Easter at York

Trip Leader: John & Rosalie King

When: 21st to 26th April 2011

Location: York WA

Participants: Within the trip notes.

 Thursday 21. John and I set off and met up with Peter and Denise at the Lakes roadhouse. We arrived at the Caravan park in York where the owners, Elizabeth and Mick, made us welcome. Sam and Pasc Vasile were already well set up in the best spot in the park. John and Sue Bromberger with Matty arrived before sun set and we all made our way to the first happy hour. Permission was given for us to have a contained camp fire. We found the park facilities were well kept and very clean, and the grounds neat and tidy with shady trees, although they had suffered a bit from the February storm that went through York causing damage to many houses.
Friday 22. Frank and Michalina Vavazzo with daughters Jessica and Marissa and Blake Ellis as a guest arrived early, followed during the morning by other campers, Jeff and Maxine Otway, Ian and Robin Tooke with Emma, Neil and Rayleen Hewer, Paul and Louise Ryan with Matt and Sam, Terry and Teresa Keesing accompanied by Liam and Kellie, Piers and Wendy Marmoy and then Sonja Johnson with daughters Kirsty and Amy and friend Beccy with her daughter Alice. The day was spent relaxing, checking out the activities going on in the town and surrounding places of interest. A good fish and chips shop was found and a very enjoyable time was had over the meal. We were then entertained by Liam Keesing who made beautiful music on his guitar.

Saturday 23. Today was a day of relaxation for most. A lazy morning apart from those who chose to walk, including Terry, who walked into York for a bike tyre repair kit. Some attended the Antique Fair and came away a little poorer. Also there was a Collectors Fair and a market at the Old Mill being held at the same time. Some of the group drove to Beverley and visited an Art Exhibition and the Avondale Farm.

In the evening a group of 29 campers drove to the Greenhills Inn where we enjoyed a huge and delicious meal and a tour of the old 2 storey building. This well maintained building is said to be the last home of four resident ghosts.
 
Rayleen Hewer

Sunday 24. The ‘Easter Bunny’ had been up and about very early, nobody saw or heard the bunny but chocolate Easter eggs were soon being found around camps and caravans by all the children in the group. It was a beautiful morning and some went for a walk while others set about preparing a breakfast feast. Some campers went to church and others were off again doing their own thing. After lunch Jeff and Maxine Otway lead a trip, not too hard, harsh or challenging but very relaxing and interesting. The children were treated to a fence line meeting with two beautiful horses who came out of the bush to meet us. Another happy hour was had and after dinner the group was again treated to a short concert by Kirsty, Amy and Alice. They sang and danced beautifully and were thanked and congratulated by everyone who heard them.

Monday 25.
Anzac Day/Easter Monday started off with an unexpected amount of low lying mist. Those happy campers who ventured forth at dawn and travelled to the top of the nearby Mount Brown for the dawn service were treated to a view of the surrounding area as though they were perched on an island floating in cloud. By the time the rest of the camp was surfacing the sun had almost cleared the residual mist and it revealed another glorious day. A leisurely breakfast was followed by a suggestion that we all meet up later at the Settlers courtyard for a coffee. By the time most of us got going it was nearly midday and the aforementioned morning coffee morphed into a lunchtime snack and 10 adults and 6 children/teenagers enjoyed a variety of good food. The whole experienced was enhanced by the playing and singing of Slim and Jim who regaled us with country and western and classical pops. An enjoyable time was had by all.

Eventually the group broke up with some choosing to visit the Motor Museum, others the Courtrooms and Goal whilst others decided to return to the caravan park and begin the preparations for the men’s big cook off scheduled for that evening.
The quiet and serenity of the site was soon disrupted when Paul and Denise noticed a lot of smoke arising, so they thought, from behind an older caravan at the far side of the site – it soon transpired that the smoke was escaping from the top vent of the caravan and so they having ensured that no one was still inside the van (and that there were no gas bottles attached) they stood back and watched the efforts of other campers to extinguish the now raging flames using hoses and extinguishers. Their efforts succeeded in putting the majority of the blaze out before the firies, police and ambos arrived and took over control.

That excitement being over the focus of attention altered to the big cook off and the men busied themselves once again preparing what turned into a veritable feast. Tables were lined up – candles were lit and feasting began and only ended when all had eaten their fill.
The world’s problems were then solved by a communal camp fire chat group who did their best to consume any remaining chocolate eggs.
Peter & Denise Belcher.