I am a huge fan of the Isle of Wight. The ferry journey from Portsmouth (www.wightlink.co.uk) is quick (22 minutes on catamaran and 45 minutes on car ferry) but it makes you feel like you are going on holiday. Driving on and off the ferry is straightforward and I have only been stuck once when my car broke down on the ramp. This was on the Redfunnel Southampton to East Cowes route. The car battery just died. The very nice men sorted me and the car out, got me to East Cowes where the AA man came within 10 minutes.. It was all very civilised.
In addition to lots of day trips, I have enjoyed two very different holidays on the island. One with all the family in a thatched cottage and more recently when my granddaughter persuaded me to take her on a short trip to the Isle of Wight. To make it a little different and in an attempt to prepare myself for owning a caravan, I hired a vintage campervan 'Milo' from Isle of Wight Campervan Holidays and we stayed for a few nights at the Appuldurcombe Gardens Holiday Park.
The website http://www.isleofwightcampers.co.uk is easy to read and the contact I had with the owners Will and Jubee was efficient, friendly and very welcoming. They recommended the early bay 'Milo' to me as he is a great van for two people. Their base is easy to get to - literally five minutes from the car ferry at Fishbourne and they offer to collect you if you prefer not to bring your car over.
Milo is described as a tin top bus with lowered suspension. He has a full width rock and roll bed and there is an option to hire a drive away awning. He comes fully equipped with a cake in the fridge and the other usual paraphernalia. Milly persuaded me to buy her a sweatshirt with the Isle of Wight Campervan Holiday logo on it so I feel we deserved the cake for free advertising.
Before letting me loose with Milo, Jubee gave us all a firm but friendly talking to about the dos and dont's of camper-vanning. I am immensely grateful to her that she did as I had not a clue. I told my granddaughter to listen carefully fully expecting her to totally ignore everything that was being said.
I signed the compulsory insurance papers (why does that always fill me with a sense of gloom) and off we went......very slowly. This is a whole new way of driving.
There is no power steering. The steering wheel felt ridiculously huge and instead of holding it in front of you with hands placed at opposite sides, it was more like carrying a plate in my hands and spinning it around. The handbrake is on the dashboard and the gear stick is a stick coming up from the floor. There is no bonnet at the front which you need to take into account when parking. As I drove up the hill away from Will and Jubee, I thought of parking the van at the top of the hill behind a tree and just staying there for a few days but Milly insisted we tried to get to the campsite. The first real test was turning right at the top of the hill in front of a queue of holidaymakers waiting to get on the car ferry. I think I actually screamed turning the corner as I went way too wide, forgot about gears and the no bonnet thing. Once I composed myself, I decided to take in the scenery and enjoy the experience. The white knuckles of my grandchild told me she was perhaps enjoying it not quite as much. We all settled down and decided that an average speed of 20mph would be comfortable.
I did notice lots of people waving at us but I was too scared to take my hands off the steering wheel. By the time we arrived at the campsite though, we all felt pretty pleased with ourselves.
Appuldurcombe Gardens is very easy to get to and feels safe and secluded. The scenery is very pretty as it is situated in the valley of the Stenbury and St Martin's Downs. I chose it for location and because it has a heated outdoor pool, shop and café. On our arrival at the campsite, I pretended to know what I was doing, booked in and was given our plot/site number. Once parked, I realised I did not know what to do next and was astounded when Milly jumped into action having listened to all instructions given by Jubee! She sorted out the things that plug into the things that make the water and electrics work, got out the table and chairs and put the kettle on. I have never seen her do so many things in such a short space of time and was very impressed.
Milo was the centre of attention. Despite the caravans with every conceivable bit of kit on them, in them and around them, this simple little campervan stole the show. We did not have an awning. windbreakers or a barbecue. We did not have a satellite dish, TV or a dog and I had forgotten to pack the fairy lights but we had books, magazines, our swimming costumes, a set of dominoes and an ipad. That night, Milly and I enjoyed eating fish and chips from the café and sat together under blankets reading our books. It was lovely.
I love the scenery of the Isle of Wight. The beautiful beaches, the rugged coastline and the drive along the southwest coast makes me smile (a lot). Milly and I visited Ventnor which is a Victorian seaside town on the southern side of the island and my favourite. We walked along the front, visited the Botanic Gardens and had an ice cream. We took the bus to/from Ventnor as so much easier and the bus stop is only a couple of minutes from the campsite. We also visited Shanklin, Sandown and Brading. We swam in the deserted campsite swimming pool and I attempted to make more than a sandwich in Milo. I think Milly enjoyed the excursions as it gave her a chance to get Wi-Fi as this is not good on site and after an hour of no contact with the outside world, I could see panic and despair in her face.
It is difficult living with a teenager in any condition so a couple of nights in a campervan was just about right. We used the front seats as a 'wardrobe' and the dashboard became our dressing table. The gear stick was actually very handy for hair bobbles. The rock and roll bed was very comfortable and just a nice size for two. I know it is a really small area but I kept forgetting where I had put anything. I was relieved that we had decided to stay on the same campsite as I would have found packing up and moving again difficult but, I completely understand that is one of the huge benefits of owning a trailer, campervan and/or caravan. It did help me make up my mind about purchasing a caravan as I realised that whilst I enjoyed the whole experience, the benefit of leaving the caravan parked whilst I wandered off or drove off in the car was more my cup of tea. Of course, if I had a campervan that was towing a caravan that would be ideal!
We packed up and with increased confidence I drove Milo back home. I thoroughly recommend anyone thinking of visiting the Isle of Wight to do so and if you want to add a little bit of added fun to your trip, hire one of these campervans.
I have since purchased my caravan 'Greta' and when I can work up the courage to take her on the ferry, I will take her to meet Will, Jubee and Milo.
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