And We're Off!

We are boldly going where we haven't been before...almost. Today we launched forward in Lily with Digger following closely behind. Not early, of course. We eventually pulled out of Anzac Lane at the rather advanced time of two thirty this afternoon.

Digger has taken days and days to pack. As our first ever caravan, he has myriad cupboards and drawers I needed to explore and examine to determine what items would go where. A few false starts did not help my quest.

Slowly, objects began disappearing into all of Digger's nooks and crannies. Organisation ground to a halt, losing a day to Michael's endoscopy, followed by our usual days in the Gallery. Then part of yesterday was lost due to a booked podiatry appointment for us both. Thr trials of becoming older.

Hence, this morning we were up at the extraordinarily early hour of eight o'clock for the Final Push. I filled all our bedroom compartments with clothes for conditions from close to zero to hopefully deliciously warm in the Pilbara. By the completion of this task, there was still a seemingly monumental amount of additional gear to place in both the car and the caravan.

Outdoor table and chairs disappeared into the hatch at the front of Digger, along with a variety of tools, hoses and other miscellaneous bits and pieces. Snack containers, coats, computer bags, shoes and cool bags were all placed into spots on the back seat. Other larger equipment such as jerry cans, the generator, and additional water was secured in Lily's rear space.

A final snag was a struggle with the electric connections between the car and caravan. Michael ended up lying on the road, with only a towel for comfort, fiddling with the troublesome plugs. At last, all was in order and we drove away into the cloudy mid-afternoon.

We stopped in Northam to check the tyres of both vehicles. Michael was dissatisfied with the servo's pump and we decided to check the pressures at the local Tyrepower. After parking somewhat illegally on the wrong side of the road next to Tyrepower, one of the excellent technicians reversed Lily and Digger expertly into the yard and set about sorting out the weird and uneven individual tyre pressures. And then, with Michael feeling much more comfortable driving, we set off into the now sunny late afternoon.

And so, we are here in Wongan Hills, sitting inside Digger watching the telly, having had a fairly simple dinner of soup and toast. There are still issues - we are trying to work out how to get the gas from bottles to inside but that is a job for the morning. We are warm, we are cosy and we will soon try out the bed for the very first time.

Tomorrow is a whole new adventure. Whoo hoo.