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Grey Nomads of no fixed address

March 18, 2019 — BarryK

In Australia we have a phenomenon known as "the grey nomads", retired couples or individuals, who have taken to the road with caravan, motorhome or campervan, periodically or permanently.

The "permanent" category is very interesting. These are people who have sold their house, or maybe have rented it out, and are on-the-road indefinitely.

Grey nomads even have their own websites and forums, such as this one:

http://www.thegreynomads.com.au/

Those who no longer have a permanent address, have issues with the authorities. The Australian Electoral Commission recognizes "itinerant voters", so voting in Federal and State elections is not a problem -- they just use your last residential address as your location for State elections.

However, the driver's license does require a fixed address, as does vehicle insurance. There is a lot of discussion on the forums as to what to do about this, and most people use a son or daughter's address, or a friend.

One complication is that you have to keep moving. If residing in a State for more than three months, it is required to have the vehicles re-registered in that State. Apparently, the police do actually check that, if they pull you over for whatever reason.

Another possibility is to find a caravan park with very cheap permanent rate. So you pay for it even when not there. That way, you have a permanent address for mail and to come back to. There are some caravan parks that cater to this and charge less while you are away.

This is tempting. I am currently "between houses". Sold my place in the countryside several years ago, now living at a relative's house. Was planning to buy a place in a country town, but hey, no rush, this permanent grey nomad gig might be worth a try. 

Thinking of that 9ft Euro Glider caravan, what a challenge it will be to reduce all belongings down to fit in that van! 

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