Day 1 – Friday 17 June 2016 – Barongarook – Barongarook

Two and a half years of planning and the day finally dawns.  We are both filled with excitement but also a little daunted by the trip.  But the day goes by filled with a myriad of last minute (and some probably not so last minute – so much for forward planning!) tasks.  I swear – travelling with dogs can be as difficult as travelling with small children!

The day starts with an 8.00am visit to our local Pedders to have the new weight distribution hitch installed after having to have a new towbar installed earlier in the week ($$$$$), then back home to bath dogs, pack those LAST MINUTE items, and if there wasn’t already enough holiday fun happening – also stage the house for a house inspection next week!

Despite the best laid plans of getting away around lunch time (and the temptation to drive past my work colleagues beeping the horn and waving to create even more envy) – it was 6.30pm before we headed off.  Not too far down the road it became evident that the caravan brakes weren’t working and despite playing around with the settings for some time, there was nothing.  Thank heaven for upgrading to the highest RACV cover right!  A call to them will resolve our issue and we’ll be on our way for our holiday.

We finally pulled into our camp for the night around 8.30pm after making a stop at a Safeway for a much needed wine supply.

And yes – as the title suggests – our destination was home.  A visit from a wanting RACV technician who admitted when he arrived that he knew nothing about caravan braking systems and who in the process of fumbling his way around the system actually managed to completely break the light/power connection off the vehicle and then helpfully suggested we call an auto electrician tomorrow.  To add to the experience he kept asking his questions of Shane and despite me answering each one, continued to direct the questions to Shane until he finally said to the guy “you need to speak with the wife since she is the one with all the towing experience”.   Thank you for your warm and inclusive attitude towards women sir – your service really made my night and made an otherwise frustrating day impossible!

Anyway as it turned out returning home wasn’t such a bad thing as I realised I hadn’t taken a warm jumper with me and one of the water containers we had packed for the dogs sprung a leak and flooded the shower base (thank god it was in the shower).

So – technically the holiday HAS begun as we did sleep in the van and tomorrow we seek the assistance of a real auto electrician in the hope our holiday doesn’t consist of bushwalking our own 10 acres…..