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Camping Fire Pit

There’s nothing better than when you’ve set up camp, cracked open a coldie and you get your Camping Fire Pit lit to cook dinner and keep warm for the night.

In the morning I love to reignite the embers of the coals and get some bacon and eggs, a couple of snags and toast my bread over the flames.

There’s just something awesome about cooking on your Camping Fire Pit on your road trip around Australia.

Everything seems to taste so much better over a fire.

Camping Fire Pit

When permanently travelling the country there’s 2 challenges we all face, weight and space.

With this in mind we went looking for the ideal portable fire pit for our camping adventures.

We wanted something that was strong and sturdy but didn’t weigh so much it became an issue.

It also needed to be collapsible so it didn’t take up too much space.

Our search for a Camping Fire Pit

We went looking around the Camping Shows for Camping Fire Pits for sale, in stores at shops like Bunnings, Anaconda and BCF and even online comparing the prices and suitability of all the different Fire Pits.

Kev cooking brekkie on the Camping Fire Pit

There were some great options we saw at markets and even road side as we were travelling between states including old gas bottles or wheel rims converted into Fire Pits and many were ingenious.

Problem was they took up too much space, were very heavy and were probably overkill for what we wanted.

We just needed something simple, good value for money and would do what we wanted it to do.

Our main goal was to use it for cooking.

We weren’t after a raging fire that could be seen from outer space or was going to keep an entire township warm at night.

Just a good Camping Fire Pit that we could use to cook our dinner or bacon and eggs in the morning was what we wanted.

Camping Fire Pit cooking dinner

Adventure Kings Camping Fire Pit

After looking at what was available and comparing prices we really couldn’t go past the Adventure Kings Camping Fire Pit.

Whilst it was the cheapest one, overall we thought it also provided the best value for money.

Even at it’s price it offered a lot of the features of other fire pits on the market.

It fitted what we were after, being a collapsible fire pit for camping, easy to use and from all reports it was generally sturdy.

It’s just a bonus that it happened to be cheaper then most of the others.

Cooking dinner on our Camping Fire Pit

Features of our Camping Fire Pit

As mentioned it is a flat pack type Camping Fire Pit that collapses down and we pack it back into it’s box it came in.

This allows us to store it very easily out of the way until we need to use it next time.

It is made of 3mm Steel which is enough to remain strong but isn’t too heavy to pack amongst all your camping gear.

It’s an easy, fast setup and you can have it ready within a minute.

The Adventure Kings Fire Pit is so simple to unpack and have set up in just moments for its first use.

Camping Fire Pit at sunset

What are the dimensions?

It is 460mm long and 400mm wide when set up which is perfect for capturing coals and cooking which is our main goal.

Once packed it measures 460mm by 280mm so it really doesn’t take up too much room.

The Fire Pit sits off the ground too so this way you can use it in places where fire can’t be lit on the ground and you can keep the area clean and tidy.

Cracking the eggs for brekkie

Camping Fire Pit Extras and Accessories

BBQ Plate

When we bought it we also opted for the BBQ plate as well.

It fits perfectly over the Fire Pit and provides both plate and grill areas.

The BBQ Plate has fold out legs which are designed to be the right height for standing over the Fire Pit.

When you’ve finished cooking you can just fold the legs up again once it is cool and pack it away once more. The legs pivot on welded steel hinges.

Fire Pit Bag

Adventure Kings provide a Heavy Duty Canvas Bag specifically made for storing your Camping Fire Pit.

It has reinforced Straps and Carry Handle and comes with a handy storage pocket.

The bag would be a great way to keep your storage area clean and tidy as well.

The Price is around $35-40 or you can get it a lot cheaper in combination with your Fire Pit.

Keeping warm around the Camping Fire Pit

5 Essentials – Camping Accessories

A good Tent or Swag is the first decision for going camping. We like the Coleman Tent from Tentworld or the Wanderer 7 Man Tent from BCF. For a Swag, we were so close to buying the Kings Double Swag from 4WD Supacentre .

We like our BCF Wanderers Camping Chair which gets a lot of use as we travel Australia.

No more lugging around a huge BBQ and gas bottle now that we have a brilliant Gasmate Dual Burner Butane Cooktop from Tentworld

A good Portable Fridge Freezer we have found to keep the beers cold and steaks frozen are the Kings 70 L Fridge Freezer in the budget range, the Waeco 75L Dual Zone Fridge Freezer or the ever popular and long lasting Engel 75L Fridge Freezer.

A good quality Hand Held UHF is ideal and I like this Uniden UH750 5 watt UHF for long range and quality. The 5 watt range will give you maximum distance, especially if you need help!

Setting up your Fire Pit when Camping

Any time you’re dealing with fire it’s important to understand your surroundings and ensure it doesn’t start a bushfire.

We have all seen the devastation Camping fires can cause when Fraser Island was set alight in 2020 and half the island was burnt out. 

Soon after we left Gunn Point in Darwin a grass fire started around the camping area from a Fire Pit which could have had devastating consequences had the wind been blowing the opposite direction.

Build a sand or dirt base underneath your Camping Fire pit with a rock or stone edge to help stop the possibility of a grass fire.

This way any embers or bits of hot coals won’t fall onto grass but will just burn out in the sand or dirt you use.

Camping Fire Pit

Pros

  • Price. The max you will likely pay is around $89. Check out the current price here.
  • Value. For the money it offers great value. It works great and ours is still in great condition even after regular use so far.
  • It works. For our intended use we have found our Camping Fire Pit works.
  • It’s really easy to use.
  • The 4wd Supacentre are great with their support we have found and usually replace anything faulty pretty quickly which is good piece of mind.

Cons

  • Need something under it to capture the coals when pulling it apart. Once you lift it it’s prone to coming apart so if you need the area underneath to remain clean you will need to have a plan.
  • Some suggest it needs more airflow vents and cut holes in it to provide more oxygen to the fire.

    Personally I haven’t found that an issue and it would increase the opportunity for coals and soot to fall out of the fire onto the grass or surrounding area. I just build the fire to ensure air flow.

Price

They are always running various deals where the price is changing or there’s a great value combination option.

You can usually buy the fire pit for around $89.

Sometimes you can get combination deals where it comes with the BBQ, Carry bag or Camping table at great value.

Right now you can order one at a great price at their Ebay store here

We recommend adding the BBQ Plate with the fold out legs to go with it.

Camping Table

For a Camping Table on your trip we highly recommend the Spinifex 122cm Fold up table available at the Anaconda Store on Ebay.

We bought one recently and it’s that same model and style we are accustomed too but with a much improved design for releasing the legs and folding the table up to put away.

At only $79 on the Anaconda Ebay store it’s great value. – out of stock!!

Camp Oven cooking

Camp Oven

We also love to cook with our Camp Oven.

Roasts are amazing when cooked over the coals and we love a variety of Casseroles and Stews also including our Cambodian Chicken that is perfect over the fire.

We have the basic Ridge Ryder brand Camp Oven but there’s lots of different brands all very capable of doing the job.

If you are considering a Camp Oven check out all your options right here.

Pin – Camping Fire Pit

We hope you enjoyed reading our thoughts of the Adventure Kings Camping Fire Pit from the 4WD Supacentre.

Good luck with your purchase and enjoy cooking in the great outdoors.

Safe travels

Kev & Adele
Indefinite Leave

We are Adele & Kevin, an Aussie couple from Brisbane in Queensland Australia who have embraced our adventurous spirit and ventured out to explore the world around us. We had spent so much time overseas we decided it was time to see our own truly amazing country and we needed to take some time to see everything it has to offer.

Our Aim is to inspire others to travel and help design the greatest adventure they can experience.

____________________________________________________________________________

Photography and Socials

Our camera equipment we use for all our photos and videos are:

Samsung Note 10 Plus Phone – http://ebay.us/9vMXEH – Most of our photos are simply from our phones. The Samsung phone cameras are pretty insane. Our phones have 512gb storage in ours but the 256gb in this one is heaps.

Samsung s21 Phonehttps://ebay.us/QAdwva – this looks an insane camera within a phone. We have friends and our son who own one and it seems quite extraordinary with their camera quality. If you’re after a new phone this is what I’d be looking at.

Canon 800dhttps://ebay.us/Q0UV1z – the latest DSLR Canon 24mp camera, buy here to save.

Nikon Coolpix p1000https://ebay.to/37cORUV – We have the Nikon P900 and this is the new model. The zoom lens is unbelievable and so awesome when travelling and you want to capture photos from a distance.

Lenses

Canon 50mm lens – https://ebay.to/3nx5pyG  This is the lens I use the least, ideal for still, close up shots.
Canon 24-105mm lenshttps://ebay.us/br9MeO – This is my all round, everyday use, zoom lens. Amazing quality, great price.
Canon 70-300mm lens – https://ebay.to/33xYeht – I use this one a lot for long range shots.
Sigma 10-20mm lenshttp://ebay.us/zWvfuI  – My wide angle lens for all my inside photos & video plus lots more, love this lens.

Our Go Pro 9 Hero Black – https://ebay.us/6CQOVC  –  is an awesome piece of equipment. I use this for all underwater, action video and some general use. Buy here brand new and great value.

Mavic Pro Platinum Drone – https://ebay.to/2ARPxTo  This is an absolute ripper of a drone. The Fly More Combo will provide you with everything you will need. I use this for all my aerial footage and this price is well below other retail stores.

_______________________________________________________________________

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Adventurers Diary

Toowoomba Showgrounds Camping

Toowoomba Showgrounds Feature

The Toowoomba Showgrounds offers camping for RV’s and is an ideal place to stay to explore the beautiful town of Toowoomba and surrounding Darling Downs region.

Ideally located in a quiet rural setting the Toowoomba Showgrounds is close to town with the Toowoomba CBD only a 15 minute drive away.

There is plenty of room for camping and most camping areas have lake views.

Another feature of staying here at the Toowoomba Showgrounds is the Sunsets can be truly spectacular.

Toowoomba Showgrounds sunset over the lake
Sunset over the lake at the Toowoomba Showgrounds

About Toowoomba

Toowoomba, a city within the Darling Downs region is commonly known as the ‘Garden City’.

It is home to some absolutely beautiful parks and gardens and is definitely a place worth visiting.

Located at the start of the Great Dividing Range, it is only 125 kms west of Queensland’s capital city of Brisbane.

As well as the beautiful parks, the city has retained its heritage by preserving many old buildings including the Empire Theatre, Toowoomba City Hall, Toowoomba Post Office, Toowoomba Railway Station and more.

Toowoomba’s population is in excess of 140,000 and continues to grow providing excellent country living with easy access to the city.

Toowoomba CBD

Toowoomba Showgrounds Camping Facilities

Camping facilities at the Toowoomba Showgrounds include a number of amenities blocks with hot showers scattered around the grounds in locations central to the various camping areas.

There are some powered sites available and water taps are also onsite.

Generators are allowed at the Toowoomba Showgrounds.

Toowoomba Showgrounds Camping is suitable for Motorhomes, Caravans, Camper Trailers and even Big Rigs.

Camping in tents, swags and sleeping in cars is not permitted however.

Lake Views from our site at the Toowoomba Showgrounds
Lake views from our campsite at the Toowoomba Showgrounds

There are laundry facilities attached to the Amenities Block at the end of the Main Arena facing the lake.

A Dump Point is available for campers to use and a charge of $5 to use by those not camping at the showgrounds.

There is good mobile phone reception with Telstra and other mobile providers.

Toowoomba Showgrounds Camping grounds
Toowoomba Showgrounds Camping area by the lake

Toowoomba Showgrounds Site Map

Prior to arrival you can jump on the website and check out the Toowoomba Showgrounds Site Map at the end of their Caravanning page.

It shows the locations of the various camping areas and proximity to the amenities blocks.

We chose to camp alongside the lake at the rear of the grounds enjoying the magnificent sunsets, turtles, ducks, geese and birdlife.

Lake at the rear of the Toowoomba Showgrounds
The lake at the rear of the Toowoomba Showgrounds

Is the Toowoomba Showgrounds Pet Friendly?

The Toowoomba Showgrounds Camping is pet friendly which is great for those travelling with their furry friends.

We travelled with our beautiful Golden Retriever MACKS for our first 16 months so we understand what it is like travelling Australia with a dog.

Read more: Travelling Australia with our dog MACKS

Cost to stay at the Toowoomba Showgrounds

The cost to stay is $30 per night. This rate is for up to 2 Adults and 2 Children (16yrs and younger). For additional children it is $5 per night.

Toowoomba Showgrounds do not take bookings and there is no need to call ahead as the grounds are very spacious.

They can cater to peak periods especially during the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers which runs for the entire month of September and throughout the busy Christmas period.

Toowoomba Showgrounds Office

Simply report to the Show Office upon arrival and you will be directed to where you permitted to set up.

Our stay was 27th February to 2nd March 2021.

The maximum period to stay is 7 days.

You may return for another stay after the lapse of a 7 day period.

Toowoomba Showgrounds Events

Camping at the Toowoomba Showgrounds is available all year round except during major events and during the Toowoomba Show which is held around the end of March each year.

At the time of our stay there was a Twilight Cattle Auction. We could hear music from our campsite so we wandered over to check it out.

During the year they host quite a number of events including Equestrian Events, Car Shows, Expos as well as Christmas Markets.

To check what’s on at Toowoomba Showgrounds just go to the Events Page on their website here>

Entry gate to the Toowoomba Showgrounds

Contact Details – Toowoomba Showgrounds Camping

Phone: 07 4634 7400
Address:
Glenvale Road, Toowoomba, Queensland
Office Hours: Monday to Friday – 8.00am – 4:30pm and 8.30 – 1pm on Saturday & Sunday
Website

How to get to the Toowoomba Showgrounds Camping Area

Take the M2/Warrego Highway exit towards Esk/Toowoomba from the M7/Ipswich Motorway.

Continue along the Warrego Highway/A2 keeping right to continue on the Toowoomba Bypass/Warrego Highway/Warrego Highway (East) Interchange/A2.

Follow the Toowoomba Bypass/Warrego Highway/A2 Toll road before taking the exit towards Boundary Street.

In 500 metres turn left onto Boundary Street and head along Boundary Street for 6.2kms.

At the roundabout, take the 3rd exit onto Glenvale Road. Continue straight on Glenvale Road to the entry gate of the Toowoomba Showgrounds.

5 Essentials – Camera Equipment

The Mavic Pro 2 will provide you with everything you will need for all of your aerial footage

Our Go Pro 9 Hero Black – https://ebay.us/6CQOVC  –  is an awesome piece of equipment. I use this for all underwater, action video and some general use. Buy here brand new and great value.nd some general use.

We both love our Samsung Phones. Most of our photos are simply from our Samsung Phones. Now there’s the new Samsung s21 out and we have friends and our son who have one and they look insane for photography. If you’re looking for a new phone for your road trip I’d be going for this.

The distances you can shoot with the Camera – Nikon P1000 are simply amazing. It has an incredible optical and digital zoom!

We use our HP Sphere 360 Laptop with 8th Generation Intel Core i7 processor for our everyday use and for editing our photos

Queens Park just after the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers

Things to do in Toowoomba

Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers

Since it began in 1949, the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers has grown into an iconic Queensland event each year in September.

Originally it kicked off with a street parade led by a bullock team stretching for 3 miles watched by a crowd of around 50,000 and now attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Toowoomba region.

It is the longest running floral event of its kind in Australia and the carnival incorporates flowers, food, wine, culture, entertainment and all things Spring!

Exploring the parks of Toowoomba and Cobb & Co

Cobb & Co Museum

Cobb & Co Musuem

The Cobb & Co Museum is one of the must see attractions when visiting Toowoomba.

Take a tour of the Cobb & Co Museum which is part of the Queensland Museum and home to the National Carriage Collection.

The collection includes horse drawn carriages, farm wagons, delivery carts and the Landau – the Rolls Royce of Carriages.

Located just a short walk across from the iconic Queens Park, the museum is open from 9.30am – 4pm daily.

Spring Bluff Railway
Beautiful Spring Bluff Railway

Spring Bluff Railway

The Spring Bluff Railway is a heritage listed site with beautiful gardens and definitely worth a visit.

On the main railway line between Ipswich and Toowoomba, the historic station was decommissioned in 1992 but it has been preserved and the landscaped gardens are just beautiful especially in September.

As part of the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers celebrations, you can enjoy a ride on the diesel-hauled train from Toowoomba to the prettiest railway station in South-East Queensland.

Be quick as tickets always book out fast!

Picnic Point
Iconic Picnic Point Lookout

Picnic Point

Picnic Point is just a short drive from Toowoomba’s CBD and provides panoramic views of the Lockyer Valley and Table Top Mountain.

The glow of the Brisbane City Lights can even be seen from the iconic Picnic Point Lookout.

Picnic Point Parklands are heritage listed and include sloping manicured lawns, gardens, gazebo and a children’s playground which provide a popular spot for picnics as the name suggests.

There is also a waterfall area and a licensed restaurant which is often used as a venue for weddings.

Read more: Things to do Toowoomba & Darling Downs

Table Top Mountain
Views of Table Top Mountain from Picnic Point

Toowoomba Weather

Toowoomba is classified as having a warm and humid sub-tropical temperate climate with warm summers and cool winters.

January usually records the highest temperatures with averages around 23.3 °C | 73.9 °F.

July is the coolest month of the year with average temperatures around 11.8 °C | 53.3 °F.

Toowoomba has a considerable amount of rainfall throughout the year with December generally the wettest month and July usually the driest.

Laurel Bank Park Gardens
A beautiful sunny day during our visit to the Laurel Bank Park Gardens Toowoomba in early March 2021

Other great places Toowoomba Camping spots in and around the Darling Downs region:

Read more: Camping within 2 hours of Brisbane & Brisbane to Darwin Free Camping

Federation Park Toowoomba
Federation Park Toowoomba – 24hr Free Camping in a 7 day period

Pin – Toowomba Showgrounds Camping

Pin - Toowoomba Showgrounds Camping
Pin - Toowoomba Showgrounds Camping
Pin - Toowoomba Showgrounds Camping

Have you camped at the Toowoomba Showgrounds?

Tell us about your Toowoomba Showgrounds Camping experience.

Safe travels

Kev & Adele
Indefinite Leave

We are Adele & Kevin, an Aussie couple from Brisbane in Queensland Australia who have embraced our adventurous spirit and ventured out to explore the world around us. We had spent so much time overseas we decided it was time to see our own truly amazing country and we needed to take some time to see everything it has to offer.

Our Aim is to inspire others to travel and help design the greatest adventure they can experience.

________________________________________________________________________

Photography and Socials

Our camera equipment we use for all our photos and videos are:

Samsung Note 10 Plus Phone – http://ebay.us/9vMXEH – Most of our photos are simply from our phones. The Samsung phone cameras are pretty insane. Our phones have 512gb storage in ours but the 256gb in this one is heaps.

Samsung s21 Phonehttps://ebay.us/QAdwva – this looks an insane camera within a phone. We have friends and our son who own one and it seems quite extraordinary with their camera quality. If you’re after a new phone this is what I’d be looking at.

Canon 800dhttps://ebay.us/Q0UV1z – the latest DSLR Canon 24mp camera, buy here to save.

Nikon Coolpix p1000https://ebay.to/37cORUV – We have the Nikon P900 and this is the new model. The zoom lens is unbelievable and so awesome when travelling and you want to capture photos from a distance.

Lenses

Canon 50mm lens – https://ebay.to/3nx5pyG  This is the lens I use the least, ideal for still, close up shots.
Canon 24-105mm lenshttps://ebay.us/br9MeO – This is my all round, everyday use, zoom lens. Amazing quality, great price.
Canon 70-300mm lens – https://ebay.to/33xYeht – I use this one a lot for long range shots.
Sigma 10-20mm lenshttp://ebay.us/zWvfuI  – My wide angle lens for all my inside photos & video plus lots more, love this lens.

Our Go Pro 9 Hero Black – https://ebay.us/6CQOVC  –  is an awesome piece of equipment. I use this for all underwater, action video and some general use. Buy here brand new and great value.

Mavic Pro Platinum Drone – https://ebay.to/2ARPxTo  This is an absolute ripper of a drone. The Fly More Combo will provide you with everything you will need. I use this for all my aerial footage and this price is well below other retail stores.

_______________________________________________________________________

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Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com.au/indefiniteleave/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/indefiniteleav3

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This post contains affiliate links. If you buy something through a link on this page we may receive a small commission. It will not cost you any more, in fact we’ve sourced out some great deals for you. Thank you for supporting us.

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Adventurers Diary

Discover the Best of Portland Victoria

Just beyond the Great Ocean Road in Victoria traveling west is the small beach side town of Portland.

It was here we spent 6 fabulous nights to enable us to fully explore the region and discover the best of Portland.

What an amazing location we found it to be, there are so many things to see and do!

It’s a great place to stop with lots of shops, excellent accommodation for a weary traveler and the people of Portland are very friendly.

This is one of those few towns we have been to where we could picture ourselves living and certainly somewhere we will revisit in the future.

Discover the Best of Portland
Portland Marina

About Portland

Portland is a small fishing village township on the stunning coastline of south west Victoria.

For many years commercial fishing has been instrumental to Portland and it still remains today.

However the economy is now also driven by Tourism and industry such as Aluminium, Logging and wood chips.

Portland is known for its deep ocean port making it ideal for shipping and marine industry.

The population of Portland is just over 10,000 people.

Discover the Best of Portland at the Port

Portland has a large, deep, sea port and is currently a major timber and wood chip exporting location.

The Port of Portland is a great way to discover the best of Portland.

Watching the trucks at the Port being unloaded of the wood chip cargo is eerie when you watch for the first time.

The trucks are raised high into the air to an almost upright 72 degree angle until all the cargo is released.

It is fascinating to watch and it would be interesting to know how those trucks are locked in.

Each truck only takes a few minutes to unload. A new truck enters the Port every 30 seconds, 7 days a week.

They unload products including logs, wood chips, aluminium ingots, livestock, grain and fertiliser.

A large fishing fleet occupies the Marina with Rock Lobsters, Abalone, Fish and Squid all bountiful and caught in the beautiful local waters.

It’s a busy wharf with lots of activity.

The Jetty’s and Pontoons are perfect fishing grounds for land based fisherman and the rock walls are home to a variety of fish.

Snorkeling and spear fishing are very popular here.

Read about: Our 22 Best Free Camps in Australia

The beach at Cape Bridgewater
Beautiful Cape Bridgewater Beach

Cape Bridgewater

A short 15 minute drive out of town is Cape Bridgewater, one of the best beaches in the region.

It is as good as anywhere with beautiful white sand, clear blue waters with waves rolling in on a calm day.

It was here I attempted to go surfing with my Cousin Tim and his wife Amy, only my second ever attempt.

Alas, at least I tried.

There are so many awesome beaches around Australia, here are our 3 lists of Best Beaches –

1. The Best Beaches in Australia 1-10

2. The Best Beaches in Australia 11-20

3. The Best Beaches in Australia 21-30

Snorkeling with the seals on the Seal by Sea tour
In the water on the Seal by Sea tour

Seal by Sea Tour

We also completed the Seal by Sea Tour at Cape Bridgewater and this would have to be our best value for money tour on our trip so far.

You will discover the best of Portland by sea for just $40 per adult.

They will take you along the rugged coastline to view the cliff faces to the first of several large Seal colonies.

Then they took us further up to the tip where we witnessed big NZ Fur Seals and a few Australian Seals before heading back to the first group of Seals where they have a shark cage located.

For an extra $20 they provide Wet suits and snorkeling gear to allow you to swim with the Seals.

We were all very keen and jumped into the waters to engage with the Seals.

The Seals were otherwise occupied though and didn’t come to us in the cage so we asked could we go out of the cage.

The guide said we could but it would be at our own risk. “Risk of what” we asked? “Great Whites” he said!!

Without hesitating we all jumped into the water anyway and for almost an hour we swam with the Seals.

The Seal Pups were so inquisitive and would come right up to us, sometimes stopping in front of us to take a look.

Watch our videos of us swimming with the seals:

Seal by Sea Tours are still just $40 but they now have new snorkeling tours.

Book the trip we did or view their new tours at their website – http://www.sealsbyseatours.com.au/

5 Essentials – Camping Accessories

A good Tent or Swag is the first decision for going camping. We like the Coleman Tent from Tentworld or the Wanderer 7 Man Tent from BCF. For a Swag, we were so close to buying the Kings Double Swag from 4WD Supacentre .

We like our BCF Wanderers Camping Chair which gets a lot of use as we travel Australia.

No more lugging around a huge BBQ and gas bottle now that we have a brilliant Gasmate Dual Burner Butane Cooktop from Tentworld

A good Portable Fridge Freezer we have found to keep the beers cold and steaks frozen are the Kings 70 L Fridge Freezer in the budget range, the Waeco 75L Dual Zone Fridge Freezer or the ever popular and long lasting Engel 75L Fridge Freezer.

A good quality Hand Held UHF is ideal and I like this Uniden UH750 5 watt UHF for long range and quality. The 5 watt range will give you maximum distance, especially if you need help!

Adele patting a koala in the wild for the first time
Cape Bridgewater Koala

Our First Koala Encounter in the Wild

Heading back from Cape Bridgewater we were surprised to find a Koala beside the road.

We stopped to ensure he didn’t venture onto the road and were amazed when he came over to Adele allowing her to pat him.

The Koala was surprisingly friendly and then it took off heading for our Motorhome.

At first we thought he was looking to hitch a ride but eventually we got him into the bushes away from the road.

Discover the Best of Portland
Amy Surfing
Discover the Best of Portland
Tim Surfing

Blacknose Point

Blacknose Point is a very popular surfing spot at Portland and Kev’s cousin Tim and his wife Amy got out the surfboards and headed in for a paddle.

We sat on the rocks and enjoyed watching them in action and managed to capture some great photos.

This time I left it to the experts, my training wheels are still on at this stage!!

Discover the Best of Portland
Portland Wind Farm

Portland Wind Farm

The Portland Wind Farm is one of the largest in Australia.

These huge wind turbines generate electricity from the wind.

This one in Portland produces 500 GWh annually, enough electricity to power approximately 125,000 homes each year or over 7% of Victoria’s annual power.

Discover the Best of Portland
Petrified Forest

Petrified Forest

Just past the Wind Farm is the Petrified Forest.

The formation of the Petrified forest is a collection of hollow tubes of Limestone called “solution pipes”.

These have been eroded over millions of years of rainfall.

Water gathers in a shallow pan of sand and seeps downwards dissolving the Limestone.

The mineral saturated water then cements the sand, forming hard, trunk shaped pipes. Some of these pipes can be up to 20m high.

Check out why Portland is one of: 7 Towns in Australia we could live

We had great weather during our visit to Portland in March 2017

Discover the Best of Portland Weather

Portland is approximately 200kms from the South Australian border in the south west of Victoria.

The Portland weather was great to us and we enjoyed beautiful sunny skies and good weather during our visit in March 2017.

March and April may just be the best months to visit before the really cold weather sets in.

The winter months do get very cold so the peak tourist season is usually from October to May each year.

The Great Ocean Road begins about 120kms East of Portland just past the town of Warrnambool.

Portland Cable Trams

Discover the Best of Portland Camping

For our accommodation at Portland we discovered the Henty Park Campground which is behind the Portland Cable Tram Station.

The Tram takes you on a 7km journey around the town and is mostly run by volunteers.

The Campground is a free 48 hour stay for vehicles which are self contained and became a great location for us to make new friends and a great base to discover the best of Portland and nearby beaches.

We also had one night at the Sawpit Picnic Area just out of town to break up our stay at Henty Park.

Read more about: Henty Park Campground Portland and Sawpit Picnic Area

Pin – Discover the Best of Portland

Pin - Discover the Best of Portland
Pin - Discover the Best of Portland
Pin - Discover the Best of Portland

Some other great places to stay along the Great Ocean Road are:

Anglesea Beachfront Caravan Park

Marengo Holiday Park

Have you been or are you yet to discover the best of Portland?

Tell us about your time in Portland?

Safe travels

Kev & Adele
Indefinite Leave

We are Adele & Kevin, an Aussie couple from Brisbane in Queensland Australia who have embraced our adventurous spirit and ventured out to explore the world around us. We had spent so much time overseas we decided it was time to see our own truly amazing country and we needed to take some time to see everything it has to offer.

Our Aim is to inspire others to travel and help design the greatest adventure they can experience.

________________________________________________________________________

Photography and Socials

Our camera equipment we use for all of our photos and videos are:

Samsung Note 10 Plus Phone – http://ebay.us/9vMXEH – Most of our photos are simply from our phones. The Samsung phone cameras are pretty insane. Our phones have 512gb storage in ours but the 256gb in this one is heaps.

Samsung s21 Phonehttps://ebay.us/QAdwva – this looks an insane camera within a phone. We have friends and our son who own one and it seems quite extraordinary with their camera quality. If you’re after a new phone this is what I’d be looking at.

Canon 800dhttps://ebay.us/Q0UV1z – the latest DSLR Canon 24mp camera, buy here to save.

Nikon Coolpix p1000https://ebay.to/37cORUV – We have the Nikon P900 and this is the new model. The zoom lens is unbelievable and so awesome when travelling and you want to capture photos from a distance.

Lenses

Canon 50mm lens – https://ebay.to/3nx5pyG  This is the lens I use the least, ideal for still, close up shots.
Canon 24-105mm lenshttps://ebay.us/br9MeO – This is my all round, everyday use, zoom lens. Amazing quality, great price.
Canon 70-300mm lens – https://ebay.to/33xYeht – I use this one a lot for long range shots.
Sigma 10-20mm lenshttp://ebay.us/zWvfuI  – My wide angle lens for all my inside photos & video plus lots more, love this lens.

Our Go Pro 9 Hero Black – https://ebay.us/6CQOVC  –  is an awesome piece of equipment. I use this for all underwater, action video and some general use. Buy here brand new and great value.

__________________________________________________________________________

Where to Find Us

Follow us, Subscribe, Like, Share, and Comment on our website and social media here:-

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/indefiniteleave/

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Website: https://indefiniteleave.com.au/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/indefiniteleave

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com.au/indefiniteleave/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/indefiniteleav3

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This post contains affiliate links. If you buy something through a link on this page we may receive a small commission. It will not cost you any more, in fact we’ve sourced out some great deals for you. Thank you for supporting us.

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Lithium Battery and Solar System Upgrade for our Motorhome

Should we switch from AGM to Lithium Battery and upgrade the Solar system for our Motorhome, it’s a question we considered for some time before finally making the decision to change.

It’s the never ending Caravan and RV question isn’t it, should you go to Lithium batteries or stick with AGM?

We should have improved our solar setup years ago but finally we have totally overhauled our entire Solar and Battery system in our Motorhome.

Solar and Lithium products have improved significantly in recent years and it’s time to bring our rig in line with today’s capabilities and align that with our needs.

Work on our Lithium Battery and Solar System Upgrade

The Right Advice for the Lithium Battery and Solar System Upgrade

The first issue though is getting the right advice upfront.

Every industry business and “expert” will tell you the best products to use and it’s amazing how every time it just happens to be the product they are selling.

Don’t expect a dealer of Enerdrive to tell you the benefits of Redarc. You aren’t going to get the best advice on Lithium batteries from an AGM battery dealer.

And they will all want to tell you how cheaper Lithium batteries like iTechworld and others are no good and how they’ve had to replace them for other customers.

Then there’s the wide and varied online comments to wade through on Social Media that make it all the more confusing.

Our Motorhome in the workshop for the Lithium Battery and Solar System Upgrade

Research for our Lithium Battery and Solar System Upgrade

Like most things, it is vital to do your own research and work out the fact from fiction.

Our knowledge of all the technical matters of Solar is limited. We simply knew our setup was old and not producing enough power for what we were using.

One look at our solar panels and it was obvious they were not in good condition. The cells were broken and they were likely to have been producing very little input.

Our inverter was a 1000w old dinosaur that “browned out suburbs” as my mate would say and obviously needed upgrading.

We were running everything through our C-Tek management system which wasn’t installed correctly and hadn’t been working properly from Day 1, even after taking it back several times to the installer.

Old Inverter replaced

The goal now was to move to Lithium, utilise our roof space to maximise the solar power we could generate and run it all through a quality management system that would ensure we had all the power we needed and wanted.

We didn’t feel C-Tek would properly run our Lithium system and found it too difficult to get the right advice. I’m never comfortable when you can’t contact the manufacturer directly to ask questions.

Reasons for our Lithium Battery and Solar System Upgrade

These are the problems we had and why we wanted to change.

1. Not enough power. At night we would turn off all lights and sit in the dark. We certainly couldn’t couldn’t charge anything once the sun went down.

2. Our Waeco fridge would have to be turned off every night as it drew too much power for our system.

3. We had an old system with an inverter that was very limited in it’s capacity to run appliances.

4. Adele couldn’t use her laptop when connected to power. It would jump and move erratically when she tried to move the cursor.

The system we had was there when we bought it except for the C-Tek. The Motorhome is a 2009 Winnebago Esperance which we bought in 2015.

5 Essentials – 4WD Accessories

  1. 4WD Recovery Tracks will get you out of most situations, especially in sand. We bought a pair of these generic branded tracks that have worked well whilst other brands include the Australian made TRED or the Australian Designed and made MAXTRAX 4wd Recovery Tracks.
  2. For our 4WD we went with this EDECOA 1500 3000w Pure Sine Wave Inverter which has been excellent value and works great.
  3. I’m a massive fan of my Victron IP65 15a Battery Charger. I use it often to give batteries a boost and it really is an essential part of my tool kit.
  4. When camping my Kings 200w Solar Blanket gets a lot of use and works really well. Only downside is it doesn’t work with Lithium batteries.
  5. Brass Tyre Deflators are a fast and easy way to lower your tyre pressure to your desired level. Perfect for when you are hitting the beach.
iTech World Lithium Battery

Changing to Lithium

Part of the Solar System upgrade is changing our 2 x 120amp AGM batteries to 2 x 120amp Lithium batteries.

For 12 months we had been using and testing 2 x iTechworld 120a Lithium batteries in our 4wd to run our fridge and the inverter when needed. We were only using one of the batteries and it had been working well using a C-Tek charger.

We were pleased with how they worked, that they were so light in weight and handled all the conditions but we had one sitting idle not doing anything so why not get them both in the Motorhome where they would be used to maximum benefit.

iTechworld claim the 120amp Lithium battery is equivalent to a 200amp AGM so it also increased our stored power capacity.

There is a lot of discussion about being able to use all 100% of the power within the battery however the user manuals only talk about utilising up to 80% of the battery.

Whilst it seems you can use 100% it diminishes the amount of lifecycles of the battery significantly.

Even at 80% usage it is considerably more then 50% of an AGM battery before it begins to do damage to the AGM battery.

You can read all about the iTechworld 120a Lithium Battery on Ebay and purchase today.

Panels for New Solar System Upgrade

What other changes did we make?

Once we knew we were going with the Lithium we wanted a system to operate and manage it that was going to ensure we got the benefit of having Lithium LifePo4 batteries.

We chose Victron and this is what we had installed.

Victron

Victron Multiplus Inverter Charger 12/2000/ 80-30. This is a Pure Sine Wave Inverter plus Battery Charger combined. It is a 12V 2000VA Inverter plus 80A Battery Charger with a 30A Automatic Transfer switch.

Supplied here on Ebay at a great price from a reputable RV Solar company.

Victron Smart Charge Controller

Victron Smart Solar MPPT 100/50. This is designed to work with Lithium batteries and also provides Bluetooth capability.

The Victron Smart Solar manages the solar power to the batteries providing 30% more efficiency.

Victron Smart Battery Protect 12/24v 65amp. This protects the batteries by monitoring voltage and disconnecting the batteries if necessary.

Victron Digital Multi Control 200/200a GX. This is our Victron control panel which gives us information about the charge and allows us to change settings, if we require, to connecting to power or solar.

Simarine

Simarine Digital Monitoring System. This tells us everything we need to know including battery level, amp input and how long we can last without power.

Also with further added kits we will be able to monitor water level, lights, fridge and more.

It is all accessible on our phone with the app through Wifi.

The Simarine Pico Monitor is available on Ebay

3 x 170w solar panels – We upgraded to these 170 Watt, 12V Single Cell Mono-crystalline Solar Panel. They come with a 10 year warranty, weigh just 11.5kg, are smaller in size than its competitors on the market by up to 54% and lighter in weight than its competitors by up to 41%.

They have been working fantastic since they were installed and creating more then sufficient power for us now.

Read about: Solar – Creating and Managing our Power

Upgrade Work

Also as part of the Lithium Battery and Solar System upgrade the following modifications and changes were made.

Two long plumbing pipes on the roof originally installed to carry our fishing rods were removed to allow extra space for the solar panels to be installed.

The battery box compartment on the outside of the Motorhome was enclosed to provide more protection for the batteries.

A fan was installed to reduce the amount of heat from the oven and in the area where the Victron equipment is housed.

An Anderson plug was added to allow for another solar panel to be attached to the system whenever we may want to.

Equipment for the Lithium Battery and Solar System Upgrade

Why did we choose Victron?

The 3 we considered were Enerdrive, REDARC and Victron.

Enerdrive

Enerdrive is very popular with other travellers and 4wd owners and certainly appears to be good gear. For us though it seemed expensive and for that reason we ruled it out. We wanted a great product that would work at good value.

REDARC

REDARC is also really good gear and we would have been happy going this way too. I hadn’t really seen anyone doing a full overhaul like we planned though with REDARC and it too seemed to be more expensive then Victron.

Victron

A few things happened that took us to using Victron. I was on my way to buy a REDARC battery charger about 6 months prior to the decision to upgrade our solar but stopped off along the way and came across a Victron.

It was $100 cheaper so I rang a mate who worked in Solar and Grant confirmed to me Victron was good gear.

I bought it and it has been awesome so I was already a fan of the Victron brand.

Another mate Mick who does RV Repairs for a living changed his AGM batteries in his Caravan to Lithium and in the process found out that when we are told you can drop your Lithium batteries in to your current setup it is true but if it’s not a Lithium charger then it will only work to 80% of it’s capacity.

He went and changed his system to Victron and loved it. He was Free camped for several months during Covid at Gunn Point out of Darwin and his Lithium setup worked perfectly.

So two mates who’s opinions I respect due to their high levels of solar experience were recommending Victron. I’d had a good experience with them and they seemed a bit cheaper then the other options.

The more I researched Victron the more I liked the product.

Motorhome getting the upgrade

Why did we choose to go Lithium?

When we considered upgrading our solar system we realised a lot of other travellers were also asking how are Lithium batteries better then AGM and so we did a lot of research first before deciding.

The depth of discharge is the most important factor with a LifePo4 Lithium Battery able to use 80% or more of it’s total battery capacity whereas an AGM battery shouldn’t be discharged below 50% of it’s capacity.

Lithium batteries can use their entire battery storage before recharge however it will effect the amount of life cycles the battery will perform during it’s life. Our intent is not to go lower then 80%.

The weight of Lithium batteries is another consideration. Our iTechworld 120a Lithium battery weighs 13kg compared to 27-32kgs for an AGM battery of the same size.

That’s a massive saving for an RV.

It is considered that an iTechworld 120a Lithium battery is equivalent to a 200a AGM battery.

Modifications for the new Lithium Battery and Solar System Upgrade

How much did our Lithium Battery and Solar System Upgrade cost?

We chose to have our Lithium Battery and Solar System upgrade installed as we didn’t have the skills or expertise to do it ourselves.

The full cost of the install was $7,445.21.

Labour component of the install was $2,684.04.

This does not include the cost of our 2 batteries which we purchased previously. We purchased the first iTechworld battery for $849 and the second one was on special with Black Friday sales and we purchased it for $769.

The latest 2020 model iTechworld LifoPo4 Lithium batteries are $949.

Therefore our Total cost for the install was $9,063.21.

This cost included other modifications mentioned above plus a large amount of re-wiring which was required.

New System working well

Has the new setup been a success?

We couldn’t be happier with the outcome.

There’s been enough time now after our latest trip over a few months to the Whitsundays to test it and during our time since then waiting out the Christmas holidays.

We no longer have to turn all our lights off and sit in the dark at night. We don’t have to turn off the inverter and control panel to save every amp possible.

Our Waeco fridge still works but it’s actually not in good condition. The side walls have broken down and it now draws a lot more power than it should.

We kept it for when we are on power but now it runs full time on the solar with no issues. It doesn’t drain our battery bank as the system generates more than enough power to cover it.

Most days the batteries power up to 100% and overnight they go down to around 71-74% before re-charging again the next day.

Apart from the Air conditioner and Microwave it’s like being on power and we can Free camp anywhere without worrying about power usage.

Changing the AGM batteries to Lithium in the Upgrade

Our Lithium Battery and Solar System Upgrade Summary

  • We aren’t experts in Solar, hence why we had ours installed for us.Over 5 years we have learnt what we needed and we also thoroughly researched what we felt best suited our needs and this install has been perfect for us.
  • We feel Victron gives all round great product and excellent value.
  • The iTechworld LifePo 4 Lithium batteries have not missed a beat either during their time in our 4WD or since we have had them in the Motorhome. We have no issues with the iTechworld Lithium batteries.
  • To get the full benefit of a Lithium battery you should have the right and proper system to manage it. Despite what manufacturers tell you, install a good Lithium system to support your Lithium Battery setup.
Watch the Full video of the install here

Watch the full video of the install on our YouTube channel here

Who did we use to do our install?

Gold Coast RV Repairs/ Infinity Motorhomes

Website: https://www.infinitymotorhomes.com.au/
Phone: 07 5573 0575

We use Brad from Infinity Motorhomes for all our repairs. He has been brilliant in all the work they have done on our Winnebago and we were rapt with his advice and work on installing the Lithium Battery and Solar System upgrade.

Other interesting blogs you may like:

Pin – Lithium Battery and Solar System Upgrade

Have you done to a Lithium Battery and Solar System upgrade? Tell us all about your experience!

Safe travels   

Kev & Adele
Indefinite Leave

We are Adele & Kevin, an Aussie couple from Brisbane in Queensland Australia who have embraced our adventurous spirit and ventured out to explore the world around us. We had spent so much time overseas we decided it was time to see our own truly amazing country and we needed to take some time to see everything it has to offer.

Our Aim is to inspire others to travel and help design the greatest adventure they can experience.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Photography and Socials

Our camera equipment we use for all our photos and videos are:

Samsung Note 10 Plus Phone – http://ebay.us/9vMXEH – Most of our photos are simply from our phones. The Samsung phone cameras are pretty insane. Our phones have 512gb storage in ours but the 256gb in this one is heaps. We have sourced this one which is approx $500 less than we paid for ours.

Canon 800d – https://ebay.to/2XQYnsk – the latest DSLR Canon 24mp camera, buy here to save.

Lenses

Canon 50mm lens – https://ebay.to/2yQwPed  This is the lens I use the least, ideal for still, close up shots.
Canon 24-105mm lenshttps://ebay.us/br9MeO This is my all round, everyday use, zoom lens. Amazing quality, great price.
Canon 70-300mm lens – https://ebay.to/2XlOZ0I – I use this one a lot for long range shots.
Sigma 10-20mm lenshttp://ebay.us/zWvfuI  – My wide angle lens for all my inside photos & video plus lots more, love this lens.

Our Go Pro 9 Hero Black – https://ebay.to/38wMc7V  –  is an awesome piece of equipment. I use this for all underwater, action video and some general use. Buy here brand new and great value.

Mavic Pro Platinum Drone – https://ebay.to/2ARPxTo  This is an absolute ripper of a drone. The Fly More Combo will provide you with everything you will need. I use this for all my aerial footage and this price is well below other retail stores.

_______________________________________________________________________

Follow us, Subscribe, Like, Share, and Comment on our website and social media here:-

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/indefiniteleave/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/indefinite_leave/

Website: https://indefiniteleave.com.au/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/indefiniteleave

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com.au/indefiniteleave/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/indefiniteleav3

______________________________________________________________________

This post contains affiliate links. If you buy something through a link on this page we may receive a small commission. It will not cost you any more, in fact we’ve sourced out some great deals for you. Thank you for supporting us.

Continue Reading

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