5 Practical Tips for Travellers with Solar-Powered Caravans

Travelling can take a toll on everyone, especially when it takes hours to reach your destination — and that’s why Erldunda travellers prefer caravanning for quick access to relaxation and comfort throughout the long journey. When visiting the wilderness, the problem is you can’t always guarantee that there’s a nearby location for your caravan’s power source, and energy costs can also deplete your budget. For a cheaper and more secure alternative, you can opt for caravan solar panels. Here are some helpful tips to get your caravan solar-ready:

Test Your Caravan for Power Usage

Don’t rush to the nearest store to buy solar panels that end up being incompatible with your caravan. Before purchasing a solar panel, test how much electricity you use for your caravan — set it off with a fully charged battery while you’re on a short break, and stay away from electric hook-ups. Perform this test multiple times without deliberately overusing your appliances to get an average of how many hours or days your caravan’s power source can last.

Decide on the Type and Amount of Solar Panel You’ll Need

Knowing the amount of power you typically consume for your caravan, you can now browse different solar panels that will fit your caravan’s energy usage profile. Australian solar panels come in two categories — mounted or portable. Take note that portable panels allow you to store sun energy while solar-powered caravans with mounted panels (placed on the roof) usually needs to be parked in the sun to receive a sufficient amount of sunlight. Compared to mounted panels, portable panels are quite handy in areas with varying weather conditions or are not exposed to the sun for too long, which is why portable panels are preferred by people who spend holidays in the outback.

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Match Your Solar Panels with the Right Batteries

You’ll need to have large and durable solar batteries that can store the energy from your solar panels. The size of your solar batteries will depend on different factors such as your destination, travel time and how many appliances you will use at once. When going for an Erldunda trip, it’s recommended to use AGM deep cycle solar batteries for less frequent charging and high cyclic life. They are also very low on maintenance, and can withstand long and rocky rides.

It’s very important to charge your caravan’s solar system before heading out, since your battery capacity is useless without stored power anyway. You can easily determine the right size of battery for your caravan by estimating the running time of each camping appliance you use and multiply the wattage of each camping item by its estimate running time. Next, add the watt hours for each device to get an estimate of your total power consumption, and convert the total watt hours to amp hours to find out which battery size you need.

Choose a Solar Power-Friendly Caravan Site

You can’t simply park in the wilderness with your caravan! Even if you have enough energy to last your for days, you must be careful while treading through Uluru and the Olgas. Camping out is also fun as long you’re safe from any animal attack! No worries, as there are caravan sites available for travellers who want a safe place for solar-powered caravans while seeking the Erldunda experience.

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With these tips, your trip to the centre of Australia can be comfortable and environment-friendly. Have an immersive travelling experience by preparing your caravan for an exciting Erldunda adventure!

Searching for a safe parking site for that authentic caravan experience? Contact us at Erldunda Roadhouse for the easiest and affordable caravanning option.


References:

Images:

  • http://www.caravanworld.com.au/features/1504/battery-and-solar-power-101/
  • http://activebatteriesandsolar.com.au/
  • http://caravanandmotorhomebooks.com/caravan-air-conditioning/

Discover the Sanctuary for Orphaned Kangaroos in Alice Springs

When talking about Australian wildlife  kangaroos are easily first animal that comes to mind. These marsupials are the most  iconic representative of this great nation standing tall beside the Emu on our coat of arms. Wouldn’t it be an absolute treat to see these hoppers up close?

If you want to see mobs of kangaroos without going too far into the wild, you can visit them in the safe and secure Kangaroo Sanctuary. Located in Alice Springs, the Kangaroo Sanctuary is a home and care centre built by Chris ‘Brolga’ Barns for orphaned kangaroo joeys – young kangaroos whose mothers have been hit on the road.

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Meet Chris Barns, The “Kangaroo Dundee”

Chris ‘Brolga’ Barns got his nickname for his height – being 6ft 7in tall, he has been affectionately referred to as Brolga, the aboriginal word for crane. While he was working as a Northern Territory tour guide, he has been noticing kangaroo joeys abandoned on the road, left in the pouch of their mothers who have been road casualties. Concerned about their wellbeing, Brolga decided to quit his job and become a full-time surrogate mom to these kangaroo joeys by building the kangaroo rescue centre.

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‘I see myself as more of an educator, motivating other people to care for abandoned joeys,’ says Brolga, who has taken care of hundreds of kangaroo joeys in his growing sanctuary. ‘It is fun after all.’

Brolga is also starting to build the first wildlife hospital in Central Australia, situated on the grounds of the sanctuary, which is now a habitat not only for kangaroos but for camels and birds as well.

Explore the Kangaroo Sanctuary

Over the years, Brolga has expanded his small rescue centre to a gigantic kangaroo sanctuary — rested on a 90 acre wildlife reserve — thanks to the donations of kind-hearted people all over the planet who supported Brolga’s work to help animals in the Australian Outback.

During a sunset tour of the sanctuary, you can take a leisurely walk through the bush while waiting for the kangaroos wake up from their day-time sleep. Visiting the sanctuary house, you’ll observe how Brolga has been raising kangaroos with pillowcase practice – that is, placing kangaroo joeys in pouches to mimic the feeling of being with their mother.

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Some of the most famous kangaroos are Smokey Dawson, Sammy and Lynda, who are adorable and shy joeys getting used to their new home. There’s also Keith, who’s more than ready to meet and greet visitors. Watching these joeys try and learn to hop while having fun in each other’s company is a sight to behold.

While looking at the fields of the sanctuary, you might see a stalwart kangaroo whose mighty stance frightens away intruders. This is Roger, one of the many adult kangaroos who are inhabiting the sanctuary. Acting as the ‘bouncer’ of the sanctuary, Brolga explains why Roger had to stay:  ‘Roger is the most important dude in the whole place… who missed his chance to go back to the wild because his injuries took long to heal.’

If you’re lucky enough, you’ll also see the baby kangaroo rescue car, where Brolga heads out for his daily patrol of the highway, looking for orphaned kangaroos who are left alone the road.

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Hopping to Kangaroo Sanctuary?

You can visit the world-famous Brolga and his beloved kangaroos with an educational sunset tour near Alice Springs, which lies on the Stuart Highway. The tour lasts for about 2.5 hours.

Situated right between Stuart and Lasseter Highways, Erldunda Roadhouse welcomes local and international visitors of the kangaroo sanctuary at any time of the year. Contact us to start booking your trip to meet the Outback ‘roos.

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References:

  • Barns, Chris. “Kangaroo Dundee: Sharing my life.” BBC TV Blogs, 13 December 2013. Web. 9 September 2015.
  • Parker, Olivia. “My Perfect Weekend: Chris Barns, Kangaroo Sanctuary Owner.” 4 January 2014. Web. 9 September 2015.
  • “Australia’s Animals.”  Australia.com, n.d. Web. 9 September 2015.

Why Erldunda Should Be Your Next Travel Destination

Erldunda: the centre of the centre. Placed smack dab in the middle of Australia, and perfectly so: it has a little bit of everything that makes Australia the exciting destination that it is. Culture, history, wildlife, and activities — in Erldunda, these are experiences that would make for a lifetime’s worth of memories.

At the core of anyone who wants to visit the Outback is an adventurer on the lookout for a new experience – and in Erldunda, there is something in store for every kind of traveller.

A Cultural Excursion

Erldunda is a hodgepodge of culture, home to a lot of different aboriginal cultures. Some of the groups that reside close to Erldunda are the speakers of the Luritja dialect otherwise known as the Matuntara. They live in the parallel sand dune county by Palmer River south of the Levi Range, east to Erldunda. The aboriginal boundaries between the different groups in the area is a relative, colourful blur of traditions, beliefs, and cultures interweaved. “The history of the Matuntara is complicated by their absorption of much of the Maiulatara horde of the Pitjandara who shuffled east from north of the Petermann Range to Tempe Downs in the early years of the century,” according to the South Australian Museum.

This interweaving of cultures resulted to a beautiful array of artworks and lore — one that would excite someone who’s looking to learn more about history through culture. The aboriginal groups of Erldunda have some pretty wonderful stories to tell: stories of dreaming, creation and adventure.

Erldunda: Picture Perfect

Sunset viewing platform

Looking for sceneries that would take your breath away and places that would make for beautiful pictures regardless of where you point your camera?

Erldunda is in close proximity to the home of Uluru and Kuta Tjuta, a picturesque sandstone monolith 348 metres high — and Australia’s most recognizable natural icon.

Take a picture of it in its entirety and capture the feeling of smallness. In its vastness, it bears various inscriptions made by ancestral indigenous peoples. It is a beautiful sight that is worth capturing both in panorama and close up — a literal wall on which people of the past have left their marks saying “I was here”.

Another picture perfect scenery close to Erldunda is the Devil’s Marbles. The “marbles” are stones — varying in size, from 50 centimetres up to six metres across — balanced precariously on top of one another: one of nature’s longest-standing gravity defying stunt.

Watch the rocks change colour at sunset — a glowing play of pink, orange and bright red. It’s mesmerizing, but don’t forget to take a photo!

Onsite at the roadhouse we have a brand new Sunset Viewing Platform! Located next to our caravan park this platform allows you to take in amazing sunset views in the heart of the desert!

Wildlife Wonders

Australia’s Northern Territory is home to about 400 species of birds, 150 mammals, 300 reptiles, 50 frogs, 60 species of freshwater fish and several hundred species of marine fish. One of the most unique species of wildlife in the area are the crocodiles that live in the rivers and billabongs in the Top End or at wildlife parks across Darwin.

Stop by Erldunda to rest, then drive on north for a cruise in Yellow Water in Kakadu National Park. See crocodiles, wild horses, and other wildlife in their natural habitat!

A proof of the diversity of the wildlife in Erldunda? We at Erldunda Roadhouse have an Emu Reserve right in our own backyard. Get up close and personal with these adorable birds. They’re so friendly, you might even get to take a selfie!

Get Going — Boat Race

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A boat race that happens on land? It exists. The Henley-on-Todd Regatta is an annual “boat” race held in the very dry, sandy bed of the Todd River in Alice Springs. The “boats” are made from metal frames and hung with banners and advertisements, and teams of “rowers” run their boats in races through the hot sand. “Rowers” also compete in washtubs, hamster wheels and modified trucks with flour bombs and water cannons aimed at their opponents, and at the (ostensibly laughing and shrieking) audience.

Erldunda has plenty to offer travelers of all sorts – it’s a place filled with surprises, if one knows where to look.

Erldunda Roadhouse is the perfect stay-in place for adventurers seeking to explore Erldunda and nearby places. The place is a convenient base for adventurers to wind down after a long day of travel. If you want to know more about the experiences that Erldunda has to offer, contact us. We’ll be more than happy to show you around!