After all our extensive planning and preparation, we left home in Canberra on Monday 27 March several days after our scheduled departure 23 March and without a caravan.

Here is what happened! March arrived with no news on the whereabouts of our caravan, so Chris started to make phone calls and we were astounded to find out that after nearly five months of excited but patient waiting the caravan build had not even been started.

We made the decision to pack up and go to Melbourne and face to face sort out what was happening.  Through the very helpful Jody at Kokoda we met up with the chassis manufacturer and then the caravan factory manager and so got our van bumped into production, with a new promised delivery being the 10 April.

On a positive note the trip to Melbourne for us meant we caught up son Matthew now living and working in Melbourne. Chris’s brother Bernard kindly gave us room and lodgings for the week. Thanks heaps to brother Bernard and sister-in-law Gowri for your hospitality and support.

It also happened to coincided with Renee, our daughter, flying in to Melbourne from her six week holiday in Vietnam and Cambodia. So, lucky for Renee a free ride back home to Canberra with us at the end of the week.

One further bonus for Chris, that week happened to be the start of the 2017 AFL season. The opened game, for round one was at the MCG on Thursday night with Chris’s beloved Richmond Tigers versing the Carlton Blues. Lucky for Chris the Tigers [YELLOW and BLACK] won the game, beating the Blues by 32 points, so that sweetened the trip a little more for him at least.

Back at home in Canberra dealing with the disappointment that our original departure date was gone and we were still without a Caravan we made the decision to pack the camping gear and get away and start the Mile Beach Club at Jervis Bay and then travel south down the east coast. The new plan now is to finish in Melbourne to hopefully collect caravan from the factory in Melbourne.

So begins our expedition and shake down trip sorting weight, utensils, food, clothes and living rough out of the DMAX. Hopefully my next report with be more about good time travelling but we are positive and still looking forward to this great adventure that we are embarking on.