NICOLA McCAFFERTY fulfils her dream of a road tour with friends and samples Dartmouth's delights in the south Devon area

WHEN I finished my last year of school, my friends and I had big plans to chip in to buy an old VW campervan and travel Europe. It was supposed to be our last big adventure together before we buckled down to work, but then I was offered a job opportunity too good to miss and had to ditch my plans.

So when I was asked, nearly seven years later, if I fancied a weekend with friends exploring south Devon in a campervan, I jumped at the chance.

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I arrived in the sleepy town of Newton Abbot with six friends and our transport, a pale-green, split-screen campervan, slowly chugged around the corner.

"Kissinger" was a 43-year-old beauty with a cream roof and shining chrome badge. The refurbished interior was immaculate with comfy, white leather bench seats and kitsch flowery curtains. Despite our fondness for Kissinger, we were relieved not to be sleeping in the camper as it would have been more than a tight squeeze.

My friend Helen was keen to get behind the wheel and, after a cough and a splutter, we were off, the engine humming as we trundled down narrow, winding roads between rolling, patchwork hills.

We arrived at the bustling waterside town of Dartmouth where pretty, brightly painted homes line the water's edge.

One of the nicest ways to experience the town is to stay on a luxury boat moored in the harbour. So leaving Kissinger in the car park, we headed along the jetty to StaysAfloat, a collection of self-catering, moored yachts. I was the first to board our 40ft Fairline motor cruiser "Shesgoneaway", gingerly climbing the tricky ladder on to the sun deck.

Sliding French doors led into a stylish living room, with a corner sofa and flatscreen TV.

Beyond the yacht's steering wheel and kitchenette were the cabins, each decorated in a nautical theme. After a shower, I settled into my comfortable circular double berth to watch the anchored yachts bobbing gently on the calm water.

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I awoke the next day to the smell of bacon butties and discovered Leonie, who had found her sea legs despite her initial worries, cooking breakfast. Fed and watered, we piled back into Kissinger and headed for Go Ape! , a high-wire adventure playground in Haldon Forest a 30-minute drive away.

It's a lot of fun but if you fear heights, as I do, it's terrifying, despite the reassurance of the instructors. I tried to ignore the butterflies fluttering furiously in my stomach, attached my safety harness and chose to go first. Hanging from a 46ft-high zip-wire crossing, I tried to forget the drop and focused instead on the view, a beautiful, deep rocky valley surrounded by a forest of lush green conifers.

After completing the course we set off on a 40-minute drive through the rolling hills of the South Hams to Kitley House Hotel on a 500-year-old estate in Yealmpton. As we sank into snug armchairs, staff refuelled us with platters of huge scones with clotted cream, strawberries and jam while we relaxed, overlooking the estate's 600 acres of pasture and woodland.

With bellies full and colour back in our cheeks, Kissinger carried us south to nearby Carswell Farm Cottages, near Plymouth.

Having been contained in a van and a boat for 24 hours, we were ready for a bit more space and were delighted to be spending the night in Corner Cottage. A modern five-bedroom property in neutral creams with wooden beams, it boasts floor-to-ceiling views of the surrounding valley.

I even managed a relaxing soak in a Victorian-style roll-top bath.

Later, at The Ship Inn in the pretty waterside village of Noss Mayo on the River Yealm, we indulged ourselves again with large glasses of local cider and enormous plates of fresh scampi and chunky chips.

Exhausted, I sat at the pub's window seat to watch as sailors moored their boats. Gazing further down the road I could just make out the soft, green glow of our VW campervan.

I raised a toast to Kissinger, the loveable old girl that had helped me fall hook, line and sinker for Devon's charms.

THE KNOWLEDGE:
First Great Western (0845 700 0125/www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk) offers return tickets from London Paddington to Newton Abbot from £12.50pp.

O'Connors Campers (01837 659599/ www.oconnorscampers.co.uk) offers seven days campervan hire from £375.

StaysAfloat (0800 098 8231/www.staysafloat.com) offers seven days boat hire from £1,260 (sleeps six).

Carswell Cottages (01752 830020/www.carswellcottages.com) offers seven days at Corner Cottage from £520 (sleeps 10).

Visit Devon: 01626 215667/www.visitdevon.co.uk