Junior Glamping - The Important Question

With just over a week to go we come to the all important question and it is my sincere hope that you my reader will be able to help me out on this one. The big important question the junior Red Elephants are asking is................. " HOW MANY BEARS ARE WE ALLOWED TO TAKE?" So dear reader I am asking you "what do you think is the legal quota of teddy bears allowed in a caravan?" This is very important and open to all sorts of loopholes. Like does a pillow pet count as a bear? What if one Red Elephant picked a big bear does that mean the other gets an extra bear to make up for size? If the bears travel in the caravan does that mean you can have extra in the car?What if a bear has a bear are they counted as one or two? In the past the limit has been 3 each,but somehow just like Paddington Bear we always seem to have an extra 2 stow aways. Further more dear readers has it ever crossed your mind that at the age of 7 & 10 what a huge responsibility it is to be the one to choose the bears to go on such a fantastical holiday. Because Bears are loyal and fun loving and when you sit down with your bears and ask them who wants to go on holidays they all put up their furry little paws and say "me, me, pick me." As a bear there is nothing better to be the chosen one to be snuggled up and in the arms of the one you love every night and day.

How do you choose? I am Bear Boozled are you?

Staying Safe on Road Trips

Needless to say it is important to stay safe while on the road. Before every road trip I have nightmares about us being in accidents, it is always terrifying and always involves one of us, or, all of us not making it. I talk to who ever it is that watches over me to keep us on this earth a bit longer and promise to do good things . Sometimes I feel like saying to Pete "thats it where not going we are staying home where it is much safer. But of course you can not live your life in fear, I do however stay awake the whole trip and keep my eyes open,alert to any danger. So.... With us travelling vast distances on some busy highways and some quiet country roads, towing a caravan and our 2 precious cargos sitting in the back seat we have taken some pre cautions. The following have been installed and updated, Electric Brake controller, Sway bars, Cargo Barrier, UHF Radio, NRMA Roadside Assist, Anti Theft Caravan Lock, Before we depart on any trip with the caravan we go through the following checks Brake Controller correctly plugged in, Two ball Hitch, Sway bars locked in , Tyre pressure correct, Check all locks on caravan including doors, windows, bed ends, Awning is latched and locked in, Ensure caravan roof is locked down, Check everything inside caravan is stowed away and all doors including fridge is securely locked, Gas is off and bottles are secure, Brake lights and indicators are working, Every one has their seat belt on and has their snacks**, All body parts are within the cockpit of Brindi**, Mr Red Elephant has his Coffee**, phew we are go, This may seem like a long list and a lot of bother but we do it as a family and really it is done in no time. ** not really a safety check put important none the less

This Week at the Red Elephants

Sorry folks I have been suffering bloggers block, otherwise known as a stupid assessment and silly coughs and cold.We are down to 17 days to go!! Its getting closer and closer. In the past week I have packed all our summer clothes in readiness for the warmth of Queensland. Its exciting to think the sun will be warming our bones in just a few short weeks. I have put together a school box for Grace and James, they have a pencil case each with glue sticks, texta's,pencils,pencil sharpeners and erasure and rulers. Poppy has put together work books for them to do along the way. Brindi was booked into having a cargo barrier installed, but unfortunately as we had bought the barrier second hand to save money, there where some parts missing. These have since been ordered and Brindi will have the barrier installed next week. Lucky for us we now have a family to house sit for us. This is great news as they are good friends and I know our place will be in good hands. This has lead to a flurry of activity as I feel I need to have the house clean and clear out our wardrobes to make room for our friends things. There are also things that you can put up with in your own home , like a dodgy shower door,but you don't want other people to live with. So the shower door will need to be fixed and the almost falling down curtains. I have snuck in a bit of sewing and have made myself a quillow. A quillow is a quilt that folds up into a pillow. I have made one for each of the kids and they come in very handy when we camp. I cheat and do not actually quilt I buy a fleece blanket from the shops add a pocket and a matching fabric stripe… ta..da a quillow. I have also been doing some test cooking in our dreampot. The dreampot is like a slow cooker for camping that does not need power, its like an oversized thermos. I have made pea and ham soup, silverside and casseroles all successfully. This will give us more options for our nightly dinners. This is all we have accomplished since the last post as we all have been to busy socialising.

Caravanning,Camping,Glamping,Gramping

Caravanning,Camping,Glamping,Gramping whats your style? I think Glamping is the new caravanning. I have never slept in a tent except for one very exciting occassion when I myself was in primary school.This was a week end away I will never forget and was full of laughter and fun and family and good times. It did not put me of camping/tenting, but, given my dislike of things that slither and go hiss I like to be up of the ground and our Willow does this just fine. When its cold I like to be able to plug a heater in, I like everything neat and orderly and a feeling of space. I dont need a hairdryer and I could probably go without the TV although we do have a TV in Willow. I do like to turn on the tap and have running water. I do like to be able to walk to the shower block and have a hot shower. I really dont think I would like to dig a hole to do my business. I do like to be able to do the families washing every couple of days and have clean clothes. I do like to sit by the campfire at night and first thing on a cold frosty morning. However I do not like the smell of it in my hair or in Willow the next day. If Glamping is the new Caravanning then I think I am a Glamper. But I will try to be a camper on this trip and try places with no electricity. Gramping?? Gramping is camping/glamping with the Grandparents. Lots of fun and good times for all. We did this earlier in the year. Summer in Canberra is HOT HOT HOT. I dont like HOT but three HOTS is just yicky. Nanny and Poppy where down the coast on a week away enjoying the seabreezes, paddling in the ocean swimming in the pool. Friday afternoon came I had had enough, I think Pete had had enough of my complaining. So on ther spur of the moment we decided to head out of HOT HOT HOT Canberra and surprise Nanny and Poppy. It took us no time to pack and hitch-up and of we went. Nanny and Poppy could not believe their eyes when we sprung up in the pool next to them. We all had a lovely time and decided we should do this more often. If your a 5 star type person, then thats ok. The secret is to get out there, go somewhere new and enjoy life and being with your love ones

Preparing the "RIG" for travel.

Well a couple of weeks ago Brindi the Prado went in for a service. Then off went Brindi and Willow the Windsor Rapid together to be wired (no not for sound) and have a second battery put in. This will enable us to do some free camping and run the caravan fridge and a second fridge in the back of "Brindi" while we travel. Why do we need 2 fridges? The fridge in "Willow" is only a bar size Fridge and we are a family of 4, I'll say no more. The whole second battery, wiring and solar panel thing was very confusing to Pete and I. But,Pete being Pete, spoke to lots of people and got lots of advice. Sometimes this was helpful and sometimes more confusing. We decided to do the wiring and second battery and would save our $$ and get the solar panel for another trip. Last weekend Pete installed a UHF Radio to Brindi, this will enable us to talk to other travelers on the road, and help us call out for help if we get ourselves into trouble. Thanks go to Pete's brother who gave us the UHF aerial and instructed Pete how to install it, the wiring and the radio. This week "Willow" went in for her pre trip service. What does a service to a Caravan mean I hear you ask. Well it means this :checking the wheels,Brakes,Electric Brakes,Gas system,Chassis,coupling,electrics,interior,smoke detector,body exterior,tighten windows,test for water leaks,roof riser all lights. That's a long list! We also asked for a TV bracket be fitted, a pipe be fitted to store all our poles and "anti flappers". Willow also had 2 annoying issues, a window that would work itself open while travelling on the road and our awning when rolled up would not allow us to open our door! These are now fixed. ANTI FLAPPERS?? I know you are thinking it's some type of gadget that Pete uses stop me running around in a flap. Not the case at all. Caravan awnings tend to flap in high wind and even in little wind. We have had a bad experience with our awning in the past when a southerly hit and ruined our awning. This is another story entirely that I may share with you one day. So the anti flappers help to tighten the awning and stop it "flapping". Have you noticed we are down to 28 days till lift off!!

Queensland home of Scarey Things

My name is Belinda Red Elephant and I am terrified of snakes and crocodiles. We are going to Queensland and aiming for Cape York I have ordered Tourist Brochures to do some research. They arrived in the letter box and I took them in to read with a cuppa and a bickie. Imagine my horror when I start reading and on nearly every page there is are several warnings CROCODILES - be crocwise, Snakes - be alert, use lights when walking at night, keep tents closed at all times, Stinging Jellyfish maybe present. Now I dont need to tell you that Crocs are nasty, they have big mean chomppers, they are lurking in the water ready to pull you in and give you the death spin and then chomp you up. The Snakes are giants 7 meters long. It seems everywhere I turn I see crocodiles and snakes, I was at friends house today her little girl was watching kids daytime TV and low and behold a crocodile. Bondi Vet was on saturday night he was up in Queensland somewhere, Townsville i think and there was a crocodile surfing of the beach and someone brought into his surgery a 7 metre python. A clip came up on one of the internet sites the other day of a giant python wrapped around a poor wallaby. I am having nightmares of snakes in the caravan, snakes in the toilet blocks. Crocodiles surrounding the van, crocodiles gobbling me up. And thats not all. I read on in the tourist brochure, there are boulder fields where people have died, mosquito's, avoid bites stings and scratches, disused mining shafts, quicksand on the beaches, Cassowaries that can slice you open with their feet, OMG. Could someone send me Bear Grilles or Mciver, I dont know if Mr Red Elephant is going to cut it. Or maybe I should just change the type of Tea I drink!