We’ve had a great month visiting family and managed to pack a whole lot in!
We went to Darling harbour in the city for lunch …
… spent a morning on the beach at Dee Why …
… and visited the cafe where Joanna was working.
We also took a ferry from Circular Quay to Taronga and went for a bushwalk to Bradley Head with Jack and Jade.
We spent a week camping at Shoalhaven Heads, a couple of hours south of Sydney, and at the far end of Seven Mile Beach. We took the scenic drive through national forest and along the coast. We were one of six families with a total of 13 youngsters in tow, and Chris and I had a bijou tent with an air mattress so it was almost glamping!
On one side was the stunning beach with lots of big waves but quite a strong undercurrent and rips …
… and on the other the river mouth, ideal for fishing and messing about on the river.
Just nearby is the Coolangatta Estate, the site of the first European settlement on the south coast of NSW and home to the Bigfoot Adventure, a 4WD tractor bus which took us to the top of Coolangatta Mountain giving great panoramas, not surprising as Coolangatta is from an aboriginal word meaning splendid view or good lookout.
We also saw a Diamond Back Python which was being relocated away from the golf course.
We went south to Huskisson and took a boat tour round Jervis Bay, out to Point Perpendicular, past beautiful sandy and almost deserted beaches and some stunning cliffs. We were lucky enough to see two pods of dolphins which was amazing, the first time I’ve seen wild dolphins, so graceful as they leapt out of the water. They also let down a boom net behind the boat for anyone who wanted to cool down.
Chris started a daily photo comp with a few of the youngsters, which snowballed, with practically everyone joining in either as a competitor or a judge becoming a daily highlight and very competitive. Other highlights included the wildlife …
… the sunsets …
… and the doughnut eating contest!
We had fabulous weather for the first 5 days with highs over 30 followed by some rain at night which tested our little tent, but all remained dry. The last 3 days were overcast but at least it was dry to pack up.
We really enjoyed the whole camping experience, especially being blessed with good weather and in such good company, but somehow doubt we will be camping any time soon in chilly drizzly England!
It was Chris’s birthday once we were back and we spent it visiting Bondi Beach then going for a delicious Asian Tapas meal in Cammeray with Jan and John.
We also took some great pictures at Curl Curl on a day when the breakers were huge and the beach closed to swimmers.
Australia Day arrived, and just like the British August Bank Holiday, good weather is certainly not guaranteed. Playing safe, we stayed at home, invited friends over and fired up the barby. The kids swam in the pool in the rain and later we sat in fleeces to keep the chill off but there were plenty of flags and party spirit!
Chris bought tickets to the Asian Cup Final last October and was really pleased when Australia made it to the final. He and Jack went and had a great Aussie experience watching the Socceroos win 2:1 after a tense extra time. Boys came home after midnight tired but happy!
On our last day we went to Manly for lunch.
Afterwards it was time to pack for a morning flight to Auckland. It has been lovely to spend so much time with everyone and we are sad to say goodbye, but New Zealand beckons.
Off Travelling Together 