Queenscliff 2015 - Day 4

I was able to get up early on my own again and head down to the beach. Having swum there a few times now I felt more confident and was able to go in a bit further and relax a lot more in the water. Another beautiful, refreshing, exhilarating swim. I also took some photos and really enjoyed my morning alone on the beach. I felt that my knee was up to the walk around the headland - the tide was too high however and I didn't fancy walking through water so I chose not to try this time.

Early morning at the beach

Rocks near the rock pools

Back at the house we were due to drop the keys back to the real estate agent by 10am, so the morning was spent packing, having breakfast and cleaning up. We got everything done pretty much on time and then spent a bit more time out the front of the house saying good bye and not really wanting to leave. I had a flat battery so that slowed us down a little while we pushed my car out of the driveway and jump started it. Mum and Dad headed off to catch the 11am ferry across to Sorrento, and the rest of us drove down to the beach for one last swim. It was warm and sunny again, a beautiful morning to be on the beach. Millie spent a lot of time digging in the sand and running around near the water's edge, the other 2 and I swam a fair bit, and chatted and with F and played with T in and out of the water. The others headed off once T had had enough, and we stayed a bit longer, really getting the most out of our time at the coast.

Eventually we went back to the car and changed out of our swimming gear, then went into town to the lolly shop which we'd been waiting for all trip. The kids each filled a large paper bag with their own selection of lollies, and I got a few for Tony and I to share - it was a very joyous time and the lady in the shop loved watching how excited they were as they chose their lollies and chocolates and filled up their bags.

On the way out of Queenscliff we stopped at the Marine Discovery Centre - and found it wasn't open to the public at this time of year. There was a little walk we could do around the back of it so we walked along there for a while - it was hot in the sun, but there were interesting signs to look at and a bit of a view across the bay. Back around the front of the centre the kids wanted to look in the foyer of the business side of the centre, so we went in and they found some fishing charts - for determining what size of each species it was ok to catch and which fish should be returned to the water. They took a copy of those and spent a lot of time in the car examining the pictures of the fish.

We continued out of town and stopped to have a look at a few caravan parks (we might be staying down this way again in February) and at the Adventure Park near Geelong (which we will definitely be visiting in February) then stopped for lunch at Subway on the way out of Geelong. We had a relaxing lunch, everyone got exactly what they wanted, then back in the car for an uneventful trip back home from there, arriving around 4.30 and able to settle in for a quiet afternoon at home.

Queenscliff 2015 - Day 3

Tony left very early (before 6am) to get the ferry back across to Sorrento and drive up to work - it was sad to say goodbye and have the rest of the holiday without him there, the kids all missed him too. I was the first one up again but didn't want Millie to come out to an empty kitchen if she woke early, so I didn't go out my own today. Mum and Dad got up and went for a walk, and when Millie did wake up she and I went out for a wander. It was quite cold - we actually went back to the house to get pants and a jacket for her, and I was wearing a jacket as well. Such a change compared to 24 hours earlier.

Millie rode her scooter and we went up to the park looking over the tugboats and across to the ferry terminal. We walked down the steps and out onto the tug jetty a little way, and explored the sand for a while, then the cold wind and the bits of rain that were falling on and off sent us back home. We spent the early part of the morning playing Uno Spin and running up and down the verandah with T, having breakfast, reading, doing puzzles. Mum, F and I went down the street and had a coffee, then Mum wandered off to explore more shops and F and I stayed and chatted for a while.

Millie walking down the 100 steps to the beach

It really doesn't look like summer in this shot!

Riding her scooter in the maze, with 'our' house in front of her

The kids had missed out on ice cream the day before (they were going to go after bowls, but the shop was shut by then), so as soon as we could see that it was open the kids and I went over and each bought a choc sprinkle waffle cone with 2 scoops. We walked down to the playground near the ferry terminal and the kids played while they ate their ice creams. When we got back Caitlin and I went next door to the op shop and found a huge pile of clothes for her, and some last minute christmas presents, and a snow cone maker!

In the afternoon I made snow cones for everyone which was a bit exciting. The weather was slowly warming up, so we started to get ready to head back to the beach. Millie really wanted to wear a skirt and I hadn't packed one, so she and Caitlin and I went to the op shop down the far end of the street and she found a beautiful skirt and shirt set. The staff also gave the girls some santa candle holders for free, they were pretty happy. We picked LiAM up on our way back past the house and went down to the beach for more swimming and running and digging in the sand and exploring the rock pools a bit. After our trip to the beach the kids each had a spa bath after negotiating who would go first, 2nd and 3rd (balancing desire to get in and have the spa, with the knowledge that whoever went last would probably get to be in there longer).

For tea we had a couple of family sized gourmet pies which were delicious. Afterwards we played Wits End again, with Mum and Caitlin joining in as well, it was a lot of fun.

Running on the beach

Queenscliff 2015 - Day 2

I was awake earlier than anyone else so I headed down to the beach early - it was already 30 degrees when I left the house just before 7am. The beach was beautiful, and the water not too cold, and I had a wonderful morning swim completely by myself. I swam in the area enclosed by rocks on 2 sides, which I remembered from last year, but I was a little nervous about undertow and there was a strong current pulling to the left (away from the area that went out to deeper water) so I was very careful when I was in there. After I had swum for long enough I thought about going for a walk around the headland, but my knee was still quite sore so I figured I'd be better to take it easy and just head home.

There were a few other people up when I got back, and the girls came out after a while. We had a leisurely morning - F cooked some eggs and ham, people had breakfast when they felt like it, I played Uno Spin with the kids and we all played with T. Mum and Dad decided to go for a walk to the beach and Caitlin went with them so she could have a swim. Once LiAM got out of bed I got all our stuff ready and he and Millie and I headed down as well. We met Mum and Dad coming back, so Caitlin turned around and came back to the beach with us. F and T joined us for a little while also. The tide was much lower than when I'd been there earlier in the morning and there were sections of very shallow water with sandbanks in between them, and still lots of deep enough water to swim in. Caitlin and I swam a lot and LiAM was in and out. Millie mainly played on the sand although came in a few times - not very far on her own, and was happy for me to carry her in a bit deeper.

LiAM and Millie started to build a sandcastle with a moat around it, in between two of the channels of water. I joined in and we made it big enough that when Millie sat behind it we couldn't see her at all from the other side! Caitlin helped as well and it was a huge, fun project. I was lying in the shallow water when we saw the Spirit of Tasmania come past, which we'd been hoping to see. We watched it go out through the heads - and then we were hit with the wave caused by it going past - from where I was lying on the sand it looked huge although it wasn't really. It came up past our sandcastle and destroyed our moat a fair bit, but the castle held! It was quite exciting.

Eventually we headed back to the house - just as Tony arrived at the beach. Caitlin stayed with him for a while. We hung around the house and had lunch, played games and so on. Mum and Fi took Caitlin down the street to look at the op shops and some other interesting shops. Mum and Dad went for a drive to Point Lonsdale, and Tony and I went for a walk down the street, checking out the op shop, one or two of the vintage shops and having a coffee. It was lovely to have the chance to go out alone and wander at our own pace. The weather had changed by now too, no longer hot and sunny, but much cooler and with the threat of rain. The kids had wanted to go back down to the beach but it got quite windy too, not really beach weather. Tony and Dad played a cricket card game for a good chunk of the afternoon.

In the evening Caitlin cooked spaghetti bolognese for everybody, which was delicious. Tony had suggested we go down to the bowling club for barefoot bowls - I felt my knee wasn't up to it, so Mum, Tony and the kids went and played and had a great time. Dad, Fi, James and I started to play a board game called Wit's End - kind of like Trivial Pursuit, but with more brain teasing questions. It was hard, and a lot of fun. After a while Dad, Fi and I went for a walk down to the beach to see the sunset, where we were met by the others after their bowls game. Back at the house LiAM went straight to bed and the rest of us played a few more games, then headed off ourselves.

Sunset