I don't think this is what the camper van company had in mind when it rented this very nice vehicle to us in Melbourne, but we thought we should send this picture to them to use as a marketing tool!One camper van fits 3 boats and all the gear needed for 4 people on the river for a day!
The boats and soggy paddling gear have probably been the least of the abuse inflicted thus far on our poor little van.
The main offender has been....me.
I tried and tried to get out of my first driving shift...
"I can't drive standard" I pleaded.
"I've never driven on the 'wrong' side of the road" I cried.
Both arguments were met with the inevitable...if you never try it, how will you ever learn?
Reluctantly, I got in the driver's seat.
Hello Van....I greeted my new counterpart.
Do you have any idea of what you're in for?
I started out on a dirt road, off the main highway along the Great Ocean Road.
In 1st gear, I eased my foot off the clutch and rolled out onto the road like a real pro.
However it didn't take long before my luck and nerves started wearing thin.
I had that poor van bouncing away from stop signs, winsheild whipers going with every other turn (the indicator is on the other side of the steering wheel). Both Kath and Rob talked me through each and every shift....foot off gas, clutch in, shift, clutch out and..... VRRRRROOOOOOM, the van would protest....that's 5th not 3rd...clutch in....
Despite the initial stress, I began to feel okay on the road....my confidence was building, the shifts getting smoother, as all things do with practice. That was just about the time that we pulled into the first little town on my shift.
Lights, people, stop signs, yields, windshield wipers, gears, clutch, traffic, cars behind me, lane changes.....ahhhhhhhhh!
"I'M NOT DRIVING IN THE CITY" I yelled...frantically trying to find the left hand turn indicator so that I could pull over and get out of the van.
"No more! Not today!"
Robbie picked up where I left off, delivering us, and the van, safely to the grocery store.
The ride was quiet, except for Kath's one sentence.
"You did good Chlo"
Hahahahahaha. Laughable really, but it was nice to have the support.
Hello Van....I greeted my new counterpart.
Do you have any idea of what you're in for?
I started out on a dirt road, off the main highway along the Great Ocean Road.
In 1st gear, I eased my foot off the clutch and rolled out onto the road like a real pro.
However it didn't take long before my luck and nerves started wearing thin.
I had that poor van bouncing away from stop signs, winsheild whipers going with every other turn (the indicator is on the other side of the steering wheel). Both Kath and Rob talked me through each and every shift....foot off gas, clutch in, shift, clutch out and..... VRRRRROOOOOOM, the van would protest....that's 5th not 3rd...clutch in....
Despite the initial stress, I began to feel okay on the road....my confidence was building, the shifts getting smoother, as all things do with practice. That was just about the time that we pulled into the first little town on my shift.
Lights, people, stop signs, yields, windshield wipers, gears, clutch, traffic, cars behind me, lane changes.....ahhhhhhhhh!
"I'M NOT DRIVING IN THE CITY" I yelled...frantically trying to find the left hand turn indicator so that I could pull over and get out of the van.
"No more! Not today!"
Robbie picked up where I left off, delivering us, and the van, safely to the grocery store.
The ride was quiet, except for Kath's one sentence.
"You did good Chlo"
Hahahahahaha. Laughable really, but it was nice to have the support.
NB: I have driven a few times since the 'city incident' and things are getting better...less bouncing and lurching, more turn signals instead of wipers
1 comments:
sounds like you guys are having a wicked time down there. chloe i just poked through your pictures, i personally like the evolution of robs beard throughout your travels. Is that simon in the photo? we missed you at amy's birthday festivities. happy road trippin' and i'll see half of you soon!
-LAINERD
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