Author Topic: Dodged a (weather) bullet - knowing when to cabin it!!  (Read 5971 times)

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Offline Glenno

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Dodged a (weather) bullet - knowing when to cabin it!!
« on: April 11, 2014, 08:39:32 PM »
We have been staying on the South Coast NSW, near Narooma at my folks place for a week. Decided to take the camper so we had a bit of our own space, and limited the kids trashing the house.

Had been drizzling up there for nearly 3 days straight , but easy to cope with.

Heading home today, we wanted to break up the 9+ hr drive with an overnight stop at a favourite spot near Marlo (East Gippsland)

As we drove down, the weather got wetter and wetter. A bit of horizontal rain and all.

We finally got out to Cape Conran Nat Park, and it had pretty much stopped raining. Amy and I deliberated for ages about whether to camp or not.

We thought 'let's be tough, we've got the setup, we'll be right', and after all it had stopped raining.

As we went to the office, another couple had got there first to cancel their last few days. As we stood on the veranda waiting, it felt cold, and a little shower started. We stared to imagine what we would do during the arvo........  We looked at each other and said.... "Let's get a cabin!!"

Drove back to Marlo, it stared raining.

Got in a very warm dry cabin, it stared pouring.

Set ourselves up, a fierce wind started, the rain was dumping, and it was hard to hear each other.

Ran out to the camper in a gortex to get beer and supplies. The ground was ankle deep water and rain coming in sideways!!!!

Gawd, did we dodge a bullet!!!!!!!  Just imagine if those people didn't jump in front of us.... Miserable.


Sometime (not often) the decision to abandon the camper and get a cabin is well worth it!!!


Anyone else avoided a miserable scenario like this????

Offline D4D

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Re: Dodged a (weather) bullet - knowing when to cabin it!!
« Reply #1 on: April 11, 2014, 08:43:09 PM »
Anyone else avoided a miserable scenario like this????


Scarps left Mrs Scarps to deal with this :)

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Offline GeoffA

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Re: Dodged a (weather) bullet - knowing when to cabin it!!
« Reply #2 on: April 11, 2014, 08:50:29 PM »
Good call, Glenn.

We had a similar experience at Junee, on our way home from the Cape in 2012.
It was getting late after another big day in the car, and the sky was looking extremely ominous.
Made the call for a cabin, the last they had, and had a great light and sound show for many hours.
Water everywhere in the morning. Money well spent.......

Jumped into the car in the morning, and headed off to catch up with the gang at Speewa's Mitchell's Crossing gathering.

 :cheers:
Geoff and Kay

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Offline Glenno

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Re: Dodged a (weather) bullet - knowing when to cabin it!!
« Reply #3 on: April 11, 2014, 08:52:53 PM »

Scarps left Mrs Scarps to deal with this :)




Looks sodden!  Bet that went down well.

Offline Glenno

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Re: Dodged a (weather) bullet - knowing when to cabin it!!
« Reply #4 on: April 11, 2014, 08:58:05 PM »
"Ran out to the camper in a gortex to get beer and supplies. The ground was ankle deep water and rain coming in sideways!!!!"


We are parked on the grass, may well have to winch ourselves out in the morning at this rate!!!!

Offline GeoffA

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Re: Dodged a (weather) bullet - knowing when to cabin it!!
« Reply #5 on: April 11, 2014, 09:00:45 PM »
We are parked on the grass, may well have to winch ourselves out in the morning at this rate!!!!

Well, it is a Toyota..... >:D >:D
Geoff and Kay

1999 GU TD42T wagon
2005 Coota Camper - gone, but never forgotten
2020 North Coast 15' Titanium - tandem, of course

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Offline Malcolm Tugless

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Re: Dodged a (weather) bullet - knowing when to cabin it!!
« Reply #6 on: April 11, 2014, 09:01:16 PM »
Just prior to the Australia day before last, we were camping at Sandon River. I'd been out for a paddle and when I returned to  the cook she mentioned that a couple we knew had mentioned that a front was heading down the coast, accompanied by 100 km winds.

Sandon  is spit like area of land, surrounded on three sides by water. The road in follows the river and is susceptible to flooding. We had no plans of moving, but with the prospect of getting flooded in, not to mention belted from pillar to post by the winds and rain, we decided to upstumps. The camper was dry and although the weather at this stage was fine, you could feel the change coming.

We packed up and headed for home, 2-3 hours up the road. Half way back the weather turned, by the time we reached home it was bucketing down. The following three days was extreme, trees uprooted, flooding and prolonged power outages.
We were very happy that we had decided to cut and run. They got absolutely hammered down the coast too.

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Re: Dodged a (weather) bullet - knowing when to cabin it!!
« Reply #7 on: April 11, 2014, 09:04:04 PM »
 :worthles:
-
Click to enlarge

Gone to a new home

Offline Glenno

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Re: Dodged a (weather) bullet - knowing when to cabin it!!
« Reply #8 on: April 11, 2014, 09:04:22 PM »

Well, it is a Toyota..... >:D >:D

Ouch!!!  Hmmm, ok, good point, will just use lots of right foot then!! 

Offline Glenno

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Re: Dodged a (weather) bullet - knowing when to cabin it!!
« Reply #9 on: April 12, 2014, 07:34:10 AM »
Now a sunny morning and a quick get-away. Love it!

Offline GGV8Cruza

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Re: Dodged a (weather) bullet - knowing when to cabin it!!
« Reply #10 on: April 12, 2014, 08:32:42 AM »
Had a really wet night at Sheepyards one year, left for a drive in the morning in sunshine and by the time we returned the camper has a stream running under it, after a long day in the seat wheeling I did not feel like packing up and driving home. Cracked open a JD and decided to stay the night, I have a pic somewhere.

A couple of swaggers at Knockwood the other week had a similar fate, maybe they should of gone and stayed at the pub, or jumped in with Keith with his heater up on high >:D

GG

Offline Alan Loy

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Re: Dodged a (weather) bullet - knowing when to cabin it!!
« Reply #11 on: April 12, 2014, 08:47:04 AM »
Just had the opposite experience.  Camped at Ramco point just out of Waikerie.  Fronts coming across but not much rain.  We thought we would be alright .  Then the skies opened up with the most amazing light show I have ever experienced.  Ended up sitting in the car.

I talked to a local the next day an he said that he had recorded 15 mm in about an hour where as Waikerie (5 kms away) only recorded 5 mm in the whole day.

It's all about location location location

Offline speewa158

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Re: Dodged a (weather) bullet - knowing when to cabin it!!
« Reply #12 on: April 12, 2014, 09:51:59 AM »
On the way to Birdsville for the races 1st night a Mildura . After driving through big fronts all day took a cabin . No point having a wet tail at the start of a trip if you don't have to  :cheers:
You can go your own way . Treg Up & Make Dust

Offline xcvator

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Re: Dodged a (weather) bullet - knowing when to cabin it!!
« Reply #13 on: April 12, 2014, 04:28:41 PM »
A couple of swaggers at Knockwood the other week had a similar fate, maybe they should of gone and stayed at the pub, or jumped in with Keith with his heater up on high >:D

GG
C'mon mate, give me a bit of credit for taste,they were all waaayyyyy tooooooo ugly to get in with me  >:D
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Offline Nay-DMAX

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Re: Dodged a (weather) bullet - knowing when to cabin it!!
« Reply #14 on: April 12, 2014, 05:09:09 PM »
A couple of years ago we had two weeks away in the camper with a couple of nights to get to Adelaide (booked in to CP there) first night was going to be at halls gap we were just going to find somewhere to camp the closer we got to halls gap the worse the sky looked then pelting rain lightening thunder etc.  Discussions in the car about what we should do (canvas soft floor camper) lots of cabin type places there so we pulled into one and they had a vacancy sunshine the next morning so glad we made that choice.

Offline Hodgies

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Re: Dodged a (weather) bullet - knowing when to cabin it!!
« Reply #15 on: April 12, 2014, 06:00:50 PM »
Hey Glenno,
we too had the following scenario.
Coming back from the Cape in 2012 we had the roof top camper and stayed at Eddies at Hopevale, the most miserable day/night of our trip(very dissappointed as Elim Beach was on our bucket list) still we could only imagine how nice it would be on a great day. Anyhows packed up the sogggggy mess and headed for the Lions Den for lunch, still miserable, so over a couple of ales we decided to find a cabin anywhere and stop. We came across Haleys Cabins at Ayton. Booked in got all the washing done and dried and then just settled in for the night. We received 3 inches that night, boy those safari tents are noisy, but thank heavens we werent in the roofy!!!! Was one of the best nights we had on our trip. Took off the next morning and the Bloomfield River crossing was flooded and ended up doing the complete lap back to Daintree.
It was a great trip.
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Offline Glenno

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Re: Dodged a (weather) bullet - knowing when to cabin it!!
« Reply #16 on: April 12, 2014, 06:36:39 PM »
For all the theory of bad weather in Vic, it's VERY rare to have to do a wet packup. It's those extreme exceptions that validate a cabin!!

Issue I need to deal with now is the kids begging to always stay in a cabin.... Sheesh!!

Offline itchvet

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Re: Dodged a (weather) bullet - knowing when to cabin it!!
« Reply #17 on: April 18, 2014, 07:01:04 PM »
Admittedly, setting up, or decamping in the rain is most definitely the pits. BUT, as a retiree, I'm not on a schedule and if it's raining I simply get the chair out and enjoy watching the rain and run off.
Wait it out until things dry. One time were stuck at a camp site for 8 days couldn't get out if we wanted too, both river crossings were in flood and couldn't be crossed, lucky we had sufficient food.
BUT, it was the only time we ever experienced the place with so much water flowing everywhere, and an awesome experience it most surely was.