Our first venture in the Camper Trailer.

It is not my intention to write every event we will be having in the camper trailer. This was our first experience, so I think it was noteworthy.

The astronomy club we belong to have a property near Ilford NSW.  Its purpose is purely for astronomy but many of us enjoy the social side of meeting up with friends with a similar interest.  The property has all the facilities you want, showers, toilets, and a fully functional outdoor kitchen together with very spectacular wood fire. We took the easy way out to try the new trailer knowing we had complete backup on hand.

Arriving early evening on the Thursday it was cold and windy. We were not exactly prepared for it, understandably, it was the middle of January 2023. It had rained on and off on the drive up to the site, so we quickly got started on the setup. Opening the camper was easy and went smoothly. We then attacked the awning with a few teething problems. Before too long we had unloaded the car, made the bed and were ready to cook. We had a few visitors coming over to check up our setup, so it was late when dinner was finally started. Ken put on the steak, and potatoes, added some pre-chopped salad veggies, followed by some beer and wine and we were ready for our first nights sleep. The wind was certainly putting a chill in the air now. Lying in bed I was quite chilly and needed more clothing under the thin doona. I admit I tossed and turned a lot that night. It was not the best sleep and I worried this was going to be something I would not handle well. I am a person who likes her sleep and her comfort. The problem was solved the next day by using the very good sleeping bags we had stored in our old caravan on site. I can assure you I woke the next day feeling very relieved. That morning, we saw blue sky and sun during the day but were hampered by winds once again. Some bacon, eggs, tomato, and mushrooms together with  some hot coffee filled our bellies and helped to get the day started. We spent the day setting up our Joolca shower tent and toilet alcove not without having to refer to the instructions of course. It’s always simple once you figure it out. What made it a lengthy event was putting it in the wrong place and the leads and fixture would not fit. After realising this we swiftly moved it to the other end of the camper. Testing out the shower was fun and reassuring. We also set up the porta potti and of course tried that out also. All worked beautifully. the rest of the day we relaxed a bit playing on the Ipad and catching up with friends as they arrived for the weekend. That night Ken cooked up a chicken caciatore casserole, we drank some more wine with friends around the fire and headed to bed ready for a solid sleep. We were a lot warmer and slept more soundly that night. It was all a learning experience and a fun one at that.

Saturday, we went with cereal and coffee and prepared to head to Mudgee for a light lunch, a trip to Woollies and Bunnings before a sunny afternoon drive via the beautiful wineries and valleys surrounding us. That night we were feasting on beef curry casserole which was very scrumptious. Ken has become a bit of a master since we bought the Webber Baby Q. He has tried a good variety of recipes and this one stood up to the test.  A friend offered some Panettone cake and rocky road chocolate for a  pleasant finish. Another night with great conversation around the fire with a glass of wine. We retired to a comfortable bed and listened to the rain pattering on the roof overnight.

We were able to use lots of the accessories we had purchased and at this stage felt we had not wasted money, and all had worked efficiently. Although some warmer weather would have been welcomed, we were in fact able to try things out in less ideal conditions. Our last day, Sunday, was cold and wintery with cycles of rain and wind hampering activities. We had breakfast, an omelette and bacon, took our time over coffee, fair-welled a few people heading home and then idly sat appreciating the quietness of the day. After lunch we decided to watch a movie, which was quite a cosy experience in the camper. Overall, a leisurely day ending with Pizza for dinner.

We started our final morning with an easy breakfast of cereal and coffee. We figured we would pack up and then have our second cup of coffee an hour later. Unfortunately, that was not the case. I have to say nothing was hard to do but there was  a lot of stuff that had to get packed up and fitted back into the trailer and car the way it started. We all know that never works. How in the world does one get that large piece of floor matting back into that little plastic pouch, I will never know. After several different tries at folding, quite a bit of groaning on my part, the result was the casing ending up lying on top. We found ourselves making many trips walking back and forth with single items which needed to be packed in Bin 1 or Bin2. In future the rule will be to put things back where they came from at the time of use, another lesson learned.   

We had it done in 2 hours which is not that bad but also not good if you need to get on the road early. We learnt from the experience and now know we must do a little the night before and a little more planning in the future.

We headed back home via Wallace Lake so we could look at their free camping grounds for our next short stay. Stopping at the local take away for hamburgers and coffee. The park surrounds a glorious lake and has many shady trees to camp under. We were able to find an outdoor table and bench under a shady tree to enjoy our lunch and were pleasantly surprised at the beautiful peaceful surrounds.

There is a great park for the kids, a lot of open space for walking and exploring. We noticed lots of people fishing along the waters edge. Generally speaking a very pleasant are. Practically speaking we noted toilets and we think there were showers also. a dump site and rubbish bins to be able to offload.

We headed back home feeling the whole weekend was a relaxing learning experience and left us feeling confident with our next adventure.

I hope you enjoy this little insight into our world. I look forward to your comments. Do you have a camper trailer or caravan. What has been your favourite spot to camp. What is your tastiest camp meal. We are embarking on a trip to Western Australia in April this year 2023 for 6-8 weeks. Any comments and advise are welcome. Please give this a thumbs up before you leave.