2012 East Coast Spring Tour

Hi All
Just dusting off this thread so everyone can give the thought of coming on this years east coast spring tour some serious consideration .

See previuos post for some motivation...
Tuesday nights stay will be at The Riverbreeze caravan park. Princes Hwy Moruya.

Wednesday nights stay will be Kendalls Beach Caravan Park Kiama

(Those of you that want to do an extra hour on the road on wednesday can motor on up to Coledale if you wish to do so).

Thursday morning head up to coledale. .. and stay until Saturday morning .There wil be a lot of people there from NSW who are regulars at Coledale each year ,So there will be plenty of time to catch up with friends you may have met at Cowra Nats , check out the local sceneray, or just relax after the hectic times at Tathra and on the road for a few days.

Again i stress that those wishing to stay on longer at Coledale can do just that.

Those hanging with the tour will leave by around 9.00am Saturday and head up to The Pines caravan park at Belmont on the eastern shores of Lake Macquarie.
End of tour for me....

I will be heading home on sunday morning.

Those heading back towards all points on the way to QLD.
might like to phone Stockton Beach Caravan Park and book there for sunday night ... or maybe ya might be keen to head further north.
I will leave sunday nights accomodation plans to those people.

So.... a couple of small changes to what i originally proposed.
We stay a day extra at Coledale.
Tour ( for me at least ) ends at Belmont saturday night.
Bear in mind i usually run a raffle during the tour and we draw the winners on the last night of the tour.

Prizes usually consist of seafood, wine, spirits, chocolates etc...Only condition of entry in the raffle is... if ya win ya have to share with the rest of us...

Could those intending to come on the tour please PM me. I will not be posting the names here on the forum.
I will reply to them with names of others coming on the tour , contact details of van parks, date of arrival, so they can make thier bookings,

Only about 10 weeks away ... so get your skates on guys.
Regards
Reddo

Might I suggest that people who are coming on the EC tour from/after Tathra should probably start making their bookings for Moruya, Kendalls, Coledale etc etc....me included I must admit....a job for tomorrow!
jenno

Hi All
I have contact those that have pm 'd me stating they are coming on the tour..... all 3 of them
This is the generic message they have recieved today .

..........
I have booked 10 sites at the Riverbreeze van park for Tues 9th Oct.. in the name of glenn redman - vint vans
Please Ph: 02 44742370 to confirm your booking and pay for site.

I have booked 10 sites at Kendalls beach caravan park at Kiama for wednesday 10th Oct.. in the name of glenn redman - vint vans
Please Ph .. 02 42321790 to confirm your booking at pay for your site.

Both parks have asked that booking be paid for by end of August.

Thanks for signing up for the tour.

More info on saturday nights booking at Belmont pines tourist park once i have spoken with park managers.
Cheers for now
Reddo

jennison, Larrynlyn all booked in. they are not requiring deposits....it's pay on arrival for VV regulars!

Hiya Reddo,
I rang both moruya and Kendalls yesterday and booked for Larry and Lyn and myself.
In both cases without any prompting they said that VVers were regulars and to just pay on arrival!?
regards
jenno

Hi Reddo,

Thanks muchly - will wait to hear from more "Coledalers"

Jude

Hi All
Just giving the east coast tour a bit of a bump to remind all those that are tagging along from Tathra on the Tuesday morning to Moruya and onwards wednesday to Kendalls .... and onwards thursday to Coledale to ..
A. Phone the riverbreeze van park at Moruya and book in foir tuesday night
B. Phone Kendalls Beach Caravan Park at Kiama and book in for wednesday night
C. Phone or pm Geoff and Jude and book in for Thursday night... and through to whatever day you plan on leaving Coledale camping reserve

Please ensure you do this as there is no garauntee that the parks will hold a site if you havent pre booked.
Its not that far off now...
Regards
Reddo

Hi All

7 paid tourists and 4 definite maybes as of today.
Thanks for making the effort and getting organised guys.

Cheers
Reddo

Stephen&Julie are making the pilgrimage south,all booked in
Cheers

Hi All
Just an update on whats doing .. Pre tour..... aka .. the trip down to Tathra.
I have been contacted by a few people from up north that will be travelling down through Newcastle on Thursday morning.
Also have another couple coming down from the upper hunter Valley around the same time..
So... I hope to get away from work around 10 ish. hook the van up and catch up with these people somewhere along the highway heading south.
Plan is to turn off to Mittagong. then turn left at Bowral and head past fitzroy Falls
We are all booked into a van park at Kangaroo valley on thursday night. Its just north of Nowra... and inland a bit.
So.. if anyone is making the pilgramage south on Thursday and would like some company, thats where you will find us.

It'll be about a 5 hour run to tathra on Friday morning.
Getting excited..
Cant wait

Regards
Reddo

Hi Ken
A Supalite Van
Disc brakes and 4 speed box in the towcar
Turn the rear view mirrors skyward so ya cant see the disgruntled tailgaters..
Keep reminding myself .. i pay rego too ad i will go as slow as i like down the mountain.
I seem to remember similar concerns when we took the easts coast tourists down The Clyde mountain to nelligen back arond 2008.
Turned out to be a great run.
Have been up the kangaroo valley road... Had to stop and change a drivers side rear wheel on the landcruiser( with trailer on behind) on a sharp right hand bend with half the car still out on the road..
Son Joel standing 100 yards down the road slowing/ warning the upcoming traffic

Now THAT was scarey.
Cheers mate.
Reddo

Hi All
Just lobbed home from this years east coast tour.. the tour ya have when ya travelling between vint van events..

I reckon we where blessed to get away with the weather we got while heading north . every town we stayed in we where told by the locals to "Batton down"for the night we where in for a soggy windy night..
My how we proved them wrong
Left Tathra on Tues morning and headed uop to our first stop at Bemagui pie shop.. this a great stretch of road for sight seeing.. lotsa little bays and beaches.... bewt views...
I tried to get a few happy snaps while driving.. not a good idea...

second stop was the Dairy factory at Bodalla.. stocked up on a few cheeses for happy hour.
Nice leafy driveway across the road eading up to a beautiful old church.
Here is a nice shot of John and Pams EH with TD under the trees...

And... a rusty old HR yoot getting in on the act...



inside the Bodalla - Anglican All saints church.....

Before leaving i dropped a few coins in the poor box and said a little prayer asking old mate for a few fine days touring and safe travel for all on the tour... it seemed to work..
moved on to Narooma New and used store. Scored a nice old heater for $5.00.

Arrived at The riverbreeze van park not long after lunch.




The rest of the crew took a tour of Cruzs shed collection while i kicked back and had a fish .. to no avail.
Nice feed at the pub that night . drinkies in the camp kitchen later in the evening. Dr Jennison prescribed a dose of Irish whisky for my sore throat. Half a tin cup knocked out the thorat.. tonsels.. tongue and voice box for the evening... Thanks Jeff.

Up early wednesday .. cooked brekky while keepin an eye on my set line down on the river bank


Wound our way up to Batemans Bay and checked out those sweet airstreams...






Had a great time discussing time payment options... ;D with the sales staff.. then got ushered off the premises. Local newspaper turned up and took pixs of our vans while interviewing a few of our celebritys.
Headed up to Kendalls Beach Kiama for the night.. where they had managed to create two reddos ( double booked) and managed to drop a few poorly chosen comments on us about taking away the opportunity for week long bookings by booking a night mid week... onya guys.. comments noted .. and duely passed on to the travelling public.

Weather again was kind to us... lovely sunshine all arvo... just right for arvo drinks...


A bloke by the name of Ivan , and his wife sharon dropped in from the street above the park ... They asked for Reddo.... .. i always get a bit uneasy when this happens.. turns out they are restoring an Atlantic just like Maurie and Kates.. Rob and Belindas. They have near completed the inside and are as keen as mustard.... More pix and the full story on how they came into possession of the old van can be found on www.ourtouringpast.com.


Up Thursday morning and off to Coledale... a few light showers .. but gradually improving as we headed into .. Hell.. ummmm Coledale.

Arrived around 11.00ish to warm glorious sunshine.... set up camp and done some shopping . by around 2 pm we had around 12 vans.... Weathe forecast.. best described as .. prepare to kiss your bum goodbye.. or words to that effect...
Yeah yeah.. sure sure... been hearing that all week.. besides that i had put 3 shillings and tuppence in the Bodalla all saints church poor box as a surity old mate god wouldnt rain on our tour....
Oooh geez... maybe i should have made it 5 bob....

Off to the club for dinner and raffle.. MrFJ and family cleaned up with a few nice prizes.... BANG.. BANG.. BOOM... what the hell was that.. open the door of the club.. its flogging down.. continued to do so.. Young Ticko ran a shuttel service in his Turbo VL commy down and back to the club. Mauri arrived later to vollect me , John Ticko and John Daniels .
Back at camp.. teeming down... the Tickos and maurie doin their best to get a fire going in a drum... me ringing my wet clothes out and heading for bed.
Ahhhhhhhhhhh.. yessss.. Coledale weather.. i remember it well well now.. its a tradition ya know...
..collapsed tents...

50 knot winds , rain measured in metres overnight... not millimetres.. seas to 8 metres....


Packed up and gone by 9.00am today.. home just before one...
Snowing at Blackheath, Golbourn, Glen Innes. highway closed at Katoomba....
Uladulla recieved 235mm of rain in a 24 hour period.

AAAAAAhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.. springtime in the east. Total madness.

So.. thats another weeks annual leave burn off. had a ball.
Dead set lucky to get away with the good weather while at Tathra and on the tour.

Was terrific catching up with old aquaintences and striking up new friendships with others.
Ya really do meet the nicest people in vintage caravans. ;D

Next years spring tour will be up the north coast and staying up that way. ;D ;D ;D ;D
Also hoping to string a convoy together around March to head up the Hunter valley ( overnight nundle) and on up the great divide over a few days ending up at Tenterfield ( possibly) for an Autumn Tour.
Ya cant dampen this black ducks enthusiasm for touring.
;D
Regards
Reddo