The Funeral Insurance scam and camping.

camping

Isn’t it amazing that the latest scam involves getting children to sign up for funeral insurance with the weekly payments automatically deducted from welfare entitlements?

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/financial-scams-target-remote-nsw-aboriginal-towns-20141220-12bdme.html

Anyone who worries about what happens after you die, is lacking imagination. Gloria Jeans will not sell you anymore espressos nor will you have to worry about putting your socks on. It is baffling why anyone takes on funereal insurance. You can get buried for as little as $1000.-. I know that most advertise a funeral costing anything up from $ 3000.- to ‘the sky is the limit’, 😉  but let me give you that no one ever, was not buried. So, why people worry or even take out a  funeral/burial insurance is baffling. I bet people that persevered with the premiums have paid enough for a burial at Moscow’s Red Square with 110 canons.

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2014/jun/28/funeral-die-low-cost-options

Last Monday my brother had travelled with his VW tracker camping van to the South Coast at Bendalong. This is the place of some significance to the Oosterman clan. After our arrival in Australia, then growing up in Revesby, getting married (to the opposites sex.) We all subsequently ended up having children and then started to take our holidays at this Bendalong. No sooner could the babies breath and burb we would pack tents and head off to this idyllic unknown fishing village.  For years on end. We stopped when the area became a well known spot and the trickle of campers became a flood, especially at Christmas and Easter. Soon, the lawn mowers arrived and concreted lions appeared in front of the colour bond aluminium annexes. Open fires were banned. The camping had lost much of its charm but the kids also grew up and started to make their own lives, do their own camping. We haven’t camped since. It was a special era though! So many lovely memories.

Last Wednesday we met up with my brother who had his van parked inside the Bendalong camping ground. The grounds have many cottages and vans that can be rented from the shire. A manager runs the camp. There are still camping sites as well with water and power available. On arrival you have to get a special  permit number from the office that allows the boom-gate to be opened after entering the number into the electronic devise on a post, accessible through the car’s window. It did not work. Helvi went back to the office and was told to enter the hash tag. I had entered the hash-tag. It did not work! The manager came out and entered the number and hash-tags many times. It did not work. She then over-rode the device and the boom-gate finally opened. Such a relief and it was so hot.

We drove around and were pleased that the area is still green with many advanced eucalypts and she-oaks giving lovely shade. The Lantana has gone. There has been an upgrade in facilities, good flushing toilets and showers and no more need to  hand dig pits. My brother was waving from a distance  and we parked our car, took out our canvas folding chairs and in the shade just talked. One could still hear our children shouting but it was also quiet. So many years ago. A glass of wine in reflection.

After a few hours we said goodbye. The boom-gate would not let us out. Again the entering of the number followed by the hash-tag. Again the failure. The manager came out and she beeped the electronic device (again). The gate opened. We drove home through the Kangaroo Valley. It was lovely.

It is funny how quick life goes. Between burping babies and burial is life.

 

Tags: Bendalong, Kangaroo Valley, revesby, Sough Coast, VW