One of the most sensible things that we have done this year was parting company with a CMCA branch that we had been members of for several years. We had no issues with the majority of the branch members but there were a couple of exceptions. I suppose it is now fair for me to express my thanks to the couple of people as your interaction with us earlier this year has certainly steered us in a better direction than what we would have should you had not made us see the light! As a direct result of our parting company with the CMCA branch we were able to increase our involvement with the Australian Caravan Club and for us that has been a very good change in our lives.
So now, back to the purpose of this blog entry which is to summarise our trip to Berry NSW to join members of the ACC Sydney City Slickers for the annual Christmas muster.
26 November 2015 – Sydney to Berry NSW
Berry is relatively close to Sydney being approximately 140klms south of our home. The trip to Berry is pleasant once you leave Sydney with the only challenge of the drive being the decent (or ascent) of Mount Ousley near Wollongong.
Planning to leave home around 9:00am, we were early departing 15 minutes earlier than what was planned. The traffic was kind to us and the trip south was without incident.
Our venue, the Berry Showground camping area has been transformed since our last visit. Sites are now marked and provided with both power and grey waste drainage. Unfortunately there are still some sites with only 10amp power and that could be an issue in very hot weather if air conditioning was required. The amenities have been upgraded and now locked with access via a combination lock.
Sites had been reserved for the 33 RV’s attending the muster and our early arrival allowed us to “drive though” to our allocated site.
We lunched at the Great Southern Hotel in Berry where the food was good and the beer cold. Following lunch we made a quick trip to the local IGA followed by a visit to the Berry Cuckoo Clock shop where we finally managed to purchase a clock that only has the number 5 on it. Why you ask? Happy hour traditionally commences at 5:00 o’clock and we now have a clock that is always either before or more importantly, after 5:00 o’clock no matter what the real time is!
We had an extended happy hour late in the afternoon.
27 November 2015 – Berry NSW
Having made a decision for the branch Executive to host a sausage sizzle on Friday evening, we spent the morning in Nowra securing 180 gluten free sausages, a small number of chicken sausages, 8 or so loafs of bread, 14 onions, a variety of sauces, several tubs of coleslaw and a couple of tubs of butter. With the temperature hovering in the low 30’s, the trick was to return everything back to Berry and place in a refrigerator.
We spent part of the afternoon cutting onions and then with help of other committee members and branch members, we provided the evening meal which was enjoyed by all.
28 November 2015 – Berry NSW
We prepared for our AGM which was held during the afternoon. The AGM went for several hours. “He” was re-elected as the Vice President and “She” was also re-elected in the role of Publicity Officer.
Saturday night saw the entire group head to the Berry Hotel where we enjoyed our Christmas meal washed down with suitable beverages. Later we spent several hours talking under the awning of one of the RV’s before heading to bed well after 11:00pm.
29 November 2015 – Berry NSW
Santa paid a visit during the morning and provided gifts for everyone. Later we have a raffle with most people winning a prize.
On this day Berry celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Cooee March. At 11:35am a steam train arrived at Berry Station and the marchers disembarked. Together with a marching group, the “South Coast Waratahs”, band members from the Royal Australian Navy, members of the Australian Red Cross and several horse riders, descendants of the original members of the Cooee March walked into the Berry Showground and paraded before those attending the celebrations.
We had a quiet afternoon with friends planning our trip next year that was originally going to take us to Darwin and the home via North Queensland. As a result of the afternoon, we have decided to do a half lap of Australia with four other couples intending to join us. It is amazing how much planning can be undertaken with a cold beer in hand.
We enjoyed a communal evening meal on the showground oval before a swam of mosquitos drove us back to the caravan.
30 November 2015 – Berry NSW
Most of those attending the Berry muster departed today. Our original intention was to do some planning today but that job was completed on Sunday.
We have agreed to host the 2016 Christmas muster with the venue planned to be Easts Beach Caravan Park at Kiama.
With two other couples, we decided to have a look at the facilities at Kiama and endeavour to book.
Once we had said our “goodbyes” we headed to Kiama. Easts Beach is a Big 4 caravan park that is very popular. Unfortunately they have increased rates over recent times and although they could book the required 40 sites, they were not prepared to offer any discounts beyond the normal Big 4 10% to a maximum of $40 per stay. Nor were they dog friendly.
We also visited a couple of other caravan parks getting the same story regards price increases. We also learnt that the latter part of November is now prime time (not peak time) hence the elevation in rates. We probably have to rethink the venue for 2016.
We had lunch in the Gerroa Boat Fisherman Club enjoying one of the biggest pieces of battered fish we have ever had.
Late in the evening we hosted another sausage sizzle for the remaining branch members.
1 December 2015 – Berry to Sydney NSW
We had an uneventful trip home with the only issue involving difficulty in reversing into our drive due to a neighbour who had parked a car very wide of the curb.