Mad Road Tripping again

THE JOURNEY TO THE 2012 VINTAGE CARAVAN NATIONALS (PART I)

Maleny, QLD – Merriwa, NSW via Byron Bay (911km)

25^th – 28^th April 2012 

Yeeha! Back on the road after a long time between caravan trips and Vicky is happy, happy happy!

Noddy arrived from New Zealand on Tuesday night.  On Wednesday morning I surprised him by taking him for a cruise in the Cresta and taking part in the Maleny Anzac day Parade.  Once the van was all packed and lots of home baked snacks packed into the car, we set off.  
Our first destination was the relatively cruisy journey down the Bruce Highway to Byron Bay – about 260km.  I had phoned ahead to the Glen Villa Resort and booked in and it was great fun surprising hosts Linda and Nigel who had done the Kiwis on Route 66 Tour with Noddy last year who had no idea he was even coming to Australia.  

The two days and nights we spent in Byron Bay were heavenly with perfect weather and clear blue skies making for a perfect relaxing wind down before the mega drive part of the journey began.

On Friday we set off south again to Grafton and then veered west towards Glen Innes. Couldn’t believe our eyes when we saw a sign saying “Hanging Rock”… could it be? 

We stopped and asked some road worker guys if this was the very same hanging rock of the Picnic at Hanging Rock movie.  No, they said, but it was pretty nice and well worth the detour down the 12km road to check it out. Had we not heard of the infamous Cangai Siege? They asked.  Apparently some murderer guys dug themselves into a hole to hide out there, they said. But when the cops came they came out with their guns blazing.  They said that you can also camp there, but we had plans to keep going to Tamworth, so we made the detour just for fun.

The next thing you know we’re so off the beaten track it’s not even funny. The narrow winding road turned to gravel and over cattle grids and up and down dale with not a single rock face in sight. We drove over the most rattly low-lying railway sleeper bridge I have ever seen which was hilarious.  

Then we went up over yet another hill and… could that be it? The famed “Hanging Rock"????

... Probably not! 

It was an interesting detour that took up a valuable 2 hours of our time and a quarter of a tank of our fuel but we got some great photos of the Mann River and surrounds and it is certainly a beautiful place of the world even if there is no actual hanging rock – that’s just the name of the cattle station.

Sometime towards Tamworth I decided that I’d rather keep pushing through to lessen the load on the Saturday drive and get us into the Vintage Caravan Nationals in Cowra and so we drove on past Tamworth (we’ll get he “caravan and the big guitar” shot on the way home) and on towards Muswellbrook. It was here that things went decidedly pear-shaped when the GPS decided that instead of driving on to Muswellbrook, turning right onto a very small sign posted road towards a place called Merriwa was the best route. Not!!!!! Pitch-blackness surrounded us and stretched ahead as far as the eye could see and I had a very bad feeling. Noddy assured me it would be fine and so I drove cautiously on into the blackness. About 20km down and the road turned to the worst, most pot-holed gravel road I have ever driven on deep into the hills and forests. This did not feel good at all! With a speed limit of around 30kph about as fast as this road would allow without a 4 wheel drive and with a caravan in tow, and at this point getting rather weary after 11 hours straight of driving, it was getting hard to see the humour, but somehow we did. Noddy was an awesome co-pilot and if not for his batty jokes and neck massages as I drove, I probably would have cried!

Lisa loves Noddy!

We arrived at Merriwa at around 10pm and found an awesome roadside rest stop that just happened to have unlocked toilets, an electric BBQ and free unsecured Wi-Fi access thanks to the El Dorando Motel across the road! We pulled up here and cooked up the pot of vege soup I had pre-made and fried up some garlic bread on the BBQ before tucking in for the night.

We woke up this morning surrounded by shiny white Jayco Expanda Vans and 4 wheel drives who were setting off on their way to Ayers Rock and the sight of Vicky and the Commodore covered in cow poo and red dust sitting in amongst them had me singing “One of these things is not like the other one, one of these things is not the same….”

Now we’ve had our hot porridge breakfast and had some online time, so now it’s time to drive on to Cowra. Loving the road tripping life and loving having someone so awesome to share it with even more….

View Larger Map

Twilight Hot Road Show Take 2

Rocklea Showground - March 18th, 2012

It's been a while between blogs and that's because most of my writing about my adventures tends to end up in my Vintage Caravan Magazine these days!

But, every now and then I get to let loose, forget about work for a bit and just go to an event for the fun of it. Not that events aren't always fun, but I often spend so much time taking photos, talking to customers, selling mags and taking notes for future stories, that I sometimes feel like I just want to chill out some more and enjoy it for no other reason than because I can...

Twilight Take 2 was that moment. Having literally just sent our bumper 1st birthday issue to print hours before, and having pulled off a series of mammoth all-nighters to do so, this little editor needed to shake her sillies out and switch work mode off for a change.


Big Sandy and the temptation of the dancefloor saw me cruise down to Brisbane with assurances that the rain would not interrupt play. I picked up my partner in outrageousness; Miss Pinup Australia finalist Scarlet Tinkerbell who was also decked out in a sensational black, white and red number that nicely complemented the red & white polka dotted ensemble that I had chosen. (I can't help it, I'm dotty for dots!)

We had great fun hitting up all the fabulous market stalls and checking out some very cool cars and Scarlet introduced me to her Friend Xymantha Marie who, with her Mum Marianne runs Rockababy Couture - makers of some very tempting retro gear. I couldn't resist this fluffy leopard print shawl with a big black satin bow for only $25 - who says polka dots and animal print can't work? I'm all for mixing things that you'd never expect to see together - anyone who's seen inside my caravan will tell you that! Besides, it went with my dancing shoes!

I also bought a super cute pink and white spotted dress from another stall that I wore the next day and when I spotted (get it? spotted!) this hot EH on the way back from the printers a hilarious sneaky photo opportunity was too hard to resist. I'm cracking up because I was hoping the owner wouldn't see me do it!

Anyway, I had a blast at the Twilight Hot Rod Show and the weather held off for us too. I shopped, I met some very cool new people, and I really enjoyed Big Sandy's 80's rockabilly style - very danceworthy!  Although some of the slower stuff I found a bit too "country" for my liking... I know there's a fine line between rockabilly and country, and the overlap is there, but to my ears and feet they are a world apart! Give me a decent beat, some happy rhymes and a cute rockabilly man to lead me and I'm twirling like a manic Dervish!

Pink My Ride - Vicky's Makeover

This is part of an article from Issue 3 of Vintage Caravan Magazine

Recently I decided that my caravan Vicky's original cream coloured beige walls did not work with my thoroughly pink interior, so although I appreciated her originality, it was time to “pink my ride” and give her a bit of a makeover.

Before: Stripped bare - Vicky's thoroughly original cream & beige interior

I stripped out the entire interior and sanded all the walls back and repainted them in clean, crisp white, which has made the inside look so much bigger and cleaner.   

The first coat of white paint goes on

 I also ripped out the original beige and brown sparkly floor tiles and replaced them with traditional black and white check and have reupholstered the dinette with hot pink fake fur and sewed pink curtains. After I had stripped the van out I decided I quite liked the front end being open and opted not to put curtains back up there to maximize the effect of the classic curved panoramic Perspex windows. For privacy and dark sleep ins I have the “bedroom” end of the van curtained and a privacy curtain in between the front and back halves of the van.

The black and white floor tiles ready to go down on the sanded floor

After - The lino tiles look awesome!

What I have learned since decorating Vicky is that not all pinks go together and that there are about a million varieties of pink! So I kind of gave up trying to coordinate it in the end and just let it become a crazy mixture of things I like. After all, that’s what vintage vans are about – individuality! What I have ended up with is a somewhat strange mixture of Gidget’s Hawaiian holiday meets Barbie’s pink campervan, but I just love it to bits.

I had the metal plaque Mum got me made into a full size sticker for the fridge

My van has become like a cubby house to me now. Even when I am home, I’ll sometimes go out and just sit out there with my computer or a good book - I just love the coziness of that little space so much.

Thank you to pinup photographer Helen McLean for the fabulous photos taken at Garterbelts & Gasoline Nostalgia Festival and for loving Vicky as much as I do!

Garterbelts & Gasoline Nostalgia Festival @ Mt. Tamborine April 29th – May 2nd

This article appeared in the 2nd issue of Vintage Caravan Magazine - June/July 2011

Having only just completed my caravan Vicky’s interior makeover the week before, it seemed as good a time as any to hit the road once more and show her off a bit. The occasion: the third annual Garterbelts & Gasoline Nostalgia Festival. Held for the first time in the idyllic location of Mt. Tamborine in the Gold Coast Hinterland, the euphoria started to set in even before we arrived at the showgrounds, as the perfect weather and breathtaking scenic drive up the mountain filled me with a sense of anticipation and adventure. The thrill of taking my little Vicky out and about to a new setting in conditions like this is one of life’s better joys and always makes me so proud and happy to be a caravanner.

Once inside the showgrounds, the pink flamingos were put in place and the banana lounge brought out to take advantage of the sensational summer-like weather. Then it was off the nearby Saint Bernard’s Hotel for a steak meal, some live rockabilly jives and the judging of the Miss Garterbelts & Gasoline pin-up contest.  The party went on well into the night and saw me crawling back into the van way past my usual bedtime.

Early on Sunday morning, even with earplugs in, the familiar rumbling of hot rods could be heard as streams of entrants and their pre-1970 vehicles rolled in to the showgrounds in preparation for the big day – the classic and custom car displays. Several vintage caravans, along with Vintage Caravan Magazine’s own “Vicky” were also on display and proved to be very popular with the crowds. And I was stoked to spot this pink Vauxhall!

The great weather continued throughout the entire weekend creating ideal circumstances for a long weekend festival of lowbrow art, tiki carving, hot rods, classic and custom cars, vintage fashion, pinup photography, market stalls, plenty of rockin’ live music and lots and lots of dancing.  Along with over 300 show cars, a crowd of almost 4,000 filled the showgrounds with most in full retro regalia creating a sea of slick back hairdos for the guys and circle skirts, petticoats, polka dots and parasols for the gals. 

The next day, with all the cars gone, I was lucky enough to get some photos done of Vicky and I by the renowned pinup photographer: the gorgeous Helen Mclean before hitting the road for the 2-hour journey home. Assisted by Miss Christine from Lindy’s Charm School for Girls on hair and makeup, the Helen McLean pinup photo booth proved to be one of the most popular attractions of the festival.

A big shout out has to go to Paul Biagini and wife Amanda for putting together what was probably one of the best and definitely the most fun events I’ve been to in a long time. The choice of location and the enthusiasm and dedication to the nostalgia lifestyle shown by the festival organisers created a fantastic festival vibe and Vicky and I can’t wait for next year’s event!

This is the Saint Bernard from St. Bernard's Hotel at Mt. Tamborine who obviously has a very tough life - I found him lounging in the Pokies lounge!

Vintage Vans turn heads at Lennox:

This is the article I wrote for the very first issue of Vintage Caravan Magazine - May 2011

The best thing about owning a vintage caravan is hitching it up and setting off down the highway on yet another adventure to a destination far away enough from home to feel like a getaway, but close enough to come home from by Monday. I know as soon as the van is on the back of the car, my spirit starts to soar and small butterflies play in my tummy as I relish in the thought of yet another weekend change of scenery with my portable little home. But what makes a vintage caravan outing even more fun is being able to share it with a whole bunch of other vintage caravan enthusiasts.

On the first weekend of February a group of vintage caravanners from south east Queensland and northern NSW converged on the idyllic location of Lake Ainsworth in the seaside holiday location of Lennox Head, NSW for a weekend of fun in the sun, swimming in the tea tree lake and great company. Having experienced nothing but rain for almost the entire summer, we were greeted with a heat wave, starry nights and bright sunny days. Annexes were put up and banana lounges unfolded and boogies boards were fetched from boots of cars as the kids and road-weary parents hit the nearby lake for a cooling sunset dip.

After convoying down the highway with several other vintage vanners and a scenic detour through Byron Bay, Friday night dinner was a big communal sausage sizzle dinner on the BBQ’s.  The laughs and yarns continued well into the night, and long after the caravan park lights had been turned off. These first night chats are always a great way for vanners to catch up on any latest developments in caravan restorations and compare notes on the journey. On Saturday morning a few dedicated and less sleep-deprived members of the group decided to hit up the local garage sales and op shops in search of vintage caravan treasure while others took in the sights and beaches of Byron Bay. Sunday saw the owners of all the hot rods and classic cars line up to take any willing passengers for a joy ride around the scenic coastal roads giving the locals at the Lennox Heads pub some great Sunday afternoon entertainment.

 The Lennox Head weekend featured a great assortment of around thirty vintage caravans with a large number of Olympics fibreglass vans convening in one corner of the Lake Ainsworth Caravan Park. With all eras covered from the 30’s through to the 70’s, there were on offer quite a few aluminium clad vans such as Viscounts, Chesneys and Franklins, a good selection of older styled bondwood vans, including a few folding varieties and a couple of Sunliner fiberglass bubbles in various states of restoration.  Everyone had such a good time that they decided to do it all again a month later, although the weather let us down the second time around, sometimes it’s not about the destination, or even the journey – sometimes it’s just about the company you share it all with.

My new 1963 vauxhall PB Cresta

Vicky the caravan now has a new partner. Having had the ad for this cute classic Cresta pinned to my fridge since August last year, my dream finally came true when she was delivered to my house recently. Every time I had opened the fridge I had looked at the photo in the torn out piece of newspaper and said: "She will be mine, oh yes, she will be mine". I watched over the next few months as the price was reduced and then, in early December, the ad stopped appearing and I worried I might have waited too long and missed out. So when it reappeared just before Christmas at an even lower price I took no chances and bought her.

So it's not the EH Holden I had in mind, but I reckon it's the next best thing. It's a Vauxhall Cresta PB built in 1963 and very similar in design to the EJ Holden as it was also made by GMH. But for some reason, the Vauxhall does not seem to have captured the Aussie hearts the way the EJ and EH's have and when I excitedly tell motoring enthusiasts of my new aquisition I get chuckles and other less favourable responses.

Well, I don't get it. I think she's beautiful and I can't wait to get her restored and, yes, painted pink! At the moment she's in perfect running order, drives like a dream with her very cool "Hydramatic" automatic transmission and comfy bench seats and lots and lots of shining chrome in almost perfect condition.

We are already booked in to make our first appearance at an upcoming clasic car show - not as a show car, but as a vintage van and classic car combo in original condition and I can't wait to get the towbar put on her and take her and Vicky out for their very first photo shoot.

And here's one of the best things about this car; the mascot. Apparently it is off a 1954-55 Velox and has obviously been added by one of the previous owners, but I just love it!  All the chrome on the car is all in great condition and it even has a spare grille and hubcap in the boot!

Despite a severe lack of information on these cars, I have managed to find out that there are only around 50 of these cars still on the road in the UK where they were made, and only a handful left here in Australia, so despite what anyone else might think, I reckon I've scored something really special here and I love her to bits!

Southward bound!

Maleny to Lennox head, NSW and back 4-6 Feb 2011 (562km)

This trip had been in the planning for quite some time. The weekend away was pre-booked with a whole swag of members from the vintage caravan forums and so yet another weekend of old vans, classic cars, hot rods and good company was assured.

When Mum had told me she was planning a visit over from New Zealand at around this time I'd said "I have a vintage caravan outing then". She had suggested rescheduling her trip until after that. "No way!" I said. "Come along, you'll love it!" Having already made my son promise to join me on this one, I thought why not make it a family affair and drag Mum along too?

Mum's flight got in at 10.30am. At 9am I was still running around Maleny organising last minute things like an oil top up for the car. Then there was some last minute tweaking of the electricals on the tow bar to fix the right indicator which was wired wrong. Thanks to the lovely Maleny mechanic at JLR Mechanical and the Maleny Auto electrician next door for squeezing those last minute repairs in for me! Van all loaded on to the car, and bags all packed, the next stop was a fuel up and air pressure check on all tyres before hitting the road; destination Brisbane International. At around this point, running about half an hour behind schedule I got a text from Mum. "I'm here, where are you?". Ummm, "I'm still in Beerwah!" Oops! I raced down the highway at the speed limit (not something I normally do when pulling a van) to pick up a waiting Mum with the hopes of then dashing down to Yatala to meet the meandering convoy at 11.30 for the rest of the journey. Amazingly we made it! The pace slowed considerably from there, as the older cars and their cute caravans cruised down the highway at a much more leisurely pace, getting us into Byron Bay for a scenic detour and arriving at Lake Ainsworth Caravan Park at around 2pm QLD time.

The weather was awesome! We went for a swin in the surf once camp was set up, and then soothed weary bodies in the warmer and more sheltered tea tree lake. Once night fell, there was a big sausage sizzle at the communal BBQ area and vintage vanners gathered for a feed and a yarn well into the night.

On Saturday morning while some of the vintage vanners decided to go off treasure hunting at local garage sales, Mum, Bas and I went to Byron Bay. Although the beach there was nice, I found the town itself just a bit too full of tourists and hectic busy-ness for my liking, so we parked the car down the southern end of the beach and went for a long walk up to the lighthouse and back and all got severely sunburnt in the process! The lighthouse was beautiful, as always; a most photogenic landmark it is, set against the bright blue sky on the most perfect Summer's day. It was the first taste of a real summer I'd felt in a long, long time. All we've had here in the "Sunshine State" for the past three months or more, is rain!

I accosted a guy in the lighthouse carpark who was applying sunblock and asked if he'd mind if we could have a bit. "Is it always this hot here?" I asked. "Are you not from around here?" he asked. "No, I'm from Queensland!" It was pretty funny.

Anyway, we had a blast, despite looking like beetroots, came back for fish and chips and slept soundly. On Sunday morning Banno's crew made use of their new industrial-sized pancake makers for a communal griddle cake breakfast on the BBQ's - yum yum!

Then all the coolest cars and hot rods lined up and took many willing passengers for a quick blast around Lennox head which caused quite a stir with the onlookers at the local pub! Mum, Bas and I all got to ride in Banno's bright orange rod which went beautifully with the cute Sunliner they had only just finished in time to bring down to this event.

There were a great selection of vans and cars to be seen, a total of 26 vans attended and the whole weeekend was relaxed, stress-free and loads of fun with a real seaside family-holiday feel to the weeekend. And that, after all is what vintage caravanning is all about! Bas had fun with Izzy and the Banno boys - something to do with sparklers, glow sticks and bombs... hmmmm... no damage done apparently!

I managed to get some video footage of all the vans as I wandered around on Sunday morning before everyone packed up to go home. The Olympic fibregalass contingent were all gathered in one corner (they assure me this was pure coincidence). Then there were 1950's bondwoods, 1960's aluminiums, and a few fibreglass bubble shaped sunliners like Joey and Banno's along with a teardop and a couple of folding vans scatterd about within our designated part of the park.

For all her initial doubts, I think I've managed to convince Mum, as I have down with so many people now, that caravanning is not "camping". It's so much more civilized being able to rock up at your destination with your own bedroom all made up just the way you like it, a fully stocked pantry, a working fridge, stove, and electricity. This 'aint no roughing it - I adventure in retro style! Now Mum is even looking at vans for sale in New Zealand so I think I may have hooked another one!

So, the trip home was a lot quicker without the convoy and without incident. I love having that little van behind me, it makes the whole journey so much more fun.

We all had so much fun at Lennox Head that we've decided to do it all again next month.

Congratulations Mum on your first Vintage caravan outing!

View Larger Map