The Perfect Campsite ...

I found this story in a back issue of a travel magazine. It was written by a gentleman … let’s call him Fred. I just had to share it with you ... when you read it, you'll see why !!

As I sat next to a smoky campfire listening to a fellow camper describing his ideal camp site, I was reminded of the time Wilma and I were looking for a place to camp way up in the Snowy Mountains.

It was getting late in the afternoon and we were getting desperate, then, just as we rounded a bend in the road, there it was, the perfect camp site. It was a lovely grassy area with shade provided by an enormous old black wattle and only metres from a small sandy beach leading to a beautiful rock pool on the very edge of the Snowy River. We couldn’t believe our luck. Wilma prepared dinner while I set up camp, and during dinner we watched the sun set over the hills and listened to a lonely deer calling from somewhere over the river.

Naturally, it was early to bed, but during the night we heard something going plop-plop on the roof of the tent. I didn’t expect rain but we were warm and cosy so we soon went back to sleep.

Next morning I am ashamed to say that the sun got up way before we did. But, as we lay on our backs in bed looking up at the roof of the tent, we could see that the shaded part of the roof was almost completely covered in rather large black spots. As I struggled out of my sleeping bag for a closer look a cold shiver ran down my back; the spots had legs. Yes, the roof was almost completely covered in huntsmen spiders … they had made the plop-plop noises we heard during the night as they dropped one by one on to our tent.

Next I discovered dozens of spiders hiding behind the front flap of the tent, and when I disturbed them why did they have to run into the tent ??? Well, that was it … I knew Wilma could move quickly but she got out of her sleeping bag, dressed and into the car in way less than 60 seconds !! And that is where she stayed, no matter what I said or did, she would not budge from the car.

So, I packed up camp on my own and, alas, that was the end of our perfect camp. I don’t think we will ever find another site quite like the Snowy River, and Wilma definitely recommends that if you find a site with a big black wattle, don’t even think of stopping !!

Now, wasn't that a fun read ? I can not imagine something so horrible. I usually don't mind spiders too much, but this just sounds like something out of a horror movie !! Eeeewwwww !!

Take care,

MEOW