The below is a short story I wrote and was published in the Australian Caravan Club magazine.    Warning it is a bit long.   I originally intended to write a series of them.   It is not a true story but represents parts of my experience.

macca

First Time Independent Camping

You leave home with the caravan on the back of the car.   There has been much planning and for some of you a lifetime of dreaming to get to this point.    For some there are kids in the back just craving to ask for the first time Are we there yet, for others the faithful puppy dog looks up at you with loving eyes full of trust.   Some are heading off alone either for the solitude of the road or the opportunities it brings to meet new people.    Maybe like me you are an empty nester who has worked for many years to earn the freedom to pack up and use up some of that long service leave, loving wife looking at you with doubt in her eyes, thinking What are you getting me into.    Whichever you are,  you push back your concerns in leaving home base behind for an extended period and put the foot down for adventure, well not too far down because we are looking after the fuel economy.

We pull up the first night in a caravan park.    The place looks interesting and there is a queue of vans out the front waiting to get in.  Never mind you are a member of the Chain and will get well looked after when you finally get to the counter.   Oh well a 10% discount at least.   You check in and get your security code for the toilet block, one for his one for hers.   You get a code for the boom gate also with some quick direction to your site along with a map with yellow highlighter marking the spot for your home for the night.      You pull up to the boom gate and just remember at the last minute about the extra wide towing mirrors.    Little scratch on one mirror but no harm done.    Reach out of the car and punch in your security numbers.    Though it takes a couple of tries and works only after you put on your newly acquired reading glasses.    You drive slowly forward and peer up at the boom gate, lacking confidence that it will stay in its precariously raised position.   It does and you are in.

Three cross roads and you turn right then next turn to the left and site 18 is there waiting for you.   You are feeling a bit tired and grumpy by this point having driven 400 kilometres of unfamiliar terrain.   But all is good until you notice a car parked on the site.    Never mind after a couple of toots of the horn somebody comes out from one of the many vans, gives you a wave and moves the car so you can park on your site.   Then you look at the width of the road and the rubbish bin opposite and the trees  and wonder how you are going to put your new van into this tiny space.   Patience and persistence along with an understanding wife,  who knows you didnt mean it when you abused her for giving the wrong directions whilst backing and you are in.    Disconnect the car, put down the jacks, plug in the power,  after you figure out which is your plug and is the switch up or down to be on?     Connect the water hose and your new fandangled water filter.   The hose jumps off the connection first time and sprays you with water.   Never mind nearly time to relax.   Switch the fridge over from 12 to 240 volt, double check the level and you are done.   Time for a cool drink and a relax.

You get out your new his and hers camping chairs, put out the awning and crack your first drink.     You sit and wait for the adventure to begin.   A few people walk past, say gday and nod but you feel like you are in your own little piece of the world and all the other people in theirs.    You start a short conversation with the guy you tooted to move his car, he is camped beside you and needed the room for his boat.   He has been there for 2 weeks and tells you this site has been vacant for that time and has been his carpark.    You feel uncomfortable, like you have taken some of his land from him.   No you tell yourself, you are a member of the chain and are welcome.  

A good nights sleep and you want to hit the road early.   You hook up the car and disconnect everything, knock on the guy next doors van to ask him to move his car again cause you cannot turn sharply enough to get past it out of your site.   Back to the boom gate, remember the mirrors, keep an eye on the boom in case it is trying to trick you and is really waiting to dent your new shinny van.    You are off and back on the road for another days driving.   Scenery is great, I think we are starting to get into the outback, look there is a kangaroo and oops that one didnt make it.    I have heard there are big eagles in the outback, hope we get to see one, or even a wild camel or brumby.   As you drive on mesmerised by the ever changing landscape you cannot know that you will see all of these things you hoped for and many more that you never even knew existed.   

It is about morning smoko break time and you wouldnt mind a cuppa and biscuit to maintain your inner strength for the days drive ahead.   You see a little blue sign Parking 5 klm     Should I you think.  I was going to stop at the roadhouse and buy a coffee after topping up the fuel tank.   Why not, you are in for an adventure and the new van has gas stove and gas fridge, there is even a 12volt battery so you can listen to the radio over your home made coffee.   

You pull into the roadside stop and as you do a few other vans can be seen.   One of them has a campfire going and there is a ring of people sitting around.   Park the van and make yourself a cuppa.   Even better the lovely wife makes the cuppa while you stretch your legs and back from driving.    As you walk around and admire the outback, munching on your biscuit and nice hot coffee you see in the distance a small pack of kangaroos hopping off through the endless red plains of the outback.   You look up at the clear blue sky and feel the invigorating sun on your face.   It feels like a battery charger putting energy back into your very being.   A pair of huge eagles circle something a little way up the road.    How good is this you say to yourself, or the kids, or your puppy dog, or loving wife, this is what I dreamed of all of those years stuck in traffic to and from work everyday.   You cant buy this moment, priceless.

Back in the car and you wave at the others who are just starting to pack up.  You think how good it would be to travel with a group of friends and be able to camp out like that in such a wonderful spot.   Put the foot down (not too much) and off to adventure down the highway.   You stop in the town a hundred or so kilometres up the road, fuel up the car, use the rest rooms and buy a coffee and toasted sandwich.    They take forever to deliver the food but you figure they are busy and whats the hurry anyway.   As the coffee comes you notice one of the vans from the parking bay getting fuel, I wonder where the others are you ask yourself, kids, puppy or wife?

Back in the car and on the road.   The amazing scenery continues.   I know I have said this already but can you believe how often the landscape changes.   I thought the outback was supposed to be a sandy desert of nothing.   It has plenty of shrubs and trees and different grasses, you have seen a lot of birds also.   This is not the dead centre at all, it is living and vibrant and you can just feel the energy building up your internal lifes battery.    You love being out here and think back to the caravan park last night.   Wouldnt it be great if I could just stay out here for the night.    Nah that would not be possible, alright if you were with a group like you saw this morning I suppose.   Anyway you would need heaps of gear to be able to stop out here.   You just have the basic caravan.    Oh well and you continue with your enjoyable days drive.   You were planning on a big days drive today, 600 kilometres you hoped so you could make it to the next caravan park, remember your are a member of the chain and you have your little card to prove it.   But the white line starts mesmerising you and you are feeling tired.    At one point you cant remember driving for the last few minutes.   Better be careful you have seen the TV adds and that tired driving is dangerous.   Better take a break, it is about 2 in the afternoon and still a couple of hundred kilometres to go.   Time for a swaggys breakfast, well swaggys afternoon smoko, stop, cuppa, widdle and a look around but where.   Then there is one of them little blue signs Parking Bay 5 ks.   That will do me you tell yourself and foot down (not too much) and your plans are in place.    Half hour break and then back on the road.

You pull into the rest area and there are about half a dozen vans in there.    You see a shade area and even some toilets, here out in the middle of nowhere?  Bon Bon Rest Area the sign says.  Though nothing special really and not far off the highway.    You park the van and put the kettle on.   Get your cuppa and start having you swaggys arvo smoko.   Eventually you get to the look around bit.   You see the van from this morning at the parking bay and at the road hose.   The guy looks up at you and gives you a smile and a wave.   He get up and walks towards you meeting you half way.   Sounds romantic doesnt it?   He shakes your hand and introduces himself, Macca he says and then points out his wife over there by the campfire.   Bring a chair and have a seat he beckons you to his established camp.   He is a bit grisly looking but his wife looks nice enough,  so you get youre his and hers chairs and come over to the fire.   You feel a bit uncomfortable, a bit like the man who came to dinner as the group of people sitting around the fire having a few drinks have obviously been friends for years.

Macca says I will let you introduce yourself as I am shocking with names.   You find that strange for such long term friends to not remember their names.     You introduce yourself, kids, puppy dog or wife around the small  group of eight or so travellers.   They joke that happy hour is a bit early today but as they were settled in early for the night they could see no reason why not.   You share stories and itinerary information around the friendly fire.   You discover these people are good friends, but you were wrong.    They only met each other a few minutes before you came over, what a great bunch of characters,   You think back to last night in the caravan park and how you felt a bit disconnected with the other people, this is different, it must be because you are all in a common space so you all open up freely and become good friends.

You look at your watch, and you have taken too long, it will be getting dark by the time you get to the caravan park, all that unhooking and connecting and reversing in the dark.   What a pain, you nearly dread the idea.   As you stand to say your goodbyes you voice your concerns about the travel and the caravan park.   Macca suggests you just stay and sleep where you are parked.   Why not you are already there, there is not unhooking or connecting or reversing to do.   What about lights, well the van does have a battery for the lights, or you have a torch and what about the scary bad man in the middle of the night, the idea seems silly even as you think it.   Here with this group of friends you feel safer than if you were at home. Look there has been another six or so vans pull in since you got here.  So what do you think kids, puppy dog, loving wife shall we do it, they look at you as if to say the question is too late, the decision is made we love this place.

A bottle of red wine around the campfire and you have learnt more about caravanning than you have done in the last year.   Look up at the stars how magnificent are they.   The warmth of the campfire on your face and the reflection of the flickering flames in the eyes of your love one add energy to your life force (remember the one worn down my endless days stuck in traffic to and from work)   how great is this, this is what I got into caravanning for.   After a suitable number of hours chatting you retire to the van.   In to bed, I wonder how you will sleep out here in the middle of nowhere.   The next thing you know there is light streaming in the open ceiling vent, look at the clock it is 6 am already.   Kids, puppy dog, loving wife have all slept like a log also.   Though the van is the same as when it was in the caravan park, something feels different.   What is it do you know.   It is the feeling of adventure, you are having adventure thats why you feel so good.  Up you get and have your swaggys breakfast.   How crisp and clean it is here.  

Time to go and a wave to your new friends, you have all of the numbers and e-mails and promise to keep in touch (I wonder if you do)?   Into the car start your engine, pedal down and you are off.   What happened to all the disconnecting hooking up, packing up and squeezing through boom gates?   There was non of that.

As you drive along admiring the ever changing scenery you think how much better, how much easier was this independent camping stuff.   You never thought you would be game.   But you were and you love it.