David and Adrienne had some terrible luck
After retiring and hitting the open road in 2012, David and Adrienne H were having the time of their lives … until a freakish piece of bad luck.
All went well at first as the couple cruised through country New South Wales and Queensland in their Legacy 630 caravan. However, after stopping at the Walkamin Central Van Park on the Atherton Tablelands ‘to catch their breath’, things started to go wrong.
David found himself in the most ‘excruciating pain imaginable’ when the ball and big toe of his left foot became infected.
“Initially, I was treated for gout at the Mareeba Hospital, however the pain did not subside and I could only walk with the aid of a stick,” he said. “Following a second set of blood tests, I was informed I had contracted the Barmah Forest Virus and there was no treatment available for the virus.”
The relatively unknown mosquito-borne virus, which is named after the forest in New South Wales where it was first discovered, was about to turn the dream lifestyle into something quite different.
“The virus affects the joints and I took over-the-counter pain medication that proved fairly ineffective,” said David. “I was informed the virus would eventually work its way out of my system over a period of eight weeks … and that it would not reoccur.”
While the pain did ease right down over this period, David has since suffered several reoccurrences causing swelling and pain in the area originally affected.
The couple’s ‘catch-their-breath’ stop at the Atherton Tablelands ended up lasting a full 12 months.
Happily, David says that despite the odd bout of pain returning, the virus has not spoiled their trip. After getting back on the road in 2013, the couple has explored Tassie, been across to Perth and then up the west coast to Broome, before slowly wending their way back east.
Ironically, they are now once again back on the Atherton Tablelands, but David says he will be using of spray-on repellents, burning plenty of mozzie coils, and keeping his fingers crossed that the mosquitoes will direct their attention elsewhere.
The couple say they are well protected from the wet season by the large heavy duty Canvacon roof they have put over top of the roll-out annexe. So, is this stay in northern Queensland more comfortable than the last one.
“Well, at the moment we are taking time out while I have a hip replacement operation,” said David. “But we will eventually head off again heading slowly southwards … we are on an open-ended trip with no plans to stop any time soon.”
* Has an unexpected event ever thrown a ‘hand grenade’ in to your trip plans? Email us here to share your story.
