Meet Our Waltzing Matilda

Two weeks and 2 days to go....

I am still on the biggest high following our decision last Friday to pack up our life, the 4 kids and the Whippet and return to Tasmania via a 3 month adventure around Australia in a caravan.

There is a mixture of excitement and adrenalin in the household as we make our preparations. So many balls in the air.

However, things are falling into place ever so nicely. After a couple of days of scouring ebay, the trading post and the classifieds for a caravan, we found our little beauty, or rather it found us! And you will never guess where.

It was on our street! 

I know! What are the odds of needing a caravan in 2 weeks and finding one on your very own street, 50m away? One that features a bold stripe in none other than your favourite colour, Green? One that is exactly on budget? Exactly your style? And one that has you so excited you are kept awake at night as you mentally decorate it's interior and imagine all the memories that will be created within it's tiny body in the years to come.

This is how it happened. We live in a pretty street with an eclectic mix of Australian natives and rows of beautiful "Liquid Ambers". So, I go out the front door to let the Whippet take me for a walk. I decide to turn right. I never usually walk or drive along this section of our street as it is actually an avenue that loops back onto itself and so is like a dead end. I don't know why I did this day. It was obviously meant to be.

I turn the bend and I see a vision in white and green. My heart skips a beat. Could that be our caravan? It then sinks as I notice the house before which it sits has been knocked down. Perhaps this is someone's temporary accommodation?

But as I near closer I see a sign in the window "Urgent Sale". It was then that I knew it would be ours. We make some calls, have a look, the owner knocks $1000 off the price and agrees to pay for the rego which only ran out 4 days ago. $3,500.00 later and the deal is done.

Isn't she a beauty? Nothing fancy but perfect for us. It's actually a 1975 vintage Millard Capri. The addition of the word "Capri" makes it sound a bit posh don't you think? Can't wait to show you the interior.

We have named her "Matilda", in honour of Banjo Paterson's "Waltzing Matilda". It seemed fitting since this will be our family's maidan journey around Australia in a Caravan. And for those not familiar with Australian folklore, Waltzing Matilda is slang for traveling around (waltzing) with ones goods in a bag (a Matilda) over your shoulder. In essence, the caravan will be our Matilda as we journey around.

I am still swooning over the colour.

So excited are we by our new purchase that we are stalking her every opportunity. We now have to drive past her every time we get in the car and last night when my Dad was over for dinner and the kids were in bed, we went for a walk with our torches for goodness sakes and stalked her again. Honestly, we are like kids in a lolly shop.  I'm surprised how obsessed I am with her. Is this normal?

And here is our shiny new Tow Ball, which was fitted onto our car yesterday.

So what do you think of our Matilda? Anyone else into Caravans? Love them or loathe them?