Clare & Rob's 'Round-Australia Trip: 2008+
4 January 2008
Purchase
We picked up our van today. It is all becoming a reality. Clare had her first drive, taking the wheel for the trip back home. There are plenty of large windows, and the vehicle is up high compared to our Hyundai, so visibility is very good. Being an automatic also makes it very easy to drive, and will make navigation around unfamiliar streets easier. Now we have the van in our possession, it is time to start planning some short trips to test it out and determine what we need and don't need to take. We are very happy with our purchase.
> See photos of our van 
9 January 2008
Preparation
We have just realised that the van does not have a tow bar as was stated in the advertisement. We did not notice this when we first inspected it and then again when we picked it up. Having a tow bar was one of our criteria, as we would like to carry our bikes around with us. Looks like we will have to get one fitted ourselves. We are going to Daylesford this weekend to give the van its first run. 
10 January 2008
Naming Rights
What do we call the van? We have found out that most people come up with a name for their van as it gets a life and personality of it's own. So far we have come up with boring names like 'stan the van'. Maybe we need to spend more time in it before we come up with something suitable, and we may even need to be on the road for a few months before the right name comes to us. 
11 January 2008
Shakedown No.1
For our first 'shakedown' trip we drove out to the 'Spa Country' town of Daylesford. We are staying at the Daylesford Victoria Caravan park, only a short walk to the lovely Daylesford Lake. After setting up the van for the night, we walked down to the lake and enjoyed a lovely stroll around part of it as the sun was setting.
12 January 2008
Springing
Olive slept like a log (as she has been doing lately) while we struggled on the short and lumpy bed. That is one thing we have to sort out before we use this van too much more. We visited some of the local springs in the morning, and quite enjoyed the taste testing of the mineral waters. After a picnic lunch by the lake, we had a look at the very impressive art collection Convent Gallery, housed in an equally impressive old building. On the way back to our campsite, we had a refreshing dip in Lake Jubilee while Olive was sleeping in the van.
13 January 2008
Maryborough
The weather was not as nice today. We had a look at the Daylesford market located next to the train station, then drove to the nearby historic mining town of Clunes for lunch. Lucky for us the Sunday market on, so there were a few people on the streets. From there we drove to Maryborough and caught up with Betty and John. After a quick look around town we then drove back to Melbourne.
20 January 2008
Getting Kitted Out
Leading up to our next weekend away we have bought a few more things we need: plastic storage containers for stacking our clothes in, a self-inflating mattress to lay on top of the seats when they are flat, and a picnic rug with waterproof backing. Each time we head out I am sure we will find a few more things we would like. We will be leaving the comforts of home behind, so we need to make this as comfortable as possible. A few compromises will have to be made. 
26 January 2008
Rosebud
For our second test run we headed down the Mornington Peninsula to Rosebud. As we only tried to book a few days before the Australia Day long weekend, it was not surprising that our choice was limited. Luckily there was still a camping spot on the Rosebud foreshore, only a few steps from the beach. We are going powerless this time to test out how long the battery to the fridge will last without plugging into 240 volts. It is Clare's birthday today too, so no camp cooking was required. Again we left it to the last minute to find somewhere to eat, as on such a busy weekend many places were booked out. We ended up at Trims Restaurant across the road, and had a great meal.
27 January 2008
Sorrento & Portsea
While Olive was sleeping in the morning, we bought supplies for lunch and relaxed while reading the paper. By the time we left, the road was getting busy. The short drive to Sorrento took a bit longer than usual. Finding a park was also difficult in Sorrento. We walked down to the front beach and had our sandwiches while nearly everyone else was enjoying fish and chips. That's obviously the thing to do. We went for a walk and stumbled upon a greek festival, then checked out the main street cafes and shops. From there we drove a very short distance to Portsea, hitting an old man while looking for a camping spot. We needed a drink after that, and the Portsea Pub is just the place for it.
28 January 2008
Pt Napean
We drove back along the peninsula to Point Napean, and took the option of walking to the point. The underground tunnels were very interesting and we learnt a little about the early defense of Melbourne. From there we joined the crowds heading back to Melbourne at the end of a long weekend holiday.