Oallen Ford Retirement Plan

With great anticipation for a weekend getaway with friends, we packed the camper, hooked up the mighty Subaru and pointed our noses east.

Our destination was a favourite camp of ours, Oallen Ford. This time though we were doing it a bit differently.
1. We were camping with a group of friends
2. We were camping in Summer.... So the water should be warm enough for a dip
3. We were going with a couple of Geologists...

Subaru hooked up and ready to go!

The Subaru was our tow vehicle for the trip because our new car (the Amarok) wasn't ready in time. And to tell the truth the Subaru did a great job. The only drama we had was in the last couple of minutes of our trip when I realised we had lost trailer brakes. This was due to the plug coming away from the car and dragging on the ground. It was a simple fix with thousand mile an hour tape before I installed a new plug and socket when we got home.

Our biggest excitement came when we were trying to find a good spot to set up. Soft sand nearly undid the Subaru's clutch, however with a bit of luck we came though to more solid ground, where we quickly set up camp. Whilst the Subaru does have a low range gearbox, it is no where near as low as I would have liked. Handy for setting off when towing on the black-top perhaps, but not when you're looking at being stuck with a tonne or more on the back in something a little soft.

And for the record, No we didn't get bogged!  Close perhaps, but definitely not bogged!

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.

Truancy and Bad Luck go Hand in Hand.

Over the past few weeks, Mr Four and a Half has been enjoying Kindergarten Orientation at our local school.  Over three Thursday mornings, he has gamely set forth into the Kinder classroom and emerged a couple of hours later with exciting stories to tell and new friends made.  Mr Six has been far too important to even be seen with his little brother as he has been spending the same mornings doing Year One Orientation.

Whilst the kids have been off learning about what the next year has install for them, the parents have enjoyed education seminars on Literacy and Numeracy, before enjoying a delicious morning tea with other parents.  Happy days indeed. But it is funny how things happen in our family.

Week three and final, and we had decided that on completion of Orientation, we would pull both the kids out of school and race away for a longer than normal weekend down at the coast.  We had a meeting on Friday afternoon, but decided we would make an extra night of it and give ourselves the opportunity to relax as well.  So it was fitting that on the morning of our planned escape, the school had invited someone from the Department who chose to give a talk on truancy.

The Department spokesperson proceeded to lecture all the Mums and Dads on truancy and how missing a few days of school would result in your child protegee failing to reach their full potential, indeed any potential and how they would be doomed for life.  She did proceed to explain what did constitute a valid reason for removing your child from school for a day.  Apparently fishing or camping is not a valid excuse, but attending a family event does pass the grade.

So it was with a wee tinge of guilt that Jo signed the vacancy log for Mr Six as attending a “Family Event”, and we loaded the kids into Terry, with fishing rods on the roof and the camper in tow.  We took off, first stop Oallen Ford for a fish.  After all, what could possibly go wrong!

Mr Four and a Half tries to fill the river up with rocks whilst Mum wets a line.



Oallen Ford - July 2011

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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.