So where have we been for 6 months and why did we finally purchase a motor home?
After retiring some 8 years ago we have changed our minds many times on what our “retirement” should look like!
We initially thought our farm would fulfill all our retirement needs by providing us with clean air, wide open spaces, growing our own food and a sense of oneness with nature. The reality was relentless hard work, isolation, farm machinery requiring nonstop repairs, with our hands continually in our pockets! Never-ending work, mending fences, fixing water pumps and upkeep on a grand scale, resulting in no time for us to explore other adventures. Even the rare holiday was a mammoth task to organise.
Thankfully we saw the error of our ways, and decided to ‘down-size’ off the farm into a lovely village where we walk to everything. Utopia? well no, not really! After our initial move and renovations, we found ourselves at the other end of the scale with nothing to do! “So what now”? we asked ourselves! “community and volunteering could be the answer"…and so we did, with both of us taking on “office-bearer” roles in different organisations. For the past two years we have both been trapped by infinite meetings, functions, tricky people and spending endless hours in front of the computer. We couldn't even find the time for our www.retirementLIFE.net.au website! Once again we had no time to ourselves because our “community & volunteering” replaced the “farm”!
Is this just us? or is getting the balance right, a common retirement problem?
Solution: He has wanted to get onto the great open road for some years and I must confess I didn’t think it would appeal to me. So, 6 months ago he asked “would you just indulge me for a week’s holiday in a motorhome to see if it’s us”? I admit that if we were going 'Nomading' a Motorhome appealed more than a Caravan but this is just a personal choice. I was happy, but not overly enthusiastic, to try this type of holiday for a week.
As I waved a fond 'farewell' to friends and family, I laughed "we'll be back soon! once he has to empty the 'toilet cassette' it will be a deal-breaker"!
We hired a lovely Sunliner Motorhome from Albury Wadonga RV and set off through the Victorian countryside to The Great Ocean Road! To my surprise the scenery was spectacular, the towns we visited were delightful, but what I hadn’t predicted was the freedom we had to merely go wherever and whenever we wanted. No itinerary, no checkout time and no packing and unpacking, it was wonderful. We truly relaxed like never before!
Remember the deal-breaker! - emptying the "Toilette Cassette" !
Now picture this. Both of us have on 'heavy-duty' rubber gloves, a large 3-ply roll of paper towel under one arm and the "Glen-20" under the other! we have removed the cassette and are marching with one purpose towards the "dump-point" wondering what horrors await us? There would have been more than a few wry smiles and snickers as we walked past the experienced dumpers! To our surprise, there was merely a very small clean hole in which to empty the "miraculous" blue water contents of our cassette (thank god for chemicals!) All was accomplished in less than a minute!
On our return to Albury Wadonga RV, we seriously starting looking to purchase our own motorhome. On the lot they had Sunliner Holiday H507 - just what we were looking for. So the deal was done and we now are planning many holidays - 3 lined up so far including the Nullarbor!
Remember too, pets can travel with you in the motorhome. Our Harry has travelled with us and adjusted very quickly to life on the road.
