Category: When Things Just Go Wrong

Qld, Showgrounds, When Things Just Go Wrong7 Comments

Where are we?

Itching for Hitching

The showgrounds market is just packing up for the day and the place appears to be somewhat disorganized. There are a lot of horse stables that, by the amount of fresh manure must be in regular use. The van parking area is in a fenced paddock off to one side and there must be thirty vans of all shapes and sizes, but mostly large. Beside us we have a magnificent Winnebago with slide outs and probably worth half a million dollars. On the other side is a somewhat messy van with an old bloke sitting in the sun on a straight backed … Continue reading Where are we?

When Things Just Go Wrong4 Comments

Don’t Mention the ‘L’ Word

Itching for Hitching

Woody’s brother has been staying with us for a few days. That’s Woody the Elder. Being an old caravanner he’s been sleeping on our van for old time’s sake, whilst visiting. During breakfast the other morning he wanders in and casually says “You know you’ve got a leak.” Not “You know you’ve gotta leak…” But “You know you’ve got a leak.” Mid mouthful of muesli I’ve dropped the spoon and we’ve all headed for the door. Overnight it had rained, no pelted with rain, for hours. Woody the Elder being from the tropics probably thought it was just heavy mist … Continue reading Don’t Mention the ‘L’ Word

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Wrinkles and Wristbands

Itching for Hitching

One of the things that is foremost in the minds of retirees has to be healthcare. “Am I risking my health to go to unknown places? Do they have decent hospitals out there?” Don’t rule out travel because of these concerns and when you do go on the road never put off health issues until you get home either. Always play it safe and seek advice. The healthcare facilities throughout Australia are excellent and you will hear many an uplifting story from other travellers who have found themselves in need of assistance in the unlikeliest of places. This morning we were … Continue reading Wrinkles and Wristbands

Vic, When Things Just Go Wrong4 Comments

What Seniors Get Up To In Cars These Days

Itching for Hitching

We’re heading to Mildura in Victoria’s northwest. By lunchtime we leave the Sunraysia Highway at Ouyen, because we want to try the Mallee Bakery’s famous award winning vanilla slices. The pies are excellent but the “snot blocks” are pillows of ecstasy and gooilly delicious but bloody difficult to eat whilst driving. Brian has large globs of soft white icing dripping from his fingers and a mouth filled with crunchy pastry as he asks me to mop up the custard that has landed in big dollops in his lap. All too soon I realise that I’m tickling his unmentionables while wiping … Continue reading What Seniors Get Up To In Cars These Days

Vic, When Things Just Go Wrong6 Comments

You Should Try Caravanning…

Itching for Hitching

We had been trying hard to convince our friends to retire and try caravanning because we knew that they love the bush and we’d often camped together over the years. Not to be outdone by an earlier episode at Healesville when the water main burst we decided to try again and invited them to meet us in Mildura. “There was a light breeze but it was a lovely evening to sit on the riverbank. The fire worked well and the leg of lamb smelled good as it cooked on the Weber. We warned our friends that caravanners like to go … Continue reading You Should Try Caravanning…

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The Bathroom Door With Anxiety Disorder

Itching for Hitching

Nervous Nellie, the bathroom door on our caravan is scared of dirt roads. “How” you say “would you know that? It’s a door for God’s sake.” Well, at the mere mention that we’ll be travelling on an unmade road, it trembles and quakes and jumps off it’s guide rails. When we travel on a dirt road for no matter how short a distance, it does the full banana. Slips its lock and jumps off its guide rails then wedges itself between the wall and the toilet at such an angle that we can’t get into the bathroom. No matter how … Continue reading The Bathroom Door With Anxiety Disorder

Vic, When Things Just Go Wrong, WildlifeLeave a comment

The Garden of Eden

Itching for Hitching

There are fairies at the bottom of the garden. Every morning at Skipworth Reserve fairy wrens no bigger than a hailstone from a Sydney summer storm, hop about the grass.”Don’t let your coffee go cold.” Says Woody as I climb the steeply cut clay steps down to the river bracing myself on the grassy banks for support. I really don’t want to break any more bones this year. The river looks superb in the morning sun and the water is not cold. Looking back up a photo of the van from part way up the steps would look good. As I … Continue reading The Garden of Eden

Caravan Parks, Vic, When Things Just Go WrongLeave a comment

Not a Drop to Drink

Itching for Hitching

We had spent the weekend with mates in Badgers Creek Caravan Park in Healesville prior to us leaving on the first leg of our ‘big lap’. It was a very ‘nose cold’ night but we slept in until 7:15am. It is around zero degrees. Brian leaps under the shower and there is only a trickle of water. After racing about to check the taps he decides on a quick ‘bush shower’ under the trickling shower. Then it is my turn and guess what? There is barely a drop left. We hadn’t filled the tanks at home expecting to keep our … Continue reading Not a Drop to Drink

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In a Bit of Hot water

Itching for Hitching

It is a perfectly warm night in Port Denison, WA. Perfect to have the windows and hatches open and we listen to the crash of the waves against the rock wall as we fall asleep. I wake at 6:00am to the sound of running water that sounds like someone has taken the bungs out of their boat. But it keeps on gushing and gushing, they would have sunk with that much water. I wake Woody to tell him that it must be raining, hard. We leap out of bed and into water! A hose fitting has sheared off the water … Continue reading In a Bit of Hot water

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Bushfires

Itching for Hitching

Never before had I considered proximity to an airport and a hospital to be important when caravanning. In February 2014 we were enjoying a caravan club weekend muster at the Park Lane Top Tourist caravan park in Traralgon, Vic. On the Friday a fire started in Yallourn North and we were entertained by the fire fighting helicopters and fixed wing aircraft buzzing overhead. On the Saturday we were hunkering down to a serious heat wave and by mid morning on Sunday the heat was extreme and a strong wind was rocking the caravans. There were fires at nearby Bruthen and … Continue reading Bushfires