I like camping.

Perhaps it is the getting away from civilisation and technology that appeals to me, or the fact that there is nothing better than just lazing around by a campfire with a beer in hand.

Regardless, I like camping.

Since moving out of home, and not doing family holidays anymore, I have neglected to make the time to get away for a camping trip often enough to satisfy my passion.

So goal 74 is to go camping six times in three years, including one trip to the southern Grampians.

And so far, I am two trips down, four to go.

The Number 1 Heath Tully camping tip? Bring plenty of matches.

TRIP 1 – EILDON
Spent Queen’s Birthday weekend 2007 at Eildon in central Victoria, with Isaac, Johan and Andy. Johan provided the most humourous moment, by vomiting all over himself, and then on his pillow just after we put him to bed (we did tell him not to drink scotch straight!) A vomit basin would have come in very handy!

TRIP 2 – OTWAYS
Not taking the advice of the weathermen, Andy, Isaac and I decided to head to the Otways on the 2007 Melbourne Cup long weekend. Bad idea. We were met with an absolute torrential storm at about 6pm, and after it drowned our campfire at about 7.30pm, we all huddled into Isaac’s car until we were tired enough to head to the tent and fall asleep in our rain-soaked sleeping bags.

At 6am the next morning, we woke up to what looked like a war zone, so we just threw everything into the truck and drove home. On the radio we heard that 2km down the road from our campsite a tree had been blown over during the night by the wind, and tragically killed a camper as they slept in their tent. This was a very serious storm.

Below are pictures of the best roast lamb I have ever had (it was the highlight of the trip), and me as a drowned rat outside a very, very wet tent.