Eve interviews Eve

So where are you now?
We grew tired of caravan parks. We did three in a row: Mclaren Vale, Adelaide and Barossa. Now that the kids have returned to school, caravan parks are little ghost towns with big empty amenities blocks and laundries. Now we are back in the bush, right on the River Murray at Swan Reach, out of Adelaide towards Renmark, and we couldn’t be happier; and I’ve no desire to return to a caravan park until we run out of water or battery power. This place was a lucky find – we had no idea how beautiful it would be until we arrived.
The Murray has flooded of course, and its overflow has reached Swan Reach where we have observed large patches of young gum trees up to their armpits in water. It is an eerily beautiful sight, to see these immature leafy green trees in the very water that would have killed off their ancestors so many years ago in previous floods.
And I am happy to say that finally I can see red soil - so I am feeling more like we are in the Aussie Outback.

Any fishing lately?
This morning we bought a yabby net (finally) which we baited with a bit of lamb chop and chucked into the Murray. Shrimp found our bait instantly and soon after we hauled in a nice looking yabby. Hopefully some more will arrive to make our dinner (not to cook our dinner of course, just to feature in it!). There are a lot of carp here so Jase has a line out right now and is looking forward to doing his bit and killing a few off.

How’s the Weeeeber going?
We have eaten barbecue every day since we bought the Weber, and now it is time for a little break. Tonight I am cooking a stir fry; lamb, noodles, vegetables. I hope it satisfies. Yesterday I bought a side of lamb, all cut into chops, a large flank, and a roast. Hopefully we’ll cook the roast tomorrow in the Weber, complete with roast potatoes and carrots – I’m really looking forward to it. SA has brilliant meat and their chicken is divine – really full of flavour and a gorgeous pink colour when it’s cooked.

So are you eating differently to when you lived in suburbia?
I’ve always loved smallgoods and pickles and I adore fresh produce, but we’ve really gone to town on our current food collection. Right now, the contents of our fridge is as follows: lemonade, coke, milk, beer, ginger beer, sausages, chops, a lamb roast, half a smoked chicken, some brawn, some streaky bacon, black pudding, leberwurst, pickled chilli onions, white wine, beetroot, gravy beef (for a curry), agorki pickled cucumbers, capsicum, cucumber, tomato, carrots, garlic mettwurst, many types of olives, sauerkraut, salami, curry paste, Indian pickles, mustard, anchovies, cheese, pickled cornichons, mayo, shrimp paste, tinned apricots, feta cheese, pesto, eggs, and plain yoghurt. Not bad for a little fridge!

How are you coping without being ‘plugged in’?
Easy! The battery, which runs our water pump, lights, stereo and TV, will last many days before needing to be recharged. Also, we are only watching about 30 minutes of TV per day, which helps keep the battery happy. The fridge runs off gas and we have 2 large gas bottles. The gas also heats our water and runs our stove. We’ve only replaced one bottle so far which I think is excellent after 6 weeks on the road. The laptop, mobile and AA batteries can all be recharged via 12volt, so we plug them into the car’s auxillary battery so the caravan is not getting drained. The main issue is water – we have enough storage for 180 litres of water but this gets used in a couple of days if you take a full shower. We have combated this by turning the shower on for 30 seconds, then lathering and cleaning, with a 60 second rinse. This type of shower generally only uses about 10 litres of water. We also hunt out rainwater tanks at our various locations for drinking water.

So you don’t watch much TV?
The TV reception has been absolutely appalling – I’m not sure if this is normal or if our antenna is a lemon. Regardless, I am happy to watch and episode of Dexter or Mighty Boosh occasionally and can read the news on the internet. I don’t really need game shows, current affairs, soap operas and American drama to keep me happy!

And how’s work going?
I was so busy at one stage I was getting a bit worried, but things have calmed right down. Phew! I have had some problems accessing email or phone messages but a short drive in the car usually gives me enough reception to get through any necessary work. Jase has made some initial enquiries about working casually on farms and it looks like this will happen after this financial year.

We all know that you are scared of the dark, largely as a result of your sick love of horror movies and serial killers. Aren’t you afraid of the boogeyman at night?
Each night we have a blanket of stars, and you might also hear crickets or frogs. Occasionally I am startled by the sounds of what I choose to declare is an animal such as a possum or koala. Some nights we leave the skylight open so we can watch the stars as we fall asleep. Last night we opened the bedroom curtains so that dawn would wake us. When I woke, I sat up straight in bed and was greeted with a full view of the Murray and the sound of birds arguing in the trees. What is there to be afraid of? Also, it can be hard to find a spot to be alone all night. Generally, if you pull in for the evening by say 4pm, another caravan will pull up behind you within an hour or so. It’s comforting, and there is tremendous camaraderie and respect between fellow campers.