Where to now? That is the question. Like most people, we are confined to home or should I say we’ve been given a licence to veg out in front of our screens. When you look back at the times in your life when you’ve been really busy, if you’d been told by a higher authority “Don’t leave the house, read and watch as much TV and internet as you can possibly devour and cook comfort food.” you would have been ecstatic. That’s the way we’re going to try and look at this situation. We all know the dark side, so I won’t reiterate, but there are some tremendous advantages to focus on:

• IBS sufferers can now eat anything they want as they will never be far from the toilet, bring on the onions, please!
• We don’t have to worry about what to wear. Household grot clothes rule!
• We can sleep in. There are no appointments or meetings!
• Our neighbours’ incessantly barking dog has finally stopped barking because its owners are at home!

Over the coming weeks I’d like to take you on a journey. A trip that hasn’t seen the light of day other than in a family blog but the one that inspired me to take the plunge into real blogging. I’d like to invite you to pretend that it’s 2015 and come along for the ride, let’s Go West.

Intro

In 2014 friends Jordy & Megsy announced that they would be married in April 2015 at Cullen Wines vineyard in the Margaret River region. An Easter wedding. This seemed like an ideal opportunity to take the caravan and then continue on up the west coast to Darwin and then on home ‘through the middle’. Our friends Shirley & Double or Nuthin’ Daz were also invited to the wedding and as they too have a van. The plan was cemented. Our old caravan club mate Veewee was planning to take a trip to Perth to see her daughter and the family so she too joined the convoy. Little did we know what trials and tribulations were to lay ahead. But would we do it again? You bet.

The following is a transcript of our blog as each day unfolded.

Day 1, Go West

Saturday 7^th March 2015

Melbourne to Charlton

It is cool and overcast and feels like autumn but we’re happy to be on the road again.

There’s so much discussion about van weights and towing capacities these days. I feel that we are somewhat overloaded as we set out but what with the Jeeps 3½ tonne towing capacity it isn’t a problem except of course for the cost of fuel. Woody has packed more shoes than Imelda Marcos. Now I know that the reason for this trip is Jordy and Megsy’s wedding in Margaret River and Woody doesn’t want to arrive looking like ‘trailer trash’, but I’m sure Megsy will be the centre of attention, not Woody’s shoes.

When we spot our first emu at Malmsbury which is way too close to Melbourne for wildlife we are assaulted by ‘big trip’ nerves. Like is the fridge door snibbed? Is the towball locked on? And horror upon horror, did we pack Woody’s hearing aids? Quaking at the thought of 20,000kms with the radio at its loudest setting, I find them in my handbag.

Inglewood is the birthplace of Sir Reginald Ansett founder of Ansett Airlines. The produce store is selling chickens and started pullets in cages beside the footpath. The smell is unmistakeably of ‘chook’.

We pull into the Traveller’s Rest at Charlton exactly 4 hours after leaving home. Veewee and her poodle Tillie are waiting having set up the night before. Hey, this is where we first met Veewee back in 2012! The Avoca River is a few metres away and a mere trickle. Four years ago it burst its banks and flooded the whole town. We eat and drink happily under the shade of a large old pepper tree. Ah the serenity.

Accom: Donation

Facilities: Toilets

Towing Kms: 300Kms