Caravan Story 2 – Comedy of the second trip

After surviving our first trip as novices we thought we needed to get back on the horse and plan our next adventure to the lovely town of Maldon in Victoria. The big day finally arrives and we start connecting the caravan to the car. Didn’t seem this hard last time but finally got it sorted using brute force and narrowly missed crushing an ankle.

Failed my first lesson as I didn’t follow my check list and had forgotten to install the caravan mirrors. Stop and put them on and off we go again. Round the first roundabout and then we remembered the food for the trip is still in the fridge at home. Head back and park in the main road so as not to have to turn around in our narrow court. Breathlessly jogged back home to get the food but when I returned and opened the van door, I and was greeted with a roll of dog food. I find the novicette forgot to lock the fridge. In the short trip from home, having gone around two roundabouts, the little food we had in the fridge decided to leap out and explore the caravan. Soon cleaned and on our way again.

After a pleasant non eventful trip, we arrived at the park in Maldon and were allocated site number 33. As we approached the site on the hilly gravel road we realize number 33 shares the space with site 34. No worries for an expert but for us novices it was Mt Everest in disguise with an obstacle course thrown in. OK we CAN do this. Drive up the hill turn around and the reverse into the site. Tried this but the gravel road was not the kindest surface to reverse the van up the hill. Meanwhile other travelers are waiting patiently to pass and get to their site. OK keep calm and take a deep breath. Try again. No go! Ok rethink again and relax.  OMMMMM. Go up the hill and reverse to the site down the hill. Yes this worked. I keep telling myself that all experts have to begin as novices.

Setting up the van seemed a little easier this time with practice so just maybe the comedy of errors appears to be over. Not so lucky, as we prepare for our evening meal the gas stove refuses to work. Thank heaven for a microwave.

The comedy of errors didn’t even take a rest. As I pitch my pills into my mouth and reach for the soda water, now keep in mind this bottle was in a bouncy van for the last two hours. The resulting high pressure shower was worthy of a geyser. I am trying to stop myself laughing, spitting tablets every where like a Gatling gun while trying to control the gas powered sprinkler watering everything in site. The novicette was such a big help as all she could do was roll on the floor laughing trying to control her bladder. So endeth the first day in Maldon.

The second day commences very abruptly at 4AM with the smoke detector deciding to play games and activate for no reason. The resulting spring loaded leaps by both novices is terminated with a amid air collision of heads. As I reach for the detector with one hand and feel my head with the other, I try and smother the perpetual noise coming from this small round device while I extract the battery eventually killing the annoying beast.

The remainder of the stay, and return trip, were really a non eventful compared to the first few days. But, this has not put us off planning our return trip to Maldon in July so tales of frozen bits may follow.