Olive's Trip to Valla

[onetrackwonder]

Hi guys I thought I would share our trip with Olive to this years VW Spectacular, first up i'm sorry for some of the blurry photos as the camera in my phone detached itself and I have to use a taped magnet behind the camera to hold it in position, thanks Google, anyway as you would most likely know, this event was cancelled twice due to the dreaded Covid, then just weeks out from the event there was more devastation with the heavy rains that was experienced on the NSW coast and it looked to be all over once again but for a masterstroke by the event organisers with a last minute venue change from Macksville Show grounds back to Valla Park where it had previously been, the organisers done a wonderful job and deserve a big shout out of appreciation, so well done to the Pell family and surely there are lots of other helpers behind the scenes.
We would have usually taken our blue Sopru Camper Possum but at the time we had our engine out and up at the engine builders awaiting a rebuild, so Olive which was getting restored after sitting in a shed for 32 years became our last minute backup plan so the gradual works became more of a push, we had one previous long distance outing up to the VW Nationals at Fairfield, but there was lots more to do before spending a week away camping, we also borrowed Possums roof rack for the trip, anyway I finished up late on the Monday before we left, here she is parked outside ready to go early the next morning, the fridge plugged into power for the night.

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Tuesday morning we were fully loaded and off, the boys in the back

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So it was off up the Princess Highway and turning inland and up over the mountains at Nowra, we headed for Kangaroo Valley and the Southern Highlands, there was lost of roadworks heading up the mountains due to the road being closed for a long time from landslides, so there was about 4 stop go areas where there was only one lane usable, Olive handled the mountain climb easily considering how loaded we were, first real stop was in Kangaroo Valley after about 3.5hrs on the road for some breakfast and then back on the road to Tahmoor where we had the privilege of meeting our one week old grandson, also our daughter and son in law, they were all doing well apart from the typical lack of sleep.

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After a longer than planned visit it was time to get going again and get on the freeway for some hours at speed, turned out we left it too late to book our accommodation so we decided to free camp somewhere but as we pulled into Bulahdelah to look for some ice for the fridge as I hadn't got the correct gas fittings to run the fridge we stumbled onto the Big 4 park so I drove in to see the office all locked up, it was around 7pm but the owner came out, lights went on and he come to the door so I rocked in and he had heard the Kombi and thinking that it was his sons bus he got up, anyway its a very Kombi friendly park and though the office was closed we were given a site for the night which was a bonus, we bunkered in for the night and the winds were howling but we had a great nights sleep.
In the morning this young Big 4 employee strolls up and introduces himself as Matt, he is the son and owner of a Split Window bus and he is headed for Valla Friday after work, lovely bloke he was too so if your ever passing through Bulahdelah you know where to stay, anyway Matt says he better look busy and disappears and I start to pack up the stuff outside the bus and Katherine already has everything inside under control so we check out and head for the coast and Smiths Lake followed by Seal Rocks and the ocean didn't dissapoint, we hung for a bit at Seal Rocks as it was a beautiful day apart from the cold wind that was blowing, there was a small food van there so we both got a cuppa

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Anyway it was back on the road and we headed along the coast towards Forster and also checked out Blueys Beach along the way, lunch was in Tuncurry and then onto Nambucca where we were staying at the White Albatross, managed to get there around 2.30 pm and booked straight in, old Olive had run strong both days without skipping a beat so I was pretty proud as I had rebuilt the twin carbs, set the valves, tuned the engine and tweaked the carbs, fingers crossed that she goes so good for the rest of the trip, anyway finally set up in the park, we have a site with a ensuite bathroom, we sleep in the tent when staying for more than one night so we can leave the back seat up in the bus, we have a small yard/cage that the dogs sleep in inside the tent too, when camping in the bus on nights without the tent the dogs get a seat each up front

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Thursday we done some sight seeing around Coffs Harbour, we have been there many times but we had to get a pic at the Big Banana didn't we as Olive had never been there with us anyway

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Friday was a trip out to Raleigh Raceway, another place I have been many times to race Karts, the track surface is now far too damaged to run karts but its just suitable for some VW's to get out and have some fun, hopefully one year I will have something that I can tow up behind the Kombi and get out there and join them

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anyway to be continued as I will probably exceed the photo limits , cheers Greg