My weekends away in the 2018 summer have been mainly about relaxing and hardly any sightseeing. Its all about having a good time with friends.
The Devil Wheelers Tasmania chapter of the CMCA has been having lots of fun and Sue Sullivan has taken on the job of writing a newsletter about the fun we have. I haven’t even attempted to try and copy Sue’s marvelous effort so I have just added them in PDF files, so everyone can see it as we see it.
Hopefully you have all enjoyed Sue’s effort.
The Dell Luck Oval was the sight for the Devil Wheelers Tasmania (a chapter of the CMCA) Christmas dinner and weekend away. One of the advantages of joining any sort of club is the comararderie and friendship that revolves around a group of people that meet up on a regular basis.
This weekend is all about enjoying each others company rather than taking in the sites.
The first six rigs to arrive were all 5th wheelers, you don’t see this very often.
Sixteen vans and motorhomes came for the weekend, some for only a day or two, some for the four nights. We even had three 5th wheelers from the mainland, thanks to the CMCA magazine, the Wanderer and word of mouth either from the internet or chance meetings in the street.
The good things about these get togethers is that someone always lets their hair down, the bad thing is that there is always someone with a phone ready to record it. Phil Cowmeadow is usually the person letting his hair down.
Our last weekend away for the Devil Wheelers and we saved the best until last. We have chosen the Dell Luck Oval, which is part of the Devonfield complex in Devonport. Devonfield is a special needs learning centre. Any camping fees go straight to providing funds to help the centre.
A spacious tv room to watch the footy, the nights are cooling off now and while the firepot does throw out a lot of heat, once the sun goes down, the dew starts to settle and things get damp quite quickly.
A short drive and we are at the mouth of the Mersey River and a flat bike ride makes for some gentle exercise. Susan does cheat a little as she has an electric assist bike
Back at camp the electric bike does create a bit of interest and even my father has a turn
The Devonfield commitee put on a fantasic 3 course meal on the Saturday night. I t impressed us so much that we booked the facility for our Christmas trip in erly December
The weather has started to cool down and we decided we needed to have some shelter just in case it rained, so for our weekend away with the “Devil Wheelers” we organised to stay at the Veteran Car Club of Australia’s clubrooms at Turners Beach.
We were pleasantly surprised by the location, fantastic clubrooms and plenty of flat ground to set up camp on. Only 15km from home and I had no idea it was even there. Situated right by the foreshore, right next to the local bike and walking track between Turners Beach and Ulverstone.
Being one of the few that haven’t retired yet, you have to get in early if you want a good spot to set the van up on. I decided to drop the van off as I headed to work, Thursday afternoon. Finally made it to bed at 6.00am, awake and out of bed by 9.30am. I must love this camping stuff, to be this keen.
The pushbikes travelled very well on the ute and do not get in the way of a sharp turn. The weather did not make for bike riding but we did manage one ride.
Eighteen vans, including six 5th wheelers including 2 from mainland Australia. One of the best things about being a member of the CMCA is meeting up with members from all over Australia who may be touring Tassie and the welcome is reciprocated when travelling on the mainland if you enjoy meeting other groups of campers on their home turf.
A casserole night and some great clubrooms made for a good feed Friday night
Saturday started off with a 10km bike ride along the bike track into Ulverstone and back again. It was completely flat, much better than my home town of Penguin. One of our plans this year is to take a couple of bikes to enjoy the boardwalks and bike and walking tracks that are on offer around plenty of our country towns.
A severe electrical storm overnight would have woken most of us up very early Sunday morning, lots of lightning lit the inside of the van up like daylight. The thunder, rain on the roof and waves crashing on the rocks at high tide certainly made for a broken nights sleep.
Rain was the order of the day on Sunday, some packed up early while there was just a light shower, some packed up after a 10.00am cup of coffee and must of went home like drowned rats. A couple of us waited for the rain to stop and packed up without getting wet and even went down on the beach and cut up a load of driftwood for last years floods for future campfires.
Wednesday was also Banner Parade Day, almost missed adding the photos
Thursday day 6 is the start of the disc bowls tournament. The ladies had 1 team make it through to day 2 and the finals. The mixed teams and the mens teams won a couple of games but didn’t progress to day 2. I sadly went out in round 1 in both of my games, maybe better next time.
Sue concentrating on her shot, while Veronica and I watch on, very serious stuff these disc bowls tournaments
Reno and Jade are tonights entertainment, what a great act, non stop for two and a half hours
Father and son duo keep the crowd entertained
Friday day 7 and our Ladies disc bowls team lost in a nail biter. Points were level at the end of the game, so a sudden death playoff saw us lose by one shot.
Friday night entertaiment is “The Baker Boys” at the Pontville Pink and Purple Party. Our little group did get with the theme a little bit, others went way over the top and everyone had a good time.
Some of us had a bit of fun with some Halloween masks, not over the top, we did need to remember that were a lot of senior citizens in the audience and some may have “dicky tickers”.
Saturday day 8 saw things starting to draw to an end. We went to the local bakery for lunch, with a trip to “MONA” filling in the afternoon.
Sue likes to get into the interactive displays, click on the link for a short video
Sunday day 9 was to be our last as Dianne had to be home before Monday and I did need to go to work on Tuesday. We had a great time and would recommend to everyone to attend at least one big rally. Being in a small group certainly helped make the whole event a little less daunting. We met lots of interesting grey nomads all doing basically the same thing but all just that little bit different.
Saturday the 11th of March and four of the “Devil Wheelers” are meeting at 10.00am just down the road to all head in a convoy so we can all be sited together. Rally secretary  Col Coleman went above and beyond to help us out.
Col Coleman getting into the pink and purple theme very early
As long as a couple of us with motorhomes didn’t mind being situated off the main site with the big rigs it would be no problem or so we thought. Volunteers have problems with parking up 5th wheelers and caravans (motorhomes are so much easier), they don’t realise we have to unhook and move forward to be able to walk between and then there are slideouts. We finally got setup once the volunteers had left.
Check out the motorhome in the background with a popup bedroom above the cab and self tracking solar panels
Setting up the “Devil Wheelers” outdoor banner
A welcome for 1st time rally attendants in the main marquee at 3.00pm and all formalities were dealt with and we were made most welcome.
Sunday day 2 and big rigs and 5th wheelers and motorhomes towing small cars rolled in. Walking around the outer areas and seeing some of the setups that grey nomads are travelling around Australia, is as good as visiting the best tourist destination. 10.00am is morning tea every day. Activities for the day are highlighted. Just deciding what to do in what order is a big decision, there is plenty to do.
Monday day 3 and today is the first official day of the Rally and all the motorhomes are arriving. Military precision in parking all these rigs. It does seem easy when they are all of similar size. Today is the first official day and walking around all the trade exhibits and food outlets, registering for activities for the rest of the week, seeing what is on offer kept us busy most of the day.
7.00pm and we are in the main marquee for tonights big act, Bodane Hatten, a magician and comedian. Very entertaining with lots of illusion and funny gags.
Tuesday day 4, activities to keep us occupied, the trade tents are full to overflowing, food stalls everywhere. Information overload, plenty to do, bring on happy hour at 4.00pm, grab a drink and find a group playing music, two or three small groups located centrally to everyone most nights.
Bring an instrument and join in or just sit back and enjoy
Wednesday day 5 begins with an early morning walk (most mornings, not just today) with Garry at 7.00am for an hour, finished with an egg and bacon roll in the footy clubrooms for the poets breakfast. A heritage machinery display was setup just for today. Just walking around the grounds, talking to fellow campers and seeing all the different ways people go camping and the time just flies.
Dianne wants an electric bike, she doesn’t like pedalling uphills
Always have time to check out an Iveco setup looking for ideas.
Lit up like a Christmas Tree, luckily about 10.00pm it was lights out for most of the lights so we could all sleep
So many photos, trying to remember which order things happened, getting most of our memories down before we forget, a few edits may be in order at a later date, please be patient. Part 2 of the rally in a seperate post coming soon.
Dianne and I are heading to the CMCA Pontville Rally, we have never been to anything like this before and don’t really know what to expect. Working a shift roster has allowed me to take 7 days off work, but end up with a 14 day break. We plan to make the most of this time and just relax and see what happens.
Day 1
We have been invited to Cressy to meet up with some 5th wheelers who are in Tasmania from the mainland, one is going to the rally and we think the another may join us as well for just a few days.
Jon and Judy have imported a 5th wheeler from the USA and Jon has done most of the conversion to Australian compliance himself. Included in the conversion was installing lithium batteries and recessing his awning to stay within Aussie width regulations. Jon also follows my blog and this was another reason to call in for a chat.
Giving visitors travel tips and places of interest that may interest them is very entertaining. Seeing their reaction to travelling on Tassie’s winding roads, along with “mainlanders” ideas of day trips. They think nothing of travelling well over 100km’s in all directions to see all the attractions from a base camp, whereas us locals think it is a big trip to go down to the local shop for some milk only 5 minutes away. Trying to convince Doug and Dawn that a drive up Jacobs Ladder to the skiing village of Ben Lomond would be a truly wonderful experience and seeing the look on Dawn’s face was almost priceless.
Day 2
We are off to Hamilton today and are yet to decide whether we take the van to Derwent Bridge or just make it a day trip as we will be returning the same way as the “Wall in the Wilderness” has been on our bucket list for a while.
We set up camp in Hamilton after having lunch at Bothwell. We arrived around 1.00pm and setup with plenty of room. Within 30 minutes the camp was full to overflowing.
Day 3
A trip to the Wall in the Wilderness from Hamilton along the Lyell Highway was a steady drive along a reasonably good road but I was very surprised by the speed of the caravans coming downhill in the opposite direction. While it wasn’t steep, the road had many long decents and travellers, 99% of them with interstate registration plates were travelling way too fast. The brake temperatures would have to have been very hot. If they needed to stop in an emergency it may have been exciting.
I even ran over a snake on the way to Derwent Bridge, I just didn’t see it until too late, it just blended into the bitumen, but I did get a photo on the way home as someone had marked it with a Coke can.
The Wall in the Wilderness is a truly inspiring experience, a 100m wall of amazing carvings depicting Tasmania through the years. A work in progress, so another visit in a couple of years should show a bit more. I cannot believe that I haven’t been here before, but better late than never.
We had lunch at the Angry Wombat Cafe and I just had to buy their stubby holder, very quirky.
Day 4
A quick trip to the Plenty Salmon Ponds was just amazing, especially if you are into fishing. Seeing monstrous Rainbow Trout in a feeding frenzy chasing the food pellets we were feeding them. The large Brook Trout were a little uninterested, but the smaller ones in an adjacant pond really had the water boiling. Atlantic Salmon, Brown Trout and Tiger Trout were all on display. To make the site even better was the large array of mature trees within the grounds.
Its hard to believe, but its 12 months since we started the Devil Wheelers – Tasmania chapter of the CMCA. We created the Devil Wheelers for like minded people to get together throughout the warmer months in Tasmania.
Lots of people from different backgrounds with one common goal, have a good time and make some new friends.
For a full report check out the link below
More later
Pioneer Park, Riana was were the Devils Wheelers – Tasmania chose for their getaway for our November 11th-12th 2016 weekend away.
I only live 15km down the road in Penguin. Working night shift on the nights before I decided to set the van up on the Thursday afternoon before work.
Friday morning I was already set up, no need to rush about still half asleep. I had a sight with good sun for the solar panels. The weather was perfect and everyone was soon setup.
Happy hour out in the sunshine today, not that lucky on Saturday
Lots of catching up, we also welcomed some new vanners who joined us for the weekend for the first time. Of course we had a couple of games of disc bowls, a great way to get new visitors to feel at home.
Saturday arrived and the clouds looked threatening, but the rain stayed away until after 3.00pm. Three of us blokes just had to check out a nearby logging coupe and check out all the modern gear that is involved in harvesting Tassie’s renewable resource. If you come to Tasmania, you will see plenty of logging activity, but don’t despair there is more than enough wilderness to keep you amused.
Big boys toys here and not a Greenie in site
It is always interesting to see upgrades to other peoples vans. Airbags added under a 5th wheeler to improve a vans stability on the road was a new one for me. It appears to have merit. The owner is very happy with the result saying that the contents of his van stay where they are left, not bounced around inside the van.
Four airbags fitted to assist each spring to help with stability, not carry extra load.
One thing about camping close to home is that the grandkids get a chance to visit.
While the boat has seen better days, it does keep the grandkids amused for a while.
Rain was coming and we set the firepot close to the shelter, close enough to keep us warm. Far enough away as to not burn the shelter down. A couple of small gas heaters also helped after dark.
Gary Thwaites made the effort to bring a large barbeque that was big enough to feed us all and as the rain began to fall, we all moved under cover for happy hour and a top cook up. We were a little cramped for space, however we all stayed dry and warm.
A little fun was had with a couple of halloween masks. We also discovered how much fun can be had with a small squeeze box and a kazoo (a small whistle). It doesn’t take much to amuse us big kids and we had a lot of fun despite the rain falling constantly outside.
Rain was still falling Sunday morning. Some packed up early and headed off. Those who waited to later on didn’t get wet as the weather cleared up, with just a couple of light showers. Another great weekend away, lets hope the weather improves for the next weekend away in three weeks time.
A link to the Devil Wheelers Blog  is below
https://devilwheelerstasmania.wordpress.com/2016/11/11/pioneer-park-riana/
The weather had been abysmal all week, I had taken Friday off work. The van was packed ready for an early start Friday morning. An early start was needed to make the most of my time off. 5.00am out of bed, 6.30am on the road, 8.00am and we were at Agfest 2016 just south of Carrick for Tassie’s premiere agricultural field day. While there was a little rain overnight and a little sloppy underfoot at first, the weather was very kind to us, plenty of sunshine and no wind made for a very pleasant day.
I did get to meet “Macca” from Australia All Over  on  ABC radio on Sunday mornings from 5.30amm to 10.00am. I have spent a lot of time listening to him over the years.
I also got the chance to see Brian Carlton broadcast Tasmania Talks live from Agfest. I must spend too much time listening to the radio while in the truck at work.
Dianne had checked out the craft sheds, we had lunch and off to Myrtle Park for the rest of the weekend.
We were set up by 2.00pm, and soon after 5 of us were set up for the night. Myrtle Park has a fantastic camp kitchen and we all made use of it for our tea after we had taken over the gazebo by blocking off one entrance with an old tarp and Gary Thwaites had set up the firepot to keep us warm.
Check out the knitted beanies
More Beanies
We even had a visit from the local friendly possum, not frightened by us at all. He came into the gazebo right under Dianne’s chair. Its a good thing she didn’t see him while he was under her chair.
Saturday morning was started with a walk around the park. Dianne’s Fitbit indicated that we had walked 2.6km, just shows how big an area Myrtle Park covers.
Lots of very mature deciduous trees made for a picturesque setting, as long as you weren’t the one who had to rake them all up. Val and a couple of others tried their hands at skipping rocks. Val did not know she was be going to be on video.
One van headed home and two more came to join us. Geoff and Cathy Pullen from NSW have joined us for the 2nd time. They are on the road fulltime and have been in Tasmania for most of the Summer.
We even had two new members of the Devil Wheelers – Tasmania join us. Nick and Petrina Goss were on their shake down trip with their new van.
After a casserole evening meal and another night around the campfire, we all settled down for the night as most of us were heading home reasonably early as Sunday was Mothers Day. The weather was meant to crack up late on Sunday afternoon. It did and most of us were all unpacked before it rained.
Chris and Dianne's Ultima adventure 