Category: Travel

Spending thousands to live like a homeless person

Every time we go on a car club camping trip there’s another lesson to learn.

The big lesson from last weekends trip to Northcliffe was … don’t always trust online reviews when it comes to camping essentials.

Especially sleeping bags!

We invested what we thought was a reasonable amount of money in a well known and highly recommended brand that simply did not feel warm in any way.

Clear skies overnight made for wonderful star gazing but it was absolutely freezing in our tent.

I went to bed with a thermal top, fleecy hoodie and pants, a beanie and my jumper hood on my head, and warm socks on my feet, but was still so cold I barely slept.

The sleeping bag had high ratings and feedback, apparently for temperatures from minus 12.

I estimate it was probably about five degrees that night so it should have been fine.

Hmm

After that experience I need more feedback from people I actually know.

Hit me!

On the road again

I know it’s been a long time between posts. No excuses, just …life.

Planning and packing for our next big adventure is in progress, a car club trip to Northcliffe this weekend.

Our first time leading a car club trip, and to say I’m nervous is an understatement.

It’s going to be very cold, probably wet, and I’m working right up until close of business Friday so there’s not much time to pack.

Wish me luck!

Cheers to Covid.

Just like that it’s 2022!

Seriously, how fast did the last year fly by? Well it certainly seemed to for me.

Maybe that’s a middle-aged thing.

I’ve got a monster headache but it’s not from celebrating new year’s eve. The side effects of the Pfizer booster have hit and I’m feeling like an old car that has been left out in the paddock to rust.

In the words of the late great Leonard Cohen ‘I ache in the places where I used to play’ but it’s a small price to pay at the end of the day.

Right now I am so thankful and grateful for the silver linings that covid has brought for me.

I can hardly believe it’s been nearly two years since my milestone birthday celebration at the Cottesloe hotel!

Way back at the start of 2020 when covid was something I was only starting to hear about and didn’t think would impact my big birthday holiday.

In the past year I’ve gone from cruising to camping and can honestly say it’s been exactly what I needed to do.

Joining a car club and making new friends while heading off exploring amazing WA.

I’ve survived the heat, dust, dingoes, donkeys and flies, and days without running water and lived out of my car all with my best friend by my side.

Yes we’ve bickered and ranted and played the blame game, but ending a day by the side of a fire after watching the sun set has helped heal most wounds.

Covid is coming but we’re as prepared as we can be, both double dosed and boosted and trying to get used to accessorising with masks every time we leave home.

The bubble is set to burst at the start of February, but in the meantime another birthday is on the horizon and we’ve got one more car trip to complete.

Who’s with me?

Life on the road

It’s Saturday today which means we’ve been living out of our car for more than a week.

A milestone for me especially, and also our relationship.

Lessons I’ve learnt already include that a self inflating mattress, a dual battery and a good fridge are worth the money. Invest in a good tent, trust me that’s not something you want to scrimp on, and a collapsible bucket from Kmart has multiple uses.

That red dirt is a bugger to wash off so a good thick flannel is essential, and also a nail brush to get it out from under any nails you have left after rolling up that mattress.

Nothing beats the feeling of watching the sun set on the horizon in a bush camp, and the stars are better than anything you can watch on the idiot box.

Karijini is a magic place so if you have the time to get there it’s a must, and the people you meet on the way there are worth the long drive.

Yep there’s been more than a couple of arguments along the way, but navigating our way through the biggest road trip we’ve ever done is bringing us together in more ways than anything else we’ve ever done until now.

And right now I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be.

Chasing the sun

One more sleep before we hit the road! Who would have thought I’d be so excited about a camping trip?

A two week road trip that has been planned for months, and I’m so happy that tomorrow is finally the day!

The car is packed to the brim with everything we think we’re going to need. Knowing me I’ve probably packed too many clothes but with no guarantee of when I’ll next shower I figure it’s better to be safe than sorry.

One more sleep then it’s two full days of driving until we arrive in Newman before heading off exploring the Pilbara and Karijini.

Week two will be in Exmouth, with swimming and snorkelling and soaking up the sunshine on the agenda.

Feeling so very thankful and grateful that Covid hasn’t stopped us being able to head away.

Certainly feels like we’ve had some close calls, and every time I’ve got wind of an announcement from the Premier I’ve been crossing my fingers that its not a lock down.

Two weeks of living out of the car and sleeping in a tent is certainly the biggest challenge our relationship has faced.

But it’s something hubby has always wanted to do, and after the wettest winter we’ve had in years I’m just happy to be chasing the sun.

Chances are my updates will be limited but a break from social media and Covid news feels like exactly what we both need.

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right?

30,000 kms in three years

Today is a public holiday in Western Australia, and right now there’s a lot of people heading home after a long weekend away.

We opted out of a road trip this weekend for a few reasons, but it feels appropriate to reflect on how far we have travelled since purchasing my ‘G.I. Jane’ Subaru Outback at the end of June in 2018.

Having just returned from an overseas holiday and with plans in place to celebrate a milestone birthday in 2020, the EOFY purchase was more about the trade-in value of my previous car and the fact I fell in love with the colour than anything else.

30,000 kms later we’ve hit the road more often and seen more of our state than we would ever have intended if Covid hadn’t put paid to our original plans.

The money we would have spent overseas has instead been invested in ‘pimping’ my car, purchasing camping supplies and sampling local bakeries from Coolgardie to the Porongorups.

Driving G.I. Jane on and off-road, along with seeing more of our state, we’ve had the opportunity to expand our circle of friends and realise how the small things mean so much along the way.

Fingers crossed Covid won’t impact our plan to see Karijini and Exmouth in a couple of months, and I’m envious of friends who recently sold everything and headed for the horizon with no set plan; one Powerball and we’ll meet them somewhere on the road.

In the meantime I’m so grateful to be able to see more of amazing WA as well as to appreciate how lucky we are to be here right now.

Who knows where the next 30,000 and three kms will take us?

Waiting for a Wave

News just in from the WA Premier, the hard border that has been closed since April will finally be opened for travellers from NSW and Victoria from midnight tonight!

Good news, right?

I certainly hope so.

Because from what I’ve seen recently, the coronvirus crisis isn’t being taken seriously, and there is a frightening sense of complacency that has settled into the WA community.

It’s certainly felt like one of the safest places in the world to be, and yes I know that for those who have been ‘stuck outside’ it has been a long wait.

The Premier turned us into an island within an island, and we’ve had months to get ourselves ready for the opening but are we really ready?

Just in time for Christmas shopping queues, and the silly season when after a few drinks everyone is a friend.

Is it just me or do we all need to stop and think and remind ourselves that yes we have been lucky to not have had any community transmission in this state, yet.

And do whatever we can to prevent a second wave.

It may not impact you personally but think about the implications of you passing the virus onto someone else, who has an elderly friend or relative, or whose immunity is compromised, and the impact on our health workers and health system.

Maybe I am a glass half empty ‘negative Nancy’, but I’m feeling a lot of anxiety while waiting for the wave.

So download the SafeWA app, avoid close contact with others, avoid shaking hands, stay home if you are not well, cover your mouth/nose when you cough/sneeze and wash your hands.

Please 🥺🙏

Lessons learnt from camping

According to my phone the forecast minimum in Porongurup tonight is 6 degrees, and there is talk of snow on Bluff Knoll being possible.

I’ve never seen snow, but am thankful the temperature didn’t dip so low when we were down that way last weekend.

This time last week we were on our way there for our first camping experience, with the car packed to the brim and my mind full of fear of the unknown.

I am pleased to report that the experience was successful and enjoyable, but there were some lessons learnt that I’m sharing for myself more than anything.

Prepare for the worst and hope for the best so byo cooking, eating and washing up supplies because camp kitchen facilities vary.

We were pleasantly surprised to find a microwave oven as well as a fridge, toaster, kettle, stove and crockery in the camp kitchen but it can’t be assumed that these will be provided every time.

Don’t rely on technology.

Our CB Radio inexplicably randomly stopped working on the day we left, which would have made it difficult to stay in contact with the car club convoy en route to our destination.

Thankfully we had a spare set but have made a note to check and double check they are both working well before our next trip.

We also had issues with maintaining power for the portable fridge, which could have been managed with the solar panel we decided not to take.

Next trip the panel will be second on the list.

First on the list will be earplugs, which after our first mostly sleepless night we headed to Mount Barker to purchase due to the snore symphony being transmitted from most of the tents.

The self inflating mattress was worth the money as well as the space it took up in the car, but we need to invest in new sleeping bags because the ones we have simply wouldn’t cut it if the overnight temperature dipped as low as it is forecast to tonight.

The long drive home was borderline dangerous because we were both so tired, so anything we can do to improve our sleep quality will be worth the investment.

Tips from other campers I’ll be using include a stove top coffee percolator for that essential morning brew, a thermos for cuppas on the road, and lots of towels for wiping down the tent before it’s rolled up on pack down day.

The biggest lesson from our first camping experience is that the comforts of home and especially our bed have never been more appreciated since we have returned.

I have been sleeping better all week so we are already planning our next trip, but in the meantime I’m researching sleeping bags so any tips would be appreciated.

I’m looking forward to seeing news about snow on Bluff Knoll, but good luck to the campers down there this weekend.

Hopefully they’ve prepared for the worst!

A new chapter

There is something very satisfying about finding a place for all the shapes that cascade down in the tile matching video game Tetris.

Tetris was a game I enjoyed playing as a child, and I’ve found an equivalent phone app that I’ve been known to play if there’s nothing to read and I’m very, very bored.

Sitting in an international airport lounge waiting for my boarding call for example. Something I can’t see myself doing for quite some time.

The milestone birthday holiday plan which included a cruise from New York to Rome with plenty of potential Tetris time has now been replaced by … camping.

From cruising to camping is not a great segue, but thanks to Covid-19 it’s fast becoming our next ‘big thing’.

My only experience of camping is from primary school, and I can vividly recall the experience to this day.

The rain set in with vengeance soon after we set up our tents, so instead of facing the elements we ended up camping on the floor inside the local church, between the pews.

While I appreciate the beauty of stained glass, my memory of watching the lightning strikes cast colourful shadows overhead, and waiting for the next ‘big badda boom’, made for a mystical experience but wasn’t very conducive to a good night’s sleep.

And it was terribly cold too!

I’m not a princess but I am rather partial to creature comforts, like a belly full of delicious food and a warm cosy comfortable bed.

And I’m seriously addicted to coffee!

So to say I am somewhat anxious about the plan for my husband and I to camp in the Porongorups this weekend is an understatement.

There just seems to be so much ‘stuff’ that needs to be planned for and purchased in order to ‘Be Prepared,’ and how the heck are we going to fit it all in the back of the car?!

We’ve borrowed a tent, splurged on a self inflating mattress, resurrected the sleeping bags last used by the kids many moons ago, and if all else fails we’ll sleep in every item of clothing for warmth.

So that’s shelter sorted, right?

It’s all the other stuff that is doing my head in. Like hot food and water, and lighting, seating, eating, washing up.

And fitting it all into the back of the car in some way that is able to be removed in case of a flat tyre or some other emergency.

Everyone’s full of camping tips and tricks from their own experience, but right now it’s feeling a bit like childbirth.

Friends love sharing their tips but no-one seems to want to admit to the ‘bad stuff’ until after I have experienced it for myself.

Like all the potential trip hazards between the shelter of our tent and the loo in the middle of the night.

And the many dangerous Australians we’re likely to encounter, like snakes!

And instant coffee!

I’m hoping my Tetris experience will come in handy when it comes time to pack up the car.

And I’m pleased to hear that happy hour is considered mandatory on campsites so will make sure there’s room for a good bottle of red or two.

But apart from that?

There’s only so much room in the car so I’m thinking our biggest lessons will come from how well we Improvise, Adapt and Overcome!

Anyone know if there’s a church in the Porongorups?

The sounds of home

Today is Tuesday and I was woken just after sunrise by the sound of our bin being emptied. That sound would normally be around the same time as my workday alarm going off when I would jump straight in the shower to wash the sleep away. This morning I rolled over and went back to sleep for a few more hours instead.

Every morning a relative of an elderly Italian neighbour calls in. He drives an Audi R8, a car with a distinctive engine sound that announces his arrival, with a staccato double tap on the horn defining his departure every day. I am normally ready for a coffee around that time so it’s my signal to head into the kitchen to turn on the espresso machine.

The mail is delivered around midday by a postal delivery officer whose bike has squeaky brakes. Even if he doesn’t stop outside our block of units, the sound is a reminder to go outside and check the mailbox.

We live on the same street as the local Primary School, and since the start of term the day has been punctuated by the school siren.
Kind of reminds me of the time we stayed in the heart of Florence across the road from a church, with a bell that rang at 8am and 5pm every day.

The plan for the final leg of the big holiday we had organised for now was to settle into an Airbnb in Sorrento for a week, and it was the opportunity to experience the sights and sounds as a local that I was especially looking forward to.

The funny thing is that it wasn’t until I was forced to holiday at home that I came to really appreciate the comfort that the sounds of home already offer me.

I am so very grateful that Covid-19 has given me the opportunity to slow down, reflect on and reset my priorities, and the day there is no engine purr or staccato double tap is when I will knock on the neighbours door to check on her myself.

In the meantime I think it’s about time to put the kettle on.