2006

Grabben what you ask?

Grabben Gullen, or Grabby if you are a local, is located roughly WNW of Goulburn NSW (about 61k’s by road) with access via either Gunning . . . → Read More: 20 – 22 January 2012 – Grabben Gullen NSW]]> Back in 1970 (or was it in 1971), “He” had the pleasure of finding a star sapphire in the remote NSW Township of Grabben Gullen.

Grabben what you ask?

Grabben Gullen, or Grabby if you are a local, is located roughly WNW of Goulburn NSW (about 61k’s by road) with access via either Gunning or Crookwell.  It has a population of about 432 people and a pub.

So why were we going there?  Last year we joined a CMCA Chapter called the Hilltops Rangers (based roughly around the NSW South West slopes area) and the venue for the January meeting was Grabben Gullen.

”He” organised to have a half day of annual leave and that allowed us to be heading south just after 1:00pm on an overcast Friday afternoon.  Rain was forecast for the weekend but we had our fingers crossed.  The departure time was perfect as we had an excellent run to Bankstown where we joined the M5 heading south.

We refuelled at Sutton Forest ($1.51 cpl) and took advantage of vouchers which reduced the cost by 10 cents per litre.

About 30k’s short of Goulburn we encountered a storm front with fairly heavy rain coupled together with thunder and lightning.  The storm front followed up to just short of Crookwell where we stopped to buy a bucket (CMCA rules ask for a full bucket of water to be placed adjacent to the front wheel of your motor home to assist in the case of a fire).

Our venue for the weekend was the area adjacent to the local community hall and although we did not have power, we had access to a flushing toilet and a shower operated by gold coin.

About 15 motor homes attended the gathering.

We experiences rain All Friday night from multiple storm fronts in the area and after happy hour in the community hall, we all did our own thing and following our evening meal, we decided to take advantage of the opportunity for an early night and we were in bed listening to the rain just after 9:00pm.

Saturday was a perfect summer day in the bush with wall to wall blue skies.  Some of our group decided to go fossicking but we chose to remain in the campsite.  We played disk bowls and various card games during the morning and afternoon and before heading to the local pub where a mobile caterer had been arranged for the evening meal.

The meals were not expensive and very generous in size.  Immediately following our meal we headed back to the community centre to play cards.  Much to our surprise, the temperature had dropped dramatically and we had to find some warm clothing, not the sort of thing you pack for a trip in the middle of summer.

We had a great sleep as a result of the low temperature.

Sunday was overcast and we heard warnings on the radio regards expected thunderstorm activity through most of NSW.

We had a community breakfast consisting of bacon, eggs, sausage and tomato.  Without doubt, breakfast rated as the best cooked breakfast we have experienced whilst travelling.  The chapter held a meeting after breakfast and due to the forecast storms, we elected to head back to home immediately following breakfast.

Much to our surprise, the trip home was dry but very windy.

All told, a great weekend.

With a decision made not to attend either of the Winnebago Christmas parties (we went to the last two at Nagambie in Victoria due to commitments on the weekends that the . . . → Read More: 9 – 12 December 2011 – Kiama NSW]]> For the past two years we have escaped Sydney and spent the weekend prior to Christmas at Kiama at the East’s Caravan Park.

With a decision made not to attend either of the Winnebago Christmas parties (we went to the last two at Nagambie in Victoria due to commitments on the weekends that the NSW parties were held near Coffs Harbour), we mentioned Kiama to several of our friends and a decision was made to hold a “gathering” at Kiama but on the weekend two weeks prior to Christmas.  We also decided to extend the stay to three nights arriving on the Friday and departing on the Monday.  As it would happen, our weekend would be an identical length to a Winnebago Christmas Party but at a fraction of the cost as we were all to be spared a lengthy drive to either Coffs Harbour or Nagambie.

We had five other couples decide to join us but unfortunately one couple had to pull out on the departure day due to ill health.

Blue Snoopy was loaded on the weekend prior to our departure date and it was only a matter of some last minute clothing and food before we departed Sydney just after 9:00am on a Friday morning with a weather forecast of rain during our trip south.

After a planned fuel stop at Burwood, we were soon heading south with the majority of the Sydney peak behind us.  The weather was fine.  Due to the relatively short distance we had to travel and also to remove any stress (both on the motor home and the driver) going down Mt Ousley, we chose to drive our car.  It was also a good opportunity to give the car a decent run as most of its time is being spent driving around Sydney in continual stop / start situations.

For this trip we mounted a small video camera (recently obtained from eBay for a cost of $32 which included postage) on the windscreen of the motor home.  The recording has the capacity for about 4 hours of recording before it commences to overwrite files.  Later during the weekend, some of the recorded images provided for some light entertainment.  There are really some drivers who should not be allowed the privilege of driving a car.

The trip south was uneventful and we maintained a conversation between the vehicles over the UHF.  “She” passed a warning about a Police car with radar halfway down the Mt Ousley decent but the motor home was travelling slowly enough that the radar would probably have detected a snail travelling quicker.

We arrived at Kiama at 11:00am and headed to the local Woolworths supermarket to purchase our perishable items.  We had arranged access to our camping site from midday so we arrived at 11:56am.  Two other couple had already arrived and had established their camp.  One of the couples intending to attend the weekend had cancelled earlier in the day due to a health issue and we were able to have their deposit transferred to our account.  There was one other couple who arrived after us.

(A special “thank you” to the Office Manager that day at East’s Beach who approved the transaction, it WAS greatly appreciated).

One of the advantages of a motor home over a caravan is the time required to setup.  As we had driven the car there and did not have to unhitch, it was a simple matter of reversing onto our site and then moving forward onto ramps to set our level.  That process, extending the slide out and connecting water took us less than 5 minutes.  “He” still has fond memories of the many hours spent during his “tenting” days of the setup process.  Now we sit and have a cold drink watching others do as “He” once did.

The remainder of the afternoon was spent talking to our friends plus a walk to the beach.  We retreated from the beach to return for happy hour that started near five and concluded close to 8:00pm (or was it 9:00pm – cannot remember).  The weather had been kind to us with absolutely no hint of rain.

On Saturday morning we spent time positioning our neighbour’s motor home so we could extend both of the annexes towards each other to provide a large covered area.  We also fashioned a drain between the annexes that would ensure that any runoff fell safely away from the covered area.  Yes, we were reacting to the weather forecast that was predicting rain.

During the morning the final couple joining us for the weekend arrived and after lunch, all of the ladies headed into Kiama on a mission to purchase prawns for our evening meals.

We cut our happy hour short and the enjoyed prawns and salad for our evening meal followed by Christmas Puddings.  We spent the evening looking at a movie called “Red Dog”.

After our friends retired for the evening, we walked down to the beach with the intention of photographing the ocean under a very bright moon.  There was also an eclipse of the moon on the Saturday night and unfortunately all of our plans were ruined due to the quick arrival of cloud cover.  There was no photography of the ocean and only several glimpses of the moon through some broken cloud.

We awoke to an overcast Sunday but still no rain.  After breakfast we all chatted for a while before the ladies headed into Kiama with the intention of a visit to the local markets.  (We later discovered we were one weekend early).  We consumed the remained of the prawns for lunch.

The sound of thunder later in the afternoon prompted us to put matting and awnings away and by 3:30pm the rain had finally arrived.  We all moved into the camp kitchen area where we had happy hour followed by our meal.  It was still raining when we went to bed.

We awoke to rain on Monday morning and before leaving, we all agreed that we would return in 12 months times for a repeat of the weekend.  It was sad saying our goodbyes.

Our return trip to Sydney was in rain for the majority of the trip.  We ran the video camera on the way home and now have wonderful pictures of the front passenger seat in the motor home.  “He” had put the camera in back to front.

We decided to leave on Friday afternoon so we meet our friend for dinner.  Initially we planned to take our . . . → Read More: 20 to 22 May 2011 – Robertson NSW]]> We were invited by friends to attend a weekend meeting of a CMCA Chapter called the “Hilltops Rangers”.  The meeting was held in the showgrounds of the sleepy NSW Southern Highlands township of Robertson.

We decided to leave on Friday afternoon so we meet our friend for dinner.  Initially we planned to take our car but were contacted a couple of days before we left with a message that there should be sufficient vehicles present to provide transport for the activities that were planned.

We departed home close to 3:30pm and immediately heard on the radio of accidents at Silverwater and also Wiley Park.  As it so happens, both of these locations impacted the potential routes we have to the M5 freeway for the trip south.  Without wanting to dwell on the traffic, it took us three hours to drive to Robertson, a trip that should have been less than two hours. 

Peak hour traffic in Sydney is now nothing short of ridiculous and getting worse by the week.  Sydney badly needs the M4 east extension but to get a government to build it, well that’s another thing.  You vote for the buggers and they do “sweet FA”.  Anyway……..

We arrived at Robertson, in the dark, and were greeted by our friends who had waited dinner for us.  It didn’t take long to setup, (there was power by only from 10amp outlets – we have a converter), and we spent a little time meeting other members of the assembled group.  Later we joined our friends for our evening meals.

After tea we met further members of the group and headed back to the motor home and bed just after 10:00pm.

The temperature was relatively cool and we did have a very comfortable sleep.

We awoke to a near perfect day on Saturday and following breakfast, headed off to the Illawarra Fly.  Prior to this we made the decision and joined the CMCA Chapter.

The Illawarra Fly had been on our radar for a long time and was most enjoyable.  The “fly” is an elevated metal walkway that runs above the ground near the canopy of the trees.  It affords splendid view of the area from just north of Kiama to Wollongong and the local escarpment.  We enjoyed coffee and scones after the walk.

We returned to Robertson for lunch and then spent time in the afternoon playing card games.  We all adjourned to the Robertson Pub for our evening meal and then returned to the camp site where we enjoyed a very funny evening where the conversation managed to find its way towards the gutter.  It has been a long time since we laughed so much and more importantly, the laughter was not at anyone’s expense.  We had a late night for us (just short of midnight) and probably the best sleep we have ever had since embracing the motor home lifestyle.

Sunday started with breakfast and was followed by preparation of the motor home to return to Sydney.  The3 Chapter held a meeting in the morning which we attended.  We had lunch before departing.

The trip home was non eventful and quick.  We managed to avoid all traffic problems and made it home at a reasonable time.

We hope to be able to attend more events with this Chapter provided they a close enough to Sydney to make the trip worthwhile.

This weekend was conceived by some friends during the NSW Winnebago NSW Christmas party that unfortunately, we were not able to attend.  However, an invitation was extended to us to attend . . . → Read More: 11th to 13th February 2011 – Richmond NSW]]> We have been busy and “She” has not been well (Edit – all better now), hence the time taken to post this blog.

This weekend was conceived by some friends during the NSW Winnebago NSW Christmas party that unfortunately, we were not able to attend.  However, an invitation was extended to us to attend the weekend.

The venue for the weekend was Wanderest, an initiative setup by the Richmond Club at Richmond NSW (approximately 50klm to the north west of the Sydney CBD).
The following description has been taken from the Wanderest web site.

“Wanderest is a free stay caravan park for travellers to stop, refresh and restock before continuing on their travels. The Park has amenities including toilet & shower, powered & non-powered sites, a dump site, picnic tables and open grassed areas all with a clear view of the Lowlands and the Blue Mountains.

The free stay park is a secure area with all new modern facilities, and Richmond Club provides a travellers information service to help you in the right direction for anything you may require during your stay.”

The only requirement to stay at this venue is that one occupant of each motor home must be a member of the club.  The cost for membership is $4.00 per year.  Powered sites are available at $10.00 per night and the maximum stay is three nights. Non-powered is free with the same time limitation.

With the need to arrive at a reasonable time to complete our club membership and to arrange for our stay, we departed home just after 3:45pm on Friday afternoon.  Normally at this time you would expect to avoid most of the Sydney afternoon peak traffic but this was not to be the case.  We had a “better than average” run down the last kilometre of Parramatta Road before the start of the M4 but hit heavy traffic near the Homebush Bay exit.  Fortunately the traffic was moving slowly and we crawled to just past the James Ruse Drive exit before the traffic started to move freely.  We suspect that a reported accident on James Ruse Drive was the cause of the delay.

We departed the M4 at the Blacktown turn-off and then headed north.  We eventually arrived at Richmond just after 5:20pm.  What should have been a 50 minute drive had taken just over 90 minutes.  You “gotta” love Sydney traffic and it is slowly getting worse.

One couple had arrived earlier in the afternoon and they greeted us at the boom gate that controls access into the Wanderest site.

Our first task was to join the club and this was completed without any fuss.  Armed with a new member pack which included a heap of discounts within the club and a key to a power outlet, we were soon inside the park with the motor home level and hooked up to power.  The air conditioning was running as it was very warm.

The third couple arrived just before 6:30pm and shortly thereafter we were inside the club having a few “cold ones” whilst we waited for our dinner to be served.  The club staff were very friendly and genuinely happy to see us.  They were also very helpful in organising a table to us for Saturday night.

After finishing the evening meal, we returned to one of the motor homes where general discussion on our wonderful lifestyle took us well past midnight.

It was still fairly warm when we finally headed to bed and the decision was made to leave the air conditioning running.  We slept through until 5:30am when we shutdown the air conditioning. It was actually hard to get back to sleep once the noise from the air conditioning ceased.

We each did our own thing for breakfast and then met and headed to the markets that had been setup in an adjacent field.  After spending a short time at the markets the girls decided to head into Richmond and the guys returned back to our camp site.  By this time it had started to rain.  We did return back to the markets later in the morning to partake in a sausage and onion sandwich for lunch.

After the markets had concluded, “He” produced the metal detector and did a walk around the area where the markets had been.  The walk resulted in a grand profit of $2.  It is worthy of mention that when the detector was setup initially in “gold” mode, it did react to something near to the spot that we camped.  Next time we return we might kick the dirt a little to see what is hidden.  Hopeful it is on the surface so minimum excavation is required.

During the course of the afternoon, one of our group, Dan, visited each of the motor homes to replace some of the existing lights with led’s.  Dan does this full time and we will provide his details if requested by leaving a comment against this blog entry.  He claims to only sell high quality led’s and there is no evidence to suggest otherwise.
The final member of our group joined us later in the afternoon for happy hour just prior to heading back to the club for another wonderful meal.
After the meal we returned back to our camp site and spent some time sitting around talking until light rain forced us to adjourn for the night.  At least it was cooler and there was no need to run the AC unit or a fan.  We had a comfortable sleep.

We awoke to a cloudy Sunday morning but fortunately it was dry.  Immediately following breakfast we adjourned to the adjacent field where we played bocce before returning to the Richmond Club for morning tea.  It was during morning tea that we agreed on a name for our little group “8snuff” (for eight is enough).  Not sure where we will go with the name but it was fun deciding on it.

We lunched together before we departed just after 3:00pm.

We all agreed that the weekend had been wonderful and something that has to be done on a regular basis.

Edit – our next gathering with the above group is likely to be delay as one of our friends has managed to break his leg in three places.  He will spend twelve weeks in plaster before learning how to walk again.  The leg has two pins and a bolt through the ankle with plaster from toe to groin.  If nay of our friends are after details, please email or post a comment on this site. 

 Twelve months ago we decided we would have the weekend prior to Christmas away and were fortunate at that time to secure a site at the Easts Beach Caravan Park near Kiama.  Almost twelve months to the day later we were presented with an identical set of circumstances and . . . → Read More: 17 to 19 December 2010 – Kiama NSW]]> Friday – 17 December 2010

 Twelve months ago we decided we would have the weekend prior to Christmas away and were fortunate at that time to secure a site at the Easts Beach Caravan Park near Kiama.  Almost twelve months to the day later we were presented with an identical set of circumstances and once again, telephoned the same caravan park and secured a booking for a two night stay (the minimum stay a week before Christmas).   As was the situation last year, Christmas, the New Year and other family related reasons, would stop us from planning any further trips until at least the end of January 2011.

On Friday, he had to go to work for the morning but was able to leave the city at midday. By 1:30pm we had left home and were plotting to determine the best way out of Sydney to avoid the traffic. Last year we travelled in the motor home, this year we decided to take our car with us. Communication between the vehicles was via CB radio.

Following numerous trips south, we believe that the best way from our home (which is in Sydney’s inner west) is to head to the M4 at Strathfield, then headed west turning off at Silverwater Road and then headed towards Bankstown, Lucas Heights and finally the F6 heading south from Heathcote. As was the case 12 months ago and again, much to our surprise, the traffic was very light and a relatively quick trip south was enjoyed. Unlike last year when we experienced fog short of Wollongong, the weather for the trip was perfect. “He” spent the entire trip listening to the radio and the events that were taking place in the third Ashes Test match with Australia starting to remove the English batsmen.

We had considered stopping at the Crooked River Winey at Gerringong or possibly the Kiama shop before our arrival at the caravan park but decided to head directly there and get setup.

As was the case 12 months ago, we were provided with a large grassy spot in an area that had 8 camp sites. Again we were on the only occupied sites and it remained this way until we departed on Sunday. If you want a quiet weekend away, it definitely looks like the weekend before Christmas is the way to go.

After establishing our camp and firing up the air conditioner (it was warm with very little wind), we headed back into Kiama with the intention of purchasing Christmas cards and a fish meal for tea. We had no trouble finding suitable cards and were soon purchasing fish (and a feed of prawns – medium size fresh farm prawns for $12 per kilo.) from a local fish shop. We did strike a problem with our car during the trip back to Kiama with the right hand turn indicator failing. This looks like an intermittent issue with the vehicle computer and will be resolved once we return home via a computer reprogram.

Back at the caravan park, we enjoyed our fish meal and washed it down with an excellent bottle of sparkling wine (we order wine from Crooked River) we had brought from Sydney.

We spent the evening watching the most recent version of “Miracle on 34th Street”.

Saturday – 18th December 2010

 We had not set the alarm and were able to sleep through until just after 7:30am. The day was overcast and after breakfast, we extended our awning and then proceeded to wash it. We had brought with us the relevant material required to perform the task including a soft brush on an extension pole. We spent a significant time working on the awning with excellent results being achieved.

After completing the task, we returned inside the motor home where “She” spent time in writing our Christmas Cards which he watched the second part of the Bourne trilogy. “She” also spent time with the computer preparing a generic letter that would be included in some of our Christmas Cards.

 After lunch we decided to drive to Berry and spend some of the afternoon browsing the local shops. The drive south was very enjoyable and for once “He” enjoyed driving our PT Cruiser. After checking out the local showground (there was no one there that we knew), we had no trouble in finding a parking space before embarking on our browsing adventure. We did buy a small car for our Grandson and some essentials from the local IGA store.

After returning to the caravan park, “He” cooked chicken schnitzel for our evening meal while “She” finished off the Christmas letters. Our evening meal was enjoyed with another bottle of wine from the Crooked River Winery and we watched the final part of the Bourne trilogy before heading to bed late in the evening.

Sunday – 19th December 2010

We had intended to have bacon and eggs for breakfast however, we decided there would be more benefit in a quick breakfast and then to commence our trip home for a lunchtime arrival. This would give us the afternoon to prepare for Christmas.

We didn’t actually hurry but managed to leave the caravan park just after 8:30am. Due to the problem with the car, the plan was for the motor home to closely follow the car and cover and right hand turns when the indicator was not visible. For the record, we did this and returned home without any problems.

“She” did notice that one of the fog lights on the motor home was not working and an inspection during a stop on the way home confirmed a blown globe. Changing of the globe appears to be a major challenge due to a difficult access path to the area where the globe is installed.

We returned home via Campbelltown and the M5 and will consider that route in the future. On this occasion, there was road work near Bankstown that would have required us to divert via Sutherland. The Campbelltown option got us home relatively quickly.

We arrived home just before lunch.

We had planned to travel to Mittagong in June this year but never made it due to both of us being ill.  Fortunately the owners of the Mittagong Caravan Park were prepared to . . . → Read More: Southern Highlands & Narrabeen NSW – 31 July to 2 Aug 2010]]> For us this was a long weekend with “He”" entitled to have Monday off work due to the NSW Bank Holiday.

We had planned to travel to Mittagong in June this year but never made it due to both of us being ill.  Fortunately the owners of the Mittagong Caravan Park were prepared to transfer our paid deposit to another date so we decided to book for this weekend.

Mittagong is just over 100 kilometres south west of Sydney and is located at the entrance of the area known as the Southern Highlands.  This area includes the townships of Mittagong, Bowral, Moss Vale, Bundanoon and Robertson.  It is a very popular area for retirees.

For us this weekend allowed us to escape the routine of city living and also a chance for some R & R after some stressful times at work.  “He”" has been under pressure at work being involved in premises relocation and frankly, we both needed a break.  The weekend also provided the opportunity to have the motor home serviced on Monday at Sydney RV Centre.
Departure from Sydney was at 8:30am with the first stop at Concord as “He”" was having a birthday (now only two years to retirement and counting!)  so it was very appropriate to see “his” mother before we travelled south.

Our trip south was trouble free (we did see a parachutist who had landed on the edge of the freeway – a lucky person!) and the GPS was programmed to take us close to the Robertson Pie Shop where we would be purchasing our evening meal.  The GPS routed us around the outskirts of the Robertson township before returning us to the Illawarra Highway.  We turned left (should have turned right) and we found ourselves about to travel down Macquarie Pass.  As fate would have it, a decision was made several years ago NEVER to travel over this piece of road and we now found ourselves firmly committed to travelling down the road  as there was neither any stops to stop or to turn around.  We managed to negotiate a couple of tight hair-pin turns before we were able to stop and turn around and head back towards Robertson.  This road was not as bad as we had believed.

We found the Pie Shop, purchased our lunch (we ate in the comfort of Blue Snoopy) and also our evening meal (pies).  Unfortunately high winds had started to blow so we decided to head back to Mittagong and take up early residence in the caravan park and have a lazy afternoon watching videos.

After our check-in, we spent several seconds levelling the motor home and we were soon ready to relax still remember the old days of camping in a tent when hours were required to setup). 

The proprietors of the caravan park had offered us a cable to connect to their community television antenna and to take advantage of the channels offered by Austar.  Fortunately we were able to connect the Austar antenna to our external satellite dish connector and then simply connect the internal cable to the set top box rather than the decoder.  This was brilliant as we would have been forced to bring the cable in via a window or the main door.  Something for all to remember for the future, always have an external and internal connection point for RG-6 type connectors installed in a motor home or caravan.

Rather than watching television, we watch a DVD titled “Bran Neu Dae” that we have owned for a while but never watched.  Bran Nue Dae is a coming-of-age musical comedy that celebrates family, forgiveness and aboriginal reconciliation.  It is set in Western Australia.

The movie was actually very good and one that we can recommend.

After watching the movie we fired up our oven and the microwave and we were soon enjoying a delicious meal washed down by a nice wine from the Crooked River Winery (and that is another story).

We had an early night in bed and we stayed put on Sunday morning a little longer than usual as checkout was at 11:00am.

We left Mittagong close to 9:30am and commenced our short trip back to Sydney.  We detoured via Bicentennial Park where we briefly met our Son, Daughter-in-Law and Grandson who were about to have lunch there. 

After collecting our car from home, we headed to Narrabeen and our overnight stay at the Big 4 Caravan Park.  After a stroll to Sydney RV Center (they have recently started to open on Sundays) we watched another DVD and then purchased our evening meal from a local fish shop.  It rained during the evening but was clear when we awoke on Monday.

We left the motor home with Sydney RV Service Section just after 8:30am (for a 2 year service and the final service before warranty expires) and headed back to their showroom where we had coffee and a long discussion with the Sydney RV Centre owner, Jeremy.  Next stop was Warringah Mall, after which we spent a couple of hours looking (tire kicking) for a vehicle that we can either flat tow or trailer behind the motor home.

We arrive home at 5:30pm with a fully serviced motor home.