Yup - we managed to get out the door by about 9:30. That seems to be the earliest we can ever get away and it holds true for wherever we are. I read a 10 fun free things to do in Brisbane today in the newspaper and it mentions to try to get to the waterpark early but notes that getting kids out the door is like herding cats. Yup.
So we left Camperdown (Cyp kept saying "let's move here") and headed back to the coast. Saw some roadkill on the way - two kangaroos and one lorikeet (like a parrot). Have yet to see a live kangaroo hopping around by the side of the road, but have seen four now dead by the side of the road. Can't imagine what that does to your car. Got to the Apostles and there were fewer people and flies (phew). Took lots more pictures and then we were on our way again. We stopped a little further along at a beautiful beach and decided on Sue's advice to hike down the stairs for a swim. Cyp noted the sign that said "don't swim" but I ignored it. I didn't go out far - just chest deep. It was truly beautiful. Sue and Bob didn't stick around because of the flies, but Ellis and Rowan didn't seem bothered by the flies, so we stayed for a bit longer. The beach was in an area of the park that was called lock and gorge. It was a small long bay that had been carved out of the limestone cliffs. Water was beautiful, sand was amazing. Beats the beaches I've seen up near Brisbane by a mile. Ellis was having so much fun - he really has changed around the water. Cyp and I can now take him for horsey rides out in the water. I can't relax so soon was packing us up (I was worried about the sun and the kids - it was high noon and it was a scorcher). Rowan is at that wonderful stage where he thinks it's fun to pull off his hat (he is the same age that Ellis was when we were in Italy and I can remember Ellis pulling off his hat in Vernazza). Both kids are getting quite the tans. Sigh.
Anyway - we found Sue and Bob and their kids in Port Campbell at the town beach (which Ellis later said he liked better). Fewer flies but more people. We stayed for a quick swim but then had to be on our way - it was already close to 3 and we had to drive all the way home. We stopped for take out and somehow lost Sue and Bob. I had taken a wrong turn and they didn't follow me - I decided that they must have gone on so sent out to chase them - drove like a maniac for a bit and then decided that nope - they must have gone somewhere else. Hmmm. No cell coverage in that area. We eventually found each other after about an hour - Bob had to stop to pee and I didn't see his hand signals.
We made it home around 6 - I ran to the store while everyone else unpacked (heh) to get dinner fixings - we decided the kids could have leftovers (not that they would eat anything as they had been snacking all day in the car).
Kids played around in the yard for a while as we got started on New Year's Eve. Kids also discovered pooh corner (faulty septic)? Ok kids - stay away from that corner.
Kids got put to bed, we made dinner - hey that helps keep you up for New Year's - eat like a European. It was pretty late when we finished so we didn't have to wait long till midnight. We watched the fireworks in Sydney (after watching a pretty good lightning storm from Sue's back porch). Had our token glass of champagne and went to bed.
No comments:
Post a Comment