For some, the idea of a long weekend away with family is more of a torture treatment than a holiday!
I am very blessed to have a family that are all a bundle of fun and wonderful, caring people to boot.
We have begun an annual tradition of spending the Easter break camping in South West Rocks, a great
chance to relax, eat and catch up. I am constantly amazed at how fast the time flies by these days, so I think spending time with people we care about is something we should all be doing more of. Never have any regrets!
South West Rocks is a beautiful part of Australia located about 6 hours drive north from Sydney. There are a number
of campsites in the area but we stay at the Trial Bay Eco Park, it is 7.5 acres in size and surrounded by the Hat Head
National Park. There is a Saltwater Lagoon at the southern end, Trial Bay Beach is just around the corner and the town is a short drive away. Kangaroos also roam freely around the park and the set up for children is unrivalled. Being an Easter weekend, the Park put on an endless number of free activities for the kids, Easter egg hunts, a visit from the Rural Fire service, craft activities and even a sausage sizzle. Some parents didn't see their children the entire holiday!
After hitting the road at stupid'o'clock (or 5am to some), we made it to Trial Bay by lunchtime and not being campers, we checked in to our lovely little cabin, we like to call it posh camping!
The first afternoon we all piled into my cousins' 4WD and hit the beach to fish; one of the joys of living in a country like Australia is having beaches that are long enough and uninhabited enough to be driven along!
Can you imagine the feeling of cruising along the sand and watching waves break alongside the car? It was fantastic!
 |
| Driving on the Beach |
Now, not being a fisherwoman from way back, I was incredibly proud of myself when I managed to lodge a very much alive worm onto a tiny hook, not a whole heap of fun, but worth it when I landed my fish!
 |
| What a catch!!! |
 |
| Fishing on the beach |
The afternoon success continued when we checked our traps and found that we had managed to catch a lovely mud crab. Luckily for me, not everyone in the family cares for mud crab, so I happily devoured the whole thing myself. Does it honestly get better than eating fresh mud crab that has been caught barely an hour earlier?
A little different from the deli counter at Woolies, I must say!!
 |
| The Mud crabs were not so keen to jump in the bucket! |
 |
| And this may be the reason why... |
 |
| There is only one way to eat Mud crabs when camping |
As well as fishing, crabbing and relaxing, we also spent an afternoon playing barefoot bowls at the local club, took part in a moving ANZAC Day Dawn service and visited the South West Rocks markets at Horseshoe Bay.
 |
| Mum and Cath at the South West Rocks Markets |
 |
| Some Quirky Wind Chimes (purchase info below) |
We even spoilt ourselves with a lunch one day at the Trial Bay Kiosk. We sat on the verandah and soaked up the unseasonably warm midday sun, drank a great bottle of white wine and savoured a lovely meal. The staff were faultless and I would go back for that reason alone, well that and the resident Kookaburra who provided us with entertainment as he stole food off diners plates! Needless to say, we were not victims or we may not have found it so amusing!
 |
| Lunch with the family |
 |
| The cheeky Kookaburra |
All the adventures and activities aside, the best times on the weekend away were those spent around the campsite, enjoying a drink, some nibbles and quality time with family. May it be a tradition that continues for many years to come.
No comments:
Post a Comment