We’d arranged to meet our eldest daughter in Wagga so we could all attend the Wagga Wagga Lifestyle & Leisure Show. Richard and I went to the show last year and enjoyed it. It is a great place to see the latest in caravans, motorhomes, campervans, camper trailers and camping equipment and accessories. Last year there was also Malibu Boats from Albury on display. Richard did like those!

We set off from The Rock where we’d overnighted at the Recreation Ground but first we needed to fill up with water. There was a water tap on one of the change room buildings and with full tanks we set off for the short 32km drive to Wagga Wagga.

It was quite overcast and looked like it would rain but we were hopeful it wouldn’t rain while we were at the show.

We’d only just pulled up at the carpark of the Range Expo in Copeland St when our daughter arrived in her 4WD and parked right next to us. Great timing!

We enjoyed a cuppa in the Moho before setting off to check out the show. We spent the next 4 hours checking out the caravans and especially the camping equipment and accessories. There were not many motorhomes there this year, only Suncamper, but we checked out caravans such as Retreat, Lotus, JB Caravans, New Age and more. The Albury Avida dealer was at the show last year however this year they chose to take the motorhome to Tumbafest instead (which just happens to be on at the same time).

The large expo building houses lots of vendors selling all sorts of equipment such as camping tables, chairs, kitchen equipment, bedding, batteries, electrical equipment, and much more.

I was able to pick up a 12V plug that has USB and a USB C sockets. We have two plugs in our motorhome that both have two USB sockets but my new iPad Pro needs a USB C socket. I will be able to swap out one of our plugs for the new one. It will make charging the iPad easier.

Richard was disappointed that he couldn’t check out the Malibu boats as they were not there this year.

We did stop to watch the Reptile show. Do snakes give you the creeps? They do me. The presenter pulled an Eastern Brown Snake out of a box and it gave me chills. They are such a venomous snake. At the end of his talk and after showing off a variety of snakes he demonstrated how to apply a pressure bandage to a limb that has a snake bite and to immobilise the limb. They were also selling snake bite kits that included 3 pressure bandages. We bought a couple of those, one to have in the motorhome and one to have at home. You hope that you never have to use them.

There was a wide variety of food vendors that all seemed to be doing a roaring trade.

Four hours was enough time for us to see all we wanted and our daughter came away with some purchases for her caravan.

We headed out of Wagga Wagga and to a free camp that we’ve used before just out of Collingullie on the banks of the Beavers Creek, a branch of the Murrumbidgee River. It’s a lovely flat spot down beside the bridge and we enjoyed a cuppa and a chat before our daughter had to set off for home.

The rain had held off all day and although it was still cloudy we could see some blue sky so maybe we wouldn’t get rain after all.

We will sleep the night in this peaceful spot and head off home in the morning. It should only take 2 hours and we’ll be home after 15 nights away.

Our stats for this trip are as follows:

15 nights
Caravan Parks x 5 nights = $170
Low-cost Campground x 1 night = $10
Free Camp x 9 = $0
Total Camping costs = $180.00

Gas – Swap & Go Gas bottles x 3 = $73

Fuel = $588.26

Total costs = $841.26