20170412 - Easter Camp - Job study by Neville Clark - Fay Berry

20170412 – Easter Camp – Job Study by Neville Clark

Right now I am sitting in the Viewpoint Cafe on the highway at Waikerie. I have just finished breakfast on the balcony overlooking the Murray River. It is a beautiful sunny days and I am just beginning to feel “normal” again. I wanted to come up here to Waikerie for the Easter Camp at Glenloch but was unsure whether I would be able to cope all that well, with my legs as they are. I considered all the options and thought that maybe the best thing for me to do would be to stay overnight a Waikerie and then travel down to the camp site before the first study commenced at 10.00 am each day. The reason I had decided to go up to the camp so many days before the camp started was so that I could check out “the lie of the land” and find out what would work best for me.

I left Adelaide on Monday morning the 9th April, 2017. I called in on Mark and Natalie Lunn on the way and so was able to cuddle Ezra Anthony Lunn their new baby boy for a while. I would have also dropped in to say ‘hello’ to Afiena Beard at Nuriootpa, but could not get her on the phone. I arrived at Glenloch and drove through the orchards down to the river. There were the usual two gates to be opened and shut before I could get onto the flat, but a fellow camper opened both of them for me, so I didn’t have to get out of the car.

I drove along the river looking for potential camp sites, but decided that it would be too crowded for me there and drove back and turned onto the track to the toilets. I found I could easily drive right up to the toilets and around the big gum tree there without any trouble now, but it might be difficult when the multitudes arrived. The nearest I could probably get to the toilets and the hall during the camp I thought would be just past the caravan where Ron Smithers would be located. He was already there and on site, so I said ‘hello’ to him. I eventually parked for the night and went to sleep.

20170410 – Tuesday – When I woke up I drove to the amenities block and had a cold shower which wasn’t too bad really. I thought the water would be much colder than it actually was. I drove into to Waikerie going across the ferry, and then I drove all round the town, checking out potential places to park my trailer for an overnight stay. I found a car parking area that looked suitable and then went looking for somewhere to have breakfast each day. There were two possibilities, the Waikerie Cafe in the town and the Viewpoint Cafe on the Highway somewhat out of town. This cafe was really nice and had indoor and outdoor balcony eating areas. The balcony had a beautiful view over the Murray.

I had breakfast, fried eggs, bacon and tomato and a lovely cup of coffee. I then went to check out a free camping area called Murray Rvr Banks Opposite Hart Lagoon which I had found on Wikicamps. I followed the route to the site. It was pretty good but I felt it was too isolated for me for the time being. By this time I was really tired and so I decided to have a lazy day. I parked my trailer in the parking area not far from the ferry where I intended to spend the night, and just lay in my bed reading and eating. When I travel I tend to eat salad, fruit and tinned fish or meat of some sort, but this time I had the tins, some tomatoes, some capsicum and apples and that was all so that was my diet for the day.

Overnight, I found that the place where I was parked was really noisy, and I could hear the ferry going back and forth all night and there were sundry other noises that disturbed my sleep. When It was morning, I dressed and drove to the public toilets right next to the river. It was an excellent amenities block and so I was able to clean up and take my insulin etc in comfort. I was the only person around as well, at that time of the morning. So I made up my mind, hopefully for sure, that I will stay in the town and then use the public amenities in the morning, go to the Viewpoint Cafe for breakfast and finally drive the half hour to Glenloch just before the first study begins at 10.00 am each morning.