Murchison River Swags in Geraldton, Western Australia | Shopping & retail

Murchison River Swags

Locality: Geraldton, Western Australia

Phone: +61 427 702 606

Address: 906 Chapman Road, Glenfield 6532 Geraldton, WA, Australia

Website: http://www.murchisonriverswags.com

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25.01.2022 This week, our daughter Laura sent this message at midnight ..... Man's just walked into our camp saying his bogged.. were driving him to his bog, in case something bad happens. So this is what happened....... Laura and hubby decided to have a little date night up the beach. The weather was lovely so they grabbed their swag and a bottle of red. Had a campfire and chilled out for a bit. Kids were at Grandmas, so enjoying the quiet time. Sleeping soundly in their swag to the sound of lapping waves when suddenly, their dogToby starts to bark loudly. A man is walking up the beach towards them. Apparently, he’s been walking for over an hour to find help as he’s been bogged further up the beach for over 3 hours. He tells them he’s left his wife and a couple of kids in the car. Well, I can just imagine what a Laura was thinking..... is this guy for real or a Mad Mick from Wolf Creek?? Anyway, they drove him back to his vehicle which was a fair way back up the beach, towed him out and he was very grateful and apologetic. Back at camp and it’s about 2am now. Decided to roll the swag and come home. Here’s a couple of happy snaps before it went a bit pear shaped!

24.01.2022 Well I haven’t been able to access my Facebook page all day?? Weird, anyway, I turned my phone off and then on and now it’s working!! So, still no word from our WINNER and someone suggested we put the name up and try and find them.... If anyone know someone named ERIC who entered our competition, please let them know they have until 4pm today, MOTHER’S DAY to get in touch or we will redraw! At this stage all I have is an email address to go. We have over 11,500 entries, so I guess lots of people hoping we can’t find him! ERIC maybe surname starts with B get in touch ASAP 0427702606!

23.01.2022 So funny.... I asked John to take a photo of me the other day. We’re down south and have been doing a bit of hiking on the various trails in the area. When I checked through the photos later, I realised he had missed me and taken a photo of the granite rock we were standing on instead It’s his birthday today! He is 66, so maybe he’s losing it . Not really, just crap at photos and technology in general.... Lucky he’s awesome at a lot of other things including making the best swags going! Anyway, as the holidays progress, his photography skills are too. Here’s a couple of holiday snaps. Cheers and chat soon, will post a swag rolling video soon for all the new swag owners. Gabrielle and the birthday boy John (not ready for retirement yet) Happy New Year everyone!

23.01.2022 The power is off all day today due to replacing power poles in our street. My phones battery is nearly dead so I’d better make this quick Big day today wrapping swags ready to stencil names on and wrap ready for posting all over not only Australia but one heading to Albuquerque USA and our very first King Brown Swag off to Germany! ... Pretty sure all these swags and lovely Brown Cow design Travel Bag are presents to self !!! Sorry folks, we are unable to fit any more swags on the whiteboard for the next few months, but, if you missed out this year, you are welcome to order a Murchison River Gift Voucher from our online store and I will get some nice ones printed up and post to you in time to pop in a card under your Xmas tree Click here to order your loved ones GIFT CARD or to order a swag (currently booked out till March 2021) www.murchisonriverswags.com

22.01.2022 I love being part of a conspiracy Dear Gabrielle and John Just wanted to say a big thank you for our new Double Deluxe Swag.... Derek has the King Brown and I thought as a surprise I would get him this new one so I can share in the fun. We are super excited to try it out and it’s extra special as we have just found out we are to be first time grandparents and I thought it would be special to mark the occasion by having our grandparent names stencilled on the swag. It will mark a new chapter in our lives and a great way to see out 2020 (not the best year ) and make 2021 a year of celebrations and new adventures. Thanks so much for creating this for us - can’t wait to use it. Kind Regards Jodie Durden So thankful to all our lovely customers who share their photos of when their loved ones when they receive their new swags. I remember when Derek ordered a couple of King Brown swags for him and his best mates a while back, so it was nice to see his surprise when his wife organised a Deluxe Double swag so she could share in the fun too! Cheers folks and hope you have many happy camping adventures ahead! No doubt we will be receiving an order for a baby bear swag in the new future Gabrielle and John, swag makers to generations of Murchison River Swag owners! www.murchisonriverswags.com or if you need to layby for next year or next Xmas (don’t laugh you know how quickly this year booked out) email me at [email protected]

21.01.2022 I’ve been a bit quiet of late as we’re flat out getting November’s swags rolled and wrapped and in the post. We are actually ahead of schedule which is amazing! Really want to make sure that all the swags arrive in time for Xmas (Australia Post is extremely busy this time of year) as I know quite a few of them are going to be used on camping trips over the holidays! ... Paddy popped into the workshop today with his old ‘Supersize’swag. He worked out that it is actually just over 27 years old. He received it for his 21st Birthday and it’s still going strong! In the old days we used to use plastic side release buckles, they were military grade, but can still crack, especially if you accidentally step on them on hard ground. (Won’t break if clipped together though). Anyway, we’ll pop on a couple of new 38mm webbing straps and some heavy gauge stainless steel D rings, patch a couple of holes and she’ll be good to go for another 27 years maybe..... Paddy was very impressed by how well it’s stood the test of time as its had a pretty decent workout! Cheers folks and chat soon. Gabrielle and John making quality traditional swags that are not only a great design but made to last a lifetime or two! All swags come with a pretty awesome 10 YEAR WARRANTY and FREE NAME & NUMBER STENCILLING! www.murchisonriverswags.com

21.01.2022 About four years ago when this lady ordered her Stockmans swag, I had no idea how famous she was. Sarah Glover is an internationally renowned chef and explorer who has travelled the world in search of epic food and wild adventures. She is an author of quite a few books and described as a chef, pastry, fire, barbecue, hunter/gatherer and wild adventurer.... And with over 57,000 followers on her Instagram page, it’s no wonder that our little business is booked out because every now and again she tags us in a photo with her Murchison River swag proudly on display! ALMOST SOLD OUT FOR 2021!!! Ok, I’m not 100% sure why, but we have had a really big run on swag orders the last couple of weeks and right now I’m just about to close off orders on the website for this year! After counting up all the orders and lay-bys we can only fit in about 10 more swags and that’s it till 2022. So, just to let you know, if you’ve been in touch and ordered a swag but haven’t confirmed with a payment, get your skates on!!!! And if, you really need an amazing swag for yourself or the best Xmas present ever, call now 0427702606 to get your name on the whiteboard! Cheers folks and thanks to everyone including Sarah, who puts a good word in for our humble little business making the best swags in Australia for nearly 40 years! Right now, it’s heads down and bums up for the next 6 months as we will be flat strap cutting and sewing as fast as we can to make sure all swags and bags arrive in time for your camping trips, birthdays and Santa GIFT VOUCHERS are available if you missed out this year or if you want to get on next years whiteboard click here www.murchisonriverswags.com

20.01.2022 So nice to hear people are searching for real Australian made traditional swags and how happy they are when they manage to find us..... sometimes it’s takes a fair bit of googling or reading various forums. Seems our Murchison River swags are highly thought of and are sought after especially by the guys and girls on the land who actually need their swags for work and often live many months of the year in them. They need a decent quality swag without the bells and whistles, h...ard wearing Australian made military grade canvas that will stand up to a few knocks, quality zips that’s aren’t going to break whilst they’re out in the Bush a long way from anywhere and most of all a comfortable mattress! After a long day in the saddle, I’m sure it is much appreciated!!! When we make our mattresses, even though they take a fair bit of time and effort and are a bit harder to roll, the comfort level is unsurpassed in swags! Unfortunately, we get a lot of enquires from people wanting to know if we will make them one of our Ultra Deluxe mattresses for their swags?? No, sorry, as we can’t keep up to demand with our own swags as we are currently booked out till March next year now! A couple of lovely emails this week from folk wanting to order their forever swags and jump on the whiteboard for 2021. I found your website while searching high and low for a good ol Aussie swag like I had when we were kids growing up on a sheep and cattle farm at the end of the line in western Queensland. Our old trusty dirty swags saved us so many times with our work and just in general. Unfortunately, these are too small now and have been handed down so I’m looking to replace ours. So super excited to find your Australian owned family business!!! Thank you so much for keeping your small business all Australian made and renewing, I’m sure not only mine, but your other customers faith in good old Aussie quality, from a family owned and operated family!. Congrats on an amazing product and can’t wait to hear from you, noting you’re busy. Cheers Kerrie O How lovely and a couple of King Brown swags including our Ultra Deluxe mattress heading Queensland way soon! You can jump online and order your own forever swag. Just click the link below or if you prefer to layby one and pay off over a couple of months email me [email protected] FREE name and phone number stencilling and an amazing 10 YEAR WARRANTY! www.murchisonriverswags.com

20.01.2022 Some days are a bit of a blur! I was checking my photos this morning to tell you about yesterday and found these photos! Well, we actually got lots of works done and managed to cross a few more off the whiteboard.... 3 Stockmans swags heading to Bondi in time for kids holidays I hope, another Stockmans off to a young fella for his 21st birthday , a King Brown Swag is on it’s way to the Territory for a young bloke from Victoria working on a cattle station. Also, a couple of lovely travel bags heading to QLD for birthday gifts and one heading down to Perth for a repeat customer who contacted me in January and said just pop his order on the wait list, no rush... sorry it’s taken so long Joel. It’s been a hectic year for us, everyone seems to be wanting to wonder out yonder, and at times it’s a bit tricky trying to keep up with orders. Currently, I reckon we are booked out till about March. Not a bad problem to have, but I do feel bad when people have to wait so long for their swag or bag. Funny thing happened this week, a local chap popped in to pay for his new King Brown Swag and matching Travel Bag. He already has one of our original Supersize swags and a bag that we made him nearly 30 years ago. He said he just wanted to get some more of our gear before we retire or pop off the perch And thanks to Steve for sending us this great photo from the back of Bourke. Hi guys it’s been a year now and the swag is awesome. Currently spending a week touring Northwest New South Wales. Shot taken on Mount Oxley just outside Burke. All the best! Steve Thomson Anyway, hope today is as productive and new sewing machine is going well! Cheers Gabrielle and John Andrews, Swag makers in Geraldton WA for nearly 40 years! www.murchisonriverswags.com

20.01.2022 How much water do you need? When John and I did some survivals walks with bush survival expert Bob Cooper Outback Survival, water was the most important consideration! We actually walked over 200km over 10 days without any food whatsoever.... ... We survived, but we wouldn’t have if we didn’t have access to water points along the trek! Some of it was pretty disgusting but it kept us alive. It was actually a lot harder sleeping on the ground at night without any bedding.... think cold, Murchison outback winter nights.... as close to our small campfire as we could get! But boy oh boy, when we finished and had showered off 10 days of red dirt and eaten something..... sleeping in our swags was like laying in a heavenly cloud! Best sleep ever!!

20.01.2022 BIG BOYS NEED BIG SWAGS!!! Over the years we’ve had lots of enquires like this do you make extra large swags, I’m a pretty big fella and I’ve grown out of my old one? Our King Browns swag seems to fit the bill pretty nicely at 7ft or 2.1m long and approx 1m wide!... Because it has big 350mm borders and zips on both sides, it makes it extra roomy inside.... pretty handy for sharing now and again and plenty of room to roll over without the whole swag rolling over with you! Teamed up with our super dooper Ultra Deluxe mattress and it’s the ducks nuts as far as traditional swags go with unsurpassed quality. Often it’s a bit tricky when choosing swags for kids as our swags are forever swags and littlies don’t stay little for very long. Also, if your thinking of getting a cheap swag for them whilst they’re young and getting a decent one later on, just be aware that most imported canvas comes from India or Pakistan and they use formaldehyde (which is a known carcinogen) in their rot proofing treatment. This chemical is actually banned in Australian manufacturing which is why we use the only truly Australian made military grade canvas which is waterproof, rot and mildew resistant and perfect for our heavy duty swags! Handcrafted by just John and I here in Geraldton WA for nearly 40 years. All swags come with free name and number stencilling and an awesome 10 year warranty!!! So if you want to jump on our 2021 whiteboard you can order yours for next February/March here www.murchisonriverswags.com or email enquires welcome [email protected]

19.01.2022 So happy to get this text yesterday from Chad.... Hey I got my swag came on the mail plane other day.. thanks very much! You see what happened was we posted Chad’s King Brown swag on 1st October to a station up in the Gulf Country in Far North Queensland. ... It’s was addressed to Wrotham Park Station, PMB (Post Mail Box?) Cairns Mailbag and for some unknown reason the mail plane dropped it off at Balurga Station??? Not exactly sure how far away these stations are, but I would think in that county, a long way as Balurga Station, which in on the Cape York Peninsula is 117,000 hectares!! Anyway, luckily the owner of this Station Mariette Price rang me and told me that a swag had turned up and she didn’t have any workers there named Chad... I explained that he worked on Wrotham Park Station and she said she would put it on the next mail plane....they only get mail once a week. In the meantime I tried texting and ringing Chad quite a few times to let him know what was going on..... but not much phone reception up that way! Only took about 5 or 6 weeks to get there but just so happy it arrived at all! Thanks Mariette, appreciate your honesty!

19.01.2022 Oh I’ve got some EXCITING NEWS today!!! Over the past few months, I’ve been chatting to Fiona about her new business called @Swagpocketz (not sure if I’ve tagged it correctly)?? Anyway, Fiona and her family have been camping in swags for many years and it was always a bug bear about the bedding not working out that well in the swags with sheets not fitting or riding up in the night etc., so she set to and actually designed some bloody awesome fitted sheets especially made for... swags!! How cool is that? And even cooler is the fact that she is going to run her first ever FATHERS DAY COMPETITION and guess what the prize is?? One of our awesome KING BROWN SWAGS including our super dooper ULTRA DELUXE MATTRESS and a set of her amazing fitted sheets that actually fit the King Brown perfectly..but wait there’s more.. no, not a set of steak knives, but a beautiful AUSTRALIAN WOOL extra long BLANKET (our swags are 7ft long) from another Australian company Saul Swags - Genuine Australian-made Camping Swags. So, stay tuned folks and as soon as I find out the competition details, I’ll pass them on.. Oh, and how do I know how good they are? Fiona sent us a demo set to see what we thought. Check out this little video of John and I when we opened them up for the first time and gave them a trial run..it’s a big thumbs up from us! Heaps of room to turn around in and making up your swag bed just become a whole lot easier! Ok chat soon Gabrielle and John, making Australian traditional swags for nearly 40 years here www.murchisonriverswags.com and Swag Pocketz Australia just starting out

19.01.2022 Hi folks, quick catch up before we sign off for our holidays.... we headed down to the big smoke (Perth) and on the way dropped off one final King Brown swag to a happy chappy in Dongara. We finally managed to get to Rottnest Island yesterday, which was as beautiful as I thought it would be! It’s been on my bucket list for nearly 40 years, ever since we moved to Western Australia, and we were booked to go earlier this year for my 60th birthday when Covid waylaid our plans... as they turned it into a quarantine island for all the passengers from the cruise ships! Anyway, it was a really hot day, we scimped on the cycling around bit, and caught the bus instead, jumping on and off for a swim in the various pristine bays. Got to pat a quokka as well as the obligatory selfie with one..... not quite as good as Chris Hemsworth’s when his photo with the little critters went viral Chris Hemsworth's visit to Rottnest Island has gone viral, with his quokka selfie, shared earlier on Friday, being liked a record 1.5 million times. The Hollywood star visited the holiday island on Thursday and Friday (March last year) with his family and famous pal, Matt Damon. Okay, well it’s chill out time for us, we’ve got some good books, fishing rods packed and we’ll be catching up on some much needed sleep!! We will be back on deck in the workshop mid Jan, and looking forward to getting stuck in and clearing our backlog of orders as soon as possible. Orders are still coming in, including Xmas next year, so thank you to everyone who has supported our little business and always give us a big thumbs up on camping forums etc. and mostly thank you very much for your patience. Love everyone’s photos of wrapped swags under Xmas trees and stories you are sending about not being able to wait to open them.... We couldn’t wait to open it on Xmas day plus we were moving house and awaiting a new bed delivery so she’s already had 5 days of use indoor camping we love it so much! Only wish we had kids to buy a couple more for Thanks again to yourself and John Christmas in Melbourne has been redeemed! Bronte. Okay, stay safe and have an awesome Xmas and chat soon. Gabrielle and John Andrew’s, making the best quality traditional swags and awesome heavy duty canvas bags for nearly 40 years here www.murchisonriverswags.com

18.01.2022 Surprise 20th Birthday present for Rohin arrived in time for the big day!! Hi Gabrielle I just wanted to say a HUGE thank you for getting Rohins swag done in time for his birthday. He absolutely loves it. Your products are fabulous. ... Again many thanks Amanda. Makes our day when we see happy faces like this young fella and knowing that lots of fun camping adventures to be had for many years to come! Someone tagged us in a Facebook forum @camping crew WA where someone asked the question: I'm looking to buy a single swag and stretcher, any good quality recomendations. "NOT KINGS" Lots of people giving us the thumbs up, thanks folks and this comment from Bronte: You want best quality go Murchison river swag. They only do traditional flat swags and you have to wait around 12 months for your order but you won’t buy better quality and you’ll use it for life. How lovely, thanks Bronte, but just so you know, the wait is only about 5 or 6 months . I don’t think I could handle the paperwork if we were booked out 12 months in advance!! Cheers and support Australian made where you can. Order your forever swag here www.murchisonriverswags.com Or, if you prefer to pop one on layby and pay it off over a few months that’s fine by us. Email me [email protected]

17.01.2022 WHOA!!! You guys are quick! We’ve been inundated with orders of our beautiful blue Travel bags! So sorry guys, orders are NOW CLOSED for bags for this year!!! Everyone that emailed and texted me, your bags will be made and delivered in time for Santa!... And thanks for all the lovely messages about our bags! Hi Gabrielle. I would really love love love to order a blue bag like in the picture. I hope I’m in time. Please let me know and I can pay up straight away if needed. The bags you did for me for our camp draft last year were amazing Kindest regards Charmaine Ruby Plains Station Halls Creek Cheers and chat soon Gabrielle and John Andrews. Makers of top quality Murchison River Swags & Bags in Geraldton WA. PS if you would like to order a bag for next year get in touch [email protected] or text me 0427702606. www.murchisonriverswags.com

17.01.2022 And here is our lucky MOTHER’S DAY COMPETITION WINNER! Congratulations Tammy Foster from Muchea in WA who won a Murchison River Brown Cow Design Travel Bag valued at $400! Hi Gabrielle... Just wanted to say Thankyou so much! It’s awesome that you and John run these competitions and I can say it’s awesome winning one! I love my swag and bag I purchased off you last year and can’t wait for mine to arrive and for my next camping trip. Keep up the awesome work. Cheers Tammy We express posted it on Monday and it arrived yesterday. It’s amazing and everyone at work loves it. Trying to book a weekend away at the end of June so then I can use my swag and new bag. Cheers and thanks Tammy hope you have many adventures with it and your swag! Looking forward to Father’s Day now which is just around the corner, actually It’s on the 5th of September. We can’t fit any more swags in for September but maybe a couple of bags.....get in touch ASAP if you would like to give your dad the best bag ever! Can even stencil his name on free of charge to personalise it for him! [email protected] Or, Murchison River Gift Vouchers are available here www.murchisonriverswags.com (I will post out a special pack with the voucher, brochures etc for you to pop in a card). Cheers Gabrielle and John, swag and heavy duty canvas bags makers in Geraldton WA for nearly 40 years.

17.01.2022 Rob called into our workshop this week to collect his new Deluxe Double swag with the super dooper mattress. He is heading north to the Kimberleys for an extended holiday, lucky bugger! Only one problem..his car is loaded to the hilt and I don’t think he expected the swag to be soooo big! He ordered it months ago and he was just so excited to finally be able to call in and meet the makers of his new swag.... Anyway, he unloaded and moved things around a bit and put a bit more gear on the roof rack. Then we made up his swag with his new sheets and blankets and he was good to go! Can’t wait to hear how the trip goes and see some photos. We lent him our pop up mozzie tent just in case there are any bities about up north and he’s going to pop in for a cuppa on his way home so will hear all about it. Talking about up north, another couple also called in to collect their surprise King Brown swag for their daughter’s birthday and told us about a very nice camping spot on the beach which we hadn’t heard about before! Apparently, everything is pretty much booked out up north, and their family have been camping in this little known spot for that past 25 odd years. I’ve written down the directions but if I told you where it is I’d have to kill you . So another one on the bucket list!!! We’re getting itchy feet with everyone heading north for the warmer weather but we are so heavily booked out this year that not much travelling for us at the moment. Next year we might slow down a bitactually been saying this for a few years now Ok back to it. Give us a hoy if you’re keen to get your hands on the best swag in Australia before we head north or south Click here to order for 2022 www.Murchison river Swags.com or email me to pop one or two on layby [email protected]

16.01.2022 Well this was a nice little story..... Well I was camping about 7 or 8 years ago at Ellendale Pool. There was about 8 dads and about 15 daughters. ... It flogged down rain and everyone got wet in tent swags, nobody was dry except 1 bloke. He was in a Murchison River Swag. I said to myself I am going to get one of them. All being well in a couple of weeks I pick up my own Murchison River Swag. Crawf Gero. Well, his daughter popped into the workshop back in February and got him a Gift Voucher for a King Brown Swag including our super dooper Ultra Deluxe mattress and indeed it will be ready in time for his upcoming camping trip on June long weekend! Happy Belated birthday Crawford and happy camping whatever the weather! We are now booked out till October and I will update our website shortly. Better be quick if you want to get yourself Australia’s best traditional style swag this year! Xmas Orders are filling fast, so don’t leave it till the last minute. Type XMAS ORDER in the name stencilling section and we will make sure it arrives in time for Santa. www.murchisonriverswags.com

16.01.2022 YAYAYAHAHAHA we found it!! Can’t believe it. If it wasn’t for that map. I’m over the moon. I’ll find that guy off your Instagram page and definitely a reward for him. So, got this from from Keldron after he saw our post on Instagram ... Gday, just saw your post about a missing swag on the Blackwood, I followed that boat up the river today and did see some sort of canvas floating on the shore line possibly a swag, I can send you a rough screenshot of where I think I saw it Sent it to Disa and Joel who headed straight back to the place on the map and low and behold found their swag!! How amazing is that?? Big thumbs up to Keldron

15.01.2022 Love it! Thanks Billy Ruth for another great poem celebrating the humble Australian swag!

15.01.2022 Bit of excitement in the workshop today as we unpack our new sewing machine!!! We sent our old one down for repairs, and as it turns out, it was a bit too big for sewing up the zip off cotton mattress covers that we make. So, now to get the hang of this little baby and we’re back in action!... John has cut out lots of mattress covers ready for me to sew up and it should be a lot faster on this machine as you can actually alter the speed which is pretty neat.... was on 2000 maximum sewing speed but I’ve backed it off to 1300 (with some technical help from Steve Blackmore and Roy - Sewing Machine Service & Repairs who we buy our machines from and is always willing to help us out over the phone when we get stuck. It’s a bit tricky sometimes being 500km from our repair man Anyway, back to sewing, in between machines at the moment. Sometimes I’m on the big Seiko sewing heavy duty canvas bags and then I’ll pop on the smaller machine and make up a few mattress for the next lot of swags John is sewing up. Juggling is something I’m getting pretty good at Chat soon Gabrielle and John at Murchison River Swags in Geraldton WA www.murchisonriverswags.com

12.01.2022 WELL HOW GOOD IS THIS?? We redrew our Mother's Day Competition and our lucky winner is Tammy Foster from Muchea, WA!! She was so excited when I called her as she was actually going to put an order in for one of our gorgeous Brown Cow Design Travel Bags for Xmas but now she doesn't have to!... Her partner said, no point entering as you'll never win, and true with over 11,500 entries chances were slim, but there you go!!! She's actually been up to the workshop last year to collect a Deluxe Double swag and an Extra Large Gear Bag for all her horsey bits and pieces, so now she has the whole set and pretty happy to boot! Thanks again to everyone who entered and stay tuned for our next exciting competition! I'm thinking Dad's will be next........ Cheers Gabrielle and John making the best swags and heavy duty canvas bags right here in Geraldton WA. Click here to get on the whiteboard for September/October! www.murchisonriverswags.com

12.01.2022 Had a very productive long weekend and got a good head start on Octobers whiteboard. The next three months are going to be really busy, so we have to be super organised!!! Check out how fast John and I are now at cutting out swags ... So, we are now all prepped and ready to sew! You may be receiving your Xmas swags a little early this year, as it wouldn’t be possible to get them all made in December and posted before the close off date of the 12th December. I will contact you before posting in case you need me to send them to a different address so as to keep a secret if a Xmas present. Anyway, hope you all had a nice weekend. We did manage to fit in some grand kiddy time and beach walks with the pooches so all good! Chat soon but not too much! Gabrielle and John Andrews, making top quality traditional swags in Geraldton WA for nearly 40 years. www.murchisonriverswags.com PS Will update website soon as now booked out till MARCH 2021!

12.01.2022 HELP PLEASE! Email from Disa today..... Well the good news is that the swags that we bought off you (Xmas last year) are sensational and come everywhere with us. ... Photo attached of swags in their prime living position. Bad news is one has fallen off in the Blackwood River along another adventure never to be seen again. Sad for the rest of the holiday but hopefully we can organize another one off you in time for our Gibb River Road adventure please. Can I please go on the whiteboard for next in line for a single swag, green and with the name Joel S or Joel on it please? Can’t remember if you need a deposit or pay up front but happy with whatever you need. Kind regards Disa Please get in touch if you find a green Murchison River Stockmans swag stencilled JOEL, floating down the Blackwood River WA! PS Disa has ordered Joel another one but happy to refund should his original one be found!

12.01.2022 Feeling a bit stressed to tell you the truth! Counted up all the swags that need to be made between now and Xmas and its a LOT!!! Wondering if we’ve bitten off a bit more than we can chew (or sew ) but we’ll give it our best shot. ... A few late shifts maybe..... Anyway, will keep you posted how we’re going, you might not hear too much from me over the next little while as we will definitely be busy little elves in the workshop!!! Photos and lovely messages like this one I got from Luke today, make it all worth while though.... John and Gabrielle I received my swag today Thankyou very much It was a real treat to deal with genuine people the quality of the product and the feeling that we bought it from a team that really cares about doing it right I’m very happy and grateful Kids are into me for a camping trip now Until next time Cheers Luke Thanks so much and happy camping! Definitely can’t fit in any more orders till March next year now. BUT, WE DO HAVE GIFT VOUCHERS AVAILABLE if you missed out this year! www.murchisonriverswags.com

11.01.2022 Morning folks..... quick update! Just wanted to let you know that we’ve had an influx of orders lately. Anyway, after doing a count up, looks like we’re booked out till MAY 2021! Thank you to everyone that makes a big effort to support Australian handmade quality products. ... We are humbled to hear how highly regarded our traditional swags are in the camping world, not only here in Australia, but all over the world with quite a few heading across the ditch to our mates in New Zealand! We contemplated closing online orders, but if you’re happy to wait a few months, you will have an exceptional quality swag that is made from the very best materials available,including the only Australian made military grade canvas, and a product that is made to last a lifetime or two! If you prefer, we also accept lay-bys so you can pay whatever works for your budget over a period of time. Get in touch [email protected] Have a nice weekend and chat soon. Gabrielle and John. Flat out in Santa’s workshop here at www.murchisonriverswags.com. PS no sign of any Elf!

11.01.2022 Early start today..... view from my desk, well sewing machine! I’m just finishing off these Army green bags and I’m pretty sure I will a spare Travel Bag and an Overnight bag, so, if you’ve been wanting one of these, get in touch ASAP as I know they won’t last long! John is busy cutting out the rest of the swags on this months whiteboard. We’ve already made up all the urgent ones and they have been posted.... Okay, here’s my mobile if you want to get on your name stencilled on one of these heavy duty canvas bags that are made from the best quality materials and made to last a very long time! EDIT BOTH SOLD NOW!! Gabrielle 0427702606 www.muchisonriverswags.com. (Bags are currently not available on our website)

11.01.2022 Thanks for all the lovely Xmas wishes and photos of happy faces getting their new swags and bags today! Love this..... Looks like two years of giving hints to my partner has paid off and I now have to clean out my old swag and move house to one very well made King Brown.... I am over the moon with my new swag and I can’t wait for it’s first trip away. Thank you to the both of you for looking after my partner Susannah. She commented she has never received better service and looking forward to her bags. Merry Christmas and best wishes. Jamie H. Chiltern Victoria And this from the little fellow in the first photo... One very happy little boy! Oh my NO WAY! just like dads. My very own? Hope you all had a lovely day. Cheers and here’s to many camping adventures

11.01.2022 Oops.. I need some advice.. I got into a bit of trouble with hubby because he said spend up to $300 on a new Christmas tree and decorations. Then he said whatever was leftover, I could keep and buy myself something nice. Now he’s cranky at me because he doesn't like the tree I picked out!!! What should I do?? I have already spent the leftover money. I’ve added a photo of my tree in the comments.

10.01.2022 Here’s our lucky winner David B. from Victoria! Congratulations on winning our biggest competition yet and we posted your $700 Gift Voucher yesterday Cheers folks and thank you once again for the lovely comments, likes, loves and awesome sharing of our Xmas Giveaway. ... Wonder what next year will bring! Certainly hope it’s not as Covid crazy as this year has been. Merry Xmas and a Happy and safe New Year to everyone. Chat soon Gabrielle and John, making traditional style swags and heavy duty canvas bags in Geraldton WA for nearly 40 years! www.murchisonriverswags.com

10.01.2022 Yesterday Darren sent me some photos from Broome WA of his kids new swags which he was seasoning. He needed them in time for school holidays and funny thing is that I posted them both on the same day and one turned up and then the other about a week later??? Must have taken a detour Anyway, Darren already bought a couple of King Brown swags earlier this year and now it was the kids turn....Continue reading

10.01.2022 Mark popped into the workshop to pick up his new King Brown Swag. He reckons his original ‘Supersize’ Murchison River Swag is over 20 something years old now, and still going strong!! He’s passed that one down to his 18 year old nephew who’s giving it a good workout and no excuse to drink and drive with a swag in the back of his vehicle! Mark’s heading out bush to help out on a friends station so will need a decent hard wearing swag and he’s upgraded to our super dooper Ultr...a Deluxe mattresses which will be extra comfy! Happy camping mate! Oh and he got himself a Black Stump instant for mozzie tent for a bit of added protection from the bities! We’re are currently under the pump folks! Orders are booked out till we think April or May next year now!!! Thank you so much for all your orders coming in and especially your patience! We are working hard to get all our Xmas swags and bags finished in good time so they arrive in time for Santa ! If you’ve missed out this year, you’ve still got time to order one of our GIFT VOUCHERS which make awesome presents here www.murchisonriverswags.com

09.01.2022 SOLD OUT!!! HI folks. Swag orders have been coming in so fast lately that I’m having trouble keeping up.. hoping I’ve replied to all your emails and messages. Ok, so pretty sure we are pretty much solidly booked out for this year now! Gosh it’s only June, how crazy is that? ... Anyway, I’ve updated our website now, so if you order online, we will be making your swags in the order they are received in next year. We usually have a bit of down time after Xmas, so more than likely back in the workshop towards the end of January. John and I would like to say a really big thank you, to everyone who supports our small Australian manufacturing business where we make the best quality traditional style swags and heavy duty canvas bags from scratch using the only Australian made military grade canvas and top quality materials. And just to let you know, if it’s easier for you to layby and pay off over the next few months get in touch and we can get your order on the whiteboard. Andy popped his swag on layby yesterday. I must say I was so glad to find you guys on the internet. I've had a proper traditional swag much like yours and it is still fighting fit. So I'm was looking for the same type as yours and most elsewhere I would class more as tents, not at all what I was after. So finding you was a blessing. You make swags how they are meant to be. And it gives one the chance to truly sleep out doors. And I love it when it rains as you hear the patter of rain on the canvas and are dry and warm. Nothing like it. Email me here [email protected] or order here www.murchisonriverswags.com GIFT VOUCHERS AVAILABLE ONLINE if you’ve missed out this year. Thanks for the lovely photos Marnie Hawson Photographer

08.01.2022 What a brilliant swag, exactly what I imagine when I think’ swag!, and the queen Kat, claims her throne, much respect for your knowledge and skills, incredible! Gregg from Normanhurst NSW. Thanks Gregg, appreciate the thumbs up from you and Kat We posted lots of swags this week to all over Australia including a couple of King Browns to a young chap Charlie down south. ... One swag is for him and his dog Eko, and one for his dad. Now these swags are going on one heck of an adventure as Charlie is in the process of planning an amazing camel trek!! Hi Gabrielle, So a bit about me and my Endeavours; Im 24 years of age, having lived in Gidgegannup and down the South West of WA. I live in Kununurra in the Kimberley skippering fishing charters in the salt and the Fresh water. I am planning on walking the Canning Stock Route with my old man, 5 camels and my Murchison River King Brown Swag. I have a great passion for Indigenous Australian Culture and the Flora and Fauna. Charlie. Currently Charlie is busy making frames for the camels and training with all his gear and finding what needs altering in the coming months. Hoping for some great photos of his adventures once they hit the road! Cheers and chat soon Gabrielle and John. Making heavy duty traditional swags for all your adventures! www.murchisonriverswags.com

07.01.2022 Flat out Friday . Another dozen of our awesome quality Travel Bags done and dusted! These ones will be express posted on Monday, so hopefully will well and truely arrive before the Xmas postal rush... John is busy sewing up all the remaining swags on the Xmas whiteboard, interstate ones first, then WA postal ones and then finally the local pickups.... I’m whittling down the bags and will be cutting out some special order gorgeous blue ones next week! (Might be able to squeeze another one or two blue ones in if you’re quick to give me a shout....or text 0427702606). We are are currently on schedule, actually I think we are a bit ahead of schedule at the moment, which is great just in case of last minute hiccups and I know Australia Post will be incredibly under the pump for the next few weeks so that’s why we need to be super organised and get these swags and bags posted as early as possible!!! Ok, I’m knocking off now and back in tomoz to pack these babies for their first plane ride Best bags ever, just ask anyone who’s ever got one or two or more!!! Oh, and by the way, check out Rick’s special 40th birthday bag he got this week!!! Rick loves lifting heavy weights and making knives, so I think we nailed it with the awesome embroidery thanks to Rogue Bobbin Embroidery who tweaked this design several times and added a beard for the young fella Cheers folks and even though we are super busy, ie booked out till about May 2021, we will still be running our fantastic XMAS GIVEAWAY!!! Will be getting that sorted as soon as I get a minute Any special requests for what this years prize should be? CLICK HERE to get on the list for 2021 www.murchisonriverswags.com

07.01.2022 James couldn’t wait to try out his new King Brown swag.... Hi Gabrielle and John, New swag arrived late last week. Absolutely fantastic workmanship. You should be very proud of what you do. Slept in it last night under stars just cos I was so excited!... Thanks so much Kind regards James Graham I did message him a while back to see if he could hold off on his swag till February as we were a bit overwhelmed with orders, but, he really needed it sooner rather than later. If we are out of lockdown I am going fly fishing with a mate on Boxing Day so I am desperate for the swag before Christmas! How awesome is this amazing photo taken by Jake Lunniss. This was his 100th night sleeping in his swag and South Australia put on a decent night sky to say the least! Jake said Many thanks for making such a fantastic swag. It was such a stretch to buy it when I did, but I’m so glad I made that decision. Cheers folks and thanks for supporting Australian made. I know it’s a bit of a wait till next orders as currently booked out till about March, but, if you can hang on, it will be worth the wait. Happy to layby if that works best for you. Email me [email protected] or order online www.murchisonriverswags.com

04.01.2022 Today, a chap who already has one of our bags, wanted to know if I could make him a special bag for his girlfriend for Xmas. I sent him a photo of this bag I made a while back and I’d forgotten how pretty it was! So, he’s ordered one, that I will personalise with her name on it.... We’ve got a bit of this gorgeous blue canvas in stock (same Australian made military grade canvas that we use on our swags), so if you’re keen to give your loved one a bag that’s made to last a very long time but looks amazing too, email me ASAP as I will be making up just a couple whilst I’m at it just in time for Xmas!! [email protected] or text me 0427702606 Cheers Gabrielle, the bag lady at www.murchisonriverswags.com

04.01.2022 Mitch was a bit concerned about buying a swag without a sewn in mozzie net...... Hi, looking to buy one of your king brown swags, is there an option to have a mesh put in for flies and other insects or just the open swag only? Mitch. He found my post where I wrote about the many reasons we don’t sew mesh into our swags and what we feel is a better solution to the problem....Continue reading

04.01.2022 Busy day yesterday, we’ll every day is pretty busy this time of year..... lucky I get lots of lovely little message of love throughout the day to keep me smiling..... Like this one from Victor from Sydney. Hi Gabrielle! Just wondering re your Facebook post from the other day. It said you guys got out all interstate orders for the year. Was mine one of them? No issues if not just curious is all. It’s Victor M Simone from Sydney ... I checked the whiteboard and told him his would be posted in the next couple of days.... I think he was a bit happy as he sent me this.... Thank you! I replied thank you I’m feeling the love He texted... so you should but don’t tell John Crack up..... Anyway, thank you to everyone that takes the time to message me and let me know there swags are arriving and how much they love them.... Hi, George from Tasmiana here. My swag has arrived today. Thank you very much for such a great product. Cheers George Fergusson. John and I really appreciate your kind words. It’s early 4.30am starts in the workshop these days and hopefully the weather will stay kind for us in the lead up till Xmas, as 40 degree days in a tin shed get a bit hard Chat soon Gabrielle and John feeling like Santa’s elves making awesome swags and bags for a very long time here in Geraldton WA. PS bloody elf’s nowhere to be found.... but Rudolph’s turned up to lend a hand for the Xmas photos. www.murchisonriverswags.com

03.01.2022 Our 17kg alarm clocks jumps on us every morning at 4am!! This morning he jumped on us 4 times just to make sure we got out of bed..... not sure why George our young whippet does this, because as soon as we get up, he just snuggles back into his own bed! Anyway, it’s just as well he does because we need to get some real early starts this time of year to make sure all our swags and bags are ready and delivered in time for Xmas.... Good news is we are on track!!! Whooo hoooo! a bit excited about this as a couple of months back we wondered if we would be actually able to fulfill all our orders, but here we are, the first of December, and we’ve almost completed the sewing all the Xmas swags. Big part of the job now starts with making our mattresses, including our super dooper Ultra Deluxe ones, rolling swags, stencilling and then wrapping them up ready for posting! While John’s been sewing, I’m working away on bags, I’m currently making the pretty blue ones, will share a picture when they’re finished. Not panicking about these yet, as we express post them. This week, I got a call from a lady in Queensland who owns a Stockmans Outfitters shop. She wanted to know if we could supply her with swags. Apparently, where they were getting them before for the last 30 odd years, the owner retired and closed shop, and she’s been searching high and low for a good quality traditional swag, without the bells and whistles, made here in Australia from Australian canvas. She was so excited to find us! But, unfortunately, as I explained to her, we are having trouble keeping up with our own demand, currently booked out for 5 or 6 months in advance, and no way could we supply a shop. We’ve been asked a few times before. I told her that we are in our 60’s now and that we didn’t want to grow our business by employing people as we are quite happy just plodding along, doing our thing like we’ve done for the past nearly 40 years. We have an amazing quality product and want to keep it that way... We are so humbled by the fact that our customers are willing to wait so long for their swags and bags, so thank you very much....and we’ll just keep doing what we love, cutting and sewing away, together in our little old tomato packing shed at the back of our house in Geraldton WA. Love this comment on @Australian Swag camping page yesterday by Trav, who rolled out his Stockmans swag for a sleepover after a long drive from Perth to Port Hedland. a traditional swag mate, no bullshit about them.......nothing comes close to these swags. Cheers folks, ok back to the workshop and will chat again soon. Gabrielle, John and the whippets. Old Jake (can’t jump on bed anymore), and young George, our alarm clock If you want to jump on next year’s whiteboard, order here, www.murchisonriverswags.com or if you prefer to layby, email me [email protected]

03.01.2022 We get to hear about some really amazing adventures that our swags are embarking on, camel treks through the remote outback, motorbike journeys from the western most point of Australia to the most Eastern point and many many more! This one of the most incredible ones I’ve heard. This Xmas, Santa is bringing 3 young kiddies their very own Stockmans swags!...Continue reading

03.01.2022 Last year it was so lovely to see all the photos coming through of little kiddies and some not so little unwrapping their swags that they received for Xmas It makes all the hard work so worthwhile so thank you from both John and I! We are flat out working some extra long hours at this busy time of the year as we want to make sure they all arrive before the big day! Good luck with hiding them or what some folk have done have gotten us to post them to a friend or relative...s house so they don’t give the game away.... so hard to keep a surprise with something this size! Funny thing, this year we are sending 4 swags and a couple of bags to a family that ordered them December last year for this Xmas! The mum Layby’d and paid them off with payment spread out over the year, which worked very well. Anyway, I know it’s Sunday but we are busy in the workshop and I can tell you, we are looking forward to a bit of a break after Xmas Oh, and I haven’t forgotten our amazing XMAS COMPETITION, will get that organised in the next week or two so stay tuned! Cheers and chat soon and thanks again to all those who have swags on order and patiently waiting till next year. Lay-bys are a good way to go seeing as we are booked out till about May now. Get in touch [email protected] Or order here. Swags will be made in the order they are received in www.murchisonriverswags.com Traditional swags handmade from scratch here in Geraldton WA using only the best Australian made military grade canvas and quality materials for nearly 40 years!

02.01.2022 Hope you all had a nice weekend. Our power is going off all day tomorrow so, we spent a lot of the weekend cutting and glueing foam mattresses and sewing cotton mattress covers, getting ready to wrap and roll a few more swags for posting! Amongst this next lot, one is heading off to USA and one to Germany wonder which one will get there first?... So, it was nice to take a break from the machine and go for a little walk around the river with the kids! How lovely watching kids in nature.... exploring every nook and cranny. Finding beauty in the natural world. Little Leo is 4, and he brought me a flower to show me how beautiful it was pointing out all the minute details in it! Anyway, looks like school holidays are nearly here and lots of you are going for a wonder out yonder. Stay safe if travelling on the roads folks and chat soon. Gabrielle and John at www.murchisonriverswags.com in sunny Geraldton WA.

02.01.2022 I love this.. Subject: King Brown Swag order Message: G’day John and Gabrielle, ... I’ve been tossing up buying a King brown swag for about 4 months now and I’m finally going to bite the bullet and just do it. I was wondering if possible and I’m happy to pay extra for it if I would be able to get my name, mobile number and also the stencil of Australia with the Kangaroo and Emu on the front in that that order please. As soon as I get a reply I’ll order it online and I’m in no hurry for it just wanna secure one on the whiteboard for next year. Been searching around for a quality, traditional style swag for a few months now and everything I’ve come across doesn’t even slightly compare to what your guys are making and that fact that it’s 100% Australian made has sealed the deal for me. Keen to hear back from you soon. Cheers - Jack Broken Hill NSW Just want to let you know that we are fully booked out for swags and bags this year but if you want to get your name on next years whiteboard or layby, feel free to get in touch here [email protected] or order online www.murchisonriverswags.com GIFT VOUCHERS are available if you’ve missed the boat and want to give your loved ones the best swag in Australia and no extra charge for stencilling names and numbers or our Australia map logo, we do that for free!

02.01.2022 Look how happy John looks as he is just making the last of the interstate swags for the year!! We are both feeling a little relieved as we really wanted to make sure we get them posted as early as we possibly could to make sure they arrive in time to pop under your Xmas tree Next up, we’ll tackle the swags being posted all over Western Australia and then lastly the local pick up ones!... We are adding insurance and signature on delivery on all swags just to be on the safe side hopefully postman won’t leave such a big item on your doorstep (for light fingered people) and leave a card instead so you can collect from your local post office. Another busy week in the sweatshop this week, we had a couple of nearly 40 degree days and fans were going flat out I’m plugging away at bags and will be making some pretty blue ones next up.... Okey dokey, will be getting our AMAZING XMAS COMPETITION up and running next week I hope so stay tuned for this! Chat soon, Gabrielle and John making the best quality traditional swags in Geraldton WA for nearly 40 years. FREE NAME STENCILLING and a fantastic 10 YEAR WARRANTY! If you want to get your hands on one, you’ll have to wait till at least May next year now as we are so heavily booked out. Give me a shout if you want to layby one [email protected] Or if you’ve missed out and still want to give your loved one a GIFT VOUCHER for any amount, click here www.murchisonriverswags.com (That way they can choose their own swag and colour etc).

01.01.2022 We’re on turbo!!! Cutting out the rest of the Xmas swag orders this week..... it’s crazy busy here. Lots of little and big people getting swags and our heavy duty canvas bags from Santa. Just a heads up folks, we do tend to book out for Xmas months in advance, so sorry if you’ve missed the boat for this year. ... We do have GIFT VOUCHERS available online and if you would like something to pop in your Xmas card, I can post you a little pack with a Gift Voucher, product brochure, care label and fridge magnet etc. Just get in touch and let me know. Ok back to the drawing (cutting) board Chat soon as I can catch my breath! Gabrielle and John swag makers for nearly 40 years here in Geraldton, Western Australia Oh, and if you need to layby a swag for next year, currently booked out till about May, email me [email protected] (that way you can pay it off over the next 6 months or so). www.murchisonriverswags.com

01.01.2022 Jack is in the Australian Army and so it was no surprise that he requested our Australian map logo to be stencilled on his swag! Johns getting pretty good at it now, and even though it’s a bit fiddley to stencil, he’s not whinging half as much . Did you know he is a Pom? When Jack put his King Brown swag on layby back in October, he had just been posted to Latchford Barracks in Victoria.... He was pretty excited to see these progress photos of his swag in the making! John and I both served in the Australian Armed Services. John was in the Army and I was in the Airforce so we have a soft spot for military personnel. I guess our bags are loosely based on John’s Army kit bag that he lugged around for many years and also why all our products are built to such a high standard and one of the reasons we use the only Australian made military grade canvas available for our swags and bags......it’s made to withstand some pretty rigorous conditions! Cheers and chat soon. Gabrielle and John making quality traditional swags and heavy duty canvas bags for nearly 40 years in Geraldton WA. www.murchisonriverswags.com or if you want to layby email me [email protected]