Most caravan parks are created to be a safe environment for families – they typically consist of fenced areas with security boom gates. Some also employ a security guard for after-hours protection.

For added caravan park safety, keep the following in mind:

• Lock up your valuables: When you leave your tent or caravan, make sure you lock the doors and store your valuables somewhere in a safe or secured compartment. Leaving them out in the open puts them at risk of theft. If you are worried you can always carry valuables on you, or store them in the glove box of a locked car.
• Stick to the speed limit: Most caravan parks will impose a speed limit on the roads surrounding the site. This is for the safety of guests, particularly children, who are likely to be playing on the roads. Try to advise your children to stay off the roads after dark when visibility can be an issue.
• Install a sensor light: Having a light on the outside of your caravan that switches on automatically when it detects movement can help deter intruders at night.

For information on storing valuables in your caravan, click here.

Image has been supplied courtesy of Caravanning Queensland.

When choosing a caravan to accommodate children, there are a few extra things you may need to consider:

• Look for caravans that have bunk beds or a couch that is able to transform into a sleeping area. This can be a safer, warmer and more comfortable sleeping option than air mattresses set up in an annexe.
• Consider how much storage space the van permits – the more cupboards and storage spaces included in the caravan, the more luggage you will be able to take away with you. Things such as extra toiletries, clothing and games for the children can take up a lot of extra space.
• If you have very young children, you may need to choose a caravan with cupboards that can be locked.
• A caravan with its own bathroom can make it easier and safer for the children if they need to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. An internal bathroom will save them having to wake you up to walk them to the communal facilities.
• Family-sized caravans are generally larger than regular caravans and, as such, you may also need a larger vehicle to tow the caravan.

For tips on buying a used caravan, click here.

Maintaining a jockey wheel doesn’t require a great deal of work, and the task can be included on a checklist of annual maintenance.

The first thing to check is that the jockey wheel is not beginning to rust or corrode. If there is excessive rust damage, you may need to consider purchasing a new jockey wheel.

The second thing to look at is the tyre. Ensure that the tyre’s tread has not worn and that the tyre is properly inflated.

The final thing to check is that the jockey wheel is winding up and down smoothly. If not, the mechanism may need a clean and a bit of lubrication. If this does not help, the bearing may need to be replaced.

Click here for other caravan maintenance tips.

There are a number of ways that caravanners could potentially earn money whilst on the road. Here are some suggestions of how you can earn some extra cash during your trip:

• Many office-based jobs can be done remotely and this is something that you could discuss with your employer. Roles involving design, software development, data entry and accounting are examples of jobs that could be performed away from the office. Websites such as Worldwide Work at Home can help travellers find non-office-based roles. In these circumstances, a regular internet connection would be necessary.
• Tradespeople, such as plumbers and electricians, can use the internet to find stints of work whilst on the road. This may mean staying in one place for a period of time, but contract-based work can be very financially rewarding.
• Local markets provide a space for craft-inclined people to sell their wares. Travelling can provide lots of time for knitting and other crafts, and you could try selling products at local markets. This may not generate a great deal of income, but it could help increase your budget.

Whether you are looking to make a good income, or simply earn some extra money, a little creativity and flexibility can help you finance your travels.

I’ve Been Working on the Railway explores the contribution these key cultural groups made to the development of rail across Australia since the early 1900s.

Throughout the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, it was a common scene to find Torres Strait Islanders, Aboriginal people and Australian South Sea Islanders working on large-scale developments of rail infrastructure in Australia, according to The Workshops Rail Museum Director Andrew Moritz.

“Through stories, objects, music, video and photographs, the exhibition uncovers little-known railway stories of camp life, the hardships, the separation from land, islands and families, and the opportunities and challenges of working on the railway,” he said.

“The exhibition also explores the experiences of the many families who were left behind and continued life with their husbands or fathers far away.”

Mr Moritz said the exhibition also showed the significant achievements of the workers. For example, in 1968 a gang of predominately Torres Strait men set a World Track Laying record by laying 7.25 km of track in just 11 hours and 40 minutes.

I’ve Been Working on the Railway is on display at The Workshops Rail Museum until August 19, 2012.

For ticket prices or further information, please contact The Workshops Rail Museum on (07) 3432 5100 or click here.

More than 50,000 children, parents and carers are expected to participate in the festival, which will be held from June 12-17 at the Cultural Centre at South Bank, Brisbane.

This year is the National Year of Reading and as an official partner of this initiative, QPAC has developed the entire festival program around the arts and cultural literacy.

Tailored for children aged eight years and under, the festival will this year will bring four children’s books to life as part of the performance program, including the book The Flying Orchestra by Queensland author Clare McFadden.

Out of the Box 2012 features an exciting program of free and ticketed events, including theatre performances, an interactive workshop program, outdoor events for families, and a symposium fostering conversations enquiring into early childhood learning.

RACQ members can purchase a family pass of four tickets to two shows during the Out of the Box Festival for Children for the discounted rate of $80 per show. Terms and Conditions apply.

Click here for details.

The study compared the effect of 1g/day of healthy omega-3 fats from fresh salmon and fish oil capsules on an ‘omega-3 index’ and heart disease risk factors.

Both fish and fish oil capsules increased the ‘omega-3 index’ to the level thought to be linked with a lower risk of dying from heart disease. And eating fish, but not fish oil capsules, was also linked with a marked reduction in blood pressure.

Associate Professor Catherine Itsiopoulos, an Accredited Practising Dietitian, said the study showed that fish intake may have additional heart health benefits over fish oil for people with heart disease.

“Fish is a whole food, so as well as omega-3 fats it has other beneficial nutrients such as taurine and selenium,” she said.

“And it may be that eating fish replaces other less healthy foods, meaning a better diet overall.”

Eleven patients with heart disease, recruited from St Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne, took part in the study. Participants were mostly working-age males with no smoking history and a moderate alcohol intake.

They either took two fish oil capsules six days a week, or ate two 150g serves of fresh Atlantic salmon per week, over twelve weeks. They then had a ‘wash-out’ period where they went back to their usual diet and didn’t take supplements, before swapping across to the other treatment for a further 12 weeks.

Associate Professor Itsiopoulos recommends following these tips to increase your omega-3 intake through diet:

• Eat two to three meals per week of oily fish (such as salmon, sardines, mackerel or tuna).
• Choose omega-3 enriched eggs.
• Use canola oil for cooking, flaxseed oil for making dressings and mayonnaise, and extra-virgin olive oil for dipping, sprinkling and tossing onto vegetables and salads.
• Use canola margarine as a spread or in baking.
• Switch to omega-3 enriched wholemeal bread.
• Try ground flaxseed (flaxseed meal) as a topping on breakfast cereal.
• Use lean cuts of meat (beef or lamb).

Click here for more information on diets.

More than 30 gardening experts, including Garden Guru Phil Dudman, will present free lectures and demonstrations while 360 exhibitors will showcase the latest in plants, tools, products and accessories.

Two of the expos most popular displays – the Giant Kitchen Garden and the Sunshine Coast Council’s Living Backyard – will return this year in response to the growing demand for organic gardening.

“Gardening is a popular hobby across all ages as there’s a certain satisfaction in growing things, either to eat or to create a more pleasant environment,” 2012 Queensland Garden Expo organiser Marion Beazley said.

“I think people come back every year as they always learn something new and see things they haven’t seen before.”

Full-size gardens create the centrepiece of the expo, while seven stages host lectures, demonstrations and free workshops. Plant exhibitors will have almost 40,000 plants for sale daily.

Entertainment, food stalls and a free children’s playground ensure a fun day for all the family.

The 2012 Queensland Garden Expo will be held at the Nambour Showgrounds, Coronation Avenue, Nambour.

For ticket prices and details click here. 

AMA Queensland President Dr Richard Kidd said the aim of the initiative is to help Queenslanders tell if someone isn’t coping by providing a practical checklist of common symptoms.

“We also want to make sure people know their GP is there to help,” he said.

The seven signs identified by AMA Queensland to help indicate whether a person is having difficulty are:

• Complaints of continued poor sleep with ongoing nightmares.
• Observations a person is easily overwhelmed, tearful or fragile.
• The use of drugs or alcohol to suppress intense emotions or to try and achieve sleep.
• A pattern of withdrawing from family and friends and not engaging in day to day discussions that generally allow people to slowly debrief.
• Problems performing at work such as struggling to concentrate on the job at hand.
• Startling easily and declining invitations for social engagements and other usually pleasurable activities.
• Increased or unreasonable irritability with family, workmates or friends.

For more information click here. 

Just like the wine community, passionate aficionados can now study and explore the flavours of the caffeine drink, through a coffee masterclass.

These classes are held by many roasteries, as well as some cafes, and were created as an attempt to educate the masses on coffee tasting and roasting. An average coffee masterclass will teach milk-pouring techniques and how to create your own perfect blend, as well as information on sourcing beans and the factory processes that take it from field to cup.

The cupping method of tasting will also be a component of the class – this involves the exploration of fragrance, aroma and taste in different blends. The class will reveal how differences are created as a result of the origin of the bean, as well as the techniques used to process and produce the coffee. This could include being taught to determine different levels of acidity, sweetness and body, as well as the effects of different roasting choices and when a defect is present.

For a guide to making your own cappuccinos, click here.