Cricket, Surf and a Road Trip – Summer in Australia

This summer saw us head north on our adventures not with Terry and Matilda, but rather our little Subaru packed to the rafters, complete with Oztent and fishing rods on the roof, not for a camping holiday, rather the quintessential Australian relatives travelling road show.

And a road show it was.

Byron Bay - Ocean Beach

With family converging on Caloundra we enjoyed Christmas with one side of the family, before a second Christmas with the other side of the family in Armidale. We stopped off and swam in beaches at Caloundra, the Gold Coast and Byron Bay. We played in memorial parks in villages with populations in the double figures, and also walked on board-walks with what felt like most of the Sunshine Coast holiday crowd. We followed a 'shortcut' between Dunedoo and Wellington that meandered along seldom travelled country lanes before popping out on the road to Gulgong, and also spent some time on dual carriageway that allowed large distances to be covered quickly – if impersonally.

The tent wasn't for show – it was to be our bedroom in Armidale – joining the countless other tents across the country that are erected in back yards during the festive season as accommodation for visiting relatives.

We caught up with family and too few friends – apologies to everyone we missed

The Little Fisherman was determined to catch a fish – and staying on a lake at Caloundra seemed to be the perfect opportunity. With an older cousin also getting a fishing rod for Christmas, it seemed like this was to be his golden opportunity. The two boys got up at 5 am every morning to wet a line, however it was not to be. Their dedication was to be admired, with the fish jumping or nibbling their bait at just the right intervals to keep them out there for a good couple of hours. We are really going to have to do something about his lack of fishing success.

The Little Fisherman tries his luck

The Little Helper has a new friend to play with

A significant milestone was reached when The Little Fisherman gained enough confidence to leap into the pool and paddle back to the side. Upon exiting the pool he proudly proclaimed that he could swim and therefore we could get a kayak now. The other Little Helper's confidence and ability in the water also came ahead leaps and bounds – however he would do well with a snorkel as he manages to effectively paddle about six inches below the surface of the water.

The Little Helper enjoys a paddle

The Little Fisherman's Leap of Faith

Whilst swimming was the activity of choice in Caloundra, cricket became the game in Armidale. With the batting line up consisting of four boys under six, the fielders (uncles) were scattered on the sloping pitch. The older boys have a mean swing and as they got their eye in, the uncles were kept busy fielding. The hazards of fielding manifested in a couple of different forms. Mr Brown Snake was found near the compost heap, and whilst he was duly dispatched, subsequent fielding activity in the vicinity was duly a little more cautious. The other was a Feijoa bush that would have made a great fielding spot – until 6'5” uncle demolished it on a valiant but ultimately doomed attempt to take a catch that would make Fatty Vautin's catch look a little more routine.

Getting some tips from the experts

Before smashing the ball all around the park

We made the haul south from Armidale in eleven and a half hours. The boys and pooch travelled remarkably well, considering we don't have portable dvd players or even an ipod player in the Subaru. I think part of the secret was a break and leg stretch every two to three hours, and the inland roads we travelled. We played lots of games, listened to audio-books on CD, stopped at some cute country parks and enjoyed lunch at Wellington and dinner at Yass. We had planned to stop in a cafe at Yass, but by 6pm on a Tuesday there wasn't much open, so a cooked chicken and fresh bread from the supermarket was enjoyed at the park. The spiral slippery slide there is a favourite of theirs, so it worked out much better overall.

Our holiday had some highlights - like:

A visit from the Christmas Elves

The great water-fight at Byron Bay

Swimming in the surf

And trying out the new Christmas Toys when we got home

And so we are home – for now. Terry and Matilda were disappointed not to follow us on our adventure north, however don't fear, we may just get a chance to get their wheels turning before the end of the school holidays.