Rain, sun and kangaroos in Eden

Thar she blows! (In Kimra)

Things have some what improved since my last post. The sun is shining and the MOTH and I seem to have finally got the knack of plugging in and out of camp sites. Yes, the toilet in the new campervan sprung a leak. Yes, it only just stopped raining yesterday and yes , yours truly suffered chronic Ozzie-belly for three days (less blogging and more bogging) - BUT - today the sun is shining, swimming togs have been on most days despite the rain and tonight we've had the best fish and chips EVER!

Our journey thus far has looked like this:

Monday: Sydney to Wollongong; Thunderstorms

Tuesday: Wollongong to Trainworks to Moss Vale; Rain

Wednesday: Moss Vale to Jervis Bay; Downpours

Thursday: Jervis Bay to Bateman's Bay: Drizzle

Friday: Bateman's Bay to Eden; Overcast, glimmers of sunshine in the afternoon; suspected earthquake in the middle of the night!

Saturday (today):Eden to Lake's Entrance; sunshine! 



If we ever plan to do a Sydney to Melbourne drive again (which I'm dubious is particularly high on this whanau's bucket list), we'd probably take two weeks to do it and most likely stay in cabins or hostels. We would have liked to have seen a great many more sights and enjoyed a few more days in each spot, sometimes to rest, sometimes to take advantage of the camp ground facilities, sometimes to just 'be'. With little people we're averaging around 2 hours maximum driving a day, add to that numerous toilet stops three children require and the time it takes to do the everyday stuff (eating, showering, finding food etc), progress is, well, slow.

 



Inspired to dance. Who cares about the rain clouds?

However, even with the slow drive and the rain we've found some travel magic. I'm grateful for the MOTH's 'why not' attitude that has ensured watching a spectacular blow hole in Kimra (my shutter finger was always a tad too slow to capture the 'big one') and swimming fully clothed on a white sand beach in Jervis Bay. Miss K was inspired to sing and dance while the boys made a 'sand train'.  

We're making a train on the beach.

Miss K's keen eye for nature has ensured we've seen trees dripping with coloured parakeets, cockatoos and bellbirds. She even spotted a toy koala tied to tree as we've driven through the gum tree-lined Princess Highway. This morning, jumping on the 'bouncy pillow' in Eden's camping grounds she spotted something brown and moving. "Mummy, come quickly, I think I've seen a kangaroo or wombat!" (she may have meant wallaby). We were treated to a family of wild kangaroos. In Eden. Go figure.

Kangroos spotted by Miss K in Eden

 As a foodie, our travel accounts have been absent of things that tantalize our taste-buds. Partly because my stomach hasn't been up to it and partly because we've yet to encounter much to comment on. The few cafes we've sampled have been over-priced and under-taste. The exceptions have been the Heritage Bakery on the outskirts of  Milton, my butter-fried scotch fillet (the things one does and discovers when camping) and tonight's fish and chips. Fish-a-Fare in Lake's Entry does the best, fresh fish'n'chips EVER (I know, I said it already but it was SO GOOD). Their sign says they don't do 'fast food but fresh food'. Miss K suggested going back for breakfast!

Master T and the MOTH -having gobbled the fish, only chips remain.
Master T's mouthful suggests total approval.

 

I'll be the first to admit this week hasn't been plain sailing or always fun. Sometimes it's been unpleasant, frustrating, smelly (campervan, not just my fault) and downright horrible. But like Noah and his flood, after the rain, there came sunshine. Better still, there was a rainbow. This week has been kinda like that :-)