It's a date!

Friday, 10 January 2014

Yorke Peninsula

It was such a shame that our time on the Eyre Peninsula was so cold and windy. We were regretting packing so lightly this year, because an extra jumper each would have been much appreciated. It was certainly a pretty place to visit and we did enjoy our coastal walks and explorations. Although the promise of good fishing got us hooked ;) we quickly realised that our odds were significantly reduced without a boat.

On a little side trip to Coffin Bay.

It was lovely to stop and relax in Port Lincoln and we all felt recharged and ready to see what the Yorke Peninsula might have to offer. It was an easy drive back along to coast towards Port Augusta- we are all so used to long stretches of driving now that 4 hours passes without effort.

We were glad that we decided to stop at Whyalla for lunch because the sun was shining and we felt the love again- no hard feelings Whyalla.

We managed to push on to Port Broughton for the night. We were pretty swift and setting up our campsite so we could head straight back to the jetty for fish and chips for dinner and a go at catching something on the jetty- Joe had fun pulling in lots of little crabs in the net and throwing them back again.

Not sure what might be the best spots to visit on the Yorke Peninsula, we decided to just head south and see what we liked the look of. Ardrossan looked like it might be a good option, since it claimed to be the crab capital, and we set up a little bunker for 3 nights. Our little hidey hole kept us cool and gave us privacy- we were quite comfortable.

There is a blow up boat out there in the distance.

The beach was gorgeous and a good place to sit and keep cool for the day. Our little blow up boat proved good entertainment again and is a perfect way for us to enjoy the water as a family. The rocky beaches made it tricky to get Campbell in and out of the water but he loves bobbing around in the boat while we all swim around him.
We often have lovely offers of help from locals and tourists and Campbell strikes up a conversation with anyone nearby. When I told him yesterday what a gentleman he always is, I was so proud when he flippantly said "oh that's what my teacher alway says". Isn't that lovely??

It is very quiet along this coastline and we are well positioned in Ardrossan to make little day trips. Every little town has a pub, a museum and a caravan park- with very little else. We have loved just sitting back and doing our thing without any need to rush through our day.

Tomorrow we are heading in the direction of Melbourne- so that is all about to change. We are all a bit excited about exploring our favourite places in Melbourne and catching up with friends.

Our poor tent is looking very sad after the beating it took in Whyalla. It will deserve a full make over when we get home with new zippers, bent poles replaced and a really good clean. It has done a great job over the past 5 years and has seen us through some rough nights. We do love our home away from home.

Sunday, 5 January 2014

The truth about camping...

Many people tell me how crazy I am to embark on month long camping adventures every Summer. It's not for every one and I admit to letting some of my previous high standards slip over the years. Regular sweeping of the tent is indeed completely pointless, so I let that one go. A quick sweep every few days is suffice, and more thorough sweeps when faced with hurricanes, generally keeps things ship shape. I will not pretend that a camping trek is the most relaxed type of holiday we could choose- especially when we have a wheelchair to factor in. It is hard work to set up and pack up camp every few days, as well as provide wholesome meals with limited resources. The wind, sand and dirt can get pretty tiresome. These are the things that are all so quickly forgotten when we are home and back into our busy routines. When we are camping we rarely look at a clock, we don't need a school bell to tell us when to eat- our stomachs rule when it is lunch time or dinner time (well in actual fact it is Jonas' stomach that usually decides because he is always STARVING). The times passes quickly, even though we rarely feel like we are doing much. The days blur blissfully as we watch the clouds change shape and colour above our heads. We notice all of the birds and insects (again Joe is usually one pointing this out to the rest of us). I realise with a shock that the children I have been looking at every day have suddenly grown and changed. I stop and really see them. There are so few distractions while we are camping. No TV, no household tasks to be done, no sense of duty. There is stillness during our long drives to stop and think and quiet time to stop and look at life around us while we sit in our camp chairs.

I look at my children and husband and really see them. Really notice their individual strengths and quirks and be grateful for the wonderful men I have in my life.

I can see that Campbell now has one of those chiseled jaw lines that you read about in romance novels- he actually does! He has lost the childhood softness and is now looking very much like a young man. it makes my stomach churn and my eyes fill to realise with pride how far he has come. He still struggles with homesickness but has got so much better at coping with the frequent changes of scenery. Thankfully most little coastal towns have op shops with a supply of books for him to pick from.

In a snapshot moment I can clearly see that Andrew's eyes are the exact colour of the ocean behind him and they really do light up when he smiles. He is the kindest boy who jumps up when Campbell requests a drink Eric and I both have our hands full with other tasks. When I spit my dummy over junk left all over the tent floor he is the first to jump up to help sort out the mess. He is also incredibly intuitive and seems to notice a change in mood long before anyone else. He is quick to show affection and frequently offers random hugs just when you seem to need one.

Jonas' hair has become snowy white in the sunshine and his eager eyes are constantly scanning his surroundings. His long, bronzed limbs seem to have grown again since Christmas. He finds his own adventure at every camp site discovering rocks, shells, insects, birds, crabs and lizards. He shouts out across camp sites to tell us his latest discovery without a second thought to the many ears around him. I wish our family and friends could see the boisterous, energetic boy who bellows out for his brother to join his at the playground. It's not any wonder that he is always so hungry the way he bounds about with arms and legs flying around him. He sleeps well at night :)

My husband reminds me why I love him like I do. He is so patient and tolerant and so very rarely exasperated (the wind at Whyalla may have tested him somewhat). He is never too tired to make yet another trip to the toilet block (with 3 boys I do get off rather lightly) and makes us laugh with silly stories and dumb 'dad' jokes. He even makes me a cup of tea without me even asking. There is no time for us while we are camping, any whisper is noticed and overheard by one of 3 boys and then repeated loudly, for example, 'did you say fish and chips? Yes we want fish and chips!!' We always celebrate our wedding anniversary on the road and my darling husband finds the best champagne he can, no matter how remote our location. I think that is pretty romantic, especially when consumed under a ceiling of stars.

That's camping through our eyes. The wind and sand that we faced only days ago is forgotten because today the sun is shining. The bottle of cordial that was just knocked over will soak into the grass and they will just have to drink water instead. We will take home a new bunch of memories and will probably forget where we were when those memories were made- they will all blur into the camping memory treasure chest and we will continue to tell the stories for years to come.

And this is the view when we wake up in the morning!!!!

Saturday, 4 January 2014

Port Lincoln

With quite a bit of disappointment we left Whyalla behind- I am sure the tail wind got us out of town even faster. The lady at reception took pity on us, and our pathetically droopy, wind blown tent, and made us an offer we couldn't refuse on a cabin for our last night. Ahhhhh the luxury!! It was a beautifully clean 3 bedroom mansion, but perhaps she accidentally forgot how much the usual rates are because it didn't seem to cost very much at all ;) Yet again we find fabulous South Australian helpfulness. It took us the whole day to shake the sand out of the sheets, towels, sleeping bags etc etc etc... Even after sweeping the floor repeatedly for what felt like hours, we still have sand. Every thing in kitchen was washed up and tubs were cleared out. It was still so windy that we couldn't even see below the surface of the water to look for more crabs (though we tried anyway).

Onwards and upwards we went in search for wind-free sunshine. We found it in Port Lincoln- which was our main destination point for this trip. We are smiling again! The water really is this colour:

We haven't really done much yet apart from throwing in a line and bobbing around in the blow up boat. It's quite lovely. We are not sure yet how long we will stay or what else we might discover.

If you look closely you may notice the bobbing boat in the background.

My thoughts remain with my lovely friend and it is very hard to be so far away at the moment. I hope she knows how much love I send her way every day.

Thursday, 2 January 2014

Why, why, why Whyalla?

Oh Whyalla! What sort of greeting is this? Here we are such loyal spruikers of your beauty and seaside offerings. Yes people are frequently shocked to hear us rant on with glowing praise for you- but our two previous visits provided wonderful memories of sunny days, breakfast in the warm waters at high tide, crab hunting followed by dinner to fill the bellies of the glutinous. I am a bit suspicious that your unfriendly reaction to our arrival was ploy to get us out of town and leave the crabs to the locals.

The boys hit the beach immediately and started out into the low tide shallows to explore, I wondered up the the shower block with Campbell while Eric leisurely unpacked the trailer while stopping to admire the view and watch the boys in their explorations. A lovely start...until the wind was switched on...set to full power!! All of the boys scurried to the safety of the car while we fought against the wind to get the tent up. Helpful neighbours rushed over to hold the tent down as the wind attempted to lift it into the air. With sand lashing at our legs and eyes we somehow managed to get pegs in and construct something that vaguely resembled our tent. Then our kindly neighbours realised that their awning was about to bend in the ferocious wind and we had to rush to their aid. The poor lady was lifted off her feet as she tried to hold the frame in place before it buckled.

When we finally joined the boys in the safety of the car our faces were caked with sand, our ears, noses, mouths and eyes were full of sand and we were bitterly disappointed with you Whyalla- this is not how we remembered you!!

Proudly stands our tent, despite your efforts, and we have not been discouraged! We enjoyed our feast of crabs tonight and Eric & Joe had a wonderful time finding them in the sunny, warm afternoon low tides. HA!! The wind is persistent. The tent is full of sand- everywhere!! We can't cook or eat outside, but the camp kitchen serves us well. We will remain grateful that while the wind billows through our tent and flaps and slaps all night, the frequent threat of rain is quickly blown away. Oh no- you will not dampen our spirits! In fact we are looking forward to our crab dinner again tomorrow night!

The sand caked effect.

I did the first stint as the Wet'n'wild ride operator, but of course there is no photographic evidence of this. Trust me- I was very exciting and Campbell managed to fit into the boat too for my shift.

New Year

The boys were all very excited to celebrate the arrival of 2014 in our typically sedate but happy fashion. Sparklers were purchased, special treats at the ready and a movie selected to watch under the stars. Hahndorf remained quiet and peaceful with nothing but cicadas and kookaburras to cheer on the start of the new year. There was a brief spattering of fireworks nearby around midnight and that was as exciting as it got.

It was a heavy heart that I saw the new year roll over. I am feeling very sad for a dear friend for whom 2014 was to be full of the best kind of joy- it is most unfair that it has been ripped away from her. It was hard to celebrate the coming of the new year when I knew how she would be grieving and she is still in my thoughts constantly.

We were set to leave Adelaide on the 1st to see what new adventures we might find, but here is some of the fun we had before we left:

Jonas certainly appreciates the outdoor experience most of all- rocks to find, bugs to hunt, ducks to feed...

Meanwhile, some of us enjoy the quiet time to relax...

The breakfast menu planned by Joe for the first day of 2014 was a stroke of genius! Thanks Joe :)

Sunday, 29 December 2013

Summer trek 2013-2014

Off we go again, seeking adventure and sunshine.

This year there are no set plans, we are just ready to see what the road unfolds. We are heading in the direction of Whyalla (our happy place full of wonderful memories) and we hope to find some new happy memories along our way.

Our first stop was Hay- a long chunk of driving time out of the way and we were grateful to rest our heads and kick on the next day. Mildura is always a lovely sunny spot to stop and we decided to enjoy a 2 day stop over. The 42 degree heat was spent under the shade of a grand old tree and by the river. We found a lovely spacious spot by the river to pitch the tent and recover from the Christmas busyness. The majestic Murray never ceases to take our breath away and there are many opportunities to catch a glimpse along the road towards Adelaide. Another picnic lunch on the banks of the river broke up our rather long trip into Hahndorf- we suspect the GPS took us along the scenic route ;/

We were very happy to arrive in our favourite campsite in Hahndorf- The Hahndorf Resort (they use the term RESORT fairly generously) offers lots of space, lovely views and it's always so quiet. The showers here are not great and certainly not wheelchair friendly so we use our solar shower here and it works perfectly with all of the extra space we have. We always look forward to visiting our favourite German Pub for a big meal of sausages and pretzels (I opt for something a little less meaty) and we are never disappointed.

Today we made the short drive into Adelaide city to see the zoo (3rd year in a row for Jonas) and wander along Rundle Mall. We always love the walk through the Botanic Gardens and lunch under the trees. We all love Adelaide. The lack of traffic is so novel! Free parking in the street was also pretty special. We are all blissfully exhausted after finding several comic book shops, a second hand book shop with a 'Monty Python' classic for Campbell and two stops at a lovely coffee shop for me ;)

It's no wonder we have fallen so in love with Adelaide. Every time we visit the sun is shining and the temperature perfect. I found myself in a 'old lady' moment today when I stopped by Hungry Jack's just to make a special mention of the 'lovely young man'....yes really....I must be getting old to come out with that one and it slipped through my lips before I could stop myself!!! Anyway a lovely young man in a Hungry Jack's uniform stopped to open the door to the toilet for Campbell and I and was just so sweet. How could I not pass on our joy for his respectful gesture?! I hope he gets the employee of the month badge for that. Not only that but when I went into Telstra to recharge our portable wifi I actually got fabulous customer service!!! From TELSTRA!!! So Julian at Adelaide City Telstra we salute you. Even though they offer no courtesy phones at Telstra anymore (can you believe how ridiculous that is) and I was not able to recharge using my phone because it is not a 'telstra phone' the fabulous Julian did the unthinkable and went out of his way to sort it out for me. Hurrah to Julian!!! Campbell is now significantly more relaxed knowing he has access to wifi and Julian has made our very long road trip so much more enjoyable. So that's 3 mentions for Julian and he deserves them all.

Ohh Adelaide you never fail to delight us and it is no wonder we have now come to visit three summers in a row.

Drew is helping set up the tent while Jonas heads off looking for bugs. Some may say it looks like he is using the tree for a quick wee..... that will be the story we stick to for his 21st birthday.

Hahndorf.

Where's our giant pretzels!!!!

Adelaide University and Campbell smiling for a photo!!

Monday, 9 December 2013

Christmas Advent

This year we got this advent calendar from Kikki K:

My sister, being a sticky beak like she is, enjoys keeping up with her much loved nephews and has been requesting daily advent updates. So I will update the blog every day just for you Auntie Kylie xx

Day 1: the grand unveiling! The first gift to unwrap was our usual supermarket chocolate calendar.

Day 2: a box of candy canes to hang on the tree.