11 Days Out From A Year On The Road...

We are officially 11 days out from our year on the road... and the nerves are starting to show as we try to get everything ready to go.  In fact it was as good as called off this morning!

For the past few weeks our focus has not been on the trip at all.  Rather we have been busy trying to get our house ready for tenants to move in, ensuring schooling is in hand and all our furniture is packed away. Whilst the trip has been foremost in our minds in one way - it has been the furthest from our minds in terms of what we will actually do on our adventure.

Indeed we have often joked that we will start the
planning for our year on the road, once we finally get on the road!

That said, in addition to all the household jobs we are trying to get on top of, there have been a few last minute jobs to do on the camper and the Amarok too.  Nothing like leaving things to the last minute.

One job on my list for months was fitting a pair of helper springs to the Amarok.  A simple job - but I finally admitted I didn't have time to fit them, and organised my lovely wife to have them fitted at the local mechanic's.  Unfortunately the young fella who put them on didn't appreciate the dynamics of the suspension and the U bolts were striking the chassis.  

Argh.  Wasn't particularly happy about spending that evening pulling the U bolts off and turning them over - but it had to be done.  I guess the reverse of Parkinson's law is also true... (Parkinson's law states that work expands to fill the resources available to do it.  I have discovered that if your resources shrink (in this case time), the somehow you manage to fit it all in regardless!).

Upside down Miss Jane

Much better

Some good came of it - the road test!

But wait, there's more.  We decided we really should fit some bike racks for the kids bikes on the front of Matilda.  The most cost effective method was to buy a fork mount and bolt it to the top of the pantry box...  Not a big job, but placement was important to ensure that we can still use the hot water system on extended camps!  I ordered the parts on eBay - only to be told after four days that they weren't in stock, and I could upgrade my order or cancel it.  It was Friday afternoon - they were supposed to be delivered that afternoon.  Not happy Jan - I cancelled the order and picked up the parts from the local Roof Rack City - for $0.02 more than Mr eBay!

Making sure it all fits.

Got to get it just right!

And then we decided to take it up a notch.  In order to give the food a bit of protection from temperature extremes, we had been meaning to line the top of the pantry with carpet.  Having experienced the pleasure of trying to line the Amarok's canopy with carpet previously, I encouraged Jo to give it a go.  After a few false starts, she got fair cracking and to be honest did a great job.  We had more timber holding it in place whilst the glue set than is holding our house up...  The only casualty was a bit of hair that came in contact with the adhesive...  but as we tell the kids: "It will grow back!".

And finally this morning we hit crunch time.  For the past few weeks our study has had all the furniture removed, and replaced by all the stuff we might want to take with us next year.  Some of it is not negotiable, like the medical supplies, however some of it is best described as discretionary.

We took the point of view that if we might want it - then we should put it in the study so we could at least consider whether we want to take it or not.  Well this morning we pulled out all the camping chairs, BBQ, water jerry and so on and started our game of Tetris.

Hmmmm...  One thing is certain, the box isn't getting any bigger!

We both had a few different ideas - tried to work out what we would use every night and what we would perhaps use less frequently.  Mulled over where the emergency water should be - had a somewhat heated discussion over the size of the laundry bucket and damn near divorced over the where the awnings should live... 

We must be getting stressed...  But friends had warned us that just before you head off, the task will seem impossible and you will find yourselves asking if it is worth it.  Thankfully we both calmed down and the adventure is still on!  

I must be a lucky bloke!

Camper Trailer Maintenance - Pre-Season

With spring returning to the southern highlands, and school holidays fast approaching, the camping season is upon us.  With that means we will soon be hauling the camper trailer down the coast for a long overdue break.  I thought before we leap into the camper, it would be prudent to do a couple of simple checks before we head off... and I'm glad I did.

Time to haul the camper out of the shed...

The camper has been sitting for a few months now, and one of my jobs this week is to drag it out and get it ready for our next adventure.  After telling the family that this was one of the jobs for the day, The Little Fisherman was quick to inform me that he had seen a black snake sitting just next to the camper this very morning before breakfast when he was emptying the scrap bucket.  Righto - must be a another job for Daddy then hey!

A service for our Subaru turned into a much longer evolution than desired (why they changed their fuel filter location to inside the fuel tank is beyond me... and then there was the split front drive shaft boot that has spread grease everywhere... argh!).  Needless to say it was well into the afternoon that I finally got around to pulling the camper out, and Mrs Black was nowhere to be seen.  Hopefully she hasn't moved in to the camper!

But today was a day of maintenance on the vehicles various, and I thought I would share the few simple things that we will be checking on the camper prior to heading off on our next camping trip.

A quiet winter???

It has been a little quiet on the blog front over the past couple of months.... but it is not due to any slow-down in the pace of life for our little family.

We snuck in a quick camp at Wee Jasper with a group of friends before the real cold set in. With a bunch of friends, a campfire and the benefit of hot showers, it was great to get out for a couple of nights under canvas, as a last hurrah.

The kids try to make a rock bridge at Wee Jasper

The Great Paper Plane Throwing Competition

Then we returned home and started getting ourselves ready to move house.

Currarong and a New Campsite?

With the world revolving in seemingly ever decreasing circles, it is rare that we are able to catch up with friends for a weekend away.  Occasionally the stars align, even if it takes nine months of planning, and moving the date once or twice.

It was thus with much anticipation that we picked the kids up from school on Friday and pointed Terry's bonnet east, destination Currarong.



Looking north from Currarong

 Currarong is located on the Beecroft Peninsular, the northern headland of Jervis Bay.  In a former life I had spent many hours looking to Currarong and the headland south to Point Perpendicular from the sea.  It is a beautiful seaside village, slowly being thrust into the 21st century as the old fibro cottages give way to million dollar houses.  At least fishing is still one of the main activities in the area, as nearly every other house had an old tractor out the front to haul large boats to and from the boat-ramp.

The occasional disadvantage of the road less travelled

We managed a good week at home getting everything in order before heading off again for the last week of the school holidays.  This time I couldn’t get the grin off my face as I pointed Terry, this time with Matilda the camper in tow, on a southerly heading.  Our destination was near Cann River, Victoria, at the end of the Monaro Highway. By the end of the trip the grin was gone and a very very dark cloud was hanging over the passenger seat.

We enjoyed a leg stretch at Nimmitabel , a good half way point.  The bakery was popular with the kids – who enjoyed the outdoor playground and the Elephant.

We were staying with friends on their 40 hectare (100 acre) slice of paradise.  Their property backs onto the state forest down that way – so it felt a lot bigger.  We took the kids for a bush walk around the block – a good slog indeed rewarded with some great views.

The boys enjoy the walk

Caves to Caves - Part II - Yerranderie

Yerranderie

We followed Langs Road and then Range Fire Trail from Wombeyan Caves north before joining the Oberon – Colong Stock route near Mount Werong Camping Area.  The tracks were in reasonably good condition, and we stayed in 2wd for the majority of the run north.  As we proceeded east on the stock route, the road slowly deteriorated for the final run down into Yerranderie.

The old gardens

Yerranderie is a ghost town, testament to the fickle nature of silver prices and the requirement to secure long lasting water for Sydney.  All but abandoned it is a time capsule of historic buildings, slowly being invaded by termites.

Free Hand Winch!!!

After our last camping trip turned out to be a little chilly, we have been waiting for warmer weather to head out under canvas again. As with all these things, life gets in the road of camping adventures, and finding free weekends seems to be more and more challenging. Still we can take solace in the beautiful weather that has graced the Southern Highlands recently as we re-discover our old friend, the Sun.

With a busy schedule of birthday parties, school excursions and home renovations, I haven’t had much time to tinker with the Terracan or the Camper, Matilda. Indeed the camper lies under wraps eagerly anticipating the next opportunity to get dirty, whenever that might be.

Always an opportunist I had been keeping an eye out for a Hand Winch. Second hand winches are available, but the quality was a concern. Also cheap winches from China seemed to make the grade, but I was not confident to leap in and purchase one. You can thus imagine joy when I ducked into Repco for a couple of small hose claps the other day to discover a 20% discount for NRMA members and a lonely Hand Winch and Tree Truck Protector looking for a new home.

To her credit, Jo didn’t even roll her eyes when I came home with my $400 hose clamps that came with a free winch and tree trunk protector…. I am a lucky man!

But having a new toy in its packet is a sad state of affairs. I was determined NOT to be on the side of a track, bogged to the gunwales, only to find out the new winch is missing some critical piece of hardware or worse still I am unable to make it work. I elected to give the winch a try on the weekend.

Oallen Ford - July 2011

This is my first blog from Blogger - hopefully a little easier to use on the road and import into the Australia4WD site. Please let me know how it works.

How cold do you want it?
I am sure there is an expression somewhere about Mad Dogs and Englishmen being out in the fierce midday sun. If so there must be an expression of similar but opposite sentiment about camping in the middle of winter…

But I had finished making a bike rack for the camper and was keen to test it out. Also we had missed the opportunity to get away a few weeks ago and my feet were getting itchy for a night or two under canvas, so with half an eye on the forecast, we set off.

We decided for want of convenience Oallen Ford, a beautiful spot on the Shoalhaven River in between Nerriga and Tarago. Normally the place is full of campers and their dogs and bogans with their hounds, however we were a little surprised and relieved to have the place all but to ourselves.


Our Campsite

We set up camp and enjoyed a curry I had prepared earlier in the day whilst the kids were at school. The Thermal Cooker dispensed the delicious curry which the family devoured wholeheartedly. It seemed that in the short hour or two since we had arrived the boy’s appetites had grown enormously and I was glad I had prepared double rations.

Deua National Park - January 2010

Deua National Park

A really special place for us is the Bendethera Valley in Deua National Park, south of Braidwood. This was our first 4WD camping trip in our new (2nd Hand) Terracan, and we didn’t know what to expect of the trip in, or the valley itself.

We set off for a weekend camping armed with a great guide book, which we followed closely. We were blown away by the steep tracks, awesome views and then the descent into Bendethera Valley. The exit via Merricumbene Fire Trail was even more exciting with some extremely steep sections that felt more like a roller-coaster ride!

This valley just has to be seen to be believed with beautiful large grassy areas grazed by Wombats and Wallabies. No matter how many people seem to find their way into the valley, there seems to be enough space to find your own piece of paradise.

Our two little boys loved exploring the area, watching wombats and splashing in the Deua River, as did we!



Our trip into the Bendethera Valley started our family's love of bush camping. We have since explored some other great areas of the South Coast and Southern Highlands. We have found that there are plenty of remote areas to explore so close to home and how it doesn't require heaps of expensive equipment to get out there and appreciate it.

Deua River


Source: Burke and Wills 150th Anniversary Competition

iPhone 1 - Car 0

Went for a bit of a drive on the weekend, and at one stage stopped to remove a stick from under the car. A short time later I realised that my phone was missing - and the most likely spot it would be might be where I stopped earlier. A quick back track and I found not only my phone but also my camera sitting just where they fell out of my pocket.

The camera was fine - but to my horror the phone looked crushed - with a nice Cooper STT tyre track running along the back of the cover. The screen cover (face down) was deeply scratched and the phone appeared off. I threw it in the car in frustration and only pulled it apart for a good look when I got back to camp.

Well to my amazement, once I cleaned off the dust - the phone worked, and not only worked but had escaped unscathed! The screen cover was stuffed, but the silicon backing cover had saved the day. So a new screen cover was installed and we are back in business.

The cover is an Otterbox Impact (I thought I was bidding on the Otterbox Defender) but has proven its worth... Will be keeping the cover on from now on!

Cheers
Phil



Source: iPhone 1 - Car 0

South Coast Wanderings

We were fortunate to identify a weekend free and took the opportunity to camp with friends on the beautiful Jervis Bay.  The aim of the weekend was to relax and enjoy some good company, with the kids eager to explore the beaches, bike tracks and play grounds in Huskisson.
We also managed to get our friend's shiny Prado dirty playing on a couple of the trails in the hinterland.
Coming home we diverted off Main Road 92 for lunch under the sandstone cliffs on the Wandean Fire Trail.  This trail used to have a large rock shelf to negotiate, however the worst section has now been sealed.


The attached map from Scribble Maps is a rough outline of the areas we explored;


Good fun for a few hours!
Cheers
Phil

Our Weekend in Pictures

The Terry looks great with our new toy...


Our first go at setting up - at least the little fellow seems impressed :)


The Clyde River at Yadboro Flat - not sure how much longer the bridge will last...


Ah - the serenity :)


Heading south - towards Nelligen


Mogood Mountain lookout - spectacular 360 degree views


Coming up the Clyde Mountain...


Source and the full run down on the story can be found here.

Abercrombie River National Park - May 2010

Have recently been camping at Abercrombie River National Park. We spent a night at Bummaroo Ford, and a night at The Sink. We enjoyed exploring some of the firetrails, but the best part was the time with the family.

Some snaps of our recent adventures:





Source: Very happy CRDi owner

The Plan

Well, I have been given approval in principle to take 12 months leave in 2014 to take the family on a lap around Australia; Whilst it may seem a long way off, I am sure the time will fly, and before we know it, we will be heading off.  I thought I might use this blog to share some of our adventures as we gain experience camping and touring throughout our region.
The main thing will be to get out there in the lead up to our big adventure, and instill in our young boys a love of camping.