It doesn’t take a brain scientist to work out that I am a bit of a princess at times. I like a little bit of luxury, am fond of the finer things in life and yes, I have a cleaner. Some things are just better left to the professionals. I love the beach and the snow, but I’m not so fond of the country. I enjoy lying on the sand in sun (fully slip slop slapped of course), but I don’t go in the water. I’m a minimum 4 star girl all the way – definitely not the kind of girl one takes on a camping trip.

My last camping trip occurred when I was about 15 years old. A girlfriend and her family invited me to Lakes Entrance for the New Year and I was thrilled to be the one she wanted to take. I remember packing my bag taking everything but the kitchen sink – you never know when you might need something! My bags could have seen me through a European work holiday for six months but I was adamant – I needed it all. Just as I was getting geared up to head off for the week, Mum saw the size of my bag(s) and immediately proceeded to unpack the lot and identify why I didn’t need each item I had packed. Who needs full size Pantene shampoo and conditioner while camping? Who? ME!

While my mother unpacked my bag, shaking her head and laughing, my dad caught the entire unpacking shambles on our video recorder. I hate to think where that footage is, but I have that unnerving feeling that they are hiding it somewhere, awaiting my 30th birthday. Repacked, I headed off for the week, with much less baggage than before.

Ten years later, I can’t recall what I wished I’d had while I was away, or what I never used, but this Australia Day weekend, I braved camping again and this time, I think I may have got it right.

While this was only one night of ‘roughing it’, I like to think that I must ease myself into these things. I scare easy. The destination this time around was Port Arlington. There was a camping ground, a fully fitted out tent (x7 – my friends travel in packs), the beach was less than 100 metres away and there was a café with some of the best coffee I have ever had. I slept on a blow up single mattress with a sleeping bag and towel as a pillow. I lived to tell the tale. I had fun.

I am sure some of you must be thinking – um, hello? It’s just camping!! But ten years ago, while camping with my friend at Lakes Entrance, it rained. It rained a lot. Our tent leaked and I was miserable. We spent the week sleeping in the boat (which was actually a lot of fun when you are 15 but beside the point) and I said ‘never again’. I don’t do water, I don’t do country, I don’t do tents. 

So it seems camping has come a long way in ten years. And maybe I have grown up just a little bit. It wasn’t all sausages in bread, toilets in holes and showers in the river – I’m pretty sure you can even get camping couture. My friends have put me down to stay the whole four nights next year. I can’t imagine how many bags I will need to take for that though.