Last week I loaded my much-loved Gypsy camper on to my ute for the last time.
I have had to sell her due to financial problems.
The first to see bought her, and I had several callers wanting me to gazump them and buy her sight unseen.
I delivered her to her new home base near Inverell, where she is going to be used on a tray back ute and have major additions done to take advantage of the extra external side spaces.
I am now looking for a small 4WD campervan instead.
Here’s a few reflective pics of our time together.
When she first arrived at my old Mountain home in 2012, she was immediately utilised by the locals for shade. I slept in her for the first night, just to celebrate what seemed my unbelievable good fortune in owning her.
She was usually parked at the side of the cabin, very soon under a special sail for weather protection.
Even while stationary there she had quite a few adventures with the local wildlife.
I used to joke that I should rename her an ‘Activist Camper’, rather than an Active Camper, as she accompanied me to several protectors’ camps. At the original Leard Forest camp, a local frog immediately took up residence.
We had only one actual ‘holiday’ — for two days — but she was wonderful for getting around to distant book talks, as in Victoria.
We did make it to a few national parks in between commitments in a given area — like Mount Kaputar when I was in the Pilliga, or the amazing Bunya Mountains here, from Toowoomba.
Towing the final trailer load, she came with me as I passed through my gate for the very last time at the Mountain… a tough day.
We made it here to our new home on 14th September, almost a year ago.
Once here, at the Gloucester Protectors’ camp she was a frequent visitor, making the early morning action starts very easy for me.
She also coped with what seemed to be the frequent wild weather we copped there.
I felt guilty as tents ballooned and blew apart.
So my Gypsy has earned her new life and transformation.
I loved having her, although I always felt she was too good to be true…