Day 1 - Sunshine Coast to Scamander Sanctuary

08 March 2023 - Every time I travel, I write a blog. It's mainly for me to keep a log of where I go and what I do (it's very cool to read posts from Vietnam in 2011 and recall things I had completely forgotten about). And it is also for family and friends who want to travel vicariously through me (especially Mum 😢). She loved it.

So here we go!!! My first travels to a 'new to me' place since the world went crazy. I have been home to NZ a couple of times, but that's visiting family and friends on the familiar ground of home... This is all new to me and is pseudo-overseas. Tasmania is a separate island, so almost 😁 and that's what I will keep telling myself!

I originally booked the flights to Tasmania to participate in a 5-day, 65-km guided hike on the Overland Track from Cradle Mountain through to Lake St Clair. After Mum died I felt like I needed a project. Why I chose that, I don't know... I'm not a hiker!!! Anyway, the universe has conspired in such a way that I had to cancel the hike as a) I can't be out of phone range at this point in time, and b) I had emergency surgery on my leg last week and am supposed to be avoiding strenuous exercise. But I kept the flights and hired a camper instead, and was much more excited about that plan!

Not only is it a travelling bedroom, kitchen and living room... it has a shower and a toilet! I can go completely off-grid if I want, but I won't. I need to stay within internet/phone range for now.

It started with valet parking at Brisbane Airport. Why not? And then, straight to the Virgin Lounge. I had put in a bid for an upgrade to Business Class (I bid the minimum amount possible) and it was accepted. 😁 So I had Lounge access and Premium Bag Drop and Boarding. It was amazing to skip all the queues. I never want to travel in coach again! 😆

The flight was so much better than usual... more space (2 seats on each side of the aisle instead of three), great service and a really nice meal with a glass of red wine - not your standard aeroplane fare at all. As we approached Launceston the captain warned us that the weather there was nice and sunny, but windy... It was like landing in Wellington! I thought the wing was going to hit the runway before the wheels! But all was well and I was first off the plane.

I was picked up by the camper rental company and then given a tour of my new home on wheels. I was very aware of the time as my flight didn't land until 4:30pm and I wanted to make it to the East Coast to park up for the night, but I needed a few groceries (that turned into more food than I can possibly eat in a week). And guess what I forgot... yep... toilet paper. Thankfully there was one roll provided so I wasn't caught short.

There's not much to say about the actual drive to the coast. It was a little under 2 hours, and it got dark on the way. I had called ahead to the caravan park to say that I would be entering late, so they gave me the gate code. I was getting very annoyed with them for giving me the wrong code, when I realised that I was at the wrong gate. Whoops! 

I drove in and was confronted by hundreds and hundreds of rabbits everywhere! On the grass, on the road, just swarming! All I could do was drive forward slowly and trust that they would not throw themselves under the wheels... They didn't...

Setting the van up for the first time in the dark was an adventure. I had to connect to power and get the grey-water hose connected and into the drain. And then I had to set up the inside properly. When I had bought groceries earlier, I had put away what needed to be in the fridge and just left the rest. So I had to stash that, and also get most of the things out of my big suitcase and into cupboards so I could store the suitcase in one of the outside storage lockers.

And by the time I had done all of that, I was exhausted and fell (actually, I climbed) into bed. Day One done. A pretty dull blog post, but this one can be just for me...

(Excuse the mess... I was going for the 'lived-in' look! 🤭)

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