Weekend caravanners

WHAT does one do in East London over a weekend? Don't know, could be one answer. There’s lots to do, could be another.

For the average person it's probably somewhere in between.

This past weekend Mrs Chiel and I had a delightful time with a fine bunch of people at Palm Springs, just past Kidds Beach. They were all in caravans, we were in our much-travelled tent, tucked away in a corner of the picturesque resort where we enjoyed a riverside site.

Stewart and Lyn Peters have been trying to get us to join members of the Caravan Club of SA, Border branch, on an outing for the past year or more, and when the latest invitation came last week, we decided to go. The club travels to a different nearby caravan park every month, ranging in distance from Morgan Bay in the north-east to Port Alfred in the south-west and Thomas River inland.

We hurriedly got our camping goodies together and set off on Friday afternoon to join the rest where we squeezed in between Buffalo City parks department official Reo Schutte, and wife Cheryl on one side, and the Peters in their huge and luxurious four-wheeler CI Exclusive van on the other. Tenters are welcome in the club although this time we were the only ones representing the camping set.

Generations mix freely. On one hand are oldies like us, pensioners, grannies and grandpas. On the other are young couples with small and teenage children who quickly get to know newcomers and play games.

Friday night was a time for settling in and to chat and enjoy a few noggins around one of the many braai fires lit in front of caravans that were parked shoulder to shoulder around the park.

For me it was one of those camping nights I prefer to forget. In the early hours of Saturday my inflatable mattress sprung a leak and I found myself sagging onto hard ground. Mind you, I have that great gift of being almost able to sleep standing up, so it was no great shakes. However, there was one major issue. I'd left my patch-up kit at home.

Later Dave Scholl came to my rescue with glue and I believed it was the end of that, but it sprung another hole next night. It’s time to invest in a couple of stretchers, we’ve decided.

Saturday was the club's big walk, a 5km trot to Kidds Beach and back in memory of member Ashley Weyer who died in a motorcycle accident. Mrs C and I entered, but in the end didn’t compete. Instead we walked the other way and were pleased to find fishermen catching bluefish and kob. Damn, I left my rod at home!

Saturday was communal braai night and at 10.30am on Sunday the chairman's tea party was held with prizes and awards handed out. Then came fines master/mistress/madam Lyn Peters, who nabbed several transgressors and of course I was accused of “making a hole” in my mattress! I in turn fined chairman Deon Venter for inviting us all to a tea party where neither tea nor cake was served; all in good spirit and money raised goes to charities. We were home for lunch after enjoying a jolly good weekend. New members are welcome. If interested phone secretary Sharonne Dewing (043) 702-2123 or 083- 318-3863 for information.

Chiel today is Robin Ross-Thompson;