Ocean Grove Trip

I hadn't done much preparation for our camping trip (we've been quite busy lately, and I'd just spent the weekend in Sydney for my sister-in-laws 40th), so we packed our clothes the night before, I put the awning canvases and the tarps back on the trailer the night before, then we did the rest on the Tuesday morning before we left and were away by 11. We got petrol and came back for a few things we'd forgotten, then were properly on the way by 11.30.

I stopped just out of Geelong because I was feeling pretty tired. I had a snack and walked around a bit, then the kids got frozen slushies from Hungry Jacks and we bought some fruit and veg from a little shop at the roadhouse. We continued on and reached Ocean Grove a bit after 2.

3 of the other homeschooling families we were camping with were already there, and another family joined us each day then went home of a night (they only live half an hour away). I set up the tent while the kids played with their friends, then the kids all did the watermelon challenge - putting rubber bands around a watermelon until it explodes. The top of the melon cracked and popped open and it felt like a bit of a let down, so the kids kept putting rubber bands on even though we thought it probably wouldn't explode now that the pressure had been let out. They put a few more on and it suddenly exploded upwards, covering one of the girls completely in watermelon and hitting everyone else, and spreading many metres out from the blast zone. It was hilarious and a lot of fun.

The kids rode their bikes and played in the playground and after a while LiAM and another boy went over to the beach (his mum and I went too). They built a big wall with a hole behind it that they tried to keep filled with water, as the tide was coming in the waves were filling the hole and knocking down the wall and things became more challenging. It was cold and windy on the beach, quite grey. The boys had a lot of fun and came home a little bit wet and very happy. The boy's family went home after we got back, they were only staying the one night as they had things on for the rest of the week, so LiAM was a little disappointed that his friend had left, although we will see them again soon.

I went to the shops to get food for dinner, we had hotdogs for tea in the camp kitchen. The others were around too, getting their own dinner and we chatted and played. After tea Caitlin went for a walk to the beach with the older girls, and the rest of us went to bed and read for a while, Caitlin came in not long afterwards.

It was sprinkling in the morning and I hadn't put the annex up because I thought it wasn't going to rain. I moved things that I didn't want to get wet and went to the camp kitchen for my cup of tea. Gradually everyone else woke up and wandered to the kitchen and we had breakfast, the kids played games and we had a nice easy morning as the weather cleared up. There was more playing in the playground and lots of bike riding, then in the late morning we all headed over to the beach. It was sunny by now, but the wind was still pretty cold. 2 of the older kids went out surfing, and I went in the water with my 3 kids and Amelie's friend. It was very cold, and the 2 younger girls soon went back to play in the shallow waves at the edge. Caitlin, LiAM and I went out a lot further - it was shallow for a very long way and the waves weren't big, it was fairly easy surf to swim in, just really really cold. The kids had wetsuits on so they coped with it a bit better than me. Eventually I felt like my reflexes were getting a bit slower because I was so cold so I went back and sat on the sand in the sun to warm up. The kids played in the sand and after a while Caitlin went back in with the older kids and was able to go out further to where the water was a bit deeper (and it wasn't as rough there as I'd feared). They had a go at boogie boarding but the waves weren't quite right.

Amelie had had enough of the sand after a while so she went back to camp with some of the others. Her friend's mum had brought kites along, and LiAM and the other younger kids flew them on the beach for a while, the wind was strong and the kites flew really well. We wandered back to camp and had some lunch, the kids played in the playground and rode their bikes and the mums sat and chatted. In the afternoon we went strawberry picking at a local farm, the strawberries were fresh and delicious and it was a lot of fun. Afterwards LiAM sat with me and the other mums and dipped all his strawberries in cream - very enjoyable.

We all had dinner together that night, a few of us went to get roast chickens and hot chips, and we had a bit of salad and stuff too and we all ate in the camp kitchen together (it was really well equipped, and had lots of little tables and a great big table which fit most of us around it (there were 13 people altogether). After dinner Millie's friends went to bed, and once it got dark the rest of us walked over to the beach to see if we could see the Aurora Australis - it was supposed to be a good night for it but it was cloudy and so not possible to see anything. The kids had a play on the sand in the dark and it was cool to be there watching the surf and the night sky. When we got back Amelie and I wandered off soon afterwards, everyone else went back to the kitchen for a games night and played cards and other games until about midnight.

It was raining again in the morning, a bit more heavily this time, so again I had my cup of tea in the kitchen and the others wandered in one by one. We had breakfast then played Racing Demons, which the kids had learnt the night before. After a while we switched to playing Burn, and some of the others joined us. Amelie went to play with her friends in the playground, and everyone else played Burn for a few rounds (9 of us) which was a lot of fun.

By now it was midday and quite sunny again. We all went over to Barwon Heads to get ice-cream - it was delicious! We wandered around the shops for a while, while Millie and her friends went to the playground, then the rest of us met them there. The playground was right on the river, overlooking the bridge between Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove, a beautiful spot to play. Caitlin and LiAM explored the sandbanks in the river then LiAM and I walked back into town so he could buy something from the bakery.

The older kids wanted to go to the lolly shop in Ocean Grove, and Amelie chose to stay with her friends on the condition we could go to the lolly shop again tomorrow. Caitlin and LiAM selected their lollies and I grabbed a few too, then we headed back to camp (with one of the other boys in our car, he'd been with us all day). The mums sat and chatted again at our campsite while the kids rode their bikes and climbed trees, and when Amelie and the others came back they played in the playground.  The others (except Amelie's friends) were leaving this afternoon so they finished packing up then we talked at the car while the big kids rode their ripsticks.

LiAM wasn't feeling well and had a nap and Caitlin crashed on the couch in the kitchen once everyone else had left. I cooked some dinner and the kids played, LiAM had a shower and then joined us as well. We had a relatively early night and read Harry Potter for a while.

It was sunny on our last morning so I went for a quick walk near the edge of the river then had my cup of tea at the tent. As the kids woke up they had breakfast then they went down to the kitchen to play cards while I packed up. Amelie's friend's Mum packed up as well, then she took all the kids down to the other playground while I finished off. We all met in the kitchen for lunch and then headed off. We drove over to Portarlington to the lolly shop there and met up with the family who'd been coming over each day. We bought our lollies then sat outside at a cafe with them in the warm sun and had the most magnificent milkshakes we've ever tasted. I reversed the trailer out of the tricky spot that I had parked in (feeling much more confident about my reversing now) and we headed to Geelong where we called in to see Amelie's friends again. The kids all had a wonderful afternoon playing with all their games and activities and I had more time to chat to their mum. We left around 6.30 which meant we missed the traffic on the Ring Road and had an easy trip home, arriving just after 8.30.

Lorne Homeschool Camp 2016 - Day 3

Once again LiAM and Caitlin were up early, and went down to the beach to see the early sunlight on the water. They found another homeschooler down there practicing her violin, and they sat on a rock and listened to her while they watched the waves. I had a cup of tea and read my book. Amelie slept for a while longer, and got herself up and dressed before she came out of the tent. While I was eating my breakfast a lady walked past who I wanted to introduce myself to, so I abandoned my toast and ran out to meet her - Asphyxia, who has created the online Auslan course the kids and I are doing. I knew she'd arrived at camp the night before so I'd been practicing my signing so that I could introduce myself and tell her we loved her course. She was really lovely and came and met the kids, the girls both signed to her as well, Caitlin introduced herself and Amelie said 'pink' so they talked about Amelie's pink flamingo towel and she showed us the sign for flamingo. We chatted for a little while and it wasn't as hard as I was worried it might be, I was so glad I'd gone to say hello. When she left I turned around to see my toast being stolen by a cockatoo - he sat up in the tree above our site and fought off all his friends who wanted to share it with him...

Sunrise

After breakfast LiAM went over to K's tent and I hung around and read my book some more. I also introduced myself to a few more of the families who were camping near us, we were all feeling more comfortable after a few days in the area. Caitlin went for a walk with M, and after a while Amelie's new friend A came past and said they were going to the playground, so we joined them there. K and his other friends were going up to the main playground in town, so LiAM went with them. After a while Amelie and I, and A and her family decided to join them - we got there just as they were about to leave. They stayed for a little while and chatted with us, then LiAM went back with them and Amelie and I headed home soon after - and everyone agreed to head back up to the flagged beach for a swim after lunch.

We had some lunch and then one by one (or in groups) basically the whole homeschool camp moved up to the main beach. It was cool all being together, without everyone having to get there at the same time (so it wasn't stressful to organise). The waves were bigger today, but LiAM and Caitlin had no problem with them. Amelie mainly played on the beach with A and her brother, and I spent some time talking to A's Mum, and some time in the water with LiAM and K. K had a boogie board, and his Mum had one for a while which I then borrowed - it's been 25 years or so since I rode a boogie board, and I thought I'd be too scared to drop down the face of a wave that was about to break. I was right, at first I was trying the waves that had already broken, and was able to occasionally go a little way - eventually I did try one (not a big one) that was about to break, and did have a little tiny drop down the front of it, and made it all the way in to shore!!! It was very exciting, and extremely tiring. I handed the board over to one of the dads at that point, I was happy to go out on a successful ride. I took Millie in to the surf for a little while, she was OK with me carrying her in and holding her very tight. She got splashed a bit and was a little scared but enjoyed it for a while. I was worried that her extra weight might push me over with a bigger wave, so I was pretty careful and it was fun. She was happy to go back and play in the edge of the waves after that, and went out a little further than she had been. Caitlin and M were way out near the back of the break again, and LiAM was happy to go further than he had been before - it was exciting for me to see them all becoming more comfortable with beach/surf swimming, as it's something that I've always loved so much and I'm happy to be able to share it with them.

Amelie and A buried their mother's feet in the wet sand again - not as high as the bigger girls the day before, and a bit closer to the edge of the water so it kept getting washed away - they had fun and we were happy standing there chatting. I talked to Asphyxia again and her son helped me a bit with the boogie boarding. It was an incredibly beautiful and enjoyable afternoon. We had to keep moving our stuff further up the beach as the tide came in, which created a bit of amusement and panic at times. I think we were there for a few hours, the kids had so much fun in the water and really didn't want to leave until they were completely exhausted. One by one families headed back to the campsite. LiAM and Amelie and I eventually wandered back, and Caitlin came later with M.

We got changed and I left the kids playing in the tent and went over to the shops to get more milk, and some noodles for Caitlin's tea, and a couple of other things. I kept running into people to chat to on the way, and I did get there eventually. I walked home in the other direction, down the side of the river and over the bridge, which I hadn't done before - at this evening hour the water was clear and reflecting perfectly, it was so beautiful (and I didn't have my camera with me!). For tea Amelie had an egg and ham omelette, Caitlin had noodles in a cup, I had fried eggplant and LiAM had a ham sandwich - everyone was happy and it was all easy to prepare. E and M came and sat with us and we talked about Maths and books and camping and all sorts of things. Caitlin by this stage had also met some of the other 11 year girls at camp, so they decided to try and join the teens party that was happening that night, I said that was OK if they stayed around the campsite, so they happily went off with M to do that.

Our tent and associated swimming gear

Amelie and LiAM played on the computer for a while and E and I talked until we were tired enough to call it a night, so we went to bed. Amelie and LiAM went to bed quickly, I waited up for Caitlin who came in a bit after 11 having had an awesome time at the party. She wanted to go back for a little while so I said another half an hour, and she came in very happily just before midnight.

Lorne Homeschool Camp 2016 - Day 2

I woke a few times in the night thinking that it was morning - then realised that there was a street light not far from our tent, and I'm used to sleeping in a much darker environment. LiAM and Caitlin woke early and went for a walk down to see the beach (and found a dead crab) and then had a wander around the campsite. Amelie and I woke up to what sounded like raining but was actually cockatoos on our tent - and all over our table, finishing off the remains of the chocolate bavarian which I had forgotten to put in the bin. Amelie played in the tent while I sat outside and had a cup of tea and read my book (Enders Game - fantastic! Better than the movie, which I really loved). 

Caitlin went over to the Foodworks to get a few more supplies for breakfast (Amelie wanted crumpets, Caitlin wanted yoghurt), and we ate at our table. Caitlin took our 4 year old sandcastle friend to the playground, and Amelie had a bit of a play there too once I said I'd stay and watch. M arrived after breakfast and she and Caitlin went for a walk up the street to browse the shops and buy ice cream. LiAM, Amelie and I went down to the beach, Amelie played on the sand and LiAM and I went in the water, it was so much fun swimming with him. The waves were smallish again, but enough to feel like we were in the ocean. At one point I saw a shadow in the water (we had been watching out for crabs as someone saw one in the shallow water the day before, and there was a bit of seaweed around too) and realised it was a stingray swimming parallel to the shore, straight towards us!!! I grabbed LiAM and pointed it out, and we stared it for a few seconds, then as it got close to us it turned and headed out to sea, and we turned and ran into shore, hearts pounding, and laughing and laughing. It was exciting and scary and exhilarating and very cool! 

We were going to head back to the tent, when LiAM's friend K, and Caitlin and M and her Mum E came down to the beach, so we went in the water again. LiAM was quite nervous and didn't want to stay in very long, and I found myself watching shadows a fair bit as well. I got out and was talking to E at the waters edge, and the girls buried our legs up to our knees in wet sand - it was a bit tricky getting out, they did quite a thorough job.

We went back to the campsite and LiAM and I played cards in the tent, then he went to find K, and Amelie and I played cards. LiAM came back and we had some lunch, (I had toasted sandwiches on the camp stove - delicious), and when Caitlin came back we got ready and went up the street to have an ice-cream. Everyone was feeling a bit flat so a walk and a treat was just what we needed. On the way I ran into another homeschooler I have met before, and we introduced our kids to each other. She has an 8 year old girl, A, who likes similar games to Amelie, so we agreed we'd get them together for a play later on during the camp.

We bought LiAM some new thongs, then went to the Stone Cold IceCreamery, where they add little extra bits to the ice cream if you want them too. I said I would buy one scoop and one add on each, and LiAM decided to pay for an extra scoop and 2 extra add ons himself - he had boysenberry and english toffee scoops, with kit kits, peppermint aero bar, and flake. He was very happy with his selection. Caitlin had raspberry sorbet with popping candy, Amelie had rainbow with nerds, and I had Baileys and Scorched Almond with Peppermint Crisp. We went across the road to the main playground and ate them there - LiAM and I sat at the table and ate our cups, the girls ate their cones while they played. We stayed and played for a while, then walked back to camp via the beach. On the way we met M and E, so walked with them, and decided to come back up to this main beach where the flags were, for a swim.

Ice Cream on an elephant seal

So back to camp (with a small backtracking walk for me as I'd dropped one of Amelie's shoes on the sand and wanted to go back and find it before the waves got it - which was a good choice, as I had dropped it near the water's edge, and up ahead I saw a lady pick it up and move it above the tide line, very thoughtful) and then into our swimming gear and back down to the main beach. The waves were bigger here, and it took LiAM a little longer to get used to the waves - he came in with me and at first stayed quite shallow then moved out further as he got more confident. He was happier swimming here with more people too as he felt there was less chance of a stingray coming in close to a crowd. Caitlin and M went out past the break which they said was pretty awesome. I swam with LiAM for a while and dug in the sand with Amelie for a while and talked to E for a while. Amelie had her shovel and rake and some buckets this time so digging and creating sandcastles was even easier.

Once the younger 2 had had enough we went back to camp and the kids played the computer in the tent, everyone was exhausted again. Caitlin came back with the others when they were done, and we decided to get fish and chips and eat together. We left all the kids at our tent and E and I walked up the street to buy the food - we met some other homeschoolers on the way and walked with them to the far end of the main street, then walked back down to the fish and chip shop we'd been looking for. It was crazily expensive, and we walked back up the street to see what the others were like - all very expensive, ($9 each for a piece of fish or a plain hamburger) so eventually we went back to the first one and got our food there, then back to the kids and ate at our table overlooking the river.

LiAM went inside to play the computer, Amelie snuggled up with me and then went inside after a while, and Caitlin and M chatted with E and I for a while, then decided that perhaps they could go and sit with the teen group, who were playing music across from us. They went for a while but didn't find it very interesting and people didn't really speak to them, so they called it a night. We were all in bed a bit earlier this night, a full day outside and lots of time at the beach was quite tiring.

Point Leo Trip

Tony's cousin asked us last week if we would like to join them camping for the Melbourne Cup long weekend, as they had a spare campsite available. The kids had Halloween plans for the Saturday night - Caitlin had been invited to a party and the other 2 had been looking forward for months to trick-or-treating in Yarra Glen - so we decided to head down on Sunday morning and stay for 2 nights. It was a very exciting invitation as Millie has been asking to go on holidays and we'd thought about camping for Cup weekend but figured we'd left it to late to find anywhere with vacancies.

Last week Tony had had a lot of trouble with his eyes, and on Friday afternoon he'd gone to Emergency to see if he could do something about them (the treatment his GP had suggested hadn't worked). We ended up taking him in to the Eye and Ear hospital in the city, and not getting home until 1am. So on Saturday we were all pretty tired and in a bit of a daze, and not much holiday preparation got done. Saturday evening was Halloween and the kids all had a great time. We came home and watched The Empire Strikes Back until I fell asleep, which still left most of the preparation for Sunday morning.

Having the camper trailer permanently half ready meant that there wasn't quite so much to do, most of our camping supplies were already packed. We got away before midday and arrived at the campsite around 1.30. The kids went down to the beach with the others while Tony and I set up the tent. We spent the afternoon between the beach and the campsite - with 4 adults there was always someone available to take kids to the beach or wherever they wanted to go, and someone to stay with those who wanted to hang out at the campsite, so it was a very relaxing way to spend the weekend. Not any stress or pressure for anyone to do things or be places they didn't want to be.

Our campsite was at the top of the sand dunes, right near the beach, although the dunes were covered in thick trees and bushes so we couldn't see the water - we could hear it though, especially at night. The waves seemed to be crashing so loudly, I was always surprised at how small they were when I went down to the beach. It was only a couple of hundred metres walk to the beach access, down a long flight of stairs, and once there we could swim, play in the sand dunes, or at low tide, explore the rocks.

The kids found some pathways through the sand dunes further down the beach and spent a lot of time playing in their 'hideout' on Sunday afternoon and Monday morning. It seemed pretty cool - a really awesome holiday memory I would say. The others had a kite and LiAM spent some time flying it one afternoon when it was cold and windy. The girls had built a big hole to shelter from the wind and all 5 kids were in and out of that. The girls also went swimming - I'd been in on Sunday afternoon but gave it a miss on Monday as it was pretty chilly. The others had little surfboards and Caitlin regularly borrowed one and did a lot of body boarding which she really enjoyed. Millie ran in and out of the edge of the waves and really loved it.

The boys in the big hole dug by the big girls, Caitlin body boarding, Millie running up and down the sand

On Monday morning I took the girls down to the beach before breakfast. It was cold and wet and we didn't have much time before food was ready, so we played around the edge of the rocks for a little while, then headed back for pancakes, bacon and eggs. After that delicious start to the day I went back to the beach with LiAM and Caitlin and we explored the rocks and rock pools. The rain was icy and my hands were frozen, and the water in the rock pools felt so warm in comparison. After a while the rocks stopped feeling uncomfortable on our bare feet because they were numb! It was a lot of fun though, looking into the rock pools and having the ocean rumbling all around us. When we got back we were so wet that everyone thought we'd gone swimming in our clothes.

Caitlin exploring the rock pools on a cold and wet morning

Tony had an appointment at the Eye hospital on Monday afternoon to check that his eyes were healing ok (they are) and then went up to Croydon for his Monday evening Masters baseball game, and came back to the camp late that night. The rest of us spent the afternoon at the beach, playground or campsite. We played lots of card and board games, and a little bit on the iPads, and had some time riding scooters. The kids all got on well and played together in lots of different combinations. There was always lots of do, and someone to do it with, or the chance to be alone if anyone needed a bit of down time.

On Sunday evening we cooked up lots of pasta, vegetables and salami, and put it out on table, each item in it's own separate bowl, so everyone could pick the bits that they wanted. An easy and effective way to feed 9 people with a range of tastes, and everyone was happy. Monday night we had fish and chips, then ice cream in a cone with ice magic. Monday lunch we had sausages and chops cooked on their Weber-Q, bacon and eggs both mornings, and left overs on toasted sandwiches (and hot dogs for the kids) for Tuesday lunch. Great food all weekend for minimal effort and cost!

The others had bought glow sticks with them and both evenings the kids had a great time as it began to get dark. They were pretty fancy glow sticks, with head bands and connectors to make ears and glasses, bangles, earrings and so on. We put them in the freezer the first night so that they would last, and used them again the 2nd night, then hung them in the tent. It was very cool to go to sleep by glow stick light!

Glow stick fun

On Tuesday morning I woke up before everyone else and went for a walk on the beach. It was sunny again and not as cold as Monday. I walked quite a way down the beach - saw some red plovers running in and out of the waves just like Millie was doing the day before - very cute! I took lots of photos and was thrilled to be by the ocean early in the morning. I decided to go for a swim - I knew I'd be disappointed later if I didn't, even though it was cold - and it was wonderful. One of my favourite things in the world to do is swim in the ocean in the early morning - it was refreshing and exciting and relaxing and so beautiful. I was very happy and content and so glad I made the effort.

Early morning on the beach

Later in the morning I took some of the kids back down to the beach - it was the first time LiAM went in the water and he loved it. The waves were small enough to not be threatening and we could easily get past where they were breaking. It was mainly like a being in a large lake with a bit of a swell, then occasionally there'd be a bigger wave which was quite exciting. Perfect conditions for kids not used to swimming in the ocean. After a while I started to get cold, and by then the dads and the rest of the kids had come down to the beach so the boys and I headed home.

While the girls and dads swam at the beach, the mums packed up as much as we could before having lunch, and the boys played around the campsite. When the others returned we ate lunch, then finished packing everything up. With no new campers coming in we were able to take our time and pack with no stress. Everything was all done by about 3pm and then we all headed for home.

King Valley Trip -> Day 1

Sunday morning was spent finishing packing the car and trailer, then trying to tidy up the house a little. We got away by 1.20pm, a bit later than we'd hoped, although still with enough time to get to our campsite and get set up. We stopped briefly in Yea to grab pies and sausage rolls for lunch (we ate them in the car) and had a very pleasant drive up to the King Valley.

We arrived at the vineyard (one of De Bortoli's, in Moyhu) just before 4.30. We'd stayed here once before - when I was pregnant with Millie and we did a trip up through the Alpine country, we stayed our last night in one of the houses on the vineyard - so it felt familiar. We'd done a tour of the property while we were there, and our combined memories of that meant that we found the campsite fairly easily even though we'd never been there before. We weren't expecting to have any facilities, so were pleasantly surprised to find a portable toilet, a big shelter with tables underneath, and several taps with running water. There was also a large rubber slide heading down into the river, and a couple of kayaks on the shore - all very exciting and a bit of a bonus.

We set up the tent while it was still light, and the kids helped in between exploring the area. Tony went into town to get some ice for the esky, and discovered that the pub was doing pizza. We got a fire going, then decided to head to the pub for tea. They were only doing takeaway, which was fine, although it took a very long time to be ready. While we were waiting LiAM put many dollar coins into a skill machine, trying to win a spider robot thing - with no luck in the end although he got very close several times. We also won the raffle - some bottles of red wine from a local winemaker - there were 4 bottles, and Tony gave 2 of them back to use as a 2nd prize, as we have plenty of wine ourselves!

Back to our campsite where we roasted marshmallows by the fire and had some s'mores - didn't quite have the right biscuits and only had dark chocolate so LiAM didn't really like them, it was fun to try though. Millie fell asleep in Tony's lap. Then into the tent where we made sure everyone had lots of blankets and beanies and warm clothes - it was COLD! I read a chapter of Eldest to everyone and we chatted in the dark until everyone went to sleep.

Ballarat Trip -> Day 4

We all slept much better this time with our extra blankets and the windows closed properly. I got up and had a cup of tea and read my book, and the kids woke up not long after. Millie played with her toys in the tent, LiAM played with his new friend, riding their scooters around the park, Caitlin rode her Ripstik and played on the jumping pillow, and I started to pack everything up.

Our tent all set up

Once I was ready to fold the tent up Caitlin came and gave me hand - we got most of it done then left the bottom of the tent exposed to the sunlight while we went and had crumpets and english muffins and ice cream for breakfast. We finished packing away the tent with no problems, the kids went and had a last play with any of the stuff they wanted to revisit, and then they helped me get the trailer on to the car - it was tricky but I managed it by myself for the first time!

We left the caravan park just before midday, and drove through Ballarat to see where my Dad lived when he was at the monastery in Ballarat in the late 1960s. The building has been converted to apartments but it's still possible to see where he lived. We went to Lake Wendouree then and had a play on the big wooden playground. After a bit of a play we went for a walk to see if there were any cygnets amongst the many many swans. Caitlin was chased and hissed at by a cranky swan, and while we ate our lunch we had a few swans and many other water birds come to see if we were sharing. It was an enjoyable walk along the water front and over some little bridges, amongst gardens and so on. Back to the car then to head home - the girls had Guides at 4 so we had a bit of a time limit.

LiAM checking out the swans

We left Ballarat just after 1.30 and had a smooth trip home. We went through McDonalds drive-through at one of the service centres so that I could get a Chai Latte and the kids got a chocolate sundae/soft serve cone/frozen raspberry drink. We listened to Magnificat and chatted about our trip and were back in Yarra Glen by about 3.45. Tony met us at Guides because I'd forgotten to bring Caitlin's badges and it was a full uniform day. It was great to see him very briefly before he went to work for the evening. Millie decided not to go to Guides, and V wanted to play with LiAM, so he and Millie, LiAM and I went home. I backed the trailer into our carport without anyone guiding me - it took a couple more attempts than when I'd had Tony to help, but I got it in exactly where I wanted it.

Back home

The kids played and R brought Caitlin and S home after Guides had finished, along with fish and chips for dinner. The kids had a good play together and R and I had a great chat, then once they went home we settled down for our first night back in real beds. Read Eldest for a while then everyone went to sleep

Ballarat Trip -> Day 1

Last year Caitlin's school had gone on a trip to Sovereign Hill in Ballarat. She didn't go with them as it was in the middle of her acting season and she had so many other things going on - and I promised that I would take the kids to Ballarat during Vintage this year and we would go to Sovereign Hill ourselves. So with Tony on night shift and the school holidays only a week away we decided that this week was the time to go. And having our camper trailer made the whole trip a bit cheaper - and I was keen to see if I could manage a camping trip on my own with the kids.

I had planned to leave around lunch time or later, then Caitlin suggested on Saturday night that we try and get to Kryal Castle while we were in Ballarat - it's only open on weekends so we decided to leave home by 11 at the latest in order to get to the castle in time to really have a good look around (and to see the jousting which was on at 1.30). So we packed the car and the trailer and actually were on the road by 11 which was quite impressive. It was the first time I'd towed the trailer without the car having mechanical problems, and it was amazing how much less stressful it was. The trailer was still heavy, but it didn't feel hard to drive with it, and not having to worry about the car breaking down was a big relief.

The trip took 2 hours and was uneventful. We listened to 'Magnificat' by Marilyn Edwards and chatted about lots of stuff. We arrived at Kryal Castle at 1pm, in time to get our tickets, have a quick wander through the Dragon's Lair (we meant to come back to it but there were too many other cool things to do and we didn't get time), get some lunch from the bakery (hot dogs for the kids, a chicken schnitzel burger for me, and an all-day-refill cup with a picture of a knight on it for us all to share), and then head to the jousting arena. The jousting was exciting - one of my favourite bits of medieval knightly competition, and Caitlin was enthralled by the horses, and the other two loved it as well. There was a bit of comedy and drama involved as well, but I really really loved the jousting part. Afterwards Caitlin went to see a pantomime, while LiAM and Millie played giant chess and I sat in the sun. We topped up our drink then all went back to the arena for sword fighting - it was only a small group so I joined in as well. We all got foam swords and shields and had a number of different types of battles. Millie at first would only fight if she was right next to me, but she gained confidence as the battles went on and in the end she was the best defensive fighter. After a while Caitlin and I (and some others) went over to the Mangonel (like a catapult) and played with it for a bit. Caitlin went back to the sword fighting and I stayed and talked to the catapult guy about medieval weapons and battle strategies. I learnt a lot and also affirmed some of my own previous knowledge.

Jousting Demonstration

The sword fighting went for about an hour and the kids were happily exhausted by the end of it. From there we headed to the maze (via another drink refill). It was a stone maze and more like a labyrinth at first but then got a bit tricky towards the end - simple enough though that Millie could find her way through without wanting me to be with her. The kids had a bit of a play on a model horse and chariot, and sat in the big chair near the dragon in the foyer, then we headed off towards our caravan park.

Giant Chess

LiAM was the Prince on his team - they all had to protect him in this battle

The girls taking a break from the fighting

As I was checking in at Ballarat Goldfields Big 4, the kids ran off to jump on the jumping pillow. We'd stayed here with Mum 4 years ago when I was in Ballarat for an ABA conference, and Caitlin remembered where everything was. The guy checking me in changed the site he was going to put us in, and placed us right next to the jumping pillow instead - very thoughtful. I backed the trailer into place (a passing guy did help me but I think I could have done it myself - maybe not as elegantly though!) and then I couldn't get the trailer off the car! The guy from the site next to us helped me, then Caitlin and I set up the tent. It only took us about 25 minutes - it's getting easier every time, and there was very little stress involved this time. The kids explored the park - jumping pillow, lots of roads to ride scooters and the Ripstik on, tv room, games room, playground, and a pool. Once we were all set up we went for a swim - it had been a warm afternoon but it was pretty cold in the pool! Millie practised her swimming a bit and hung around with me, and Caitlin and LiAM played a game all over the pool. Millie and I got out and sat in the fading sunlight once we'd had enough, and eventually we all headed back to the tent and into warm dry clothes, then went into town to get groceries.

I cooked butter chicken for dinner while the kids played in the playground and rode scooters and played giant chess. We talked to some other people using the camp kitchen while we ate - they were here as part of a group and were playing Hand and Foot Canasta - a game I used to play a LOT when I was younger and hadn't thought of in a while - I might refresh my memory on the rules and show the kids how to play. We had ice cream and ice blocks for dessert, then back to the tent after I'd cleaned up. We set up our beds (me on the mattress, kids on thermarests on the floor) and I read Eldest until everyone was ready for sleep.

Upper Yarra Reservoir: Day 2

LiAM had trouble sleeping and Millie woke up and joined us at one point so Caitlin was the only one who spent the whole night on the floor. It was crowded with 4 of us on the mattress but there was enough room. I extricated myself once it was light and sat outside and had a cup of tea and read my book for ages by myself, it was lovely - an overcast morning with the mountain looming above me, very quiet and very peaceful. It did start to get cold so eventually I needed to find more clothes from the spare bag in the car (I didn't want to wake anyone else up so didn't go back in the tent). Caitlin joined me after a while, we went and cooked some porridge and sat undercover to eat it - it was raining a bit by this stage. After breakfast we played cards until the others emerged one by one from the tent.

Once the kids were all up they wandered over to see their friends from the glowstick party the night before. LiAM's friend from yesterday had left, but there was an 8 year old boy in the other group, so he quickly made a new friend. All the kids (ours and theirs) spent the morning running back and forth between the 2 campsites, exploring the area, playing the camper trailer, climbing trees and so on. Tony and took our time to pack up and chat and have a cup of tea and then some lunch. The trailer was much easier to pack up than I'd thought it might be, which was a relief.

Once everything was packed and the other families had left, we went for a walk on the Fern Gully Track. I'd forgotten how beautiful the river was until we were crossing the bridge over it. We walked on the loop track and the kids found a very long fallen tree which they played on for a while, then we completed the loop and had a paddle in the extremely cold river. Even Millie came a little way in. The kids then wanted to show us a place they'd found with their friends that morning, so we headed up the path to come back to the river further up - there was a little weir, and a picnic table was sitting in the corner of the river and the weir wall, which was a very exciting place to sit... We played on the weir for a while, surrounded by tall trees and ferns and the beautiful clear, freezing water. Eventually we extricated ourselves and got back in the car. I had a bit of reversing practice with the trailer on and then we headed home.

LiAM and Caitlin at the end of a fallen tree (they are there in amongst the ferns)

Paddling in the river

'Picnic' in the river

The Yarra River looks very different here compared to near our place near Yarra Glen, or once it gets all the way into the city

About 15 minutes down the road the car started overheating. We refilled the water but the engine heated up again straight away so we stopped and called the RACV. Turns out the water pump had seized (I'd been told last week I needed a new one and was booked in to get one in about 10 days....). Tony took the kids into Warburton for fish and chips while I waited for the tow truck. They brought a replacement car for us - but it had mechanical problems too and after I had all our stuff in it the guy decided we couldn't take it after all... So he towed the car and trailer to the depot in Yarra Junction, we drove the dodgy loan car to the depot and transferred all our stuff (again) to a tiny little hatchback and we finally drove home. The guy took the trailer (and our car) to the depot in Healesville and Tony went down and got the trailer with his car, and hopefully my car will be fixed sometime very soon!

Despite the frustrating ending of our trip though everyone was still in good spirits (although very tired) and had an enjoyable time camping - all looking forward to doing it again!

Upper Yarra Reservoir - Day 1

On Friday I realised that we had a free weekend, and that this might be the last one for some time. In January Tony often works a day on the weekend, and sometime in February Vintage will start and he will be working at least one day each weekend, and once Vintage is over baseball will have started and he'll be away all day Saturday. So we thought perhaps it was a good (and possibly the best) chance to try out our new camper trailer. Getting ready to go on Friday seemed too hard - Caitlin and I were going shopping for boots and pants as she has horse camp this week, and I wanted to enjoy that and not be rushed, so we decided to see how we felt on Saturday morning and head off if we felt like it.

Saturday morning was very relaxed, Tony and some of the kids had a sleep in, we played games, LiAM plants Plants v Zombies Garden Warfare, Caitlin started packing for horse camp, eventually we talked about camping and decided that we would go, to Upper Yarra Reservoir Park (C and L and I had been there about 15 months ago on Scout Camp and I loved the location. It's only about an hours drive from us so felt like an easy quick trip). We packed the car and the trailer - it was exciting being able to put most of the camping stuff in the trailer, so the car just had our food and clothes and wasn't jammed full at all - and set off in the early afternoon, stopping at Coles in Healesville for food and a couple of other supplies. On the way we listened to 'The Longest Whale Song' by Jacqueline Wilson (this is the 2nd of her books we've listened to on Audio CD. Even though the main character was a girl in both books, all the kids were very engaged in the story. Tony and I too.)

When we arrived the kids got out to run around and Tony and I scouted around for the best place to camp. Caitlin and I had a go at doing most of the setting up ourselves, as I want to take the kids camping on my own during Vintage this year, and wanted to see if we'll be able to set up the tent - we didn't do it all without Tony helping, but did enough for me to be sure that we'll be able to when he's not there. While we were setting up LiAM met a boy from one of the other tents, and they ran around together for a while then the kids from both families had a water bomb fight. We spent a very pleasant afternoon pottering around getting set up, sitting down and having a cuppa, checking out the view - I love the mountain that is right next to the park - while the kids played with their new friends. They found a rope swing tied to a tree and then met a group of families camping nearby who also had lots of kids to play with.

I love sitting and looking at this mountain (although it doesn't look as impressive in this photo as in real life)

Almost set up

We had an early dinner (the kids ate as they came back to tell us things, then were off again playing) and afterwards went for a walk up to the reservoir. We walked through a fairly overgrown path to get to the first lookout (the kids pretended they were lost in the woods), which only showed us the outlet from the dam into the aqueduct, not particularly exciting - although we could see the dam wall from there and it was rather impressive. From there we walked up the road, which switchbacked up the hill to get to the height of the dam wall. It was a bit tiring for the kids (and Tony who had Millie in the sling) but the view at the top was quite spectacular. The sun was setting behind us as we looked over the reservoir, lots of pink clouds reflected in the water and the mountains showing ridge after ridge beyond the dam. The kids discovered that there was a significant echo if they shouted, so they had fun experimenting with that. There was also a monument to the men who had built the dam which provided a fun climbing spot and an even higher view of the dam for Caitlin and LiAM. We walked back down to our camp in the fading light, everyone was pretty tired when we got back - then picked up again when their friends invited them to join in around their fire and play with glow sticks. The kids played there while I set up the beds, then came back and went to bed fairly easily. I sat outside and read my book for a while (I'm finally reading The Time Traveller's Wife and am completely enthralled by it.) then joined the others in the tent. Tony and I slept up on the mattress above the trailer and the kids had their own camping mattresses on the floor.

Stopping for some mango

The dam wall

Sunset over the reservoir