This was definitely a trip to remember and forget all at once. The trip itself was amazing, the behaviour of the children hmmm well that's another story. Anyway overtime I'm sure we'll forget about the bad and only remember the good and hey already when people ask "How was the trip?" I'm already saying "it was great, thanks!"
So I'm going to write this blog in stages as I don't want to bore you. I know I lose concentration (and get jealous) reading about others adventures sometimes. So here goes, try to stick with me.😜
Day 1
Finally, we set off on our next adventure after COVID-19 ruined our Easter plans. We headed for a little free camp called Shingle Bay in Fitzgerald Bay, its just around the bay from Port Augusta.
After 5 hours of cruising along (it shouldn't take this long), answering a million questions, responding to the 100th time of "are we there yet", hearing the words "I'm hungry" (even if they just ate), a few toilet stops and a fuel stop (with lunch) we eventually arrived. Well let me just say it was totally worth it, this place is gorgeous. Click here for details.
Needless to say while the kids explored we got everything set up, and one of our first (and main) priorities was to get the campfire going, wine flowing and settle in and relax while we waited for our friends to arrive. We had organised to meet up with one of Master J's friends from school and his family, his little brother also goes to kindy with our twins so they were all excited. It was a relaxing evening but quote of the day came from Miss C when she was behind me and I was apparently in her way, she said "Mum, can you move that big bulldozer out of my way". Thanks kid!!🤦♀️
Day 2
We all decided we wouldn't move on today and stay here another night instead as its so quiet and a great place for the kids to explore and play. Unfortunately, while breakfast was still going we had our first casualty (click here to see all the injuries from this trip). 😮 Miss A was getting out of her chair and tripped and put her hands in the firepit, luckily it was just the ash and coals from the night before, but she has still sustained burns. (By the way we do have strict rules about fires and she was supervised, it was just an accident). Fortunately we do carry a well equipped first aid kit (future blog perhaps) and as well as the cold running water initially we had burn gel and bandages. We were very lucky it wasn't worse!
Pictures below from when it first happened to end of trip.
The remainder of the day went without mishap and was actually a fabulous day. We spent the day exploring the mangroves and rock pools, finding baby crabs and cuttle fish, playing football, fishing (didn't catch a thing), and going for a walk along the beach where 3 crazy little boys decided to go for a paddle in a gorgeous little bay. Of course we topped off the day by relaxing by the fire again, glass in hand.
Day 3
Argh, the drama of yesterday continued during the night with Miss A wetting the bed, fortunately we have brolly sheets on their beds (one of the best things we've ever bought) so we just whipped it off and no bed to change, but with no power we couldn't wash so it just got aired out (oh well, kids don't notice😉) . The best part though, they slept in this morning which is totally out of character. Today we had to say goodbye to our friends and Fitzgerald Bay and we made our way towards Wudinna.
Now hold on to your hats people and be glad you weren't on the road between Whyalla and Iron Knob around lunch this day as I had my first go at towing the van (I've never towed anything before). I even had to pull off on a side road so we could collect some wood and have a bite to eat. I may have lightly scraped the side on some branches on the way out but in my defence it was a very sharp bend and no damage done.😁
We had randomly selected a place to stay using the Wiki Camps app called Wattle Grove Rock (Click here for details) but on the way of course had to stop in Kimba to check out the Big Galah. Miss C was extra excited because its pink (her favourite colour).
For some reason by the afternoon the kids went feral (and that's putting it nicely), it was like a switch flicked in their head and they suddenly became 3 demons. The attitude that flowed from them was enough to rival some of the biggest divas in the entertainment industry! Whenever we go away we expect a little change in their attitude for the first couple of days as they adjust to new freedom and different rules etc, but this was next level! We totally couldn't wait to send them all to bed.😴
Luckily Wattle Grove rock was a gorgeous little place and although we arrived late arvo the kids had a quick explore and play on the rocks and got out of our hair for a bit while we settled in. The sunset was absolutely magnificent and definitely changed the attitude of the day and once the kids had finally gone down for the night we could relax by the fire with that essential bottle of wine.
Are you picking up a common theme yet 🍷🔥?
Day 4
We started the morning off by exploring this little gem of a place and the local farmhouse dog joined us on our adventure. We investigated and climbed the rock formations, checked out the old farm equipment along the entrance and admired the scenery before jumping back in the car and hitting the road again, making sure the farm dog didn't join us too.🐕
Our first thought was we would continue inland but the weather was just too good to ignore heading back to the coast. Friends of ours recommended Perlubie Beach to us awhile ago and we had always planed to visit on our return trip but this sunshine, it was calling us. 😎Our decision was definitely rewarded, this place was a little slice of paradise (all it needed was for the seaweed to be removed and it would be perfect). (Click here for details).
The weather and the spectacular setting certainly eased all the tension from the previous day, and everyone was in a much better mindset. The kids (and dog) even went for a dip in the water, crazy in my opinion, but hey each to their own. The boys also had an attempt at fishing (note I said ATTEMPT), and we all went for a walk to the cliffs and checked out the view from the top. It was an amazing day and very relaxing and of course you know how we ended the day.........yep campfire, a drink and another gorgeous sunset! 😜
Day 5
Brrrrrrrrrr........that was a cold night!!!! Good thing we have lots of extra blankets. We do actually have a diesel heater (review another time) which in hindsight we probably should have switched on at some point.
It was hard to leave Perlubie, but we will definitely come back. We had to make our way to Penong where we were booked in to the caravan park. A stop in Ceduna was required to do some shopping (not really any shops from here onwards), grab some fuel and by now it was lunch so the kids were hungry of course. The kids had been pretty well behaved so we thought "hey, lets treat them with bakery for lunch, donut and flavoured milk" (which they very rarely get). Well that backfired on us didn't it!! Two of them ended up with sore tummies before we even left the bakery and not one of them finished, then of course halfway down the road, they are all hungry again. 🙄🤐😩
When we arrived at Penong Caravan Park (Click here for details) we met up with some friends, who are actually responsible for why we came this far along the Eyre Peninsula (surprise for kids on Day 7). Their kids are all older than ours and took on a bit of a babysitting role which was GREAT for us and they spent most of the time chasing the dogs and running around.
While they played we got some washing done and tidied up a bit in the van. A couple of the adults then took all the kids across the road to investigate the windmill museum, and we spent time just relaxing and catching up as we haven't see these guys for years.
If you have already seen our injury list you'll see Miss C got bitten by a mosquito, if not you'll think I'm crazy even mentioning it, but unfortunately Miss C does not react very well to them and comes out in great welts. So nurse hat 👩⚕️ went on again and out comes the cream and the antihistamine, she got covered in bug repellent and the van got shut up and sprayed to make sure she wasn't going to get bitten more during the night. Then we ended the night in our usual fashion! 😋
Ok, well I hope you stayed with me through this blog and please keep your eyes out for Part 2. Thanks for following along with us and I look forward to sharing many more adventures and tips with you in the future. In the meantime, don't forget to follow us on Facebook and/or Instagram via links below.