Feb 2021, Venus Bay, Vic

From our freedom camp at Meeniyan we drive down to the coastal holiday town of Venus Bay in readiness for our February caravan club muster. We are greeted by a grumpy “You’re early!” from the manager (it was 10:10am and most parks open for arrivals at 10:00) and we’re told that there are people on both of our sites who will be told to pack up.

There’s no mention of putting us on another two of the many unoccupied sites. We walk the rather bedraggled park and wait. The tent campers pack up and leave but the site is very steep and uneven causing Toothless some grief. Eventually after much kerfuffle, ramps, blocks of wood and even a concrete breeze block he has the van level though one wheel is in the air. I’m being attacked by midges.

The campers on our site are still stuffing around very slowly as its their first trip away in their new pop top. After an hour and a half they drive gingerly off having forgotten to put their pop top down. We back onto the site, it’s steep but not as bad as Toothless and Madam Secretary’s. As I put out the ground mats I notice a long shiny black bolt in the sand. Assuming it’s from the new van I run over and give it to the guy who’s still wrestling with his roof. He says it’s not his, but I insist saying that one day they’ll find where it belongs.

The campers have gone and we’re hot and tired after a slow and messy set up when Woody realises that his chair is broken.

Ever to the rescue Toothless repairs the chair with gaffer tape and an old tent peg and Woody dashes off to Inverloch to order burgers for 40 people for Saturday’s burger night.

A few more of our vans arrive. It’s still hot and I’m scratching midge bites in my hair. Forecasted rain threatens but passes to the south of us. The air conditioner that we had repaired at some expense a few weeks ago has stopped working, again. We have a long dinner under the awning, it is a warm but pleasant night with good company.

Next morning Woody pops out to the bathroom block for a real shower but can’t seem to get hot water. It’s early, very early so he darts from one cubicle to the next but still the water is barely warm. And so, to the next cubicle to no avail. Eventually he submits to a lukewarm shower.

Mid-morning we get word that with a number of Covid cases loose in the community there’s a lockdown imminent. Assuming that it only applies to Metro Melbourne, we’re curious but not worried. Our vans are now streaming in.  Including one couple who spent the night at Meeniyan and then had to return home for his forgotten medicine. Oh, the joys of age.

Perhaps an attack of midges was a warning. At 1:00pm it is announced that there will be a whole state lockdown from 11:59pm for at least 5 days! Bugger! We quickly mass into scrums and make plans. Some will stay some will go depending on family, medical and pet arrangements. Toothless reckons it looks like the foxes and the chickens. Toothless, he tells us is a fox and most of us are the chickens. Fearing a longer than 5day lockdown we chickens pack up. Lucky for the late arrivals they just turn around and go home.

For those who stay it is a pleasant lockdown with daily beach walks and swims. For those of us who go home it’s back to the new normal and 5 days of Australian Open tennis on the tele.

I wonder why Toothless was shouting “See you Bumcheeks”?