The end of our trial run

So, we survived our first three weeks in the van. What did we learn????

• Practice runs are very important for sorting out "teething problems"!!
• Card games are fun for the whole family.
• One day the kids will beat their Dad at drafts
• A 24ft van isn't so big when you put 5 people in it
• Free camping is the best, the kids "instantly" make friends, the adults "instantly" make friends and the locations are so beautiful.
• There is so much more of our country to see.
• I can survive without 2 showers a day and the world does not blow up if our clothes aren't ironed!!!
• The children can get an education without a classroom.
• Not having any scales means cheese and chocolate and wine doesn't have as many calories!!
• It is nice to be home for a while, to give us time to plan the next trip at least and earn some more money..................one power ball!!!
• Life is too short for regrets!!

 

Day 20 - Thursday 27th Jan - Heading home

Well, a very sad day.  We contemplate staying for longer but know we have to get home and ready for school.  The wind has picked up and the waves are crashing down at the beach, what a different picture it is this morning, it gives us a new appreciation for nature, too dangerous today for any of us to swim or walk on the rocks. We are so glad we found Betty's beach and vow to come back again.

Our leisurely departure is sped up a little when a big motor home comes in and is awaiting our spot.  We drive out at about 12 and it is a beautiful 25C.  Then we head north and inland, planning on going halfway home today.  However, the further north we get, the hotter it gets and when we arrive at Narrogin and in is 40C we decide the comfort of the car is more inviting than sitting in the van all afternoon so we keep going.  At around 6pm we pull into York and the outside temp on the car clicks over to 41C.  I can't believe my eyes!!!!  We head to the York Caravan Park, crank up the air con in the van and I take the kids down the street to find some tea.  Showers are a brief relief from the heat, but we cannot believe the temp change we have experienced in one day.

We decide on an early start the next day.

Day 19 - Australia Day

Sleep in!!!  I can't believe we can now go back to sleep until 7:30 without feeling the need to get up.  Going home is going to be a shock to the system.  We wake up to the sound of the waves hitting the shore.  How appropriate on Australia Day.  We cook up bacon and eggs and pancakes for the kids then head to the water for a snorkel.  The kids swim and play on the rocks while we soak up the sun and before long we are treated to a pod of approximately 20 dolphins on  a feeding frenzy swimming up and down the bay, chasing salmon we guess.  What a treat.  Never have we seen so many dolphins at once and they fly out of the water, changing direction, coming in close then heading out again.  We watch them for about an hour and can't believe how lucky we are to have witnessed this.

We decide to go for a drive to Cheyne Beach.  This is a lovely spot also, everyone in their Aussie gear and beers all round at 11 am.  We have a bit of a swim then head back to Betty's beach and enjoy our little piece of paradise.  Glen and I snorkel some more and the kids have developed a whole community among the rocks.  Their imagination is amazing and they just love it here.  I do some token fishing, but my heart isn't really in it after snorkeling with the fish.

We very quickly become accustomed to the black skinks that bask in the sun on the rocks and we have also adapted quickly to the "dune toilet" and a bath in the ocean, although we are treated to a quick hose off with a fresh water rinse at the van tonight.  I am always amazed that before we leave for holidays I have to have everything ironed and we can't live without 2 showers a day, in a caravan park we cope with 1 shower a day and clothes cleaned regularly but only folded and never ironed, but when we are free camping, we wash in whatever we are swimming in at the time, only use the caravan toilet at night and we cope quite happily with salty, sandy clothes and hair!!!

That night we go down to the beach and light sparklers with the kids from the caravan next door.  It never ceases to amaze me how the kids make friends so quickly everywhere we go.  What a great Australia Day.

Day 18 - Tuesday 25th January - Betty's Beach - Albany

Well, time to move on.  The weather was kind, the rain cleared while we packed up the annexe.  We hope to "free camp" tonight and once again have no idea where, our back up plan is Cheyne beach which we have heard is lovely and there is a caravan park there if we get stuck.  The camping book says there is a good camping spot at Norman's beach, but it doesn't look that inviting when we get there.  Only a great race horse goanna and no other campers, a swampy, reeding looking inlet that looks like a nice spot for tiger snakes, we decide to move on. At the T junction we make a split decision to have a quick look at Betty's beach before we head to the caravan park.  Very glad we did, we stop to ask travellers if we will actually be able to turn around at the end of the road and they inform us it is a top spot for camping.  An old salmon fishing spot with a couple of derelict old shacks.  No power and about 6 vans and a few tents dotted around the grassy sand dunes.  One spot left with our name written on it!!!  A tricky manoeuvre to get the van into position and levelled, but once sorted, wow, what a little piece of paradise.  A beautiful bay, crystal clear water, snorkelling, washed rocks for the kids to explore and Mt Many Peaks as a back drop.  We think we could stay here forever.

Day 17 - Monday 24th Jan - Whale World

It rained all night and with another wet day ahead we decide we might as well go to Albany and see Whale World which has been on our "to do" list.  Why did I think it would be all indoors?????  We run from one exhibit to another and my sneakers are soaked within the first 5 mins.  I add "good walking shoes and a wet weather jacket" to my list of things to buy for the big trip.  Whale World cost $55 for the whole family.  Most of the exhibits are in the massive tanks that were once used to store the whale oil.  Every exhibit is different, some interactive and all very informative.  The kids loved walking around one of the old whaling boats.  It was just awesome and reminded me of the history we still have to learn, about our own country.

Day 16 - Sunday 23rd Jan - Denmark Markets

It rained during the night.  We find it so strange that the weather can be so much like winter in January down here, especially considering we haven't even experienced much rain in winter ourselves last year.  The max today would have been about 22C.  But the local markets in Denmark by the river are still very crowded.  The drizzle doesn't deter anyone and we spend most of the morning there.  The markets bring out the hippies and I think there is more than incense in the air!!!!  I think that this is maybe what it was like at Woodstock. The kids are in seventh heaven trying to figure out what to spend their money on next.  The markets just ooze "love and peace" and we really enjoy chilling out and mingling amongst the hoards and "feeling the love"!!!!

Day 15 - Surfing at Ocean Beach

What a great day for a surf.  Tori gives me lessons on how to catch a wave.  We spend most of the day at the beach, and washing clothes!!!!!  Ocean Beach is just beautful, a great place for an early morning run and a top spot for surfing.