The sun always shines on Hippie Campers
After spending too much time during our first few weeks in the country involuntarily sampling the Australian healthcare system thanks to a foot infection picked up in Singapore, and the subsequent allergic reactions to the treatment, we were hoping that hiring our Hippie campervan would be the start of some brighter times and kick-start our Aussie adventure.
We had chosen Hippie over other companies for several reasons. Aside from the positive internet reviews, good reliability and the low price, we also wanted to drive a happy-looking vehicle that wouldn’t incur the wrath of, or insult, any locals on our journey, as designs on some other companies’ vans may do! Little did we realise that our van, swiftly christened ‘Hattie’, would spread so much cheer along the way!
Our five week jaunt down the east coast from Cairns to Sydney was a laugh-a-minute, with memories, photos and stories to last a lifetime! From our sweltering first night in Port Douglas through to our chilly final night on the outskirts of Sydney, ‘Hattie’ had become our ray of sunshine. And it wasn’t just us who enjoyed it, but children and adults alike in traffic jams, on campsites and in car parks would smile, laugh or even wave when they saw us in Hattie with her big bright flowers and butterflies!
One particular highlight of our trip was at a campsite on the Gold Coast, when the arrival of our colourful van was the subject of great interest of some children who wanted to come and take a look, thus distracting an elderly couple (grandparents?) from a rather heated argument! Hippie, it seems, is also a peacekeeper! Later that evening, one of the children paid another visit to enquire how Santa would be getting in to deliver our presents as we had no chimney!
Another aspect of hiring a Hippie Campervan that you should be aware of is the unofficial camaraderie that exists between fellow ‘Hippies’. Indeed, the corner of a campsite in Noosa seemed like an unofficial ‘Hippie Hangout’, not for scruffy long-haired stoners listening to Reggae, but instead for the fact that five or six Hippie vans were all staying on the site and were located in the same area next to each other, everyone of cause being happy and friendly! The Hippie happiness spread right the way down the east coast, with each Hippie van you pass exchanging waves, smiles and an occasional beep of the horn.
And so it was to our final night in Sydney that we returned to our van from the local shop to be presented with the scene from our photo here – it seemed as though the sun was doing its upmost to keep the world of Hippie a happy one!
Our final happy act was to wrap the remaining unopened chocolates and supplies we had accumulated during our trip in Christmas wrapping paper and place them under a Salvation Army Christmas Tree located at reception at our last campsite, hopefully spreading the Christmas cheer and Hippie happiness with those less fortunate this Christmas!
It’s been a blast, and our memories in medical centres now seem a long time ago!
Rich and Rach
xxxxx
p.s. And the fridge is a lifesaver!
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