At the Caravan Show in June, we joined the Australian Caravan Club. It is an Australia-wide club which is composed of Branches or Chapters. Each Branch usually has trips away every 6 weeks approximately. We thought it was worth joining. The members are like-minded people and it would be good to have the opportunity to get away with them now and then. And also, the tips we would be likely to pick up, so we have heard, would be handy.
We had had an email in July asking if we were interested in joining a new Branch about to start up. They were going to be called the Brisbane Rouseabouts and their first trip would be to Casino in the first half of August. Unfortunately we couldn’t make that one.
This weekend is the 2nd outing for the new Branch and it was to Jacobs Well, a little fishing place just south of Brisbane. It is only a 35 minute drive for us, and probably not somewhere we would have even thought of going to. We haven’t been there since the boys were little. There were only going to be about 6 vans going along, so a nice small group to start off with.
Friday was a miserable day. It was a bit drizzly and very windy, but also very cool compared to what it had been. But the rest of the weekend was supposed to be a lot better. We left home about 10am and were well and truly set up by lunchtime, then spending the rest of the afternoon watching the comings and goings of people and vans. I think we were the first ones there, but the others dribbled in over the rest of the day with the last van, or rather camper trailer, arriving about 5.30pm.
We did see a funny sight. A fellow came in towing his van. He checked in at the office, then proceeded up to the boom gate where you put in a code to get in. There are witches hats around the post holding the boom gate - in other words be careful! This guy cleaned up the witches hat, turned his van too early and the boom gate next to the entry he used scraped right down the side of his van. He moved it right out of position as well. He stopped, got out and had a look at what he had done, then got back in his car and drove off. It was left to the lady in the office to right things outside but he obviously did something to it as it was blocked off for the rest of the weekend.
Those that were around met up for a cuppa/drink around 4pm
as one couple, Lyn and Warren, had just come down to say hi, but weren’t
staying. There is Di and John. Di had sort of organised the weekend and
originally office bearers were supposed to be elected this weekend. But as only
a few were coming, it was decided to put that off till next time. Also there
were Dianne and Rex, Ken and Graham. They all seem very nice.After the meet and greet broke up and we headed back to our van, we found the last van, the camper trailer, had set up next to us. We introduced ourselves to Jean and Stuart and chatted to them for a little while. They seem very nice too.
Saturday
Saturday was a lot nicer day than Friday, although still a
little bit breezy. But that helped keep the sandflies at bay, so can’t
complain.
The camping area at Jacobs Well is a lovely set up with lots
of trees – melaleucas and fig trees. Unfortunately in the fig tree next to us,
a huge crowd of noisy lorikeets obviously slept there at night. When we got
back to the van, they weren’t sleeping and were very noisy. Luckily they were
quiet at a respectable hour but we figured they would probably be up early –
and as a result so would we.
After breakfast, we went for a walk round Jacobs Well,
heading out to the end of the road. There is a pretty new estate there with
some quite big houses. There were also people fishing on the river’s edge.
Bruce didn’t bring any fishing gear this time, but it is a place we would come
back to another time.
At morning tea time, we all gathered and this time Stuart
and Jean came along to meet everyone. Also, Ken’s wife, Sheryl, was there. She
had come down this morning. We all had a good chat for about an hour before
going our separate ways.
I spent the rest of the day doing some sewing and reading.
Bruce read and did some sudokus and crossword puzzles. I won my fortune ($12)
on a scratchie.
We had booked for dinner tonight at the Jacobs Well Tavern. What
a fantastic night we had. We all got on famously and we laughed so hard and so
much. Rex and Di, particularly Di, had us in stitches with her stories of
things that had happened to them over the years. Then everyone else started
coming out with them. It made for a great night.
Apart from the fun we had, the meal was great. We all
enjoyed what we had ordered. Also, around the walls of the pub were some great
paintings by an artist by the name of Donald James Waters.
I looked him up on
Google and he has been painting for about 30 years. Check out more of his
paintings - www.djwaters.com.au.
Sunday
After breakfast this morning, we packed up and headed down
to the cafe not far away with Stuart and Jean for a cuppa. We are having a
quick get together at 9.30 before everyone heads away, except Di and John who
are staying another night.
We thoroughly enjoyed our weekend and look forward to many
more trips away with the Club.
