OMG, What a start to our year away! 10 years of planning and it all went out the window straight away when we developed gastro 5 minutes after leaving the house! We have spent the last 2 months packing, repairing and cleaning the house with the last 2 weeks being very long days and nights getting it all finished. By Wednesday the 8th the house looked awesome but unfortunately still isn't rented!! Nick picked me up at 3pm after being out with the kids all day while I finished off and we set off for the Crown Metropol Hotel for 2 days of luxury (NOT!) before hitting the road. 5 minutes from home and Jonny threw up all over the back of the car! We blamed over indulgence initially, called into a garage for cleaning products and arrived at the Crown stinking to high heaven. While the other guests checked in with designer label clothing and Gucci bags, we checked in in our bathers, which we had had to change into at the side of the road, and Ikea bag! Arriving late, one of our rooms still wasn't ready (it took an extra 1.5hrs!!) so we decided to hit the pool. I ordered a late lunch while Nick watched the kids and it had just arrived when Matty climbed out of the pool and threw up all over the hotel towels! We abandoned lunch and took him back to the room (now ready) and ran a massive bath for the younger ones. After a couple of hours we began to finally relax when Matty vomited again, this time covering the bathroom and corridor. Nick was also feeling really dodgy so we needed house keeping's help! They delivered buckets for everyone! The next day was just as bad with vomiting changing to diarrohea and Matty going through every item of spare clothing left. Nick had to do a dash to Target and we couldn't venture far from the room! By the time we checked out on Friday we were desperate to be on the road! We went home and picked up the van and by 10am were en route to Albany, thinking all sickness was behind us. It was not to be. We made it to Albany, staying at the Rose Garden Caravan Park at Emu Point, by 4pm and caught up with family from Narrogin. They had kindly agreed to organise dinner while we set up the van but by 7pm I was feeling really nauseated and had to retreat to bed. By the time the kids were home and asleep I was up every hour emptying my stomach and not very quietly! I must have disturbed the whole park. At 230am, Matty woke up and vomited all over the double bed he was sharing with Jonny, and then covered the van as he made his way outside - god how I missed home! Nick had to clean everything up as I was incapable but he had also been struck down with diarrohea again and had been on the toilet every half hour! What were we thinking bringing a family of 6 to live in a tin can for a year!!!