Older Than Millie

Finally came across a van older than Millie. 

We've seen them bigger, we've seen them older, but we've not yet seen one as big or as old as Millie actually on the road.

Claire took this photo.

Old Millie on an Old Bridge

Final Touches

With a few final adjustments...



All is well.

Sticky Tape and String

Just out of Halls Gap, the bikes started to move around, swinging from side to side.

As it pivoted on the tow bar the handlebars of the bikes went through the back window.

It was raining at the time.  So with some ingenuity...

Sticky tape, garbage bags and string and we limped inyto Maryborough for repairs.

Bike Trouble

Mark McCormack built this beaut extension on the back of the van with a tow bar to put a bike rack on.

Seemed like a good idea at the time, but I should have gotten him to build the bike rack as well.

I think there must just be more bouncing around on the back of the caravan than on the back of a car.  It's not supposed to bend like that.

We limped into Warrnambool with a bike on the roof and a bike bouncing around in the van.

This was meant to be a joke, http://oldmillie.blogspot.com/2010/05/now-if-i-put-bikes-there-where-do-i-put.html but this is how we ended up doing it.

Smooth As Silk

So, how's the trip going?  Any teething problems?

Sat 12 Conargo Sports Reserve
    Left a really good fire poker behind after cooking the porridge in the morning.  The stake of the rabbit trap will do till we can find another good poker.

Sun 13 and Mon 14  Ayson's Reserve, Elmore.
    After a visit to Deniliquin Baptist (the new guy there seems to be a good bloke who is on track (these two things are different) we stopped at Ayson's reserve.  It was here that we noticed that the four bikes were about ready to fall off the back of the van.  A new spring washer and a few good sturdy kicks on the trusty adjusty and I think we can linp down to Warrnambool.

Tuesday 15 The Stephens Place, Kyabram
    The door to the van doesn't lock now, won't even stay shut.  Believe me, in Victoria you want a door that shuts at night.  (What is it with Victoria anyway, how come the sun reckons it only has o show up for a couple of hours each day??)  This predicament is absolutely nothing to do with the guided tours of the van that their fifty boys wanted.  Some creative work with an ocky strap is a good temporary fix.

Wednesday 16  Mt Franklin Reserve
    What a beautiful spot.  Beautiful trees, lovely rain in the night.  Just discovered leak number 187.  Air the blankets, another job for when we arrive in Warrnambool.  Hope we have some time left over to talk to Ben and Lou.

Verdict of the Trip:
James:  I don't know
Lizzy:  Bendigo was pretty boring
Claire:  pardon, Dad.
Katie:  I don't know
Meredith:  depends who you're emailing, who are you emailing.  Brrrrrrrr but beautiful.
Michael:  wouldn't miss it for the world!!!!!!!!



 

Mutton Dressed Up As Lamb

Not all cosmetic surgery is vanity.

It's just that it was the best way to go over the van and find every little screw hole and popped rivet, etc. And now we can have confidence that all the little leaks are fixed.

But really, what with carrying our own water and limited laundry facilities the tired dirty brown streak on the van might not be the last one we see. It had to go.

Before

During

After

Before and During

The Old Girl

Introducing...

our first caravan, a Millard, an old Millard.

On the way back from our first serious holiday we were trying to think of a name, and this is it:

'Millie'

Test Drive

Loaded up for our first quick test drive. Two nights at Oura, on the Murrumbidgee