Camping 2012

 

 

We have just had the most lovely 4 nights away at a campground in Pottsville - about 1 1/2 hours south of Brisbane.  The kids had a ball, the campgrounds were lovely, we had great neighbours (including 2 little girls - 5 & 7) who the kids played with from brekkie til bed time and it was such a nice break.  The only complaint was that it wasnt quite long enough!!

1. From the campground looking up to the ocean.  We swam mostly in the creek/inlet - which the kids later referred to as the 'soft' beach (as opposed to the 'wavey' beach).  The water was pretty shallow, so great for the kids and the tidal movements meant you could walk up to one end of the inlet and float back to where everyone was.  It looks a little brown/grey in this photo but hte water was really really lovely - just the overcast day making it look a little murky.
2. Three happy campers eating brekkie
3. one more very happy camper!  Lucy spent a lot of time in these chairs.  As she is not yet rolling (almost, but not quite) they were a perfect place for her.
4 & 5. First fish!!  Matilda in the first photo and Annabelle in the photo holding the rod.  Very lucky - we had only been there about 10 minutes when they each caught a fish within 5 minutes of each other.  And then nothing more for the next half hour.  And very funny - after reeling in the first fish Matilda dropped the rod and screamed (because the fish was flipping around) which of course created a domino effect and all three girls ran in different directions screaming..... Damian just stood look there looking confused!
6. Olivia building a 'sand' man and a drip castle
7. at the wavey beach! - watching, watching, watching the waves......
8.  ....... and RUN!!  They had so much fun doing this.  The other little girl in the photo is one of the little girls that was next door to us at the park.  After watching and running for about 15 minutes I took all the kids back to the camp ground, we changed and went back for a swim.  Given that the girls wouldnt put their faces under the water 3 months ago I had thought that they probably would be a little apprehensive about the beach.  Couldnt have been more wrong.  They absolutely loved it - jumping in the waves, going deeper and deeper having Damian and I jump them over the waves and then lying down in the shallows looking back to the sand dunes and letting the waves wash over their feet first and up to their heads and then getting tumbled by those waves.  I think Annabelles smile was in place the whole time she was in the water.
9. Bicycle bandits - after playing in the water all day and waiting for dinner - it was bike riding time.  As soon as one kid grabbed their bike, suddenly kids appeared from everywhere with bikes & scooters.
10.  Annabelles first tooth out.