2006

2008

2009

2010

Coming Up

Unfortunately this trip was also under a cloud as both “He” and “She” had been sick for the six weeks leading up to the departure date with a flu like condition.  Fortunately we both improved enough to go on the trip.

We intended to depart at 7:00am and actually left at 7:20am.  Unlike 12 months prior, the Sydney peak hour did not provide any major delays and we were heading north on the freeway as the 8:00am news started on the radio.  Without the traffic, we would have been on the freeway at 7:45am. 

We stopped at the “twin service stations” near the Wyee exit and enjoyed a late breakfast and beverage.  Next stop was Singleton for fuel (overall average since the last fill at Canberra was a surprising 13.61lites per 100k’s) and then directly on to Aberdeen where we arrived just before 11:30am.

We were the fourth motor home to arrive and that allowed us to choose a spot well away from the local golf course that ran adjacent to our camp area and also close to the area that the “Hut” would be setup for our social gatherings.

As we said in our blog 12 months ago, “one of the benefits of being a member of the Winnebago RV Club is the opportunity to attend various club events and enjoy the companionship of other club members as well as attending the relevant local event.  The venue this weekend was the small town of Aberdeen which is located in the Upper Hunter Valley of NSW.”

This year was the 11th time the annual Highland Games had been held.  For reasons that are unexplained, only 15 rigs attended the event (in 2009 attendance had to be limited to 30 rigs).

The annual Highland Games are held on the first Saturday in July and are reported to have become Aberdeen’s most spectacular event, drawing hundreds of people to the township to enjoy the festivities.  This was the fourth time that the Winnebago RV Club had attended.

Immediately upon our arrival it started to rain.  Fortunately it was only light and much to our surprise, the rain ceased precisely at 5:00pm, the time for “Happy Hour”.

After happy hour we had a BYO BBQ followed by several hours of discussion around a couple of camp fires. 

Once again the Webasto heater took the chill off the cold air in the motor home and we were afforded a great night’s sleep.

Saturday started with a continental breakfast after which we headed into the adjacent grounds to watch the commencement of the festival.  The Games began with a parade of bands followed by an address that officially opened the day. This was followed by numerous events including strongman events (lifting of the stones, hay bale throwing and the caber toss). 

The Australian tug-o-war championships were also conducted and the Winnebago RV Club entered a team. The first round consisted of “best of three” and as was the case 12 months ago, the Army was the opponents.  12 months ago we beat the army in the first “tug” and our team members were adamant that the fact that the Army had less people had nothing to do with the result.  This year the Army was in full force and looked mean.  We attempted to bribe them with our offer falling $5 short of what was required to have them remove their boots.  Ever type of abuse we could think of was thrown at them and they did struggle for several seconds before they defeated the might of the Winnebago RV Club.  It was almost certain that our team suffered from the lack of appropriate footwear as sneakers and joggers as no match to army boots that can be dug into the ground to gain a firm foundation to pull from.  Next year we will take the appropriate attire and footwear and you never know, the Winnebago RV Club could become the National Champions (in our dreams!!!).

In addition to the spectacle provided by the bands, the Department Of Defence Federation Guard also entertained those attending.

After the conclusion of the games, we headed back for happy hour before departing by bus at 6.00pm to the local high school where we all attended a Ceilidh dinner which included a full Haggis Presentation. 

Once again, many of the RV club attendees tried the Haggis.  We both passed!

The entertainment provided this year was excellent.  The Federation Guard performed their routine again (the effect indoors where the sound can be contained adds greatly to the performance) and we were treated to another performance by the Lithgow City Pipe Band who had won the competition at the games.  We left the dinner around 10:30pm and headed back to a very coll motor home (we had chosen not to let the heater run whilst we were away).

After another good night’s sleep, we started the day with bacon and eggs.  “He” assisted with cooking breakfast.

After saying farewell to those who were leaving, we headed out to Glenbawn Dam and the recreational area where we would spend the night.  After arriving at the dam site, we took up camp around a cricket ground in the same area we occupied 12 months earlier.  We had a “sausage sizzle” for lunch, played bingo and then with several other members, we climbed to the top of the dam wall.

Happy hour followed at 5pm after which we had a BYO BBQ and then we participated in a trivia night (we actually won the night after getting the 10 questions in round 3 correct).

Once again, the Webasto heater worked its magic and the motor home was nice and warm when we returned after the evening entertainment.

Monday started with a continental breakfast after which we said our goodbyes.  We departed at 9.30am and headed back to Aberdeen where we used the public dump point.

We made several stops whilst returning to Sydney and arrived home just after 3.30pm.

The wool event was scheduled for the Sunday so we decided to travel to Canberra on Saturday and spend the afternoon at Cockington Green Gardens where “the Little Guy” could experience several steam train rides and the joys of viewing the miniature village.

We planned to depart Sydney at 7:00am and departed just before 8:00am.  In reality, “He” would have lost a bet that he was prepared to make with any taker and that was that “there was no way in the world we would leave before 8:00am”.

Traffic was very light and after a quick stop by “the kids” to pump up tyres and obtain an early morning snack (from the “golden arches” place), we were soon on the M5 heading south.  The traffic was light and we stopped for a break at the complex at Sutton Forest before continuing the journey south and arrival at Gold Creek just after midday. 

Fuel consumption on the way down became a major concern for “He” when consumption started to head towards 17 litres per 100k’s when travelling in the 95 to 100 kph bracket.  We slowed to around 90 and fortunately watched the consumption slowly reduce to an average of 15.80 litres per 100k’s.  We have travelled at this speed before and cannot ever recall seeing the consumption that high.  The only thing that we can put it down to is that we were travelling directly into a subtle head wind that was in no way obvious.

We decided to have lunch before venturing into Cockington Green Gardens and we took the liberty of setting up our table and chairs on a nice grass verge on the road near the Gold Creek Golf Course.  “She” prepared sandwiches for all and shortly thereafter we were looking for a spot to park “Blue Snoopy”.  Much to our surprise, we located a parking spot close to the entrance to Cockington Green Gardens and minutes later we were watching the look on “the Little Guy’s” face as he headed towards the entrance.

Once inside, first stop was at the miniature railway where “the Little Guy” had a couple of rides that he loved.  The train is actually a steam train with the boiler fired by LPG.  Apparently it is the only one of its kind in the world.  The track length seems to be somewhere between 100 and 200 metres in length and provides a good look at the gardens and many of the exhibitions.  Each ride consists of two full circuits.

After disembarking the ride, we spent the next part of the afternoon wandering through the gardens viewing the miniature exhibits.  “The Little Guy” located several other train exhibits where he was able to control the trains and once again, he had an absolute ball.

Before departing the gardens, “The Little Guy” had two further train rides.  He was enjoying being on holidays.

Next stop was at a local tea house (Adore Tea) where we all enjoyed tasting several varieties of tea.  Both “He” and “She” started to enjoy tea over recent years after experiencing true billy tea at a couple of outback events.

We left the tea house well after 4:00pm when “He” and our son took Blue Snoopy to the site of our overnight stay to ensure that the motor home was setup well before dark. 

The venue for our overnight stay was the Canberra Motor Village, a place that we have stayed before and unfortunately a place that we have always had a challenge to get the motor home level.   When we first stayed at this place several years ago, we rated it as one of the worst sites ever with “our” rating based on cleanliness and the fact that virtually every site in the caravan area sloped in two directions.  There is also no grass whatsoever in the caravan section.  Since our original stay, we have stayed there on one other occasion and that was simply because there was nowhere else to stay.  We had however noted (and blogged) on our previous visit that the issues with the amenities had been resolved and we had decided we would stay again.  We now observed from notices that the managers arrange for cleaning of the amenities twice a day and this has improved our opinion of the place. 

Nevertheless, there is still a challenge on several of the sites to level the vehicle but we were well prepared this time bringing sufficient levelling ramps to make the job easy.

It did not take long to get the vehicle level to our satisfaction (we always have the slope set to away from where the slide out meets the side wall) and a short time after we had the diesel heater running to take the chill off the air.

We then headed to the nearby suburb of Jamison and a Coles supermarket where we purchased chicken and salad for tea.  We also took the opportunity to purchase a couple of beverages that would provide a relaxant after a relatively long day.

With five inside the motor home, it was cramped but we managed to survive the evening meal after which we decided that an early night would do us all good. 

We awoke on Sunday morning to fairly heavy dew and due to not leaving any vents open, the inside of the motor home was dripping in several spots from condensation. “He” commented that the cold night had resulted in his best ever sleep since we began motor homing.  Unfortunately this joy was not shared by all as whilst the Luton peak was comfortable, the third bed that is made up in the dinette is relatively small in size.

We had a quick breakfast and “the Kids” and “the Little Guy” were soon on their way to Kingston and the site of the Sunday Markets.  “He” and “She” took their time and prepared Blue Snoopy to depart.  We arrive at the site of the markets and fortunately found a reasonable sized parking spot before the car park was fully occupied.

Whilst “the Kids” and “the Little Guy” were at the markets, “He” and “She” had made arrangements to meet some friends for coffee.  This took place and a couple of hours were spent enjoying the company of our Canberra friends. 

Whilst at the markets, “the Little Guy” had the opportunity to get very close to an alpaca that had been bought there to support the wool event.  Although the alpaca appeared to be distressed from all the attention it was receiving, “the Little Guy” did manage to touch and pat the alpaca and he really enjoyed the experience.

“The Kids” and “the Little Guy” left the markets shortly after lunch and headed back to the Canberra Exhibition Centre where more wool related activities were taking place.

Later that afternoon we all met at Gold Creek at Adore Tea (we had visited on the previous day) and once again, we enjoyed some new varieties of tea.  “He” and “She” headed back to the caravan park early to ensure that the motor home was level and finally, we were able to work out what we need to bring in the future (for levelling) should we stay in this caravan park again.

Just after 5:00pm we all headed to the Telstra Tower on Black Mountain and the observation deck.  Unfortunately due to cloud cover on the horizon we were not able to watch the sun set but we were able to watch the lights of Canberra slowly come on. We did have a splendid view of the moon in close proximity to Venue.

We also spent several minutes watching the flood lights change colour on the tower.  “The Little Guy” was very impressed with the light show.

Rather than having to crowd into the motor home for the evening meal, we decided to purchase a family meal from McDonalds and have the meal there.  We returned to the motor home well after 7:00pm to organise for another night.

Sunday night highlighted the lack of space when “the Little Guy” wanted to sleep with his mother on the bed in the dinette.  Unfortunately there was insufficient space for both of them to sleep and “the Little Guy’s” mother had an uncomfortable night’s sleep as a result.

We awoke to overcast Monday morning and fortunately no dew.  We had decided to visit the Australian War Memorial where a new exhibit aimed at children had recently opened.

“The Kids” departed early to ensure that a spot large enough for the motor home was reserved in the car park.  After visiting the War Memorial, it was our intention to leave the motor home in the car park and travel in “the Kids” car back into Canberra.

Our plan to reserve a spot worked and we were able to safely park the motor home before heading into the war Memorial.  “The Little Guy” had a wonderful time looking at the aircraft collection and he asked numerous questions about the displays.  We visited the children’s section where he was able to sit in the pilot’s seat of a helicopter and also look at a mock-up of the inside of a submarine. 

We then visited the Roll of Honour and the location of a very special name.  “His” mother lost her first husband when the HMAS Perth was sunk during WW2.  If was very fitting that father, son and grandson were able to stand together and reflect on the sacrifice that had been made that allowed for the three of them to be standing in that location.  It was indeed a very special moment in time.  When “the Little Guy” gets older, we will show him the video that was taken and explain the significance of the Roll of Honour.

We used the motor home as a base for lunch and then headed into Canberra to visit their major shopping centre.

We left Canberra just after 4:00pm after refuelling both vehicles.  On the way out of Canberra we stopped at the Show Grounds and surveyed the camp sites there.  We will endeavour to stay at the Show Ground when next visiting Canberra.

Our trip home was a non event but gave us the opportunity of driving the motor home during the night.  This was actually the first real night drive and we ended up satisfied with the quality of the lights.  We do need to look at the location of the rear view camera as the lights of vehicles approaching from the rear were near blinding in the screen.  A future solution will be to turn the camera off at night and rely on the rear facing window.

Much to our surprise, our return trip was very fuel efficient.  Average speed on the return journey was in the 90 – 100 kph bracket but the fuel consumption averaged at near 13.10 litres per 100k’s.  How did this happen, we have no idea other than assuming that there must have been a tail wind and the engine temperature contributed to the excellent economy?

What did we learn from the weekend?

- Five persons in the motor home is cramped.
- We need to minimise the amount of extra clothing and gear brought into the motor home if we have any extra persons (during the weekend clothing etc in the car was transferring into the motor home.  We now know that this was a mistake as only the required items should have been moved in).
- We (“He” and “She”) should have removed decorative pillows and a couple of spare pillows as they also took up additional space – what we should have done was to have place them into the car in the space occupied by the clothing items that were transferred into the motor home).
- An annexe could be a good investment if we want to do this again
- Summertime is the best time for 5 persons to use the motor home as it is easier to eat outside than to cramp into the dinette.
- Next time consider taking a small tent as it could be useful.
- Travel at night, fuel consumption seems to be better than day time.

Bylong is a very small NSW rural community (pop about 60 persons) located in the Bylong Valley midway between Mudgee and Muswellbrook just to the north west of the Hunter Valley.  From our home it is about 290 kilometers by the most direct route (over the Blue Mountains and then turn north just past Lithgow) or approximately 340 kilometers via a scenic route through the Hunter Valley, Denman and then along “The Bylong Valley Way” (now a fully sealed road) which is also another route through and across the Great Diving Range. 

This year we chose the latter route.

We departed Sydney a day earlier than required to ensure an early arrival at Bylong so we could assist if necessary with the preparation of the site where the event would be held.

After spending a considerable amount of time getting the motor home out of our driveway (a neighbor had parked close to our exit and there were vehicles parked on the opposite side of the road that reduce the amount of turning space available), we left our home at 9.30am for the relatively short drive to Sandy Hollow where we would be staying overnight.  Our late departure ensured that we missed the majority of the Sydney peak hour and the trip to the freeway that heads north was uneventful.

We left the freeway at the Cessnock exit and stopped at Cessnock to purchase some food items before heading on to Singleton where we stopped for lunch.  After Singleton we headed north west towards Muswellbrook and the turnoff that would take us to Denman and Sandy Hollow.

Travelling in the motor home affords you a far better view than from a car and each time we travel the New England Highway between Singleton and Muswellbrook we get good views of the scars on the landscape from the open cut coal mines.  They seems to be getting larger.

After leaving Muswellbrook, we became aware that the air conditioning in the Iveco had stopped working.  Ice cold air had been replaced with warm air from the outside where the temperature was around the 32 degree mark.  We need to address the air conditioning directly with Iveco before summer returns and we head to the northern parts on NSW.  Fortunately it should be covered under warranty.

We stayed overnight in the Sandy Hollow Caravan Park which is a 3.5 star park and really a little gem.  It is located on 10 acres and has excellent facilities and clean amenities.  There were also 2 other motor homes with Winnebago RV Club members who were also attending the Bylong event.

As was the case last year, we and 37 other Winnies camped in the vicinity of the homestead on a large rural property of a couple who are members of the Winnebago RV Club.  We arrived just after 10:00am to find that the event location setup had been completed.  After doing the mandatory setup to establish our camp (level the motor home, deploy slideout, extend the awning, raise the flag etc etc), we spent the remainder of the day talking to other club members.  “He” made a statement that never before in his life had he spent so much time talking.  “She” was totally at home and in her element!

On Friday night our hosts provided a delicious BBQ (the local beef is “to die for”)  after which more time was spent renewing old acquaintances and updating each other of trip details over recent months.

Saturday started with a communal breakfast of bacon and eggs followed by a flat 1 kilometre walk to the showground for the mouse races. 

Australian Motor Homes (a Winnebago dealer who was also the supplier of our first motor home) provided some sponsorship for the event and provided us all with bright orange “Bylong Mouse Races” shirts and that ensured we certainly all stood out in the crowd.  There was no way anyone would be lost whilst walking from the homestead to the showgrounds.

Bylong has a population of 60, with one shop/garage and it was estimated that a crowd of somewhere between 2000 and 3000 people were in town for the event. 

As far as the races went, “He” managed to pick 3 of the first 4 winners but didn’t place any bets with the bookies.  As soon as we got serious, “nothing, zilch, zero”.

Collectively, the Winnebago RV Club members decided to create a pool of funds so we could participate in the silent auction to buy the runners in race 9, the “Winnebago Country / City Challenger” and also to participate in the calcutta on the final race.  From our pool of funds, we managed to acquire 2 mice in the silent auction, number 5, “Bylong Breeze” and number 10, “Winnie Mouse”.

Much to our surprise and delight, “Winnie Mouse” managed to win the race from lane 10 and a couple of our members experienced the enjoyment of receiving the trophy and sash at the conclusion of the race (see photo). 

We were unlucky when our raffle tickets were not drawn in the main calcutta draw but we still managed to successfully bid for a mouse called “Hooter” at the calcutta auction. We were hopeful that “Hooter” would win and then we could donate back the calcutta winnings (approximately $2400) to the organisers as a general donation for the event.  

After returning to our campsite, we participated in “Happy Hour” which included a lively discussion about the club and where it is going and then a very enjoyable BYO BBQ.

On Sunday, a coach tour was arranged for us.  We visited a commercial pottery producer at Lue before heading to Mudgee and the Robert Oakley winery for tastings.  We had lunch in a pub at Mudgee where we were provided with either a steak sandwich or barramundi fillets.  We returned back to Rylestone and an establishment that produced a variety of olive oil.

Again we had a BYO BBQ for tea followed by trivia.  We were made aware of a violent storm that hit Mudgee and we all secured awning etc “just in case”.  We were fortunate in that we only experienced a few drops of rain but we heard that surrounding areas had substantial and welcomed rainfall.

On Monday we set off home and after waiting to dump our dunny at the CMCA / Kea sponsored dump site at Bylong we left the Bylong township around 10:30am.  The majority of the drive back to Sydney was in constant rain, something that we had only experienced once before when driving from Coober Pedy to Port Augusta.