September 8, 2007

From buch@n

The family began their first camper trip after Hannah slept in past 7 am. Wendy told her that if she didn't there would be no camping. On some days the threat works and on others it doesn't.

The girls wanted to head directly for Kids Town, a large adventure playground just outside of Shepparton but The Origami Eagle, newly named that morning at David's suggestion, needed packing first. This was the first time it had been connected to David's car since the initial run two weeks before.

David finds driving the route from Bendigo to Shepparton via Elmore wearying and given half that trip had been taken the previous Friday an alternative was found. This time the family would drive via Rushworth and Murchison to enter Shepparton from the south placing Shepparton Parklands caravan park on the right side of the road. Anything that made driving with the camper easier was encouraged.

David's iPod provided music along the way which kept the girls happy despite a lack of The Wiggles or Hi-5. The drought effected, flowering canola in the fields was pretty to see in the sun and Wendy repeatedly chastised David for not doing the caravan wave to others towing vans as they passed in the opposite direction.

Hannah posed the "Are we there yet?" question first, and second and third. She followed soon after with "I'm hungry" to find Wendy had uncharacteristically forgotten to pack some snacks for the car. David parked in a Murchison side street and tightened the camper's wheel nuts on the recommendation it be done every 100 km for the first 400 km. Naturally Caitlin and Hannah wanted out of the car so David strolled with them over the Goulburn River. Bendigo doesn't have a river and this was clearly in evidence when Hannah exclaimed the river was a lake. Soon and with Teddy Bear biscuits in hand and half the journey covered the family was on its way again.

Reversing the camper proved easier than feared. Others told David it is easier to reverse a camper than a small trailer and this was true. "He's right", said the owner of the caravan park as she walked off. A few minutes later the family was offered the use of the en suite for free for it would be "too far for the little girls to walk to the toilets". They gratefully accepted. There is no need to do things too tough.

As the camper went up they mostly managed to stay out of each other's way. The bed flys had their first outing and a lesson driven home about surveying the site before parking the van to see where the rope pegs would go. In this case there wasn't really a choice so it didn't matter too much. A windy day may have seen things differently. Wendy constructed the new foldaway tables lunch was the first chance for a rest.

Kids Town's carpark was full, a sure sign of warmer weather. Caitlin flew back and forth on the flying fox until David assisted her a little too much and she crashed off the end. This was the cue for the obligatory miniature train ride.

The afternoon was rounded out with a walk around Shepparton's lake. Hannah ran around trees, everyone hugged trees and boys were watched crashing their skateboards.