A close and long time friend of ours, Colin Sibly, once confirmed that cruising around the country and beyond in a yacht is actually a process of "sailing from port to port spending money on repairs". For that and other reasons, I have often through that travelling around the country in a caravan is highly akin to 'sailing on land'.
Good destination planning, keeping a close eye on the weather, checking and rechecking equipment, servicing essential operating systems on time, ensuring supplies of fuel, food and essential medications are adequate, and, above all, the sheer adventure and challenge of constant new horizons, all apply to both ventures, albeit admittedly in a more critical manner at sea.
For any folk planning to 'do the big lap around the country on the cheap' my advice is simple and blunt....don't bother. It will end in tears at worst, or at best, be a life of constant concern. I can clearly recall my sceptical response to the sage words of my dear mother when buying my first home. She warned of the need to ensure that my future budgets provided for ongoing repairs and maintenance. "Yes, mum, I'll deal with that when it happens". She was right of course, and I learnt some sharp and painful lessons very early in my life as a home owner.
The same applies to our 'home on the road', but now I am lucky in having with me a travelling treasurer who is far more realistic about these things and keeps a very close eye on needs and expenditure. But spend we must from time to time.
Our first major outing in this regard occurred some months ago in Albany. For some time I had been concerned as to the wear showing on the Cruiser's original tyres. With our travels to the lesser populated regions of WA in the offing, a new set of (expensive) all round Bridgestones was in order. A service for the caravan including brakes and bearings (not quite due but viewed as good insurance), the installation of new LED lighting throughout, a water supply problem identified and remedied (a blocked intake pressure adjustment filter...something I know you have always wanted to learn about!) and a few other minor bits and pieces and we were shipshape again....and nearly $3,000 poorer. What price peace of mind?
So what is this all about I hear you ask. Well, as I type we have been doing the same thing again for the past two days. I am sadly well behind with the tales of our Port Denison sojourn which is over....we are back in Geraldton about to launch on the next stage of our journey north up the Western Australian coast and we have been spending money again.
Our immediate destination for the next week is the tiny fishing and holiday hamlet of Horrocks Beach some 60 kms to the north of Geraldton. Here the wise traveller arrives stocked with all but the most basic of needs. Beyond that we have booked two weeks at Kalbarri....from there things are currently in the lap of the Gods.
The Geraldton economy has done very well out of the MobileMarshies (and our travelling companions the Vogts). The Cruiser has been a little headstrong ever since the new tyres were fitted. I had hoped that it would settle with a bit of highway wear but not so. So the first port of call in Geraldton was to Bridgestones for a wheel alignment.
The following day it was off to the local Pedders representative for the installation of air bags inside the rear coil springs. I was becoming increasingly concerned that the weight in the back of the Cruiser was becoming too much for the weight distribution hitch to manage properly when we were hooked up. This could only get worse when we take on a full water load, as is highly likely in the coming months. Whilst there were no real safety concerns, I much prefer that everything is level, so in went the Coil Rite system which allows me to apply different levels of inflation pressure to the bags inside the springs to bolster the load bearing capacity according to demand.
Whilst all this was going on Liz had invaded the local Wollies, Leonards and IGA stores with a vengeance....we'll not need food or grog supplies for at least three weeks! The van cupboards are shrieking in protest.
And while we were at it and here in a large town, what do we need for the van? Two spare water heater anodes for a start. These must be changed every six months....we had no idea what supplies would be available further north. A replacement for a cracked wheel levelling ramp, new stabiliser legs ground pads, two additional awing anti-flapping lock ties, and 2 metres of spare hot and cold water pipe and the accompanying joiner and elbow pieces, and we were out of the caravan shop and off to Bunnings.
An hour later we emerged with two new LED torches (Liz had finally prevailed....the old bulky Dolphin had a ceremonial ditching) including a marvellously versatile 'Bat Torch', additional burly buckets, replacement riggers gloves, two new door mats and a set of gas canisters for the portable cooker, and we were on our way.
And the Vogts had done much the same. A vehicle service, a new generator, resupply of food and liquid refreshments to name a few of their expenditures. Between us we figured we have injected over $3,500 into the the Geraldton economy. But as we know, nothing gets cheaper the further north one travels, assuming availability.
So, much lighter in the purse, but also much lighter in the mind, we are about to pull out of Geraldton for the last time for some months on our quest for places where warm weather, fine beaches, good fishing and new sights and sounds await us (and the chance to actually catch up with this blog!)
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