Ladies Weekend

Woke up Friday morning full of excitement - my first weekend trip with the Macarthur girls to Wingello Campground! Coffee in hand, car packed, and I was ready! Arrived at Wingello and met up with Cheryl, Lynne, Bec and Lisa as we set up camp before settling in for a somewhat breezy afternoon enjoying the sun over drinks and nibblies. Still thinking about Cheryl’s delish tuna dip! Enjoying our spot in the sun between the wind breaks of Cheryl’s van and Lisa’s DMax - as it was a little windy. At one point, Bec attached a small umbrella to her camp chair to give her a little shade from the burning sun. The wind was picking up and started blowing the umbrella around to our amusement. She looked a little like Mary Poppins mid-take off. We kept an eye on her just in case she decided to fly. Later that afternoon, once the wind finally took a break, we had dinner and then got the fire going and enjoyed a great night, until a couple of late-night yahoos arrived and seemed determined to provide us with free entertainment of yelling and a massive bonfire no one asked for. Thankfully, they disappeared by morning, although their empty beer bottles did not! Saturday greeted us with a lovely sunny morning before the wind made itself known… again, and then apparently signed a long-term lease, because it barely left for the rest of the weekend. We powered on with coffee and eggs, then it was time to air down and hit the trails! A few dead ends, a couple of road closures, but overall, plenty of laughs and a good solid three hours of fun driving. We covered some fun bush tracks before tackling the Quarry mound, then headed onto a more rutted-out track for a bit of a challenge. With superb spotting skills by Cheryl and Lynne, we all made it through unscathed. I may have even done a small happy dance afterwards. Our stop for lunch was cut short as the wind picked up, with us fighting 60km wind gusts and the clouds turning a little dramatic, so back to camp we went, hoping my tent was still vertical. It was…almost. A little collapsed, a little tired. After a re-tension and one guy rope tied to Bec’s bull bar (engineering brilliance), we had her standing strong again. Round 2 drinks and nibbles commenced as we again sheltered between our windbreaks like pros. We were then joined by Nala, the beautiful and very clever Golden Retriever, who belonged to a neighbouring couple...instant heart-stealer. As the evening settled, so did the wind, and we enjoyed another fire, and more laughs. An easy Sunday morning was met after a good sleep (noise-free this time!), well, except for poor Bec waking up with a sore back. Having to then lie flat on her back on the concrete slab and receiving much needed Physio/Pilates from Lynne. After coffee, breakfast, and a slow pack-up, it was time to inflate again and head home. A great weekend of a lot of wind (the weather kind!), laughter, new friendships, campfire yarns and some fun trails. Just went way too fast! Thank you to Lynne for organising. I am already looking forward to the next one!!

Report: Janette Castle

Images: Bec Impellizzeri & Janette Castle