11 April 2011 - Macquarie Woods, Vittoria State Forest, NSW

It is mid afternoon as I start to write this. We have both just had an early shower and dressed in clean or more importantly, warmer clothes, dragging the warmest we had out of storage. It is now only 14 degrees which is better than this morning’s 8 degrees! The ranger cheerfully told us this morning that it is warmer than expected for this time of the year and once this wet front has passed, the frosts should set in. I can tell you now, we will not be around to see that!

Yesterday morning we left our railway station camp soon after the staff had started arriving and preparing themselves for the tourist trade. This weekend was a special one; the zigzag train all decked out as Thomas the Tank, all to co-incide with the beginning of the school holidays here in New South Wales. Norman came across to farewell us and encourage us to tell fellow touring vanners to make use of the camp there. I suspect that in this isolated spot, he feels more comfortable knowing there are other good people nearby.

We drove back down the steep road to Lithgow and parked up to check that we had cellphone reception. I then telephoned Pauline who had emailed me the previous day checking our whereabouts. They had been down a little further south and inland on business and had been trying to tee up a rendez-vous with us. We had been a little evasive, not because we did not wish to meet up with them, but because our plans from one day to the next were so flexible, or rather unknown. In fact, on the contrary, we wished very much to catch up with her and Neil, but did not want to stuff them around while we decided exactly where we were going.

Reaching her by phone, we found that they were currently camped at Macquarie Woods, about halfway between Bathurst and Orange, both towns on our planned route. We decided that we would barrel on through Bathurst, meet up with them, and then backtrack to Bathurst after that, to resume our rough itinerary.

We stopped at Bathurst for fuel and provisions, the latter in quantities to suit whatever entertainment might arise and to cater for several days free camping. As we left Bathurst I sent a text to Pauline advising where we were, and she in turn advised that the kettle was on and the scones were in the oven.

It was a cold morning and although blue skies had met us when we woke, the clouds were now more ominous, and as we had returned from the supermarket some distance from the vehicle loaded up with bags of groceries, a few drops of rain had warned us of what was yet to come.

Pauline’s statement regarding the scones had not been metaphorical but real. The rain had started in earnest and we were welcomed in to their caravan, delighted to see them again, and delighted to be treated to such a morning tea.

Macquarie Woods is a picturesque site set aside by the State Forestry for recreation; covering 600 hectares established in 1988 as a demonstration forest. The woods not only display exotic conifer planted forests, but also has an area of native woodland made up of yellow box, Blakely’s red gum, red stringybark, apple box and other eucalypts in an expanse of native grasses. There are barbeques, toilets, a playground and lovely little lakes, probably man made. We easily found the Maxwell’s camp, recognising the big sister to our caravan. Strangely enough there was another Lotus caravan the same size as ours parked a little further down the slope.

Chris ventured out into the pouring rain and set up the caravan while I sheltered and chatted to our friends. Finally I made a dash for it and finished the setting up with him. He was saturated and was glad to have a hot shower.

Pauline and I agreed that we would have a shared meal; us providing the food and them the venue. Their caravan is slightly bigger than ours and does lend itself to entertaining more. The truth is that entertaining with caravans is best done outside under the awning, however the weather put the kibosh on that.

I spent the rest of the afternoon sewing domes on to the two duvet inners we have, in the hope that the two together would be the solution to our cold nights.

A Lotus reunion

When we duly arrived on their doorstep carrying our buckets of food, we found that Pauline had been busy baking during the afternoon, mainly to warm the van up with the oven, and had baked a beautiful carrot cake for dessert. Their van was also considerably warmer than ours as a result.

We chatted and ate and drank (the first since leaving their place forty two days ago) and chatted some more and finally made our way back to our own caravan about nine. By then the worst of the rain had moved on and a few stars were visible, a hopeful sign for a better day tomorrow.

Men walking and talking

The night was freezing cold again, and despite the double duvet trick, Chris retrived the sleeping bag that had again been stowed away and threw it over the bed. We woke to eight degree temperatures and galahs wheeling about overhead.

and waiting for the photographer to catch up

Chris has been concerned with the charging of the house batteries, and last night when we returned, he was dismayed to find the red light on, suggesting to him that the batteries had not been charging even from the vehicle as we travelled along. As a result he spent the night worrying about the problem as well as suffering the inclement temperatures. This morning he checked the reading again and it seemed even worse, and so he said we would have to abandon the camp and head back to Bathurst to find an electrical technician who could sort the problem out. He went over to Maxwell’s caravan to tell them we were going and why, and soon Neil was over checking matters out himself. While not an electrician, he is incredibly knowledgeable and capable about so many practical matters, and of course has the same system as ours. Unlike us however, they have a manual for the battery system and so on consulting that and Neil, Chris was satisfied that we actually had no problem at all. Thank goodness! We could stay another day at least in this marvellous and free camp!

After breakfast we joined Neil and the three of us went for a walk all over the park, up and down the hills away from the actual camping area, and finished with a smaller walk nearer our camp through an orchard Neil had discovered the day before, growing figs, quinces, chestnuts and a few other trees that have become so old they have forgotten how to fruit. I guess that happens to us all eventually!

Across to our lovely camp at Macquarie Woods

We all four shared lunch, sitting behind our van shielded from the cold wind, and agreed to meet up again at five for dinner at their place. Pauline had spend the morning while we were away walking preparing a lamb ragout and baked potatoes ostensibly to warm the caravan. She does feel the cold, but don’t we all! And so we will venture across the few meters dividing our camps at five, armed with desert and our bottle of wine. It has been just marvellous to catch up and we look forward to all the time yet to come before we go our separate ways again.