mark and shirley
mark and shirley
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Crusader Gladiator Force
our new caravan, a Gladiator Force made by Crusader.
only had it a month or so but really liking it.
300lt of water, 600A of battery, 840w of solar
music by Unicorn Heads - Wolf Moon
zhlédnutí: 1 162

Video

10ish things we love about Townsville
zhlédnutí 279Před 2 měsíci
after an enforced 4 weeks in Townsville, we kind of like it. Here are some of our fave things. want to buy us a coffee/beer/ice-cream? head over to buymeacoffee.com/markandshirley and show your love :) music: Broke For Free - Something Elated- free music archive - cc by 4.0 BoxCat Games - Love Of My Life - Free Music Archive - CC BY 4.0 BoxCat Games - B-3 - Free Music Archive - CC BY 4.0 Beat M...
Car and caravan crash, are we down and out? Plus other adventures
zhlédnutí 33KPřed 2 měsíci
In our most action packed video to date, we travel from NSW, through South Australia and up into Queensland. We get bogged, we almost get bogged, we visit the dig tree near Innaminka and learn some early Australian history. We find another thermal hot spring, peacocks, camels and totally change the direction of our trip. Oh, and we crashed the car and caravan, both are now destroyed beyond repa...
Gold hunting in Tiboorburra
zhlédnutí 5KPřed 3 měsíci
5 week update on our 6 month trip we went from Willow Tree to Tiboorburra, enjoying hot artisian baths along the way, enjoyed the wildlife, had a bit of a detour due to closed roads and ended up in Tiboorbura to start our gold detecting experience. music credits Beat Mekanik - Gone Again - free music archive - cc by 4.0 Beat Mekanik - Looking Ahead - free music archive - cc by 4.0
Our first 2 weeks on the road
zhlédnutí 549Před 4 měsíci
We finally did it, we have started out on our first big adventure, 6 months in our caravan, heading north we spent the first 2 weeks at our friends place near Willow Tree, watching him shear sheep and us working on the car and caravan music credits Beat Mekanik - Now I'm Free - Free Music Archive - CC BY 4.0 Artur Aravidi - My trip - Free Music Archive - CC BY 4.0 Beat Mekanik - Gone Again - Fr...
Our first time farm sitting
zhlédnutí 133Před 4 měsíci
This was our first time farm sitting, we were so lucky, not much work to do, close to Sydney, and a great place to stay. Casa Sul Lago - www.casasullagoalpine.com/
Oberon NSW
zhlédnutí 435Před 4 měsíci
We spent 3 weeks at Oberon NSW in Jan 2024. fishing, gold prospecting, more fishing, and yet more fishing
Bertie the whippet, 13 years young, enjoying #farmlife
zhlédnutí 698Před 6 měsíci
This is our first farmsit, we are looking after 3 horses, 2 cats and 20 chooks. Bertie is loving visiting the countryside and is so comfortable around new and strange animals.
tuross beach holiday park
zhlédnutí 238Před 6 měsíci
a few days down the south coast of nsw, we stayed at Tuross Head. what a great spot.
pajero sport as a tow vehicle, good or no good?
zhlédnutí 11KPřed 9 měsíci
Our car, towing a 2.5T caravan, does a great job but not up to what we need it to do Check out the modifications we have done What are we going to get next?
Lake Tabourie Holiday Haven caravan park review
zhlédnutí 379Před 10 měsíci
We spent a few nights here at Lake Tabourie caravan park, and loved it. Shirley got mobbed by lorikeets, and we bounced around on a jumping thingy.
Ulladulla Beachside Village Holiday Park review
zhlédnutí 318Před 10 měsíci
We spent a few nights here at Beachside Village Holiday Park down at Ulladulla and here is the review of what we thought of it. Located 3 hours south of Sydney, close to town, even closer to the beach, we liked it a lot
Mark and Shirley, the first chapter
zhlédnutí 322Před 11 měsíci
It's our first video, please be kind. We are Mark and Shirley, a Sydney couple, about to get our caravan and go traveling and having adventures around Australia. Fishing, camping, cooking, gold prospection, farm sitting, off grid, who knows what will happen!

Komentáře

  • @UtmostOutdoors
    @UtmostOutdoors Před 8 dny

    What a cool adventure! And that big nugget you got to hold sure was impressive too!

  • @bretterful
    @bretterful Před 10 dny

    Lmfao perhaps do a 4wd course first. Anyone can see you hit the wrong track. Also get rid of the man bun ya 🤡 you're not as young as your mail order bride

  • @mikehzz9848
    @mikehzz9848 Před 12 dny

    The car looked like it would buff out 😊 Just kidding, glad you're ok. Happy trails.

    • @markandshirley
      @markandshirley Před 11 dny

      @mikehzz9848 not a scratch on us which is the main thing, and now we are back in the road in our new setup

  • @Mick_4591
    @Mick_4591 Před 16 dny

    hideous a k a elephants ears the mirrors

  • @Mick_4591
    @Mick_4591 Před 16 dny

    Luck your safe and all ok One question were you overweight on one or both car and van????

    • @markandshirley
      @markandshirley Před 16 dny

      neither thank goodness, we were weighed before we left sydney, plus went over public weighbridges along the way to confirm

  • @Mick_4591
    @Mick_4591 Před 16 dny

    Have you had your set up weighed? I take it that you have a compressor fridge? Does your webber have the flame cut off device if not its illegal to connect directly to gas bayonet. We have a webber and use a 3 meter hose and connect directly to gas bottle I thought the rules now with batteries had to be outside the van. So is the van legal with the batteries inside?

    • @markandshirley
      @markandshirley Před 16 dny

      yes, were got weighed before we left towsnville, will talk about that more in a futre video, but yes, wewere under. comperssor fridge, yes. i understood the flameout device is not needed due to grandfather clauses. batteries just have to be in an enclosed box and vented to outside, there is a lot if misunderstood info in regard to this. great questions, thanks

  • @pauls8456
    @pauls8456 Před 20 dny

    There are lots of warning signs for the road condition there, we saw lots of vans broken in various ways. Most going too fast…

    • @markandshirley
      @markandshirley Před 19 dny

      @pauls8456 we were staying under 90 on that road, but a combination of a bad bump and user error did us in. Everyone from Road trains and under are having accidents along there. The police said it was not the drivers fault so that's good enough for us.

  • @johndunstan3875
    @johndunstan3875 Před 20 dny

    Please what is a HARCAR? 25:07

  • @Hartech100
    @Hartech100 Před 20 dny

    do you find that stoneguard can hit the rear and lights of your vehicle if not careful?

    • @markandshirley
      @markandshirley Před 20 dny

      It did, until I adjusted it back by a couple of cm.

  • @jameswembridge7395
    @jameswembridge7395 Před měsícem

    Low and slow with that disk, even scuff the ground, you will find some thing in no time. Great your out there doing it all. And say what ever you like, I wouldn't wast a coment on corecting any thing, goggle seems to have made every one a school teacher. Hope you have a great trip.

  • @user-ds5ce2bu9j
    @user-ds5ce2bu9j Před měsícem

    With your dog on the loose be careful of poisonous bites that can be carried around the area by crows. If your dog picks one of those up he won’t last long just a hint take the care and avoid the sorrow and happiness. Do take care there are crocodiles in the streams up that way be careful..

  • @robertmcwilliams610
    @robertmcwilliams610 Před 2 měsíci

    That big rock behind you - Castle Hill :-)

  • @DeborahWheatley
    @DeborahWheatley Před 2 měsíci

    The grass IS lovely and lush up that way, and beyond. You'll probably discover sensitive weed. It's amazing, when you touch it the two sets of leaves close together towards the centre. Bummer thing about it is that it's spiky to walk on. Good thing is your eyes tune in to it so you can (mostly) pick a path through it. Happy travels & fishing ! PS you must only need to buy chips at the fish & chip shops 🐟😉

    • @markandshirley
      @markandshirley Před 2 měsíci

      @@DeborahWheatley we are loving the mackerel and barramundi up here

  • @grahamwhittaker8844
    @grahamwhittaker8844 Před 2 měsíci

    We’ve lived in Townsville and loved it, and wouldn’t hesitate to live there again 👍👍. Wages was my biggest concern,big city cost,small town income. Would recommend going to Magnet Island and snorkeling every bay you can find,awesome 👍👍❤️🙏and I did a trip to the reef out of Townsville that was just incredible 👍👍long way out but well worth the trip 👍👍

  • @johnnumbat9782
    @johnnumbat9782 Před 2 měsíci

    We’re glad and amazed you got through this incident without any serious injuries - I’ve seen some awful outcomes and unfortunately loss of life for some - no doubt Mark you will be exploring a setup that will give you better weight mgt and towing stability - it’s awful when the ‘tail starts wagging the dog’ - just don’t believe the industry lies exclaiming ‘it’ll tow three and a half tonnes’ because that’s pure insanity - If you’re not on top of weights such as GVM, GCM suspension upgrades pros and cons this is the best time to do a lot of research - yes they’re will be plenty of advice coming your way but make sure of having a fully informed decision and that Shirley is comfortable with it - I’m not trying to scare you but view ‘driver jailed for six years after wife and another family member die in NSW crash overweight Prado/caravan’ - good luck with your research and safe travels.

  • @chriswatts945
    @chriswatts945 Před 2 měsíci

    Hi there guys. I always wonder what I need to avoid. Other than hitting a bump in the road what did you determine as the reason for the accident? Why did the van start swaying? Was the van overloaded at the back end? What sort of hitch did you have on …… 50mm ball or D035?

    • @chriswatts945
      @chriswatts945 Před 2 měsíci

      Also what speed were you doing? Learning experience for us all.

    • @markandshirley
      @markandshirley Před 2 měsíci

      as far as we can work out, we hit the bump and came into some deep tracks in the bituman from road trains, van started to sway, shirley got on the brakes, and the rest is history. we know the van wasn't overloaded since we had had it weighed before leaving sydney, also it had towed just fine for the previous 8000km. it was a 50mm ball hitch, but with full articulation. our best advice going forward is to avoid back luck, and get come sort of electronic anti sway fitted to the van.

    • @chriswatts945
      @chriswatts945 Před 2 měsíci

      @@markandshirley thanks heaps for the response and best of luck for your future adventures.

    • @chriswatts945
      @chriswatts945 Před 2 měsíci

      @@markandshirley …… speaking to my hubby he thinks these suggestions may be helpful D035 hitch MAY have stopped the car rolling Hitting the button of the electronic brake rather than putting foot on foot brake would have put brakes on the caravan only and MAY have minimised the sway. Others may think differently but this is what caravan sales people have told us.

    • @markandshirley
      @markandshirley Před 2 měsíci

      @@chriswatts945 100%, hitting the brake controller was the right thing to do, but in the moment things don't always go according to plan, or training. our current van has a DO35, and electric sway control. i dont think any hitch would have helped given the sway we experienced

  • @JohnDorward-os4jk
    @JohnDorward-os4jk Před 2 měsíci

    Hi Mark and Shirley, thanks for sharing this. It’s good to see that you are all well and that you will continue your adventures. Just found you and I really enjoyed your content. Great that you are being well looked after and all the best for your future travels.

    • @markandshirley
      @markandshirley Před 2 měsíci

      thanks, glad to have you along for the ride

  • @neverendingjourneys6780
    @neverendingjourneys6780 Před 2 měsíci

    What did Bertie think of the farm stay?

    • @markandshirley
      @markandshirley Před 2 měsíci

      he loved it, all the smells, helps that he is comfortable around chooks and horses, made him a young pup again at times

  • @stendecstretcher5678
    @stendecstretcher5678 Před 2 měsíci

    It's not an accident it's an incident.

  • @neverendingjourneys6780
    @neverendingjourneys6780 Před 2 měsíci

    Glad that all three of you are safe and being well supported. Great presentation. Just subscribed, so while I wait for the journey to continue I will go back and watch the previous videos.

  • @lynparsons6539
    @lynparsons6539 Před 2 měsíci

    Just found you guys and we both enjoy your blogs 👍 so glad you all made it put of your accident safely ❤ Lyn and Bob

  • @LyVanToan-vn2tq
    @LyVanToan-vn2tq Před 2 měsíci

    He lo bạn ❤❤❤❤❤

  • @dazr123
    @dazr123 Před 2 měsíci

    The main thing is you are all OK ,give the dog a pat from us

    • @markandshirley
      @markandshirley Před 2 měsíci

      Very true, we keep reminding ourselves of that. Pats to bertie given 👍

  • @chadberwick919
    @chadberwick919 Před 2 měsíci

    Happy you to are safe. Just need to slow down little. Iv got 12foot jayco i tow it with hyundai i40 wont go over 90kmh my van is 730kg waight tfast when they go they go

    • @markandshirley
      @markandshirley Před 2 měsíci

      We stay under 90 on the tar, but with hindsight 80 might have been better.

  • @johnpitt2742
    @johnpitt2742 Před 2 měsíci

    tie about 5m of rope to track and to out side of van and you wont have to stop in the mud or walk back a mile to get them

    • @markandshirley
      @markandshirley Před 2 měsíci

      i have those straps, just didn't think it muddy enough to need them

  • @johnpitt2742
    @johnpitt2742 Před 2 měsíci

    i would start off by putting two tracks be behind the back wheels an try to reverse one meter then put 4 tracks in front of your wheels and go forward

    • @markandshirley
      @markandshirley Před 2 měsíci

      good suggestion, i haven't used them enough to know whats the best way

  • @ronhoward3869
    @ronhoward3869 Před 2 měsíci

    Hey Mark. Did you work with buses

    • @markandshirley
      @markandshirley Před 2 měsíci

      Yup. Sta and transdev

    • @ronhoward3869
      @ronhoward3869 Před 2 měsíci

      @@markandshirley it Ron from Revesby. Glad your ok

    • @markandshirley
      @markandshirley Před 2 měsíci

      ah, of course. hope retirement is a bit less eventfull you than for me :)

    • @ronhoward3869
      @ronhoward3869 Před 2 měsíci

      @@markandshirley I’m not have as much fun as you haha. As long you 2 are safe and well

  • @Michelle_Emm
    @Michelle_Emm Před 2 měsíci

    Bloody Hell! How fast were you going!

    • @markandshirley
      @markandshirley Před 2 měsíci

      85-90kph

    • @PhilipMR223
      @PhilipMR223 Před 2 měsíci

      @@markandshirley You have a bit more experience of what not to do. This may seem counter intuitive to do, if you're speed is 85-90 and you get a death wobble put your foot down and accelerate don't back off or brake.

    • @markandshirley
      @markandshirley Před 2 měsíci

      @@PhilipMR223 i know all that, and have trained at it, but sometimes when things like this happen, one doesn't always do as you want to :)

    • @Michelle_Emm
      @Michelle_Emm Před 2 měsíci

      @markandshirley Yikes! Must have been a very big bump! So lucky you got out unscathed. Hope the rest of your journey is uneventful.

    • @markandshirley
      @markandshirley Před 2 měsíci

      @@Michelle_Emm thanks

  • @craigquinn7887
    @craigquinn7887 Před 2 měsíci

    Let this teach you a lesson that you are not qualified to be towing anything on the road. There are too many people driving and towing vans beyond their capabilities out there and they should keep off the roads! This is not bad luck this is bad driving, period..

    • @Michelle_Emm
      @Michelle_Emm Před 2 měsíci

      How will people get experience if they don't drive on the road?🤦‍♀️

    • @markandshirley
      @markandshirley Před 2 měsíci

      thanks for the reply. I've been a heavy vehicle driver and instructor for many years, but always happy to take on good advice. also the car and van had been just fine for over 10,000km, sometimes it's just bad luck, like happened to the 2 road trains that had a head on along the same stretch of road 2 weeks after our accident

    • @andreasjsn
      @andreasjsn Před 2 měsíci

      Please enlighten us why this is due to bad driving, so that we can all learn from your vast knowledge about what went wrong, and how it could have been avoided.

    • @rosewood1
      @rosewood1 Před 2 měsíci

      That's rude insensitive and based on ignorance. You don't know what happened. You can speculate but to publicly castigate people after something shit has happened says allot about you and your inflated sense of self importance. I hope I never meet you. Not a nice person.

    • @craigquinn7887
      @craigquinn7887 Před 2 měsíci

      @@Michelle_Emm There are training courses out there that inexperienced drivers can & should attend before buying a huge van and just "winging it" and going out there and endangering other road users!

  • @thelonewolf666
    @thelonewolf666 Před 2 měsíci

    tandem vans are 500% safer when towing

    • @markandshirley
      @markandshirley Před 2 měsíci

      I've seen conflicting research on that, also 15 foot vans like ours only come as a single axle as far as I've know.

    • @Michelle_Emm
      @Michelle_Emm Před 2 měsíci

      I'd dispute that. Can you provide any evidence?

  • @markann6927
    @markann6927 Před 2 měsíci

    You may have already researched it, but we had electronic stability control fitted to our van , gives us piece of mind. All the best for the future.

    • @markandshirley
      @markandshirley Před 2 měsíci

      It's definitely getting fitted to the replacement van

  • @nigelupton9030
    @nigelupton9030 Před 2 měsíci

    Dont let this stop you, set up & go again

  • @gabrielfair724
    @gabrielfair724 Před 2 měsíci

    You were right, I didn't guess any of that! So glad y'all are safe

  • @Caesar-salad-MM
    @Caesar-salad-MM Před 2 měsíci

    Good luck guys. Stay safe...

  • @brianwhite5969
    @brianwhite5969 Před 2 měsíci

    If you purchase another Chinese van get the suspension upgraded with proper shocks and matched springs. The original poor quality suspension is likely the cause of the accident .

    • @markandshirley
      @markandshirley Před 2 měsíci

      Worth keeping in mind. Our new van is Australian made, seems to have decent suspension. The old van had towed just fine for the previous 9k km so I'm not putting it down to that

  • @grahamwhittaker8844
    @grahamwhittaker8844 Před 2 měsíci

    New sub , I’m currently in Geurie rec ground waiting for the bride to come back from England,her mum was really sick and then pasted ,so she stayed to bury her, it’s been over three months now. She flies into Duddo this Wednesday,god willing,as long as she has no trouble with her broom 😂😂. I lost or Roxy 🐕‍🦺the other week ,a Cane Corso bitch after 8.5 years so not all fun and games. Not your average caravan dog and I wouldn’t recommend a dog like that to anyone, I dearly loved her and we miss her,hopefully the pain will ease soon. I’m constantly visited by a huge tribe of kids and grandkids that collect firewood and stack it up for me and cater to my every need so I’m not doing it hard by any stretch of the imagination. Boy have I got some stories to tell about our adventures on the road from Mt Isa to Charters Towers one of which involved being flooded in at Pairie for two weeks,plus many many others. BUT the people out that way are just beyond belief in their kindness and compassion and love and nothing and I do mean nothing is to much trouble or inconvenience 👏👏👏👏❤️❤️. We are heading north when the bride gets back and recovers a bit, hopefully to a charity event in Goomburra to raise money for the care flight helicopter and local dog rescue services,then we’ll try and make it up to Karanda markets north of Cairns. We like to be back at Nug Nug for Christmas in the cool of the mountains. Love your role with the punches attitude and I’m so glad that you’ve come away still strong and happy, safe and happy travels and keep up the great clips,loving ya work 👏👏👏❤️🙏👁️👁️😎😇🦘🐨🇦🇺

  • @twocoddiwompletravellers
    @twocoddiwompletravellers Před 2 měsíci

    What bad luck....we witnessed a bad caravan roll over accident a few weeks back , not the nicest experience....hope you get sorted out quickly so you can continue your travels. I bet you wished now that you hadn't changed your Plan.

    • @markandshirley
      @markandshirley Před 2 měsíci

      Luckily we are now almost fully sorted out and ready to continue. Watch this space

  • @andrewt3952
    @andrewt3952 Před 2 měsíci

    What’s on ur head mate?

  • @Renegade040
    @Renegade040 Před 2 měsíci

    glad you 3 are all good, now for the car and caravan search. It will be interesting to see what you finish up with, keep safe and keep smiling.

    • @markandshirley
      @markandshirley Před 2 měsíci

      We now have a dmax and crusader gladiator force combo. Reviews to come

    • @Renegade040
      @Renegade040 Před 2 měsíci

      @@markandshirley that's great. Just checked out the Gladiator Force caravan, damn nice, not a real fan of the D-Max, but it will easily tow that van and with a bit more comfort that the 76 LC. I bet Shirley likes it better, enjoy.

    • @markandshirley
      @markandshirley Před 2 měsíci

      @@Renegade040 it was one of the few utes that fitted the bill and budget, also i was able to get it within a few days of asking around :)

  • @robertking7232
    @robertking7232 Před 2 měsíci

    YOU ARE ON Yandruwandah land the Yandruwandah people are my people the Mertys are directly related me

    • @markandshirley
      @markandshirley Před 2 měsíci

      It's a beautiful spot and we were grateful for the privilege of overnighting there. We are fully self-contained so left nothing behind

  • @Ren0vatorAu
    @Ren0vatorAu Před 2 měsíci

    Welcome To Townsville 😉

    • @markandshirley
      @markandshirley Před 2 měsíci

      Thanks, we are really enjoying our enforced time here

  • @farnofamilyfarm
    @farnofamilyfarm Před 2 měsíci

    Glad you are okay and raring to go again.

  • @DeborahWheatley
    @DeborahWheatley Před 2 měsíci

    Firstly, glad all 3 of you are ok. That leg certainly was adventurous ! Good use of the drone to scout ahead as a spotter for the road condition. I like Shirley's spirit - "Lets go" (through the water you didn't get bogged in). Lucky Shirley didn't like that car 🤣 How many rigs do you think you'll go through on this trip ? 😉Hitching in a road train was pretty cool; and kudos to the driver (and nephew) who was super generous. 5,500 km² = 1,359,080 acres 😲 Also... RainX is EXCELLENT for the windscreen in the rain. You might have used it on your visor on rides (?) It doesn't work as well on plastic; it's unreal on glass. You don't need to use your wipers at all, which is also helpful with vision in the rain. I noticed recently the instructions on the box didn't mention (as it use to) to do 2 applications. After the 1st application goes hazy, apply again, then when 2nd coat is hazy (dry) buff off. Couldn't recommend it more highly. Happy travels, and look for to seeing your next rig xxx

    • @markandshirley
      @markandshirley Před 2 měsíci

      Will do the car and van review sooner rather than later this time

  • @danielshaw6019
    @danielshaw6019 Před 2 měsíci

    Holy Faaa####!! Glad you’re in one piece. The thing with road trips is if everything went perfectly, you’d have a mediocre story. Your adventures and the friends you’ve made along the way have made gripping viewing at least for me. Safe and happy travels.

  • @MickBurns-ev1nn
    @MickBurns-ev1nn Před 2 měsíci

    Restores your faith in humanity. Glad you are all safe.

  • @tomelder2230
    @tomelder2230 Před 2 měsíci

    Thanks for sharing

  • @Tophet1
    @Tophet1 Před 2 měsíci

    Glad your safe. Rural people are the best.

    • @markandshirley
      @markandshirley Před 2 měsíci

      we kind of knew that already, this just reminded us again

  • @brettdizzy
    @brettdizzy Před 3 měsíci

    i call bullshit

    • @markandshirley
      @markandshirley Před 3 měsíci

      So would we have, until we had it in our hands. It wasn't found there though. I think it was found in Victoria somewhere

  • @joecolliscollis3512
    @joecolliscollis3512 Před 3 měsíci

    british hard petroleum BHP not Australian

    • @markandshirley
      @markandshirley Před 3 měsíci

      The bhp (bhp billiton) that I referred to are Australian. www.bhp.com/about/our-history

    • @JohnyN-qp3xg
      @JohnyN-qp3xg Před 2 měsíci

      Incorrect BHP Broken Hill Prospecting

  • @DeborahWheatley
    @DeborahWheatley Před 3 měsíci

    Great; hopefully detecting experiences comes easily so you can use it in other places you visit. The hot springs looks good; much more structured than when I was a kid, which was not much more than a hole in the ground at Lightning Ridge. If you can move road kill off the road, even if you didn't kill it, it would be really helpful to the wildlife who will eat it. Heaps of birds, lizards, etc are hit by cars because they are eating road kill (on the road) and can't get away fast enough when a car comes along. Bertie would love some too ! The tail of a roo is good, especially if you have an outdoor clamp on the van, that you can clamp it in; he'll love it.

    • @markandshirley
      @markandshirley Před 3 měsíci

      nah, we decided it wasn't for us and moved on, onto bigger and better things :)