This Housetruck Shows How To Live Large In A Small Space...

Mike and Kay arrived at the Bedford Rally
in their very interesting Caboose styled
Bedford Housetruck.
It immediately had an audience of admirers
and we gathered around to watch the scenario unfold. Literally.
There were no smoke or mirrors, only some well designed and engineered features including gas struts to raise and lower the large outdoor deck area of 110 sq ft or 10 sq m.
The interior of The Caboose as the housetruck is called is 157 sq ft or 14 sq m giving a combined covered living area of 267 sq ft or 24 sq m.
Mike's late father John Hancock, an engineer, started the build on this 1981 TK Bedford with its lengthened flatbed in 1993 and by '95 it was complete and on the road.
These days it's often off the road being used as the family bach at a beautiful place called Papa Aroha meaning Land Of Love.
Or, when Mike and Kay have the urge for an adventure, somewhere else...

Beautiful Bamboo Homes Built In Bali...

Ibuku is a design and build team creating beautiful living spaces that exist  harmoniously with nature.
They've just completed three new homes in the now well established Green Village on Bali's sacred Ayung River.
The homes they build, using traditional construction techniques are fully functional and everything, everything, including the furniture is made from bamboo.
The versatility of this building medium allows for a floating, playful and lightweight structure that connects with nature but doesn't disrupt it.
A bamboo shoot left to grow with very little attention, can grow sufficiently robust to be used as a structural element in as little as three years. And it can last forever.
And forever's quite a long time...

Some Things Are Just Meant To Go Together...

Some things are just meant to go together.
Like bacon and eggs. Or peaches and cream.
Like a horse and a cart. Or a man and a dream.
Like a bucket and spade. A picnic and hamper.
Like this cute little car.
And matching wee camper...

Now You Can Freedom Camp In The Middle Of The City...

Here's some good news if freedom camping in a car park in the middle of the city is your idea of a great time.
And why wouldn't you want to.
Imagine the fun of it!
Freedom camping in a Stealth Tent.
Getting away from all those trees and green pastures and the wet cold sea water and that yucky golden sand and the sunshine that's so so bad for you.
Think of the fun you'll have with the asphalt under your bum, the fumes from the vehicles going past, the likelyhood of being run over by a bus or having your head butted by a car
parking next to you.
And getting out every hour or so and feeding the meter. And the road rage!
The thought of it all makes you glad to be alive.
And at night there's free food overflowing from the rubbish bins all around you.
I'm off to get a Stealth Car Tent...

Freedom Camping Doesn't Get Much Better Than This...

Ray's Rest, on the Shellbank at Kaiaua,
just a few metres from the waters edge
on The Firth Of Thames, is one of my favouritist places to freedom camp.
Others love it here too but it looks like
The Flying Tortoise had the squillion dollar beach front reserve all to itself last evening...

Look At The Wonderful Woodwork On This Bedford Housebus...

Carolyn and Keith arrived at the recent Bedford get-together in their immaculate 1971 Bedford Housebus named Gecko.
The buses' interior is rustic and warm but the piece de resistance is this stunning wooden steering wheel and dashboard detailing.
I don't covet much but they were very lucky to drive home with this wonderful wheel still attached to their steering column...

Rural Chinese Families Show Everything They Own...

Huang Qingjun has spent the last ten years travelling to many provinces in remote parts of China photographing families with their possessions.
It's interesting to look at what they have.
To some, they would possess a lot and to others, very little. There would be many who'd envy these folk having what they have.
And too, for what they don't have.
Downsizing is the catchword in the west these days. These Chinese folk have done that already without ever hearing about the concept.
These folk are probably not in debt either.
I wonder if they've ever heard of hire-purchase agreements.
Maybe they do feel hard-done-by.
Who would know.
Six out of the seven families have television.
Are they bombarded with cretinous advertising telling them they aren't good people or they're not having fun if they don't buy this or that?
They will never have heard of the Thoreau quote about success being not what you have but what you can enjoy living without.
And as for keeping up with the Joneses...

Beautiful Bedford Housebuses And Housetrucks On Show...

Despite the gloomy weather forecast and the less than bright economic conditions, with recently increased road user charges acting as a deterrent to driving long distances, twenty five Bedfords brought their owners to Lance Cryer's Bedford Heaven for the fourth annual and very successful Bedford Rally.
Instead of the the wet and slippery ground conditions distracting from the weekend, it added to the fun as nearly all the buses required towing in or out of their parking areas.
There was plenty of sunshine though and the local Farmer's Market and other businesses benefited by us being there.
Saturday night the local Thames group, Ukes On Fire entertained everyone as they sat under the stars and around the fires.
The weekend was great fun for everyone.
You probably wish you were there...