THE RETRO ROAMERS: 34 - South West Rocks (con't)

Back beach at South West Rocks about 6.00am daylight saving time

An early wake up at the Top Four tourist Park in SWR saw me nick off on an early morning walk, before packing up and heading to our new pre paid camp site below the Gaol at Trial Bay. We arrived all fired up to get into our new site only metres from the beach, and even though the vans were lined up like tin soldiers ready for war, we thought.....who cares...the beach looks good.

We went to the gaol to concluded check in procedures, got the final receipt for the two nights $48.00, and double checked the site allocation. Yep all is, as per yesterday, site 35p.

As there was still someone in our allocated site, that's cool, the previous occupants are not obligated to leave till ten o'clock anyway, so we parked the Val and the Retroliner, just away a bit from our allocated site. That is when the alarm bells started to ring.

At a distance from where we were parked, I could see that the turning area to get a van into this site was a little tight....so I said to the bride, I am going down to have a closer look at the site we have booked.

As I got closer the alarm bells were in full blast.......shock horror!!!!!!!. There is absolutely no way I am going to reverse the Val, which is a big car anyway, and squeeze the RetroLiner into this space, which was more suited to accommodate a mini minor and a box trailer. Apart from a narrow site and a very narrow road access, there was a thumping big hill right beside the road. So I quickly came to the conclusion that there was no way I was going to get in there. Even speaking to people that were already there, they strugled like all hell to get their modern rigs in, let alone a Mopar Muscle car.

Only one answer........further away from the spot we had been allocated there were a few spots that we could have easily got onto, and were vacant. So I went back up to the booking check in chick, told here of my delema and the reasons what and why for, and asked to be moved to a more accessable site.

"Na!! can't do that!" "Well I would like a refund?" said I. "Na!!! can't do that either!" "Well I demand to see the manager", said I. "Na! can't do that either, he's not here." So all this went around for a while, and I could see that nothing was going to get resolved, so I asked for the managers name, and will write to this person, seeing if I can at least get my money back. May I add the management of the camp sites is the New South Wales Parks & Wildlife Service.......definately not hospitality professionals.

So I was pissed off. Apart from loosing $48.00, we had already checked out of a park we were quite cofortable in, but on the wrong side of town.....as I neede a beach fix big time. So with steam coming out of my ears from the dealings with a public servant, we wound up the Val and headed away from the camp ground.

What we have learned is.....never, ever , ever take the word of a check in chick about a site. You must go and have a look, test the water so to speak...so if you don't like the site you finaly pick...no excuses!!!!

The conclusion to this event, is we checked into the Big Four caravan park also at Trial Bay. Still close to the beach, and the park was not at all crowded. So we unhitched, then raced to the beach for my beach fix, and to cool down after my dealings with the public circus. After the beach met some great folk, travelling in all directions, which led to a very looooooooond happy hour and the rest is history.

Next stop Cresent Heads.