Port Fairy

Day 10

21/03/2015

Today was supposed to be home day, but we have decided to stretch things again & stay another night, then drive home in convoy with McKays. The kids are getting along really well with the boys. 

It's only 19 degrees & a bit fresh. Saturday here is FREE pancake breakfast at the camp kitchen...there's a lot of disabled people staying in the cabins, they were sitting at the table next to us, it's a bit of an eye opener for the kids!

We check out the new kids play area. 5 & under...😁 ava has a sneaky play as we had it to ourselves! 

On the bikes we jump next, for a ride into the Main Street for an ice cream & to get some country meat for a roast dinner. Oscar & Lola have got to be the cutest a riders out. Everyone was commenting on how small the are & riding without trainer wheels! 

They did both take a decent stack each, but got straight back on after a few tears & a cuddle! Those little legs were going double time to keep up with the rest of us. 

There was a small market on in town, stopped there for a good country pie & sausage roll. Grabbed a DELISH sponge roll with cream & strawberries from Gloria! Have a feeling Gloria's been baking for a while that sponge was amazing... She did start a bit of bickering once back at the vans after giving the kids a woolies domino each!!! 

The kids need a bit of quiet time & we need a drink by now, so we set up a cinema for them, lola is out like a light pretty quickly.

Outdoor cinema

Ben & Scott have riden to the pub for a couple of scooners, Ben worked out he only has 18 beers left out of 4 cartons & may need them all tonight! 

No time for rest with these monkeys! Pool time PLEEEEEASE. Thankfully the pools empty for a bit so they can mess about all they like. 3 dear old loves came in for a not so pleasant dip which didn't last too long! Jess & I pleased the kids by hoping in for a quickie too, thankfully it was heated, cause it was freezing outside in the wind. 

Dads are prepping the dinner now & watching footy on the iPad while we all nip through the shower & into pjs ready for a play on the playground & pillow. 

Geez these kids are going to sleep well tonight, I'm exhausted by now myself.

Mums even take a good jump on the pillow. Fun, fun... 

The 5 Mermaids & Monkeys 

Lola & Oscar

Hunter & Max

Mums just wanna have fun

Playing shops

Movie time

Port Fairy-Home

Day 11

22/03/2015

Probably going to be the best weather day of the trip, & we are spending it on the car!!! 26 degrees in Port Fairy, but a smashing 32 degrees in Adelaide. 

Up, packed & on the road by 8.15am. 561km to home, plus wee stops & lunch break, we are aiming for an ETA of 3.30pm. With the UHF switched to Chanel 33 we're off. 1st stop is coffee & crossant at the bakery, kids are already itchy...it's going to be a long day! 

We manage to get to Keith for lunch at 12.30 with a few more wee/number 2 stops... The bakery sounds good, so we grab take away & head straight to the playground for the kids to stretch their legs before we start our last leg! 

Just a small in site into what was to come for the next couple of hours! 

We hit the road by 1.15pm. 

Lola thankfully nods off for about 45 mins & the others are happy on iPads! Agh, always when we are so close to the end the settle! 

Arrival is spot on, we farewell our fellow travellers on cross roads! What a great trip! Thanks McKays & Farquhars... 

Now for the overwhelming unpacking onslaught! 😩

Days of washing ahead! 

We are greeted by Nannie Meisha, who occupies the cherubs while we unpack the house on wheels! 

Ava is BEGGING to see her bestie Amelia & gets her wish, but not until she's helped with the tidy up! 

Ah cute besties! 

Just when I think I'm going to have to put the wine on hold for a day, I'm relieved to say I can have a glass or 3 when more visitors pop by for a catch up. Nanny Pat & Grandpa & the Gleeson/Hollis family. 

We are all looking forward to a good sleep in our own beds! 

Till next trip xxx The Weyland Wanderers... 

Torquay - Port Fairy

Day 9

20/03/2015

Moving day again...We've all slept in today after an early night & slept well. We don't get out of the caravan park until 11.20am. 

Off for a coffee & milkshake at Growlers cafe, it used to be owned by Lara Bingle

Its cooler today. 19 degrees, but no rain.

Hunter has lost yet another pair of thongs, so we nip to grab her a pair from the seconds store, along with some fruit for the ride & a quick maccas lunch on the road!! Then we are away. A 2.5 hour trip takes us about 4 hours today, girls were like running taps today & needed a mammoth amount of wees! 

We arrive about 3.45pm, just after the McKays & it's an exciting reunion after just a night apart. Kids are off on bikes & super excited about going for a swim! Quick set up, wine & a cheese platter  we head to the pool for a bit. 

Bbq dinner, kids movie time & before we know it, it's 1am 😲

Tomorrow is supposed to be home day, but we are thinking we might stay another night, it's such a lovely spot with plenty of kids activities & the girls are loving hanging with Max & Oscar! 

Wye River - Torquay

Day 8

19/03/2015

Moving day... Supposed to be home day, but we've decided to stretch it out a bit & head to Torquay for a look for the night. 

Team Farqs are making the 10 hour trek home! They head by 9.30am 👋

Jack not so impressed!! 

We are good to go by 10.15am, & McKays are staying put in Wye River 1 more night before moving to Port Fairy. We will meet them there for a night too. 

The short 50 min dim rice starts out well, but the girls are so exhausted after a week of late nights & busy days, they struggle to keep it together for long. 

Torquey caravan park is nothing like Wye, they have crammed everyone in here, no view or wildlife to enjoy!

We set up pretty quickly & head out for a drive to the town centre & look in the surf shops... The girls are dying to get themselves something. Ava is the shopping queen, wanting to visit Roxy & Billabong & mostly Gandha for a calico bag with a print on it!! Ha

Hunters loosing her cool BIG TIME as she MUST have a pink or purple skate board... Um, no love! We bagged a few bargains at the second stores, then head to Bells Beach for a look. 

The Rip Curl Pro comp starts in 2 weeks, so it was being prepped for the contest, with Pop up shops & gates everywhere. I can't see how so many people can see the surfers at comp time, it's a fair way down to the ocean & only a couple of small viewing platforms! Not many waves today either... 

Then back to the van for a wine & kids an early night! Ferral they are, all of them... 

 

Wye river - visit to Kennett River & Apollo Bay

Day 7

18/03/2015

25 degrees. Lovely, not sure it's going to reach it, but we had 4 seasons in the day yesterday, so any things possible! Slow start, team Farqs head to the cafe for breaky, while the rest of us potter then head down for a late. 

We take Jack & Ava on our walk today, thinking they'll run rings around us. We didn't do to badly! Straight over to the beach for a refreshing swim again. The beach is almost deserted here until about 3-3.30 each day. It's dam cold in there so I understand why! 

We've heard the next caravan park is great for hand feeding birds, so we head to Kennett River, only 10 mins away. OMG, we weren't disappointed. Kids were pumped, so was (nature/animal lover) Kell. Def a worthwhile trip. 

Tourist buses popping in & many passers by. It's obviously well known for its friendly, feeding birds! 

Apollo Bay is next on the list for some lunch & to check out the park facilities there. Thinking we may try there next year... 

Lunch and a wine at the Apollo bay pub, check out the beach, perfect tick! 

Playground, quick street stroll & were off. Kids like car swapping, leaving Jess & Smackas car childless, so Scott & Mark decide to go 4WDing. Ben not so keen is caught up with tomorrow being moving day & wants to head back & start the clean up... He spots a few 'nice looking' tracks on our way back & shows the boys at a brief stop cause Ava is looking very green in the back of kellies car...thankfully no vomit, but she was off for a good hour after. 

Ben drops us home & decides he's not missing out, so heads off to find the boys! Hmmmmm, good decision in 1 aspect, 4.30pm, 2 guys, 1 car, fridge full of beer, wearing shorts & thongs, 4WDing with no food, tools or straps or phone service on an unknown track... but not so good in another, he got seriously bogged on the side of a cliff!

Smacka came back about 6 looking for a strap (we thought he was kidding). No neighbours had 1 so he took to the main office. Yep, all good, so he's off to save the day & takes Jack for the ride too! 7pm, we wonder when's a good time to start getting worried & sound an alarm?!? I nip to the office about 7.30, closed of course, but the managers on the couch. He's already heard from the boys & the CFA it out searching for them! 😳 holy shit, concern floods! But he (andy) will let us know as soon as they hear anything.The kids all start thinking the dads are dead & acting out sceens, (their way of worrying!) mums start to panic so pour another drink! 7.45pm, andy comes to tell us they are all ok, been pulled out & will be back soon...

8.30pm, still no boys. It's pitch black now, what the hecks happening?? Jess heads to the front office again. Andy can't get in contact with them, but he will keep trying & keep us informed. Finally some news...they are still trying to get them out & are about 45 mins away!! Kids are worried now & won't go to sleep! Meanwhile, Lola cracks Hunter over the head with the plastic shower cleaner, leaving a gaping hole & blood dripping through her hair! 

9.45pm & they roll in, covered in mud. Bens still a bit anxious, Mark had a ball, would do it again tomorrow & Smacka's a bit blown away! A debrief over dinner & 10 beers helped!! 

Kell, Jess & I are pretty keen on a de stress, so after the day's events we nip off for a quick nudie dip in the ocean!! Brrrrrr, but fun & very very dark! All the stars were out in force along with a balcony of people up at the pub. 

What a day!!!