I Heart Camping

Oh, I do , I do!

Camping at Easter is one of the highlights of my year.
We enthusiastically make the annual pilgrimage to Yamba every year for the Easter break. It started 10 years ago with 10 close friends -some couples, some single, pitching a few tents for Easter. It has grown into quite the production and this year we are up to 8 adults and 7 children under 4, 2 buns in the oven. (unfortunately 1 family is unable to come so we are down 2 adults and 2 children). It is a little more hectic then our child free days but still my favourite yearly holiday. Hopefully this years trip will be less dramatic then last years Check out last years amusing exploits here and here.
As you can imagine it is quite the spectacle with so many adults and children and requires precision planning. Lets just say we do not really rough it, with our purpose built communal marquee, large double door display fridge, tv/dvd player (something only for rainy days for to entertain the children) and fully fenced yard to contain the children (last year it was chicken wire- very old MacDonald).

I love having such a special family tradition that we share with such beautiful, dear friends, although next year the children will out number the adults- scary thought!

What are you up to this Easter?

The Bliss/Exhaustion that is Camping Part 2

Image by Geoff Hale

And now for the good stuff...

Why do we simply adore camping at Yamba each Easter?

• spending time with our very close extended family & childhood friends.
• the finale photo- we take a group photo every year after we have packed up and are ready to leave...and each year we swear that next year we will take it on the first day when everyone is there and we are not going a little insane. It is great to watch the familes grow and change change over the years and the crazy (not on purpose) expressions and poses on some faces.
• the boys Saturday night out- the boys go to the pub every Easter Saturday afternoon and as each one returns from the showers we all whoop and applaud and tease them for getting all dolled up and pretend we are the paparazzi and take photos of them- they make out they hate it but we know they secretly love having their ego stroked.
• lazing around (where possible) reading magazines, eating hot cross buns and raisin toast with butter like slices of cheese.
• spending time at the beach with the kiddies (weather permitting of course).
• a visit to the blue pools at Angourie.
• dinner at the bowling club # see note
• afternoon drinks every day (and not feeling guilty as you are on holiday).
• the sound of rain pitter pattering on the roof of your tent as you snuggle down under the doona to go to sleep.
• having girly time checking out the gorgeous little stores and stunning beach houses.

The below pics are of one such beach house - maybe we should stay here next year?? Loving the beachy white and neutral decor and the all white exterior- who doesn't love a white house?

Yamba Beach House pics from SM3 DESIGN

You know, even as gorgeous as this beach house is I, and I am sure the rest of the camping gang would agree with me, would much prefer to go camping- even with all its blood and gore: that and the fact that we probably couldn't afford the damage bill after we and our 9 children inhabited it for a week!

# side note: this years dinner at the bowling club was more hilarious than usual! lets set the scene: 11 adults, 9 children, we had to go inside as everyone was being bitten by millions of crazy demon mozzies, a hoard of people ordering dinner as soon as the kitchen opened, rude bar staff, broken glass, each child proceeding to put on a lovely tantrum one after the other, baby E screeching happily in the background (her screeches have to be heard to be believed! -lets just say we nicknamed her after a raptor as on Jurassic Park- so ear piercing but she is so adorable!), toddlers falling asleep sitting up after they had exhausted themselves from tantruming, tired adults and tired children, missing children- you just had to laugh at the situation. Not so sure the other patrons were laughing at our groups unruliness though...

The Bliss/Exhaustion that is Camping

My exhaustion is absolutely and totally all consuming. The reason?

We have just spent the last 7 nights camping at a little holiday coastal town on the north coast of NSW- Yamba. We make this pilgrimage every Easter and I would not trade this time away for anything, but of course there are some, shall we say, not so positive aspects of camping. And this year there seemed to be even more than usual.

Let’s start with the rain- on and off day and night for nearly the whole time we were there (great if camping sans kids not so great with them),9 children ranging in ages from 8 months to 14 years can be a little ...loud, entertaining the children, feeding the children, the mud, more rain, lack of sleep – due to non sleeping infants, alcohol consumption – something to dull the pain??? , more lack of sleep, showering in thongs, showering toddlers that will not wear thongs and trying to ignore the thoughts of what is lurking on the communal shower floors, more rain, a messy camp site even 2 minutes after it is cleaned, noisy flying foxes in the tree above us at night and of course the nausea, vomiting & diarrhoea bugs sweeping through our campsite.

Ah... total bliss.

And you know what? I am not even being sarcastic.

My extended family have been taking this camping trip every year for a round 8 years. And this might sound crazy to some but even after a camping trip like that we literally begin counting down the days until next year’s camping trip as soon as we return.

Now where is my vodka and sleeping pills? I need to catch up on some more sleep...zzzzzzzzzz