McCulloch Family Giant Leap: Airlie you are almost perfect.

It was great arriving in Airlie knowing that we had five nights here, which means there would easily be a day set aside just for resting. However this was not going to occur on the first day as we needed to hit the shops as our cupboards were rather bare to say the least. We really were scrapping the bottom of the barrel, especially snack food for when we were travelling.

Seriously I think the kids would have had you believe that we were the worst parents in the world being dragged to the shops to food shop when there was an awesome pool to be enjoyed. In hindsight I probably should have left the kids and Jason to enjoy the pool and shopped in peace and quiet. Not that it was bad, but I think we totally over compensated for the fact that we had nothing to eat as we came home with enough to feed an army (of which my children proved me wrong and it only lasted a week).

Next stop was to organise a cruise to Whitehaven beach. We wanted to get in and do it the next day while the weather was good. With my sister Lesley and nephew Riley visiting on the weekend our next opportunity would be Monday and who knows if the weather would still be good. We spent a while tossing up if we should do the flight out to the reef and Whitehaven beach (read expensive) or a half day cruise to just Whitehaven beach (less expensive but longer). In the end the half day cruise won, with kids (well ours anyway) it is easier to say something was a disaster if you only spent a little bit of money trying, as opposed to a lot!

Finally the kids got their swim at the Big 4 caravan park. They just loved the waterslides and had to keep going on them again and again. We certainly worked up a healthy appetite and we all crashed ever so easily that night. We had to as we had a very early start the next day as the shuttle bus for the cruise was to pick us up at 6am.

Hamish coming down the slide.

Before we knew it we were on the boat and enjoying our cruise. I thought it might have been hard to entertain the kids for two hours on the bus, but with a stop and Daydream Island (which is for sale if you have a few lazy million lying around) and then Hamilton Island it did in fact go quickly. Whitehaven was just stunning however I feel our photos do not do it justice as there was a bit of cloud cover. You really need the sun to bring out the white in the sand.

Perfect weather.

Family snap.

Checking out the sand quality.

Picture perfect.

As there was the potential risk of stingers we opted to borrow the cruise boats stinger suits. It was quite funny seeing the kids dressed up in them. We built sand castles, played a bit of beach volleyball and admired the big fish we could see right up close to the beach. Before we knew it our time was up and we were back on the boat heading home.

Our cruise boat.

How lucky are we.

Jason and Kayla with the best backdrop.

Best place to make sandcastles.

I thought Kayla would fall asleep easily but no my determined child was not going to miss a thing it seemed. Hamish on the other hand crashed and slept all the way back to daydream island where we had to wait 45 minutes for the next boat that would take us back to Airlie. I wish the cruise could have taken us straight back as stopping on the island for such a short period of time is pointless and by then we had two tired and cranky kids who wanted lunch. So we bought some food but it was at island resort prices as you have no choice.

Taking it all in.

Hamish ready to go.

Daydream island.

Just a few small boats.

Back at the caravan we had a lazy afternoon which also involved a Halloween scavenger hunt. They had some basic clues that the kids had to follow and get signed off to get a little treat. Then there was the Halloween disco that night, some of the outfits were just amazing, especially these three kids that were dressed up as frogs. Hamish even got to go trick-or-treating around other caravans but scored majorly when the couples in the caravans beside us gave us their leftover chocolate at the end of the night. Oh how I enjoy it… all this chocolate to feast on when the kids go to bed!

All ready to go.

Getting his treats.

She has the vampire look sorted.

Dancing with the frog.

We were very excited Saturday morning as we had my sister Lesley and nephew Riley who had come all the way from Collinsville to visit us. It was so great catching up with Lel and getting my fix of cuddles of the ever so cute master Riley. Hamish asked to have a hold of him and was quite chuffed; Kayla was obsessed with him and thought he was a big baby doll for her. Mind you the way she treats her baby doll I did warn Lel we had to watch her. She just wanted to hold him, push the pram and tickle his feet.

Two chilled out boys.

Kayla and Hamish with cousin Riley.

Finally she gets a nurse - Riley looks scared.

Kayla pushing her baby doll around in the pram.

On Sunday we decided to break it up a bit and instead of spending the majority of time in the caravan park pool we moved to the Lagoon pool right in the heart of Airlie. It is a great pool that they have set up there for the locals with a cool little playground. It reminds me of Southbank but minus a few hundred people. Lesley and Riley joined us for a little picnic morning tea before having to head off back home. Thank you Lel for making the trip to come and see us, it was great being able to see you both again.

Swings with a view.

Lesley and Kayla have a slash in the pool.

The ever so cute Master Riley

Quick picture before Lel and Riley had to leave.

We had originally booked in for five nights but after talking to new neighbours that had rolled in, Jason decided we should stay another night. Apparently the caravan park put on a good little do for the Melbourne Cup. Now who was I to argue about another relaxing day in paradise? Whilst everything in the caravan park was awesome, the only thing I found frustrating was the sand flies. These little suckers are everywhere there but it is hard when you can’t see them or feel them bite but you wake up to have a million more (slight exaggeration) bites covering you. Poor Kayla was hit the hardest. Whilst we put bushman’s on morning and evening from then on, we still had been caught out from the first few days. It is hard to tell the kids not to scratch them. So now four times a day we have to apply a stop itch antiseptic cream on the kids.

We had also thought about catching the ferry over to the islands to check them out, but it was pretty much the same price as the tour we did to Whitehaven. I would have thought they might have done cheaper deals, especially so the locals could pop over to the islands for the day. You would think it would bring that little bit more business to the islands shops and restaurants. Also as much as we went looking, we couldn’t find the true Information Centre, the one that covers everything from local walks to island tours. All we could find were a million ones just trying to sell you tours out to the islands. I would have thought there is more to do in Airlie but they weren’t making it easy to uncover.

On Monday afternoon we caught up with an old mate of Hamish’s from Kindergarten. Mason and his family had moved up to Airlie and just love the lifestyle change. Hamish was so excited to see Mason again and of course the kids spent the afternoon swimming in the pool together. The rest of the day was spent doing some Christmas shopping for my family so we can drop it off when we get to Winton and I have enough time to wrap it before we get there.

Before we knew it the big race day was here. Jason had received the message to wear a hat, so of course I took it to the next level and decided we had to make them. Hamish saw an empty toilet roll and said that it was half of a set of binoculars, so then I used one of the empty wrapping paper rolls to make us all a set. It was great as we could also incorporate it into his eKindy session, and who doesn’t like art and craft. Well I guess I don’t when at the end I seem to be left with a big mess!

All ready to start decorating.

Checking out the wildlife.

Hamish took a picture of us in our hats.

The little play area whilst we watched the big race.

We all picked a horse to back in the big race and we headed off to the parks function room. It only cost $15 for an adult and $7.50 per child but they put on a lovely meal of chicken and salad items and kept offering us champagne and beer. As there was another little boy (and they were also travelling Australia for a year) there too they set up a little kid’s corner with toys, so they all happily played while we could sit back and relax. Unfortunately not one of us picked a horse that got a place; I was probably the closest with 4^th. However in the sweepstake the park ran we managed to get 1^st and 2^nd so we came out pretty much even – that was good enough for us.

The kids showing off their creations.

One thing I have found interesting about talking to other travellers is how many of them either aren’t really doing the outback, speeding through it or are turned off by the long drives of “nothing” as they say. This isn’t just restricted to outback Queensland, but also NSW, and the red centre. We have met one couple who have been on the road for eleven years yet still haven’t done the red centre. Each time they think about it, it is either too hot, too cold or they just aren’t up for the drive.

Coming from Longreach I think it is a shame, as really the outback is such a huge part of our country and overs a different experience and culture. Obviously it is every person’s trip and they can do what they want as that is the point of it, but I have just found it interesting. I mean some people would think we are missing so much of QLD but if you take into account previous holidays we have done and the fact we are saving a fair bit for the end of our trip we know we will cover quite a lot.

I even got asked if we were worried about the wet season out west. I politely replied that where I grew up, we don’t really get a wet season. I mean we get a “higher chance of rainfall season” but I certainly would not call it a wet season. Hopefully I get proven wrong this year, as I know everyone out home desperately need and would love some rain.

Now these people I talk to are the minority, and there are plenty who I talk to who just love the outback and all it has to offer. Some people don’t even think they could return to city life after having spent some much time out there. I think it is something everyone should experience, and not just a fleeting visit, but one where you really get to explore the entire outback has on offer. Mind you I know there is so much we aren’t going to get to experience this trip. Though hopefully we will get to do it again another time, maybe in an off road van and when the kids are older and can do the long walks. One thing I have already realised is a year just isn’t long enough to see all Australia has on offer and I am fine with that, as we plan to live a lot longer so it just means we save some things for later in life.