Housetrucking down under down under

Discussions about all things to do with buses, trucks, and the homes made within them.

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stunz
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Housetrucking down under down under

Post by stunz »

Hi all you housetruckers and housebussers of the the good ol US of A.

This is just a note to let you know that housetrucking in NZ is still alive and well. You may have noticed that stu.co.nz doesn't host the htnz or housetrucksnz info anymore, this has been moved to its own domain name, www.htnz.co.nz while I set up stu.co.nz for my own professional services.

The good thing is www.htnz.co.nz is more informative and more housetruck and housebus focussed, and won't be peppered with my own diatribe, rants or invective about everything mundane. (though i reckon that was the meat in the sandwich, eh? :)

So, make sure you vist and comment on what you feel needs commenting on.

You may have heard that the Tinkers and Traders have gone into hibernation mode, and an offshoot, Gypsy Travellers, was born and is currently touring the South Island of Gods Zone.

For them that are interested, I went to the Gypsy Fair the last time they were here in Wellywood, (the greatest capital of the world, home of the One Ring), and it seems they are growing.

Last year, there were only half as many buses and trucks as there were this year. Check out my gallery at HTNZ for the latest pics. (I use WordPress for htnz.co.nz, and it could be a little slow, so I apologise. Looking for a decent caching plugin if anyone is knowledgeable?)

BTW, currently getting a taste of USA as a friend is home from college for a break (from Idaho) and she says the weather here is wonderful. :D :D Sunshine and stuff, eh :) Reckons she hasn't been outside for three weeks over there...

Anyway, make sure you keep warm and safe and drive safely!

Stu
To err is human. I like to err. Therefore, I am human...I build and host websites as well...www.hostingnz.co.nz
Sharkey
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Post by Sharkey »

Hello Stu, good to hear from you!

I noticed the HTNZ referrals in my logs a week, but haven't taken the time to follow up and find out what it was about. I'll cruise in and have a look about.

So T&T, Gypsy Fair, etal are still up and running? Are there any web sites for these groups? I still get email inquires from Kiwis interested in finding the various fairs, but can never help them by pointing them to a site for more information. If you could post an itinerary for he travelling fairs, I could post a link to it.

I'm supposing that you'd like the address in the "Links" page here to point at the new site?

Come visit more often!

-S
Sharkey
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Post by Sharkey »

Knocking about the HTNZ site, and I just had to post this image for TMAX:

Image

A Morris Minor Housetruck!
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Dennis The Bus Dweller
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Post by Dennis The Bus Dweller »

I love the NZ sites but im such a nosie sob, I'd really like to see the interior pic's of some of those rig :shock:
Peace along the way
Dennis the bus dweller N.Y.
TMAX
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Housetrucking down under down under

Post by TMAX »

Whoa Nellie, I'd like to say 948 ccs of road burning fury (0 to 60 mph in 28 seconds without the attached apartment), but this one is a split window model. Either a side valve (flat head) or an earlier version overhead valve (don't remember the size, except it was smaller). Good times..

TMAX
stunz
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Post by stunz »

hi all, yea, well the HTNZ site is pretty much it for the housetrucking information site of NZ. Its only a few weeks old and is already generating 40 to 50 new visits a day...I guess that'll drop down over time. I try to get the bussers and gypsies to update with information and so on, but have never had much luck. The site is there if they want to use it for info.

Regarding itineraries. For some reason the groups in NZ just don't let anyone know where they're going to be at any point in the future. At least not until they get there. Then they tend to rely on flyers and hoardings around the place they are visiting to generate interest.

I have tried and tried and tried to get the groups to give up the itineraries, but no-one is coughing up. Except for the new group, The Gypsy Travellers. These guys seem to be a lot less anal about there plans for shows and fairs. I had the privelege of spending a few hours with Wally and co a few weeks ago. Knocked back some brewskis, heard some grand old tales. It was lots a fun. I wish these guys all the success they deserve. They'll be sticking to the North Island for the forseeable future and are currently in the Bay of Islands.

The Tinkers and Traders? Your guess is as good as mine. AFAIK, they are in limbo pending further notice. I'll keep my ears peeled.

As far as I can see the Gypsy Fair is still going strong, there seems to be a lot more members. The majority of them are now touring the South Island. Since their site was attacked by that Turkish hacker, they haven't bothered replacing it. I've offered to host it for them for a mere pittance of what they were being charged originally. But hey! they obviously have other ideas. The GF have an itinerary of sorts, but it doesn't have dates on it, and locations are only general. Just the towns or cities, not the exact location.

I don't know why there are issues around letting the general public know in advance of there whereabouts, but I think it has to do with territory. It has been rumoured that with advance knowledge, some groups apparently arrive at a destination days ahead of the group that had booked the site legitimately and take it over as their booking. But that is only a rumour.

Interior pics are a good idea, and it has been floated before. Now I have a site dedicated to the housetruckers of NZ (and the world) I'll be readdressing some of these extras.

Me. I still live in a house on a hill, commuting 80k's everyday as a wage slave. I'd love to fill the site with great stories and epic journeys, but that will have to wait for the interim. More than happy for others to share theirs though eh?

BTW, yes Mr Sharkey :). If you could update the link, that would be grand. I get a lot of referrals from this site...and, well, mrsharkey.com IS the Net's largest compendium of information relating to House Buses and House Trucks, is it not???
To err is human. I like to err. Therefore, I am human...I build and host websites as well...www.hostingnz.co.nz
Sharkey
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Post by Sharkey »

stunz wrote:mrsharkey.com IS the Net's largest compendium of information relating to House Buses and House Trucks, is it not???
Yes, that and a brown paper bag will get you a five cent credit next time you buy groceries.

For the last four or five months, it is certainly the most fussed over compendium of any sort on the internet. I'm still finding little bits that need attention, and since I can't leave the PHP code alone, every time the software gets updated, I have to go back and fiddle with it all over again.

Pity that crafts fairs can't be more "fair" about posing itineraries. I can't see how they expect to get anyone to show up to buy goods if they don't know where or when the fair will be in town. Maybe this is a job for those spy satellites in the sky. Get Google Earth to follow the caravan across the island, then alert the populace along the way!

Did I read on your site that the fairs are all full of imported junk now? I thought that hand-crafted was the rule? Oh, I get it, hand-crafted in China...
stunz
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Post by stunz »

yea, look, not to detract from folk trying to earn an honest living in between fruit picking seasons and such, but half the stuff you find on the tables now you can find at the 1-2-3 dollar shop.

There are the occasional gems for sure, and the live entertainment is always worth a gold coin or two, but some of the "hand-made" stuff being sold is actually made in China or Taiwan.

To be fair, its hard enough to make a sale as it is. Even harder when no-one actually knows you are in town. And importing goods from China is relatively cheap to do in bulk. The trade-off is everyone will just walk through the fairs now looking, and not actually buying. Especially as its stuff you can pick up at The Wharehou.

Meh! What can you do? I spend money at the fairs when they are in town, but only on interesting stuff. Especially hand-made stuff.
To err is human. I like to err. Therefore, I am human...I build and host websites as well...www.hostingnz.co.nz
Pippa

Post by Pippa »

Hi Stu, great site! Your other site was good, but this one has heaps more info and pics :)

My partner and I are planning to start building a bus this year, so it is good to see more info available, especially from New Zealand. So much going on here, but so little available information....

It is sad to hear the Tinkers and Traders is on hold. They did seem to try harder to have handcrafted products. I only go to the Gypsy Fair to look at the buses and trucks now, there is nothing special there to buy anymore.

Handcrafted is pretty important to me cos I'm a bookbinder and would like to be able to sell handmade books at the fairs when we get set up, but quality stuff doesn't seem to sell next to cheap stuff :(

I ran into a blacksmith who I think used to travel with the Gypsy Fair but now does individual craft shows etc cos he couldn't compete with the imported junk. I Also found a few stories on the net about crafts people who started doing the fairs but couldn't make enough money and quit, but everyone I talk to says they don't really like going to the fairs anymore cos it is all the same as you can find in town, so I dunno?


I wonder if the Tinkers and Traders is on hold because a lot of their members have gone back to the Gypsy Fair? I know the guy with the ponies did and I heard that the management of the gypsy fair has relaxed a bit.... and they do advertise better. I always find it to be pure luck when I get to see the Tinkers and Traders because there is no advertising at all unless you see a bus or truck with the dates and place written on the back or go past where it is on, on the day.

I had heard of the Gypsy travellers but didn't get to see them when they were in town a month or so ago. Are they trying to have better quality/handcrafted/different stuff?
Seth

Post by Seth »

I tend to stay away from the dollar stores anyway, unless I want cheap cleaning products or consumable household stuff. Nobody needs any more cheap, imported plastic shit (except a steady supply of sunglasses is good ;). The world is full of it.

I really hope the gypsy fair stays alive for a long time to come.
I don't buy much from them because I'm picky and like to travel light but I got a lot of great pics of the traders, trucks and their dogs too so I'll be sharing those when I get my film developed.

It's pretty interesting to meet them as they're all really great, friendly people. I see people buying the kids wooden toys or icecreams and taking pictures. Those are the kind of things childhood memories should be made of, not trips to a cheapass dollar store.
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