4 | On my mind
All Change…
T
he old adage about change being the only constant is certainly true. This month marks the end of another financial year and, it has been decided, our New Zealand magazine. Not that the magazine wasn’t paying its way or we didn’t enjoy the NZ motorhome scene; the decision is based on the reality of our small team’s limited time and resources. The good news is this doesn’t mark the end of our New Zealand coverage. From July we relaunch this magazine as a properly combined Australian and New Zealand issue, and your input on the new name is welcome. iMotorhome Australasia is technically correct, given Australasia officially encompasses Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea and some Pacific Islands (and actually has nothing to do with Asia). But does it sound too Asian? iMotorhome Australia and New Zealand is the obvious alternative, or do we just leave it as iMotorhome? Your thoughts and suggestions please! Our newfound time freedom will enable proper updating and development of the long-neglected iMotorhome website. We’ll still be bringing you our between-issue email, plus I’ll have time to regularly hit the road in Polly, our project motorhome (in case you’re a new reader). Speaking of Polly, she has been out of sight of these pages for some months now, but not out of our minds. A perfect storm of pre-Route 66 dual magazine work load, the tour itself, subsequent travel and general time constraints have worked against us, but that’s about to change. We used out time overseas to send Polly to reform school in Brisbane – aka Southern Spirit Campervans. There, Pia and Olli undertook some much-needed repairs and added a few extras. Now home and cooling her Firestones
on the driveway, she’s like a new motorhome. Well, almost. Importantly, Polly is set to go and at last will really start earning her keep. Mrs iM and I will also have time to finish off some DIY jobs and from next issue our regular Project Polly instalments will return. Watch out for them! Last weekend, Malcolm, Agnes and I were deep in our first editorial meeting for months. There was much to discuss and we sat at one end of our usual boardroom table – a shared bench in a suburban Sydney McDonalds. The place was abuzz with football mums, dads and kids jostling for treats and coffee, while outside, the carpark was overflowing. All of a sudden a stylish woman approached us. She said she loved the magazine and had seen Polly in the car park and had stopped to say hello! The three of us were surprised and delighted, but sadly in our hurried introductions and subsequent return to matters at hand, none can remember her name. To you Dianne/Annette/Insert name Here, we thank you for taking the time to stop and say hello. It means a lot and we’ll continue to do our best to bring you an interesting and engaging magazine as the new financial year unfolds. P.S. The planned Jayco and Minnie Winnie reviews for this issue have been put back by the unexpected release of new models from Horizon (reviewed this issue) and Avida (reviewed next issue).
Richard