Category Archives: TRAILS – Camping & The Outdoors

Last Breach Trip Before Lockdown

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It was obvious that in the covid-19 world soon a lot of activities that we took for granted would be finished. We drove down to Sale to see the Grandparents for what seemed to be the last time in a while. We made sure we got a trip to the beach in.

It was a lovely day and the wind was minimal, which is saying something for Seaspray.

Maggie had a lot of fun playing in the sand, I taught her protect the stick and she mostly enjoyed running back and forth in the waves and screaming.

Claire (pregnant) mostly lay on the picnic rug with Gaga. Pa and myself splashed around with Maggie and it was a really nice day all around.

 

You can tell Claire took this photo because the horizon isn’t level

Long weekend in Phillip Island

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Myself, Claire, Maggie, Jenny and Dean went down to Phillip Island for the long weekend. Not exactly the sort of camping and boating fun that I usually like to write about, but it was still a good trip outdoors and quite managable with Maggie from a rented house. Brad, Ains, Maddie & Isla went down too and of course Maggie loved being around Maddie and Isla.

Friday was very hot and Maggie and I spent most of the time in the water or playing on the beach. The 36 degree weather was too much for the others.

 

Saturday the cool change had come through and it was raining on and off. We went for a walk along a beach to some caves and Maggie thought it was the best thing ever. She still sings “beach patrol” to the theme of paw patrol. Watching her partipate in it with Maddie and Isla was a lot of fun.

The rest of Saturday was raining but the house was well set up for it and the girls had a lot of fun. We ordered Chinese and Maggie enjoyed her giant bowl of steamed rice. She asked Claire (while sitting around a noisy table of 9) “Mummy, who do I speak to?”

Sunday was the trip back and Brad and I played some mini golf of a terribly run down course while the girls and Dean went to a wildlife park.

Whitehaven with Maggie

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Today was father’s day and it was quite special as we got to got to Whitehaven. I definitely think it’s one of the best beaches in the world.

She was very excited about the boat that had “Tiny Tim the Turtle” on it but she got quite motion sick. We got to see a whale and her calf which was very fun. Apparently the calf is always trying to check the boat out, and the mother herds her away. It has been a ritual for the last three weeks.

As soon as she got to the beach she became herself again. Maggie had an absolute ball, and just loved being able to swim and play in the sand. She was building things and going for a swim and just generally having a ball. What made things ever better was the muffin that she was given (and refused to eat on the boat – a definite sign of motion sickness) that she called “chocolate cake”.

Even funnier was when it was time to go back everyone got a squirt with a blue hose to wash the sand off. Maggie thought this was the highlight of the trip. Of course.

 

Maggie having a swim

 

One of the professional photos

Hamilton Island

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Claire and I have a connection to the Whitsundays, and Hamilton Island with its airport is the most convenient.

We went there from 30 August to 3 September. Maggie was with us and just loved it all – beaches and pools, her two favourite things.

Our view was great, as was our nightly ritual of having a picnic and watching the sun go down around the Islands.

View from our balcony

 

Maggie and I during our picnic and sunset ritual

Paradise Valley 2019

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Easter for another year. Maggie is now a bit over 2, so we were a bit uncertain how camping would go. Once again, the hardest part is to get a decent nap given the temperature on a mild day is blazing hot inside a tent.

However, we went down for two nights which proved to be a great success. It wasn’t long enough for her to get too tired, but it was long enough that she really had a good time.

She played really well with Olive and Paddy, she loved driving Pa’s truck, loved the river, loved sleeping in the tent… loved it all, but especially the Easter Bunny came and gave her some chocolate, which she thought was the best thing ever.


The Campsite
 


The best part of camping