Rob & Carol hosted their fifth Australian CamperTrailers Group weekend get together at the Upper Colo Reserve over the weekend of Saturday 9th & Sunday 10th of March attracting forty-seven camper trailers, tents, windup & popup campers from as far afield as Brisbane, Wollongong, Dubbo & Orange.  

After torrential rain over the previous weekend that produced flooding in the Hawkesbury catchment, we were lucky to see the river levels drop & glorious sunshine with temperatures of around 30 degrees each day. The Upper Colo River had been over the bridge near the reserve up until the Thursday morning. Flooding was evident as you walked down to the river with debris caught several metres high in the trees above.

It is a pleasure to see such a large gathering of people from all walks of life gathering in a harmonious group with a common interest in camper trailers. There were no planned activities over the weekend. Members were free to either explore the area, sit & chat or browse the modifications others had done to their campers. These weekends are also a great way for members who do not yet own a camper to get a firsthand unbiased opinion of the vast array of camper trailer types & brands assembled.

Saturday afternoon saw a large group gather for happy hour. We were pleased to see Ian Hamilton attend his first camping trip after heart problems & a trip to hospital during the Wellington national meet last October. He thanked everyone for packing up the camper, getting it home to Sydney for him & Brenda & also the camaraderie shown by the group overall.

Special guest speaker on Sunday morning was Collyn Rivers, well know author in the RV industry of several 12volt books including the 'Camper Trailer Book'. Collyn spoke on the new laws governing 240volt power leads used by RV vehicles which also covers camper trailers. He then covered the often confusing subject of differing 12volt cable sizes, plus the way Jayco have their campers 12volt electrics setup which is more suited to caravan park stays with only a one night unpowered camp between. He then discussed his favourite subject of suspensions. Collyn's chair enjoyed the time in camp & also the travels coming home with us after he left it behind. 

George was very thoughtful after leaving Wendy's clothes bag at home, driving into Windsor to do a quick clothes shop for her which included some underwear.

The resident koala made another appearance again this year & was not the least perturbed with the activity from the onlookers massed beneath the tree. We also had a visit from a very tame goanna & the camp was overlooked during the day by a tawny frogmouth.

Thanks to everyone for a fantastic weekend. Looking forward to next year.

Rob & Carol 

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