ROADTRIP!

When I was a kid we used to go camping. Every September we would pack up and head somewhere. When we lived in the bush it was always to a farmers property where we could camp on the banks of a river and enjoy your morning cuppa with a cow or two and occasionally a horse would steal your coffee or toast. When we lived closer to the city it was to caravan parks, camping grounds etc and no matter where we went we had a ball.

I had the opportunity to take the Noodle and the kids up to Maryborough for the weekend, chasing that damn elusive Gamblers title and also running Agility, Jumpers, Snooker and Strategic Pairs(dog sports huh!). After clearing it with hubby I made the booking for a small camping ground on the outskirts of Maryborough called the Country Stopover Caravan and Camping Ground.

The journey was a mere two and a half hours but it was worth it. We arrived to a closed main office with a sign stating " Open from 9am to 10pm- If office is unattended, pick a spot...we'll catch up with you later!" This illicited a huge belly laugh from me at the honesty this implied! Off we toddled and chose a great spot under shady trees, near the amenities block (why is it that one of the taps never turns off...ever? Is it a quirk of fate or the Camping Gods just messin with ya?) The kids hit the swimming pool, it was tiny, saltwater and absolutley freezing but they swam and splashed like fish. I even jumped in and froze my bits off.

We then headed on out to the first of the two day trials. What a fantastic event! The judges were laid back, the atmosphere was friendly, the kids had two whole football fields to run around and act like fools in and we came away that night with two Q's, a third and a first place! The only thing was it ran very late. At one point Conor fell asleep in a full upright sitting position with his chin in one hand. Myself and several friends spent several minutes trying to figure out why gravity was apparently NOT applying to him! He did eventually shake himself awake enough to roll into a little ball where he was trodden on by a wayward whippet, checked over by Dan-Dan-He's-Our-Man, the lovable Lhasa owned by the adorable Bec and cuddled by Nell.

Back at the tent we realised quite quickly that shady trees don't work at night when you are less than twenty metres from a major highway, also known as a trucking route. The trucks were hideously noisy but we were so tired it didn't really matter.

Caitie is a doona hog as is Nell! I woke up to find myself covered in the dog rug having frozen during the night and Caitie was wrapped up in one doona, Nell was laying in between her and Conor, on her back both snoring and farting and the boys were sharing the two remaining doona's!

Breakfast opened a whole new high for us...the camp kitchen. I don't care about the prickles, the weeds, the rusting hulks of cars behind the managers residence, the dodgy looking demountables, the scary amenities but that camp kitchen was schmicko! It had a running sink, fridge, free gas barbeque, wood stove, huge picnic tables and even a tv! I was in love.

And to me, that was the sign of a great camping ground. It wasn't about perfect amenities, it was about the things that made camping easier for everyone. I happily told everyone about our "dodgy camping ground". You know, we actually packed up and left without even seeing the owner or paying for our stay????

After the second days trial, I did go back and pay...and he even undercharged me! Would I go back, hell yes, and the kids had a ball as well! And still...that damn Gamblers title eluded me again!