our 100kgs of camping gear and food from the airstrip to the campground. No help from the boutique hotel. Each return trip of 2.4kms took an hour in the hot sun, much of it through deep soft sand. Eight return trips between us, staunchly ignoring the beckoning turquoise sea. But it was a delightful campsite and just us. Out on the bay ten or more catamarans were anchored; later we discovered these were the Grotty Yachties, the sea-faring versions of the 4WD camping Grey Nomads, babyboomers from the colder southern parts of Australia who took off for the tropics every winter.</p> <p>Challenge number three: We hadn’t brought a stove (weight considerations) because we’d read there was a gas barbeque and had stupidly assumed that it would be functional. Or that if it wasn’t there would be someone around to fix it. Nope. Fires strictly forbidden. Could John build a sneaky fireplace and leave no sign of it should any ranger ever come here again? I couldn’t possibly comment. We did note ample signs that past campers had chosen eating over the no-fire rule.</p> <p>Challenge number four: The pump. Salt-free water on an island in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef can be hard to come by. We had been reliably informed on the Parks’ website that there was a historic pump near the campsite which would supply fresh water. The pump may have been installed by Captain Cook back in 1770 when ‘altogether at a loss, which way to steer’ he stopped by to climb to the highest point, naming the island for the monitor lizards that still roam here like prehistoric beasts. The pump first had to be primed. No instructions of course. We worked out that this could be accomplished by one person pouring water from the large container of salt water beneath it into the top of the pump, while the other pumped for dear life. Pity if you were a sole survivor. It was definitely a two-person operation. After five long minutes and much sweat, a spurt of water shot out of the spout, flushing with it the ghostly white belly and long back legs of a large frog. It clung tenaciously to the spout, its head and front legs still in the pump. After a few more vigorous pumps it plopped into the container below, its back vivid green cut through with a yellow line. It leapt superfrog-like back into the spout of the pump, but I was ready for it. We identified it as a tree frog and I carried it as far away from the pump as I had the energy to walk, depositing it in a tree by the brackish creek. Next day it was back in the pump, this time with a friend. Three days later the pump’s seal completely distintegrated, giving John a new way to exercise – trudging to the resort’s bar set up for the yachties, and trudging back again with two now-full 20 litre water containers in his backpack.</p> <p>But then there was the snorkeling, climbing in Captain Cook’s footsteps to Cook’s Look, drinking G &amp; Ts with the Grotty Yachties every evening when they rowed to the beach for their sundowners, and a highlight for me; explaining to a group of resort guests as they gazed in envy at our pretty camp on the very beach they had to walk to should they wish to snorkel: “It’s $10.60 a night if you desire a more challenging holiday next time!”</p> <p><em>Find more information about camping on Lizard Island <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/parks/lizard-island/about.html" target="_blank">here</a></strong></span>.</em></p> <p><em>To read more of Jenni’s writing, please visit her <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.jenniogden.com/" target="_blank">website here.</a></strong></span></em></p> <p><strong><em>If you have a story to share please get in touch at <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="mailto:melody@oversixty.com.au" target="_blank">melody@oversixty.com.au</a></span>.</em></strong></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2016/07/10-of-the-best-art-galleries-in-australia/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>10 of the best art galleries in Australia</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2016/07/life-in-the-clouds-a-dream-in-yarra-valley/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Life in the clouds a dream in Yarra Valley</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2016/04/mcg-melbourne-greatest-stadium-in-world/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Is the MCG the world’s greatest stadium?</span></em></strong></a></p>

International Travel

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6 of the world’s best camping destinations

<p>Forget your local caravan park, the world is full of incredible camping spots that have to be seen to be believed. And some of them don’t even need you to pitch your own tent.</p> <p><strong>1. Miyajima, Japan</strong></p> <p>The famous red tori gate rising from the water at Miyajima is one of Japan’s most iconic sights. Travel to Miayajima, known as the Island of the Gods, and you can camp almost in the shadow of the famous gate. The island is threaded with beautiful hiking trails, including one to the top of the sacred Mt Misen. In typical Japanese fashion, the camp sites and well kept and also offer modest cabins.</p> <p><strong><img width="498" height="245" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/25256/shutterstock_391891114_498x245.jpg" alt="china camping" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></strong></p> <p><strong>2. Patagonia, Chile</strong></p> <p>Camp (almost) at the end of the earth. The Patagonia region of South America covers the southernmost tip of the continent and is an incredible, rugged wilderness of mountains, lakes, glaciers and vast snowfields. Spend your days hiking, horseriding, kayaking and looking for rare wildlife. Given that it gets seriously cold down here, you’ll be camping in a sustainable geodesic dome that is part of a larger complex that includes restaurants, bars and yoga domes.</p> <p><strong>3. Wadi Rum, Jordan</strong></p> <p>Live like a Bedouin in the vast Wadi Rum desert of Jordan. The landscapes are truly otherworldly, which explains why a number of space movies have been filmed here including, most recently, <em>The Martian</em>. The desert is completely dark at night, making for incredible stargazing. You can take a tour on the back of a camel, have tea with Bedouin families and eat dinner cooked over an open fire. Traditional tents are pitched on the sand and beds made with plenty of local blankets – it drops well below freezing at night.</p> <p><img width="498" height="245" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/25255/shutterstock_178038215_498x245.jpg" alt="wadi rum" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p><strong>4. Uluru, Northern Territory</strong></p> <p>One of the world’s great campsites is just across the Tasman. There’s nothing like watching the sun rise over Uluru as the ancient rock seems to glow from within. You can’t camp within the national park itself, but the official campsite is only a short drive from the rock itself. The area is fantastic for hiking, wildlife spotting or cultural excursions, and you can cool off at the end of the day with a dip in the camp swimming pool.</p> <p><strong>5. Canyonlands, Utah</strong></p> <p>This is one for the campers who want to really get away from it all. There are designated campsites in the park, but the real fun is in free camping where you can choose just about any spot in the park to pitch your tent. It’s a dramatic landscape of deep canyons, steep cliffs and towering sandstone pillars in all colours of red and orange. Choose your spot carefully and you won’t see another soul.</p> <p><strong>6. Haleakala National Park, Hawaii</strong></p> <p>Camp on the edge of a 750,000 year old volcano on the Hawaiian island of Maui. With strict limits on campers you’ll be one of only a few who reach the summit at sunrise, a breathtaking sight. Active travellers can hike to the two wilderness campsites that are closest to the summit, though there are also drive-up sites that can be reached by car.</p> <p>Have you ever pitched a tent at one of these famous locations? Where’s your favourite place to camp? Let us know in the comments.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/travel/international/2016/07/6-of-the-best-european-beaches-to-visit/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>6 of the best European beaches to visit</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/domestic-travel/2016/07/the-story-behind-that-wanaka-tree/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>The story behind that Wanaka Tree</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/international/2016/07/7-best-beaches-on-australias-east-coast/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>7 best beaches on Australia’s east coast</strong></em></span></a></p>

International Travel

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6 common camping mistakes and how to avoid them

<p>Without question we have one of the most beautiful countries in the world and camping is one of the best ways to experience and enjoy every little last bit of it. Avoid these simple camping mistakes to ensure you have a fun and safe weekend in the wild.</p> <p><strong>1. Not doing your research</strong></p> <p>Plan where you want to go, pick a site and make a reservation. You wouldn’t turn up to a hotel without making a booking and the same goes for campsites – you don’t want to arrive and find that all the spots are full. If you’re travelling at a busy time – like school holidays or a long weekend – you may need to book well in advance. Unless you’re the adventurous type who likes to go free camping, check the amenities at the campsite as they can vary widely. Good sites will have power, bathrooms, cooking facilities and maybe even a shop.</p> <p><strong>2. Underestimating the weather</strong></p> <p>A little rain never hurt anyone, but a lot of rain can be a camping nightmare. Check the weather forecast carefully and be prepared to change your plans. It’s no fun spending a weekend huddled in your tent as the storm rages outside.</p> <p><strong>3. Forgetting to check your gear</strong></p> <p>Sure, everything was fine when you packed it away from your last camping trip. But things happen – batteries go flat, tents rip, poles bend. Make sure everything is in working order before you set off. It can also be useful to make a checklist so you can be sure you have everything you need. If it’s the first time you’re using a new tent, practice setting it up in your backyard or the local park. That will let you work out any problems before you go, so you don’t end up standing at your campsite hopelessly confused by a mess of poles.</p> <p><strong>4. Arriving late</strong></p> <p>Set out early and leave yourself plenty of time to get to your destination. You don’t want to arrive when it’s dark and have to pitch the tent and set up your things in the pitch black. You’ll be tired, hungry and short tempered, which is not the way you want to start your trip.</p> <p><strong>5. Keeping a messy site</strong></p> <p>A little organisation goes a long way. Don’t leave rubbish, gear or food strewn around your site. Not only is it a bad look (and will draw the disapproval of seasoned campers) it can also attract animals. And it’s a sure fire way to lose things.</p> <p><strong>6. Overpacking – or underpacking</strong></p> <p>Camping is all about getting back to nature, so that means you don’t need to lug a suitcase full of clothes with you. Keep the wardrobe simple and practical. At the same time, don’t cut down on things like warm clothes (even in summer), first aid equipment or medication and proper bedding. Depending on where you are camping, you also need to think about basics like toilet paper and matches.</p> <p>Are you a regular camper, and do you agree with our tips? Are there any common camping mistakes you think we should add to the list? Let us know in the comments below!</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2016/04/driving-the-spectacular-stuart-highway/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Driving the spectacular Stuart Highway</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2016/04/10-aussie-wildlife-parks-you-have-to-visit/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>10 Aussie wildlife parks you have to visit</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2016/04/10-breathtaking-indian-ocean-drive-images/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>10 breathtaking Indian Ocean Drive images</strong></em></span></a></p>

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