Paradise Valley Weekend

Gippsland Victoria

weekend of Saturday & Sunday 18th & 19th of February 2006

    I arrived Thursday afternoon to check the layout of this large private camping park and settled on a cool grassy strip several hundred metres long facing (and enabling easy access to) the clear waters of the Macalister River. Not too far away were the amenities, powered sites and cabins.

    Half the members and friends had arrived by Friday evening, with the rest turning up on Saturday. There were 32 of us in all age groups staying in nine camper trailers, two pop tops, one A-van, various tents, and a cabin.

    It was great to catch up with friends I had made from previous get togethers & also to meet new friends face to face who were previously only known from posts on the website.

    The weather was great - mostly sunny and hot, with occasional wind and cloudy periods. I think there were a few of us with some sunburn. Luckily it was possible to cool down on the river bank and wade (or sit in a chair) in the shallow water.

    It was good to realize just how much we all had in common & yet still have interests other than camper trailers. Everyone was friendly, and the newer members and guests were made welcome. Many of us learnt some interesting things to try and buy, as we all seem to do at these get togethers.

    No activities were planned, but Mike and Sheryl gave a fantastic demo of their new "Mangrove Jack 3.3" folding boat manufactured by Flatout Boats of WA www.flatoutboats.com.au An actual launch on the shallow river at the campsite was not possible, but I’m sure the crowd that gathered round could easily visualize the many relaxed boating trips that were easily possible, and the fact that boats could easily be taken along to campertrailers get togethers without much effort or space.

    A number of us also saw what must be one of the largest solar panel setups ever seen fitted on top of a camper trailer . Simon & Melissa in their Trak Shak showed how one can easily be off the beaten track for days on end without worrying about power or battery problems, even in cloudy weather.

    The last of us left Monday morning around 10 am.

    There were many memorable moments for all of us. From the feedback I received, and in no particular order, they were:

• Mike and Sheryl’s folding boat demo (preparation for the Great Flood?)
• Simon & Melissa’s solar setup walkthrough
• Waking to “cow song”
• The wafting aroma of bacon & eggs and fresh coffee
• Floating down the river on inner tubes
• Sipping champagne as the sun went down
• Children playing in the river
• No one game to mountain climb the steep hill like the sheep
• Sleeping in until 8.30 am
• Chatting  and laughing around the various campfires
• Robert’s “little stool”
• Prolific bird life including King Parrots & Gang Gang cockatoos
• Watching the sheep race down the steep hill to be fed
• Kevin P, scaring a sheep (that had suddenly turned turtle) back to life. Was it a case of a mysterious laying on of hands, or is Kevin a New Zealander? (*at the end of this report is an explanatory note about “rye grass staggers”).

    Everyone who attended would probably agree that Paradise Valley was a magnificent location for a get together, with the added bonus of great weather.

    I noticed more video cameras being used than I’ve ever seen at previous get togethers, so hopefully there will be some interesting DVD memories for all of us to watch down the track.

   Thanks to everyone who attended for a great time, especially considering in some cases the long distances travelled from interstate.

    I enjoyed your company enormously and I’m looking forward to the next one!

                                                                                                                                            Robert

 

    *About “rye grass staggers” which a number of us witnessed late Sunday afternoon: during the dry season (in Vic anyway) sheep eat grass seeds which often have bacteria. Suddenly running after feed can bring on paralysis or a heart attack. A sheep can look dead (on its side or legs in the air), but usually recovers.

Thanks goes to Robert Martin for this report
 

photos by Robert>>>
photos by Kevin	Beckwith>>>

<<<<< back to past events page