Budget camper van capers!!

Across larger countries such as North America, Canada, NZ and (helpfully) Australia, vehicle rental companies utilise relocation agents to redistribute their fleets.  It was via this budget method that we would be able to travel, in a fully outfitted camper, for 3 days and 2 nights all the way to Melbourne via Kosciuszko national park [or any route you might fancy].  Not only that but, via a very odd set of fees and calculations, they would actually pay us the princely sum of $10! (Though, we would, of course, have to pay for fuel).

We signed huge swathes of paperwork, watched instructional videos, loaded up the van and promptly got hopelessly lost due my smartphone based GPS having no knowledge of Sydney's one way roads.  Helpful.

I then completely failed to bypass the toll road and spent the rest of the day switching on the wipers instead of the indicators (switched sides on Japanese vehicles apparently), swearing to myself each and every time.

There wasn't too much time to spare in the day by this point but we successfully made it to the national park before dark and got to park up in a great spot where wallabies and kangaroos were larking about, result!!!

Aside from meeting a possum on the way to the toilet in the night (the surprise almost rendering the walk as needless) the night in the camper was pleasant and restful, I instantly decided I must buy one as soon as I return to England.

One of the main reasons for the route through Kosciuszko national park, aside from chance wildlife meetings, was to summit Australia's highest mountain.  This was the task for the morning and, although a simple low gradient return trip, the task was actually met with some trepidation due to Bex carrying an injury...

She'd managed to kick the Manly ferry a few days previously and then, while compensating for that injury, made the other foot sore.  This seemingly minor injury proved hellish for her, but sheer will and stubbornness got her to the top and back.  What should have been a simple walk made us reassess the extent of the foot injury and we would have to get it looked at once back to civilisation.  Nonetheless, we had a great walk, the views and scenery were both unexpected and spectacular.

We got some more miles under the belt after the walk and spent the night parked by a babbling river in a sheltered valley.  I got to see some new ducks, I love ducks, happy times.

On the final morning we set off early, we had left far to many km to cover by 3pm drop off but we still made it to the Melbourne drop off with a little time to spare.  Our little camper van adventure had been short but sweet, we'd both have loved to continue in this manner for both Australia and NZ in the new year, but it costs crazy money in summer months.  We grabbed the the tube from (oddly) Tottenham to the city centre and went in search of our Melbourne accommodation...