Our last stop – Suffolk Park

Packing up and leaving Nambucca Heads was hard, especially as we knew we were moving onto our last stop before going back to Brisbane.  We also had a very long drive ahead of us with a lot of road works ahead of us so it was certainly not a rush to pack up and get going.  We however knew that dragging our feet was going to get us nowhere so after Hamish and I had completed a session of school we packed up, said goodbye to our neighbours we had met and headed off.  It was a really long drive so we broke it up into sections and pulled over for morning tea and did some school and then stopped further up the road for lunch. 

Pulled over for a lunch break.

The further north we headed it seemed like the traffic was only getting worse and we just really weren’t in the mood for a hard day.  I think it is just more the depression of ending the trip that is getting to us the most.  We do joke that if I wasn’t pregnant with the baby we would probably just drive through Brisbane and keep going, but I don’t know how much longer I would be a help to Jason with unhitching and helping to set up the caravan.  At the moment I even find getting down to lower the legs on the caravan a bit awkward as the belly gets in the road.

Still on a good note our navigator seemed to have the right path to take and so we took the gamble to follow her instructions.  All started well when we turned off the highway, but then the road seemed to get narrower and then we came across some roadworks with a stop/go man.  All was good until we rounded the bend and on one side was a pile of dirt and the other side was the digger and there was no way we were going to squeeze through.  Yes in the 4WD we would have gone partly up on the dirt but not with the caravan, so we had to wait whilst the digger slowly moved forward and out of our road.  Then there were heaps of narrow sections but thankfully we didn’t come across another car at those points in time and I think we breathed a sigh of relief when we got to the next main road.  Then we found the great NSW roads again with the pot holes that could sink a ship (okay slight exaggeration but gee there are a lot of roads in NSW in much need of repair).

Anyway, we made it all fine to Wayne and Tanya’s place.  We had met them on our travels down in SA and they were on their way back to NSW from where they had lived and sold up in WA.  Thankfully the neighbour was cool with us using the front of his place to drive into and then reverse back into Wayne and Tanya’s place so Jason and Wayne handled the 60 million point turn to get the right angle to reverse in (again it wasn’t that bad but it doesn’t sound as good if I just said 5 point).  Then it was a matter of unhitching and taking the kids inside whilst the boys chatted and set up the caravan.

It was great catching up with them and we haven’t seen them since early January so it is amazing how much the kids have grown in that amount of time.  The afternoon passed by so fast and before we knew it the boys were whipping us up a bbq dinner and Wayne made the best potato bake I have ever tasted.  I would ask him for the recipe but I am pretty sure being a chef by trade he just whips it up and doesn’t use a recipe.   Jason and I were envious and Emily and Isaac went to sleep so easily and our two just seemed to be like ever ready batteries and kept going and going and going.  Eventually we dragged them to the caravan to get them to sleep and for ourselves to get some rest.

Look Mum, soft green lawn and an awesome cubby.

So much energy late at night.

The next morning when we woke up it had been raining for most of the night.  Just on and off again light showers but it put an end to my plan to catch up on the washing.  Not that I mind not having to do that job and we have more than enough clothes to do a week so it can just wait.  We started the day with a bit of school and revision before Wayne came and got Jason and they headed out for a drive together and grab some coffees.  Mind you having four kids stuck in a house with two pregnant women (Tanya is due in 4 weeks) you can imagine that we were very happy when the boys got back. 

Tanya and Wayne then had to head out to some appointments so we retreated to the van to do some school work and prepare for Hamish’s on-air lesson.  Whilst Jason did the on-air lesson I took Kayla down the road to the local bakery for some girl time and then we just drove around and checked out the area from the car.  The constant drizzle and showers really meant that I wasn’t keen to get out and walk around much and before long it was time to head back to the caravan as the lesson would be over and we could all head out as a family. 

We ended up going into Byron Bay for lunch.  Don’t ask me why we thought that would be a good idea.  I said to Jason that it wouldn’t be as busy as when we have visited in the past as it isn’t a weekend nor school holidays, but I was wrong, it was still busy, the traffic was still terrible and getting a park was still hard.  Honestly I don’t know why anyone can come to this town to relax as you get so stressed with the drive in and out that you would go away just as worked up as when you arrived!  Still we did have a nice lunch, though it was a bit chilly with the wind and rain bringing the temperature down. 

One of the beaches in the area.

Have it all to yourself.

 

On the way home we grabbed some supplies and some food to replace what my kids seemed to constantly eat of Wayne and Tanya’s.  Sometimes I swear it makes us look like we don’t feed them at all, but I promise you we do.  Then we just did a bit more school and relaxed for a while before Wayne and Tanya got home.  Again the afternoon just seemed to fly by and the kids all had their moments, especially being stuck inside on a rainy day and then the fights over toys, but we survived and the next thing we knew the boys were off to grab some pizzas for dinner.  It was time for a relatively early night as I think our kids really did go to sleep way too late the day before.  I mean it was still after 7:30pm by NSW time but we have really been sticking to QLD time as we were only going to be affected by daylight savings by a week so didn’t see the use of adjusting.

It was raining again on Friday morning but thankfully the weather forecast was for it to clear so we hedged our bets and put on the washing.  Then Jason did some school with Hamish whilst Kayla and I went and hung inside.  Eventually we all headed out to The Farm which is on the other side of Byron Bay.  Thankfully we had Wayne and Tanya as tour guides so we just had to follow them.  It was an easy drive and we loved the destination, so a big thankyou to the family we met in Nambucca Heads who recommended it to us.  There were all different farm animals and a playground for the kids, then for the big kids there was the most delicious food. 

Kayla checking out some of the pigs.

Hamish and I retreated inside to play his card game.

Awesome play area for kids.

Who doesn't like jam or custard filled doughnuts.

As it was morning tea we opted to indulge in their donuts (some filled with jam and some filled with custard) and some drinks.  By now the sun was fully out and so we continued on our way with Wayne and Tanya as our tour guides.  Of course the first big thing to see for Byron Bay was the terrible traffic that you have to go through to get back into town.  Honestly I really don’t see the drawcard of this place when it takes forever just to drive a short distance.  Still we eventually got through it and headed up towards the lighthouse.  Of course with a slight detour past the mcmansions just below the lighthouse.  We even found the house that we had seen built on Grand Designs Australia. 

Kayla having fun.

Byron Bay lighthouse.

The view back down towards Suffolk Park.

The view from the lighthouse was amazing and is definitely worth the drive up on a clear day.  It was interesting comparing the two beaches.  The one in front of Byron Bay was so busy, but nowhere near as bad as the Gold Coast and then the one on the Suffolk Park side was so nice and quiet.  I certainly knew which one I would prefer to go to.  By now it was getting closer to lunch time so we headed back home and Jason finished off school with Hamish whilst Kayla and I hung out the next load of washing and bought in the dry clothes.  Then the kids enjoyed playing in the backyard and the awesome fort that Wayne had built for his kids. 

Later in the afternoon we showered the kids early and headed off to Alstonville to visit my cousin Patrick and his wife Hannah and daughter Ruby.  I couldn’t believe Ruby is coming up to two and this is the first time I have met her.  We only drove through Alstonville to get to their house but we immediately fell in love with the place.  They aren’t too far of a drive to the beach really and yet it is in the countryside and so peaceful and quiet looking.  We were definitely jealous of their new lifestyle.  Hannah had cooked us a delicious meal and Ruby treated us to the most awesome dance moves I have seen a one year old do.  She is such a little groover.  Before we knew it though it was time to head back and get our two to bed.  Of course they were both still wide awake as Kayla had slept on the way there, but we managed to get them down relatively easily. 

Just like that around rolls Saturday, our last full day on the road really as tomorrow we head back to Brisbane where we started our journey.  So really we have been travelling for 51 weeks, and of that we really have only covered the tip of the ice-burg, mainly seeing South Australia, Western Australia and Northern Territory.  We still have so much more to see and places we would love to go back to.  I now fully understand why some people take two to three years to do Australia and also why some nomads have been doing it for eleven years, as really there is just so much to see and do in our great country.

At least we woke up to good weather on our last day.  Not that we really got out and did much.  Instead we hung around Wayne and Tanya’s place and made the most of their beautiful backyard with the outing down to the local pub for lunch.  It was a really nice meal and they had an awesome playground area which was also home to a few Bearded Dragons (lizards) who didn’t seem to mind the kids too much or would make and escape if kids started to chase them.  It was great seeing Wayne and Tanya again, but the kids were at an age they just niggled and seemed to fight heaps so it wasn’t so relaxing.

Friendly fellow.

Sunday morning rolled around before we knew it and it was time to head back to Brisbane.  Even though we had another week up our sleeve before Jason started back at work we needed to get back and start organising a few things rather than just rock up last minute and run around like headless chickens.  One of the first jobs we need to do is sort out Jason’s work clothes. There is no way we will find them in the storage shed up in Toowoomba so we will have to go shopping down here for some more.  Luckily though we had left his suit pants and shoes at his father’s place so at least he has one outfit.

Hamish lost his first tooth.

Jason packed up the outside of the van whilst I worked on inside. Then Wayne helped Jason with the outside whilst I chatted with Tanya and looked after the kids.  Before we knew it we were bundling the kids into the car, saying our goodbyes and heading off.  The shortest way to Brisbane of course had to be through Byron Bay, and that was an experience.  The traffic wasn’t bad being a Sunday morning but the bad drivers were out and before we even got through Byron Bay we had been cut off by two cars already who didn’t even look where they were going.  Yep sorry for the people who like to holiday down here but you can have it!

The drive back to Brisbane was uneventful with lots of traffic but an easy drive.  The closer to home we got the more and more depressing it was.  However nothing prepared me for when we took the Springwood exit and hopped off the freeway.  My heart just sank.  Hamish however was excited and saying how he remembered this and that and then asking if we could go and see Connor and Oliver.  We had to explain again how things aren’t the same as we no longer have our house and Connor has moved to the north side.  He seemed fine with it and with our reasoning that we will see them but can’t just pop over un-announced. 

We headed straight back to the caravan park we were at before we left as we know it, it isn’t big and it is easy for Jason to get to work.  We got the van parked and set up fully with all the outdoor furniture.  Who knows how long we are going to be here but they have a maximum of six weeks so we will most likely do that whilst we try and work out what exactly what we are going to do. 

So here we are at the end of our massive road trip.  There are certainly no regrets, just a very strong desire to get back on the road and do it all again.  I have no doubt that this will be our last big road trip and I think it has changed us in so many ways.  In about a week or two I will give an update as to how we are adjusting back and also a blog on all the expenses that we have had over the past year, so money we have spent.  That is a bit scary J  Thank you everyone for following our journey.

Nambucca Heads and the best ever NRL grand final.

Well after being so tight with making sure we limited running the water pump the day before I was quite proud when we woke up and had a fair amount of battery power spare, so turned on the TV for the kids so we could sit down and enjoy our coffee.  I don’t even think I had finished my cup of coffee when we again lost all power in the caravan!  Just fantastic, so it is obviously not the pump that is causing it and we are now back to square one with wondering what on earth is wrong.  At least this is our last night on an unpowered site so at least we don’t have to put up with it for much longer.

Though we vowed we would call the Coromal Dealer in Brisbane as soon as it opens to book the van in and get it looked at.  This just isn’t good enough.  Mind you when we did call of course the lady in charge was not there and even though we left three messages throughout the day she did not return our call.  Another prime example of shocking customer service which we weren’t really in the mood for. 

Still it was time to trudge all the way down to the shower blocks so we could have showers.  Jason and Kayla went first and then when Hamish and I went of course there was a massive sign saying it was closed for cleaning.  Who on earth cleans the shower blocks right on peak morning shower time!  Anyway I tried to find the cleaner to ask how long it is closed for and of course I couldn’t find them so I thought stuff it and we had our shower!  When there are only six showers for a packed out campground I think closing them when you aren’t actually cleaning them probably isn’t a wise thing.

Check out at the campground isn’t until midday which works as we can’t check in at the caravan park in Nambucca Heads until after then away.  Still we were all over the place and just wanted to get out of there.  So as soon as the caravan park reception was open we called them up and luckily no one was in our site so we could come early!  Finally some good news!  So we packed up and got out of there as soon as we could.  We definitely won’t be recommending that campground to anyone.  The drive to Nambucca Heads was only about 65km so nice and simple which is a good thing at the start of a long weekend as all the “stupid in a rush and take unnecessary risk driver” are out.  Most of it was slow though as there were a lot of roadworks going on with the upgrade to the Bruce Highway and the police were out in force.

Getting to our chosen caravan park was interesting as our navigator is set to easiest route, which might be great in a car but with a caravan going up some big hills it did have us questioning it.  As I found out on check in we should have followed their signs as that avoided all that and less tight turns!  Now the people that run the Nambucca Heads Big4 Park know how to do customer service.  On check in I mentioned how we might want to stay longer so he just blocks out two days for us so there is no risk of someone coming on the site.  Then the easiest way to our site was to go in the exit gate. 

We couldn’t do this straight away as another car had pulled up and was checking in.  Did I care?  No.  Why not?  Because we were getting treated so well that having to wait 5-10 minutes was not a big deal.  Amazing what a difference it makes.  Eventually we could reverse back and enter through the exit gate.  The park manager was there the whole time guiding Jason and getting other traffic to divert or just wait.  Then he helped Jason reverse in, so to make it easier for Jason I took the kids to the jumping pillow and playground.  Now just to show the difference in what you get for the price.  This only is $2 a night cheaper, but we have power, water, pool, jumping pillow, playground but best of all, awesome customer service.  We are also backing onto a big grass area that has a path straight to the beach.  So in regards to value for money this place is awesome.  It is also not a huge Big4 Park so whilst it is full it doesn’t give you that crowded feel.

As we were setting up our neighbour told us they were doing free piklets for morning tea so Kayla and I walked down there and bought some back.  You could honestly tell Jason and I were all of a sudden so much more relaxed and the kids so much happier.  Not to mention Nambucca Heads looks beautiful and we are definitely tempted to extend our stay.  However first we needed to do some school and catch up on all the washing.  After finishing that lesson we went for a swim in the pool.  It was heated, not that it needed to be as the day was quite warm but it was so nice and relaxing.  After lunch we headed up to replenish our very low food supplies before returning to the park and just hanging out for the afternoon. 

Hamish even hired one of the pedal bikes and at only $5 for half an hour it would have to be one of the best rates we have seen going.  So Jason was over at the playground watching Kayla whilst I was watching Hamish to make sure he was being sensible and getting off the road when necessary.  I think Hamish is really relishing having other kids to play with.  Eventually I did have to drag him back inside to do a montage of his favourite place for school and then the whole dinner, bath and bed routine.  Tomorrow we will have to get out more and see Nambucca Heads and check out the beach since we can hear it when we are sitting outside relaxing under the awning.

The smile says it all.

So of course first thing Saturday morning I wanted to make the most of our full day here and get to the beach, so as soon as we had finished breakfast we headed down for a walk along the beach.  The beach was literally just through the bush, not even a two minute walk which was so easy.  It was nice having a walk along the beachfront, watching the surfers who were out braving it and then checking out a few of the rock pools.  Kayla had her bucket and collected a million shells and a pile of sand which she happily came back and dumped right under our awning area.

The beach right out the front.  Shortest walk ever.

After that we came back and did a session of school.  We are trying to not normally do it on the weekend but as we will be driving back from Sydney on Monday we didn’t want to have to do any school that day so moved it to today.  Once that lesson was over we drove down to near the RSL which is where the tackle show also was and headed along the walkway to take in some of the beautiful surrounds.  We saw heaps of fish and the water was so blue but of course my photos would not show that up well at all.  Before the kids got over it we turned around and headed back.  Just in time really as Kayla decided she didn’t want to wear her helmet anymore and we then wouldn’t let her ride her scooter without her helmet on. 

The walkway alongside the river/inlet.

This photo doesn't do justice to the blue of the water.

 

Before we knew it we headed back to the van for some morning tea.  I was wrecked so decided to lie down and Kayla was out of sorts due to a way too early wake up so Jason took her for a drive to get her to sleep.  This is where I miss having the house so I could go to a room and shut the door, instead I was woken up by Hamish constantly coming and going so you can imagine the mood I woke up in.  The rest of the afternoon we spent around the van.  I tried to do some reading with Hamish but that was hopeless as he wasn’t in the mood to try and was just guessing without looking and I was tired and cranky.  I also get so stressed out over this and know we need some help here but as we are travelling and we can’t really get it.  I will have to find someone who will be able to help and pay for the tutoring when we get back to Brisbane.  Until then we can only keep trying.  I do think he has the ability to do it but just won’t try for us so he might respond better to a teacher figure.

Trying to savour the day we headed back down to the beach to do some fishing but the wind had picked up a bit so the waves were dumping down and I felt like as soon as I cast out that my bait would wash straight back up to the beach.  So I gave up and decided to help the kids build a fort instead.  It was actually quite addictive and we had heaps of fun doing it.  Jason gave up not long after me and returned to the caravan and started dinner.  He had also started packing for our trip to Sydney the next day.  Hopefully we all get a good night sleep so we can tackle the long drive to Sydney.

The view from a lookout.

A nicely restored old car we saw on our morning walk.

Well we were up at a reasonable time but had already lost an hour due to the start of daylight savings.  Yes, joy oh joy, daylight savings has started again but we really only have two on-air school lessons that it will effect before we head back into Queensland and stop travelling.  The drive down to Parramatta was long and slow, especially at the start when I was driving as it was a lot of road works which meant traveling at mainly 80km/hr and sometimes even slower.  We arrived with plenty of time and even managed to book a bus from the motel to the stadium to save us having to get taxis and work out what to do.

Then the preparations started and we all had to get dressed and prepared for the night.  Of course the kids were hungry too so we ordered some room service and just chilled for a bit before the big night.  Once we were all dressed in our Broncos supporter gear it started to feel real and watching everyone else slowly make their way out of the motel in either Broncos or Cowboys gear made it pretty cool.  That is half the reason you go to games as it is the atmosphere that truly makes it.  I don’t think Kayla really understood what was going on but Hamish was so excited.

All dressed up and ready to go.

When we arrived we had to walk a little distance to the stadium from where the bus dropped us, but for $70 return for all of us to our hotel door I was certainly not going to complain.  That is when it really hit home.  We were here and it was going to be a truly great night, though I still don’t think we could have imagined just how awesome of a game it was really going to be.  We made our way all the way up to our seats right up the top, and just when you thought you couldn’t go any higher there were more steps.  I can’t believe when I was packing I was worried that the kids might get cold.  It was quite warm up there, even a bit hot.  Not that we cared.  There was so much to watch and take in.

We got to enjoy the Cold Chisel concert beforehand but probably if I had my time over I might have come a little later so that the kids didn’t have to sit there for so long before the game even started.  At one stage I thought that Kayla was going to fall asleep before the kick off, but at least the kids beside us were looking tired too.  Hamish did point out to me that they were Cowboys supporters but I assured him that it was perfectly okay to talk to them.  Now I don’t need to retell you the game, I am pretty sure you all watched it but wow, it was just mind blowing.  We did get a good laugh out of Hamish as at one stage when the Cowboys were in the lead and he turned to Jason and said ‘But dad you said the Broncos were going to win’. 

Cold Chisel in action.

Getting closer to the start.

 

You had your heart in your throat the entire game and Jason said with around 15 minutes to go that he thought the Cowboys would score and take it off us last minute, how right he was.  What a fantastic game and even though the Broncos lost, I couldn’t  think of a better team to lose to and I don’t think anyone really went away overly upset.  Most Queenslanders, if they don’t support the Broncos, their second pick would be the Cowboys and it was a very good, close game.  Who could ask for a better NRL Grand Final.  We of course didn’t stick around long after the game as both kids were asleep by then so we opted to get them back to the hotel and to bed.  It’s hard to believe that they slept through all that cheering and screaming in the last few minutes.

An action shot from the game.

It really was hard to watch at some stages.

 

We all slept so well that night and the next morning the kids slept in for a bit and then Kayla woke and after a while we convinced her to wake up Hamish.  He wasn’t too happy at first but when I mentioned that we had hash browns and bacon for breakfast he was suddenly wide awake.  It was nice having a huge cooked breakfast waiting for us and whilst there seemed to be a sober mood at breakfast we were quite happy and in good spirits.  Then we started the long drive back to Nambucca heads where we had left the caravan.  It wasn’t actually as long as the day before but still it isn’t exactly a short drive, especially when there was so much traffic on the road being the last day of school holidays and the end of a long weekend.

On arriving back at the caravan park we expected the place to be empty and no kids, but how mistaken we were.  There were heaps of caravans that had left and a new lot that had arrived and most of them had kids.  Obviously not everyone is starting back at school on Tuesday.  Our plan was just to unpack the car and chill for the afternoon.  The kids loved the jumping pillow and riding around on the bikes, really just anything to be out of the car and having fun.  We even took them to the pool to burn off some more energy before we headed back for dinner and bed.  What a fast but fantastic trip down to the finals and certainly worth all the money for that once in a lifetime experience of such an awesome game.

Tuesday was really a lazy day and we didn’t do much at all.  The last two big days had just worn us out and we have to move on Wednesday so we just thought we would lay low and rejuvenate.  It was also the first day back for school so the on-air lessons and reading lessons started up again.  It was nice being in such a good spot where the kids could easily go out and play without having to get in the car and go for a drive.  We met a few other families and got talking to them, and then in the middle of the day we put on a movie and just chilled in the air-conditioning.

Later in the day we did venture out to catch up with my cousin Amy and her daughter Paige.  They moved here at the start of the year and we are so envious of this lovely location that they live at.  The kids’ paddled whilst Amy and I chatted and Jason got out the fishing rod and had a go at fishing.  He managed to pull in quite a few small fish but unfortunately nothing that we could keep.  Well Hamish wanted to keep them as pets but we told him we couldn’t. 

Kayla enjoying some of Paige's food (and freedom from her clothes for a while).

After we had said goodbye to Amy and Paige we went and fuelled up the car in preparation for the next day.  Then we received a call from Amy asking if we wanted to come over for dinner and of course we jumped at the opportunity.  Mind you we needed to go home first and all have showers before I was even willing to let the kids into Amy’s home.  We also needed to start to pack up a few things around the caravan and put the kayak back on top of the car and a few things like that.  By the time we were all ready we were running a bit late, especially when you looked at the NSW time.

The place they live in is just beautiful and in such a nice and quiet street.  I think we were quite envious really of their new lifestyle as it is just the sort of change we are after and the coastline of NSW is just stunning.  Amy cooked us a delicious meal and the kids, well they certainly made themselves at home with all of Paige’s toys.  You should have seen their eyes light up when they just walked in the room.  My poor deprived children with one tub of toys. I think that is what they will enjoy the most when we get everything out of storage.  Eventually we dragged ourselves home and put the kids straight to bed.  We couldn’t be bothered packing anything more away and just crashed ourselves.  Thankyou Amy, Bobby and Paige for the delicious meal and having us over.

Trial Bay certainly tests the patience levels.

Tuesday was one of those days.  You wake up and everything seems to be going well and yet your gut tells you something just isn’t right.  Of course I just put it down to being a bit worried about Jason who has hurt his knee but I honestly don’t think it is anything too serious, it just needs time to heal.  Our destination for the day was Trial Bay and as we couldn’t check in there until 12pm we were in no rush to check out of the van park in Port Macquarie.  Hamish and I did a session of school whilst Jason and Kayla packed up outside and even though we were in no rush we still left just after 9am.  I had rung the campgrounds to see if we could get in early and they said it all depends if our site was free earlier or not, but they had heaps of parking so come and park and enjoy the place.

Of course navigating to Trial Bay wasn’t so straight forward due to our navigator in the car not having the place, my phone one not working and well Jason’s phone wanted to take us a way my map showed there was no bridge to cross the river!  So in the end we reverted to the good ole way of getting around and just followed the signposts!  Can I just say we love the NSW coastline but they have not spent any money on their little roads.  By this I mean off the main highway and even in town some of the roads are really shocking.  Anyway we made it without any random turn arounds or getting lost, but the parking the lady had mentioned on the phone… well yes it was there but for the size of cars, not for anyone towing, be it even a trailer.  So no idea what she was thinking giving that advice out.

Just taking up most of the space out the front of the old goal.

We could temporarily park just off to the side easily but for other people towing and wanting to check in I wouldn’t feel comfortable parking there for hours.  Anyway once I had a map of our place I went down to see if the site was free and yes it was.  However this was nothing to get excited about as I just looked at the size of it and thought there was no way we were going to fit.  The lady had assured me it could fit an 8 ½ metre van on it so I told Jason on the radio to come on down and give it a go.  Yeah it was a horrible spot and Jason had to go half up a little embankment to even get the van on the slab and then that is when we could clearly see our drawbar was halfway out on the road!  So yeah technically we could fit but don’t ask me how anyone was going to get past on the road! 

So we pulled out from there and gave the reception a call rather than walking up the hill.  On the phone she offered us two unpowered sites… again I just don’t think the people in the office had a clue about caravans as neither of them could fit us yet alone how on earth we could get in there.  Yes great for a tent but seriously these people need to be made to walk around and actually look at the spots!  Their computer system also needs to be updated to make site 37P more like 7 ½ metres not 8 ½ metres!  So we decided to drive up there and talk to them in person.  This of course wasn’t easy as we went to take a turn and we heard a horrible scrape.  Thankfully it was just our jack so we reversed a bit, removed it and then managed to get out, but as you can imagine this was just adding to our pure frustration of the place!

So around we drove and up to the reception.  Jason went in whilst I stayed with the kids.  That was probably a good thing as by now I was over the place and their poor customer service.  This was made worse when Jason came back out and told me they don’t do refunds so they had given us another unpowered site to try.  Umm how can you not give refunds when you stuff up as I always tell people when I ring up and book how long we are!  I know I was 100% clear when I booked this one as the lady had said it should fit us so this makes me mad.  How can you take $65 a night off someone when it is clearly your mistake?  It also meant that since we weren’t getting a refund on the price difference of a power to non-powered site, it is one very expensive non-powered site.   Mum and Dad you could make a fortune charging $65 a night for a patch of dirt!

Anyway we got around to the new non-powered site and it wasn’t really the best, well I mean I was looking at it from the point of view of ‘you want me to pay $65 a night for this’.  So we opted to move a little to the right, yes we may be more in the evacuation gathering area but we don’t have a stupid ditch to deal with nor un-level ground so I think they can just put up with us if they have a problem with it.  I must admit the one good thing that has come out of this is that we have great neighbours who are here with their grandsons.  They are so nice and Hamish loves playing with their boys.  We just have to get over the chip on our shoulders.

Just a bit of history.

Guess these guys were bad too.

Trying to find the way out.

So to try and make ourselves feel better we went and got our free tour of the Goal.  Jason had negotiated that they let us in there for free since they weren’t going to refund our money for their mistake!  Thankfully even though that was out of policy they allowed it but it would have been nicer if they had made the goodwill gesture.  It was interesting to go through but unless you are into the history I don’t know if I would recommend families paying the price to go through.  However in fairness this could be due to the fact we had a chip on our shoulders but also we had done the Freemantle goal and that by far is always going to be hard to beat.

Our caravan to the left of the goal.

Wonder what he has done this time.

Kayla escaping through the gap.

After lunch we headed down to the beach and it is a beautiful beach that is nice and shallow for the little kids.  Hamish of course wanted to go way out with his boggy board to hang with the older kids so one of us was always out with him, but it was nice to get out and enjoy the sunshine.  Afterwards we came back and decided to head out.  Due to the power issues we are having with our battery, which we believe is due to the pump, we need to try and conserve all our battery whilst we can.  We also thought having a happy hour and trying to make the most of this place would be a good idea. 

Someone is happy about being able to swim again.

Not a bad setting at all.

Hamish collecting some water.

So we headed into town to grab some supplies before making our way back.  Whilst heading into town I started to read the policies of the caravan park, and low and behold it clearly states that in the event of their fault they can’t offer you a spot you are meant to get a full refund!!!  Liers!  Actually in fairness I just think they really have no clue but still it is so annoying.  I decided that I would take Kayla for a shower first, before the line ups got way too long.  This is why we wanted the power and water, so we could just use our perfectly good shower, but instead it was packing up and to the shower blocks we went where you had to pay 20c for hot water.  Again a fair price but they aren’t well maintained and some showers’ hot water doesn't even work.  For once I was grateful there was a line-up because when I got there a young girl filled me in on what showers to avoid! 

All was going well until Kayla decided she didn’t want to get out of the shower, nor get dressed and started screaming the place down.  So yep one tired and over it mother had to drag a half-naked kid out of the shower blocks screaming and all the way back up the hill to our caravan.  Talk about icing on the cake after a very long and testing day.  Jason then took her for a drive to help settle her down whilst I finished preparing dinner and then started getting the nibbles ready.  Finally Jason and Kayla came back and as she had been asleep was in a lot better mood and was happy to watch some cartoons whilst Jason and I finally enjoyed our little happy hour treats. 

The view from the gaol lookout.

Looking the opposite way from the lookout.

Hamish took our picture up at the top.

Jason decided it would be easier to have a shower with Hamish the next morning as by now the line-ups would have been huge so after dinner Hamish played outside with the boys from next door until they were called in for their dinner.  He was having heaps of fun and he certainly slept really well that night. I think we all did after that bad day. 

At least our second day seemed to start a lot better, with the exception of the ongoing power issue we seem to have when just using our battery.  I mean we treated ourselves to a nice cooked breakfast.  Jason of course called Coromal in Brisbane and they were their usual not so keen to help out selves and if we haven’t heard from them by Wednesday to give them a call back!  Gee talk about bad post purchase service from that dealer.  Anyway trying to make the most of the day Jason and Hamish headed down to the shower block to have their showers.  The first one they went to the hot water didn’t work and then Hamish slipped over on his way out.  So yep it really wasn’t going too great.

Looking south from the lighthouse.

Bit of whale spotting.

Making our way up to the lighthouse.

Then the kids played with the boys from next door.  We were more than happy to let school wait until later and let them have a decent play with their new friends.  After a while they headed out fishing and we decided to head out and see if we could spot any whales from the lighthouse.  We were in luck and managed to see quite a few from up there, even if the walk up to the top was a steep and not so easy one.  Nothing like a bit of morning fitness to get us going.  Hamish even spotted a goanna trying to sneak past us which was pretty cool.  Once we had finished checking out the views and whales we headed back to the campgrounds to have some morning tea at the café nearby.

Not a bad spot for a bit of school.

Really we have to walk all the way up there.

Hamish's nature spotting.



It was definitely worth a visit and obviously not run by the NSW Government as the prices were decent, food delicious and customer service absolutely wonderful.  For us to all have a drink and cake/scone for only $28 is really good value.  On the way back to our site we decided to drive around to the back of the campground to the overflow section where they wanted to put us originally.  Yeah it didn’t look good at all but at least we found the dump point.  Just as we were heading back Jason spotted whales no more than 100m off the shore.  So we all jumped out of the car to watch them pass us by.  It was spectacular seeing them so close and the kids just loved it.  To top it off, once they whales had passed, two dolphins then swam by. 

Looking north from the lighthouse.

 

We then made our way back to our van to get changed and head down to the beach to hire some SUPs to take out.  These are stand up paddle boards and the day before we had seen them for hire for only $20 an hour which really is the best price we have seen throughout Australia.  Convincing the kids we didn’t need to take anything else to the beach with us was a little harder but we eventually got down there and out in the water.  It was quite still with just a few little waves, so a relatively easy place to start out on.  That being said, having a kid on the front that won’t sit still was a bit nerve racking.  It wasn’t deep so had I fallen off it wasn’t a big deal except the fact the water was a bit cold for my liking.  So I spent more than half my time just paddling whilst kneeling or sitting on the board just bobbing and watching the whales way off in the distance.

This was just off the shoreline.

Pretty awesome to watch.

Spotting them as they came up for air.

So blessed.

After our hour was up we headed back to the van to have some lunch before we were going to drive out and check out another little town that apparently is better than here.  Well that is according to the guy who hires out the SUPs and lives there.  In the end though we didn’t get there.  By the time we finished lunch it was nearly 3pm and we just weren’t the mood to drive anywhere so we just hung around the van and the kids played outside happily.  I was conscious of saving as much battery as possible so that we wouldn’t run low the next day.  I think it was just one of those evenings where we were relaxed but not really in the mood to do much.  So instead of cooking dinner we drove into town and bought a pizza to bring home and have.  Kayla even fell asleep on the way home so that was an added bonus!  The wind had picked up though so tv reception was shocking which totally annoyed Jason as he was looking forward to the Footy Show and it also meant we were outside packing up the awning so we could at least get a good nights sleep.

The coastline where we watched the whales pass by.

Can't forget the dolphins.

Now who wouldn't want to sit here and watch the sun set.

The sun setting in South West Rocks.