Do things always come in Three's
We all have a variety of reasons as to why we pack up the caravan and hit the road. But none of us need any unexpected problems along the way.
We have always been welcomed by the people of North East Victoria so when a friend rang asking for help we jumped at the chance. Even though the work included some heavy gardening we knew his property was a place which would offer a high degree of relaxation
Driving into Poets Paradise https://www.facebook.com/Mauriespoetsparadise/ after a virtually uneventful six hour trip was a relief. But our relief did not last long. Our 2009 BT50 decided that reversing the caravan was not going to happen without bringing to light a damn annoying mechanical failure.
Yes, the clutch !!
And I quietly thought that the shudder that we experienced on an incline in Wodonga was just road grime. But no such luck. The positive was that we were settled on a lovely property so had no need to move on for a few days, so time was on our side. And the other bonus was that we met up with a friend so there was now quite a circle of mechanical brains with whom we could thrash ideas around.
A phone call to our mechanic, whom we have great faith in, was the first step. Replacement was the only solution as there is no adjustment And if we decided to head back home then he would be able to help us out. So it was a big decision. Yes, it was a six hour trip, but if there were problems then we would be better organised to cope with them at home. And the mechanic was confident that if we left the van behind then the ute should not have any problems. We do have road side assistance but the possibility was that our vehicle could have ended up being repaired in a larger town a 100 k's away , which could have resulted in logistical problems.
We got stuck into Maurie's garden and were happy with all that we achieved. Our evenings were spent in the camp kitchen listening to Maurie recite bush poetry; with the chatter of birds in the background whilst marvelling at the colours of our world changing as the sun was going down.
Thankfully the trip home and time in the workshop was all uneventful.
"We will be burying you before we have to replace that clutch again! " Sounds like our mechanic is fairly confident.
I hope he realises that longevity exists in hubby's family. But he also said that we should be very happy with the service that our ute has given us, as it is now 11 years old, with 170,000k's on the clock, with most of those towing a trailer.
The only thing that hurt was our hip pocket !
But at least now we knew that we could return to Corryong and be confident that there would be no more problems towing the caravan.
After a visit to the supermarket in Wodonga we were glad to be on the last stretch of our return journey. We now know this road so well.
It was great to see our caravan just as we had left it, considering the area had been dealt some extremely strong winds while we were away. Next job was to unpack the groceries and pour a cold glass of wine.
Oh for goodness sake "What else can go wrong now!"
The bloody gas had run out so the fridge was sitting on 20 degrees!
I had warm wine and lumpy milk !
Now I am slightly superstitious and they do say that things come in three's! So now I have two catastrophes ! Best start to accept that a third will happen! So do you feel a sense of relief, and clap your hands after the "third" as the cycle has ended. But what happens if there is a forth? Is that the beginning of a new cycle?
At least we had the Engel so it was quickly plugged into power and what couldn't fit in ours, was stored in our friends fridges.
No cold wine for me for a while! Bloody hell, this trip was quickly becoming a disaster !
So meat and milk went into the bin and now to wait for the fridge to get the temperature back down.
Some holidays just breeze along with no problems and at other times nothing seems to go right. At least we had great company and a wonderful place to stay. Poets Paradise is a basic camping area situated on the side of Mt Elliot. From the top you look over Corryong and across to Mt Mittamatite. The track up is definitely 4WD and not for the faint hearted.
Finally our gardening days were over so we hit the road. It was a extremely picturesque drive over to Wandiligong. The challenge was the Tawonga Gap, a trip across the mountains from Tawonga/Mt Beauty to Bright. But the BT50 and our 18 foot van did it with ease. Take your time and be aware of the hair pin bends.
Wandiligong Camping ground is well worth a stay, if you are looking for a quiet holiday surrounded by a small creek and tall trees. It is away from the hustle and bustle of Bright but still close enough to head in to replenish groceries or peruse all that Bright has to offer.
It is a basic camping area but water and power are available or you can choose an unpowered site. There are flushing toilets and a shower. And I only needed $3 for the washing machine.
https://www.wandiligongcampingground.com.au/
Earlier I discussed my superstitious beliefs. Do things come in threes.? Well lo and behold as if we had not had enough drama, number three happened.
I could not for the life of me figure out what the noise was, but there was something keeping me awake. Hubby sleeps quite soundly so he was oblivious to any night time "drum" player hiding in our van. Well that's what it sounded like. Finally he heard the noise but managed to sleep so the next morning was not as tired as I was. Thank goodness our friends had a decent sleep so their brains were quite sharp and could do a bit of investigating. And it did not take long to find the culprit.
The fan in the battery charger was going off and on and hence was struggling to keep the said battery charger cool. Crisis averted. The battery charger would be turned off at night and peace will reign. But a new battery charger will need to be fitted.
Yep another hit to the hip pocket!
In the Bright Wandiligong area there is plenty to keep the tourist entertained. And if you enjoy cycling then the bike paths will suit any cyclist.
Hang gliding is also popular and a drive up to the Mystic - Bright launch site was a wonderful experience. And I will admit that hang gliding is not for me!
Harrietville is quite a pretty little town and is most certainly worth exploring.
A most exhilarating little excursion was a drive up Mt Hotham. The scenery was magical. Tall stately gum trees, towered over the valley. We were blessed with a clear day so you could see forever. The road surface was quite good but after a while the height and hair pin bends became a bit of a challenge. I do admit that I did struggle slightly with the changing topography and felt very uneasy when there was an absence of guard rails.
This road is a link over the mountains from Bright to Omeo and I am now quite convinced that we would not tow a caravan along it. I guess some people have, but it all depends on what you yourself can cope with and the variables in the weather at the time.
The area of North East Victoria has an abundance of activities to keep all family members occupied. A leisurely stroll , fishing or prospecting or just reading a book whilst sitting by a mountain stream.
It is a region that we thoroughly enjoyed as there were parts that we had never ventured to prior to this visit, and there were other parts that it had been quite a few decades since previous visits.
Caravanning does make it so much easier to explore our great country.
Happy and safe travels everyone
