Well, the first post on our blog!
Introductions:
Jan, high school English teacher
Wayne, local government Rates Clerk
Location:
via Kempsey, Mid North Coast NSW
Vehicle:
2003 BA Ford Fairmont V8
2002 Compass full height shower van
Some history:
We are both still working but enjoying short breaks away getting ready for the time we can say goodbye to our paid employment.
The Compass is our third van. Our first was a 1973 Millard Mini Pop Top. After some years of tenting, the van seemed very luxurious. It is hard to believe that the Millard was actually a 6 berth - in 14' 6". Still we needed the extra bed to accomodate our son. We had many trips up and down the Clyde Mountain from our home in Canberra to Bateman's Bay and other trips up to Queensland with the faithful Millard in tow. It, and the annex, survived a violent storm in Adelaide one year that saw other vans heavily damaged. It was sad to see it go but we moved to the Mid North Coast and found the van 'surplus to requirements' as the saying goes.
We were without a van for a while until we acquired a 1988 Windsor Tandem Pop Top. It had wonderful features such as a full oven, lounge, island bed which all made our holidays even better. The air conditioner in the front window space was a definite shocker however! Nonetheless, it, too, was reliable for memorable trips around northern NSW and our faithful home away from home on an extended stay in Sydney.
The desire for onboard facilities saw the Windsor being traded in on the Compass. The is a great van and the shower and toilet much appreciated. We have had many weekends away in the eighteen months we have had the van and have managed one extended trip to Victoria to revisit the Great Ocean Road.
We have made a couple of modifications to the van to increase the amenity of it including venetian blinds and a bayonet gas fitting outside for the Weber barbecue. The next project is to install the Lemair washing machine and probably a Webasto diesel heater. The van is solar equipped but only has one panel so another panel and battery will definitely improve our ability to camp independently.
Favourite Places to Stay (so far)
Darlington Beach Resort, Arrawarra (north of Coffs Harbour)
Tenterfield (access to Bald Rock National Park)
Ashley Gardens, Melbourne
Ellenborough Reserve (west of Wauchope)
Lane Cove, Sydney
Surfside (Warrnambool)
