Kingston in Autumn

Finally, after a very manageable 3 hour drive, we arrived at our home for the next 5 days. The Kingston foreshore caravan park is very basic, with no facilities for the kids other than the beach across the road, yet still have a reason to charge exorbitant rates for the invisible pool and invisible jumping pillow. 

However, being the week after Easter, it met one of my old man criteria, by being only about a third occupied, plenty of space, no ferals or over-active kids, and a choice of sites. 

I know it is Autumn and it is supposed to be cool, but I am not ready for the warmth to disappear yet... unlike Tracy who is completely over the warm weather and wants the cold to arrive so we can start the combustion heater and get the house to a tolerable temperature. (Yep... I don’t understand that logic either). 

Arriving at midday gave us plenty of time for a relaxing stroll along the beach, and giving Taz some much needed exercise. The night temperature was about 3 degrees and saw us snuggled up inside under the quilts very early, watching TV and/or reading books.

Waking this morning to a beautiful mostly clear blue sky, meant that the Weber needed to be fired up and laden with bacon and eggs. After clean-up, we went for a 3km walk to the local shops and jetty to get some supplies for tea. Somehow, it was lunch time when we arrived back, and then it was off for a fishing session on the Jetty with Dylan and Kayla..... in 30 knot winds with no fish. 

A bit of R&R in the afternoon, mixed with a few more walks with Taz, and finally the Weber was on again for tea. 

A day of doing not much at all has left us all exhausted. I spent the night posting pictures and writing a couple of versions of my blogs, whilst Tracy and the kids watched a movie. This life has reinvigorated my thoughts of retiring as a caravan park owner by the beach (most likely with my mate Peter, because a:) he has a boat, and b:) Tracy has told me she has no intention of doing anything remotely like that!)

Tomorrow morning is going to see the kids and I at the jetty early to try our luck again. Let’s hope. 

A very different Easter

Chocolate eggs. Chocolate rabbits.  Chocolate anything. Oh it would be nice to be a child again and not on a 365 day diet that stops us thinking these thoughts. Just as well we have 3 amazing children that can (and do) have these thoughts and enjoy it for us. 

This year, Easter is very different for us in that we are not racing away with an unauthorised early hour off work on Thursday night to arrive at a packed campground in the dark for a 4 day getaway. In fact, on this Thursday night before Easter, I am working from home and Tracy is out with her friends.

On Friday, I pottered around the house, in the garden and had Tracy’s parents over for lunch. Saturday saw us catching up with some friends at the River Murray for the day, enjoying a day of knee boarding, boating, tubing and even some skiing by the kids (and maybe a drink or 3 with a BBQ tea)

Easter Sunday was a traditional morning hunt by the kids for the mysterious chocolate Bunny droppings in locations that the dog couldn’t reach overnight, followed by an hour or more of them pretending not to eat too much, yet somehow devouring what seemed to be nearly a Kg if chocolate. We then headed off to a beautiful Adelaide Hills winery called Anderson Hill. It is a beautiful location out the back of Lenswood with some great food and wine and 16 or so friends that joined us for a very different (for us) Easter Sunday. Finally, it was time to leave and head back home to start packing for our holiday starting tomorrow (Easter Monday)

This trip sees us away for 4 nights, coming back on Friday. Just in time for a few weekend tasks before the kids head back to school next Monday.