The caravan is pretty much ready to go. Adam has finished work. We’ve said some of our goodbyes. We thought we’d better do a practice run down the coast before we take off for good. You know, a last minute oh-my-god-this-is-actually-happening-what-are-we-even-doing-have-we-got-everything-we-need kind of trip.
So we spent Monday to Thursday this week parked up at Holiday Haven Tourist Park in Lake Conjola… and what a perfect choice it was!
A total of $84 for three nights on a powered site, it was such a peaceful and quiet mid-week stay, with only a few grey nomads to share the place with.
Kawhi had an absolute ball riding his motorbike (plastic trike) over all the big bumps (speed bumps) and playing on the jumping pillow and the playground (so did Mum and Dad!) There was also HEAPS of friendly kangaroos around the place. At one point we nearly had one in the caravan while we were having lunch!
We also loved the walk down to the beach, which has ramp access right to the sand, playing on the sand dunes and collecting shells. The park has a heap of picnic tables perfectly positioned along the water – great for two parents to enjoy a beverage and some nibbles after three laps of the park trying to get a couple of tired children to sleep.
While we were down there, we also spent time in Ulladulla, took the kids to the leisure centre for a swim, went to the Mollymook inclusive park and visited the Milk Haus.
So, it was a practice run – was there anything we need, or need to change on our setup before we leave?
Yep, a few things, but not huge.
- Doormat – been meaning to get one for over a month but somehow keep forgetting!
- Coffee – we love our coffee and we’ll chew through our budget in a week if we keep buying it from a cafè! We use an Aeropress in the van.
- Small saucepan – for heating up Luna’s food when we can’t use the microwave
- Hitch lock – so we can leave the caravan while we explore
- Stepladder – handy for a bunch of things
We’re still undecided on a weight distribution hitch for towing. After the trip down there Adam was convinced we needed one. But before we drove home we moved some of the weight from the front to the middle of the van to balance it out a bit more, and the trip home was much better! So we’ll just see how we go before rushing out to buy one.
We’ve decided to leave the annexe behind. After talking to other families travelling, the no.1 thing that people seem to either wish they didn’t take or ditch along the way, was their annexe.
I’m starting to have second thoughts about selling our double pram before we leave. It’s super handy that both kids are happy in it (even better when they both fall asleep in there!) but Adam assures me that we won’t have room for it. We have purchased another single pram as we do a lot of walking, but I’m just unsure. Any other travelling families out there that want to share their opinion?
The car and caravan go in on Monday for a couple of last minute modifications (fans, dual battery, inverter) and we’ll be ready to hit the road after that! It’s kind of scary, but so, so exciting that the time is here!
TTT x
