Year off around Australia

Roger brings our caravan here - to Jacky and Tony's private blocks beside their home within Corryong town boundary. As we're the 1st campers to arrive - Roger has no problem settling our van onto the designated site that is marked out for us. When I arrive, from walking in from Colac Colac, I get greeted by Warren - friend of Jacky and Tony - who is camping here as well (whoops so really he's the 1st here in campground) and acting as 'caretaker' while he's not busy helping volunteering for the festival. Warren leaves us to it - to finish our set up - which Roger has done in no time, so we can sit out under our awning with cuppa and yoyo biscuit and enjoy our view. Apparently we're about 2km from the MFSRBF grounds - and on event days there will be a courtesy bus available from the gate at this property (100m). All good!
Lunch time sees us make our own (usual!) - Roger having a meat and salad sandwich and I toast up a couple of my open toasties under the grill - bread, avocado, capsicum, tomato, ham, cheese and 'the junior' flavour enhancer - yum!
After lunch tidy up we decide to go for a walk and test out how long it would take us to walk to the festival area ( turns out 15mins ) as we find it's 1.5km to get there. We have a good time, walking around getting the idea of the layout - it will look very different in a few days time with people and animals (horses, cattle and dogs) all about the place. We call in at the Corryong Golf Club and have a drink, beer and CC. The Golf Club's fairways will turn into a caravan park for this festival - with over 1000 vehicles camping on it. Next we wander down the street to do some grocery shopping at IGA. Then back to our campsite to relax for the rest of the afternoon. We have some cheese and biscuits nibbles etc. Warren comes over for a chat - a lovely 'bushie' - certainly the lovely lay back friendly attitude he's showing with us. Also have Tony and Jacky arrive to introduce themselves and opportunity for us to pay them for our stay $160 - probably be here 9 nights. Enjoy a lovely chat with them as well - meet their two dogs Baz (blue heeler) and Sadie (brindle staffy?) and 2 cats (wandering happily with the dogs) Hudson (dark tabby) and Mighty Mouse (tabby Burmese cross). After they leave, it's time to think tea - Roger prepares his sausage surprise casserole to cook on our campfire! Yes! A campfire at last - it's been a while. Enjoy sitting out beside our fire - have our tea and a cuppa. Before coming back inside the caravan so I can do the dishes and Roger can have his shower. Resting before bed - and making sure I have things 'at hand' to be organised for our 1st volunteer shift at this festival - woo hoo!
7/4/25 Monday Start with a laugh/shrug! I set my travel clock alarm for 7.30am and we got up with Rog telling me it's 6.30am. Time changed yesterday and I missed the brief! Oh well, plenty of time to get ready for our volunteer shift start of 9am. We have our breakfast and tidy up. Get ourselves in our vollie gear and pack our backpacks with what we want to have on hand ie sunscreen, waterbottle, sunglasses, phone, tissues, lip balm. Now relaxing until we drive to go to 'work'. May walk for our shifts on other days - Roger has a doctor's appointment today at 4.15pm - so we want to be able to get there in time when our shift finishes at 4pm. We leave 8.40am - and return 1.30pm. We have plenty of time to relax this afternoon. Roger heads off around 3.30pm to drive down the street to go to the Post Office (Robert is express posting a bankcard) before attending his doctor's appointment. While Roger away, I'm messaging Lisa to find that her and Tony are arriving in Corryong. When they have started setting up their campsite, Lisa calls me to let me know where they are. Roger gets back - he has another doctor's appointment Thursday morning - when they'll give his ears a good clean out (he has to continue with antibiotics and some drops to soften the gunk in his ears). Roger and I walk to where Lisa and Tony are camped. Return and have tea - reheated sausage surprise. Roger showers and then washes the dishes, I'm watching Australian Idol on 7+ to see who wins 2025 Australian Idol - Marshall Hamburger. Now time for me to put the dishes away, tidy up and get to bed.
8/4/25 Tuesday. Nice fresh starts in the morning - so Roger gets our diesel heater working half an hour before we get out of bed - wonderful to get up into a warm area. I get up at 7am to have a shower, then join Roger for breakfast. Tidy up and get ready to head off for our 2nd volunteer shift - meant to be 9am to 12 noon. Roger wants to drive and leave earlier so he can take and empty our 'poo cassette' - so that's what we do. Leave here around 8.20am. Return at 2pm. We have a relax at our camp. Roger does his preparations for our tea tonight, we've got Lisa and Tony coming to join us - cooking our meats and vegetables on our campfire (Lisa and Tony bringing their own meat and supplying spuds ready to bake. Roger cooking us all golden syrup dumplings in his camp oven. We have cheese and biscuits for nibbles with our drinks in the afternoon. Warren comes over for a chat for a while - I've taken to him - a true 'bushie', with a great attitude. Lisa and Tony arrive around 5pm. We have a lovely evening, enjoying a beaut meal around the campfire. Glad to have it - the nights get cool. Lisa and Tony head off around 8.30pm. Roger and I tidy up (Lisa and I did dishes earlier), then Roger has his shower. Now relaxing before bed.
9/4/25 Wednesday My alarm goes off at 7am so we get up and have a leisurely breakfast and get organised for what should be our longest volunteer shift today - starting at 8.30am. We leave here at 8.15am and return around 2.30pm. I have a shower and get into fresh clothes, then Rog does the same. I gather up a load of washing and drive down the street to the Laundromat. Roger stays at the caravan to top up its water tanks and then have a relax at camp. I find there is a queue to use the washing machines (there is 3) and I'm 3rd in line - which quickly grows to more! Luckily the ladies infront of me in the queue only have 1 load each - like me! So I wait around 25 minutes to get a machine - then have 40 minutes to wait until it washes. I go to IGA and buy a loaf of bread, and put it in the parked ute, before going to check out Corryong's evening market being held today. While here, I come across Lisa and Tony, they've enjoyed their 'day off' from volunteering - and have been for a lovely drive around the district. We agree to meet up later before attending the Volunteer 'Welcome BBQ'. I go and collect my washing and return to camp, where Rog and I hang it out to dry on the clothesline Roger has put up about our camp. Now we get ready to go out for our tea, grab a drink as a traveller, and walk to Lisa and Tony's camp so we can all go to the Volunteer BBQ together. We get back from this around 7.30pm. Immediately we both get ready for bed - and just relax until we decide on bedtime. Roger has gone to bed before me as I'm sitting up writing this.
10/04/25 Thursday. Robert's 26th birthday today - send him messages and try to ring (no reply - work day for him). We get up 7.30am and have a leisurely breakfast. Roger has a doctor's appt at 9.30am, checking on his infected ears. He drives off to do this - will return here and leave the ute to walk to festival. I get organised, light back pack in use, to walk to festival and stay the day. Head off around 9.30am, I'll catch up with Rog later when he walks into the festival too. Quite excited this morning - Barb and Adrian are arriving today.
We walk back from the festival late in the evening. Roger showers, bedtime.
11/04/25 Friday. 2nd day of the MFSRBF event. Roger's alarm has us up at 6.30am so we can have our breakfasts and get organised to be ready to walk to catch a bus to get us to the MFSR Re-enactment. We want to get to the bus pick up spot by 8am (which we do) - so we leave at 7.30am. Turns out it feels like we needn't have hurried (though we would have been much further back in the long waiting for the bus queue!) as it's easily 8.45am before buses arrive to collect us (once we get to the venue - we understand why - no dedicated track just for buses, so get caught up with other vehicles)! Had arranged to meet up with Barb and Adrian at the main designated bus pickup spot, but while heading to it, get a call from Barb letting us know that they can catch a bus directly from their campground gate. That works well for them as I get another call from Barb shortly afterwards - letting us know they're already out at the Re-enactment area and where to look for them, while we're still in our queue! Lisa and Tony decided to drive themselves out there at 7.30am - that worked well for them (but not so great on return). Rog and I finally get on a bus......
We walk back here from MFSRBF event area - it's 11pm so we just get ourselves to bed as soon as we can - Rog has his quick shower.
12/04/25 Saturday. We get up at 7.30am. I have a shower while Roger has his breakfast. Then while I have my breakfast, Roger goes for a drive to do our 'caravan housekeeping' - dispose of our rubbish and empty the toilet cassette. When he returns we tidy up and get organised to walk down the street for the MFSRBF Street Parade. We leave just before 9am.
Then return, walking back from festival ground, at around 10pm. Roger has his shower and off to bed. I'm having a cup of tea to relax and warm up and I'm to bed too.
13/04/25 Sunday. We're up around 7.30am, Roger cooks up the favourite egg and bacon breakfast we enjoy having. Tidy up and get organised for the last day of the event. We leave, walking, before 9am.
Get back from the Volunteer Thank You BBQ around 10pm. Roger has his shower, and we're to bed.
14/04/25 Monday. Up we get around 7am. I have a shower to wake up properly and get dressed for my volunteer shift. Roger is straight into his volunteer gear and having his breakfast. I have my breakfast too. Roger is keen to go early so we can drive to the 'dump point' and do our van housekeeping before we start our shift - so we leave just before 8.30am.
We get back after 4pm. Definitely time for another shower - I'm very grubby! Roger has a shower after me. We've been invited out to tea to the pub tonight with other volunteers - Peter and his wife Leanne............. Rog and I get ready to do this, then walk to Lisa and Tony's campsite to catch the pubs courtesy bus with them. We enjoy a drink or two with Lisa and Tony while we wait for the bus to come get us. It arrives about 6.15pm - so perfect for the 6.30pm booking that's been made. So glad we're doing this - lovely way to finish up our volunteering. Terrific group of people, and beaut pub meals. Bus is ready to take us back to Tony and Lisa's camp at 9pm - works out beautifully. Roger and I walk briskly (cold) back to our caravan. Have a cuppa, tidy up and off to bed.
15/04/25 Tuesday. Roger gets up around 7am, I stay in bed and read until 7.45am. While I'm having my breakfast (Rog has had his) Roger goes for a drive down the street to do some grocery shopping. When he returns, I'm about to have a shower, and Warren calls over to say goodbye - so I'm caught out still in my PJs. Too bad I'm happy to go out and say cheerio and give Warren a hug - he's a lovely bloke. Once Warren goes, I have my shower and get organised to leave. When we're packed and right to go - Roger and I go and say goodbye to Tony (turns out Jackie away having surgery - but will be home tomorrow) and thank him for their hospitality. We're enjoyed our stay here. We head off around 9.30am.Read more