Green Patch - June 2011

The lead up
What is it about mechanical appliances? Just as I am about to board a flight for sunny Cairns, our Subaru develops an alarming noise when depressing the clutch… No worries me thinks – I am away for the week, so we can put the Suby in for a new clutch, leaving Terry to be the primary family hauler whilst I am away. Whilst I am away our oven dies, requiring complete replacement (thankfully without requiring a cabinet maker’s services), and then after a particularly cold night and day in the frosty Southern Highlands, Terry decides not to start.

I received a panic call from my wife, Jo, telling me Terry won’t start because the battery is stuffed, and asking if she should buy a new battery for the Terracan. It seems a fair request – battery is original and the weather was particularly bitter that day (I think she said it got to a maximum of four degrees on our verandah). A little more discussion and it turns out that Terry actually started and ran for a moment before stalling…. Hmmm…. I start thinking that perhaps the battery is fine, and it was the repeated attempts to start the car that flattened it.

I am in no position to help. Cairns is so far away and about 25 degrees warmer… I can feel Jo's frustration as she is stranded with two little helpers suffering a very bad dose of Cabin Fever. I try to make noises of how tough I am working, but I fear I have no sympathy at all coming back down the phone line.

I suggest that charging the battery overnight would be a good start (another bitter frost) and see what happens in the morning. The next morning Terry started and stalled again.

NRMA man comes and Terry starts and runs beautifully after pumping the fuel hand pump. It would appear our Terracan had an air pocket or similar in the fuel line. No obvious explanation. Yes, the fuel is winter blend. No, there are no fuel leaks. Yes, the battery is fine.

I figure that everyone was just more than a little jealous of my time in far north Queensland. I try to remind them that I suffer sea sickness and am not looking forward to the next few hours, as I climb up the gangway of the “Reef Magic”… My sentiments fall on deaf ears as I discover that the chill from the southern highlands can indeed be transmitted to Cairns via a phone line!

I don't know how she does it
I came home to a miracle. After a challenging week with the two little helpers pushing every button, vehicle breakdowns and appliance failures, my wife has managed to organise a group of friends to come away camping for the long weekend, pack Terry and Matilda and . Within a couple of hours of touching down, we are back on the road as a happy (if slightly exhausted) family heading east to paradise.

Our destination was Green Patch, in the Booderee National Park, Jervis Bay, about 2 and a half hours east of home. We were catching up with some good friends whom we have camped with before. The kids were primed for a weekend adventure, however I think the rest of us were looking forward to (hoping for???) a relaxing weekend. Dean and Mandy brought their three girls to try out their new caravan for its maiden voyage - a slight step up from our last Bendethera Valley adventure, and Nic and Dave persisted with their tent that had shared adventures with us in the Kosciuszko National Park and Ravine.

We arrived just before dark and quickly set up camp. The weather held off just long enough to enjoy a delicious curry dinner that had been prepared earlier. Not for the first time we appreciated the Thermal Cooker Pot. A shower or two or rain saw us set a record for the set up of the awning (beaten only when it hailed on us when setting up last December), and we retired early to enjoy the sounds of rain falling heavily on the canvas.

Green Patch
The south easterly weather pattern dominated our long weekend down the coast, but it didn't stop the fun. Thankfully the rain was heaviest at night, all but disappeared during the day and occasionally, very occasionally the sun came out to brighten the day. Fresh from the tableland winter, the little helpers thought it was paradise and we couldn't keep them out of the water. When they finally turned blue and admitted they were cold, we simply gave them nice warm showers and put them in dry clothes.


The water was chilly, even if too tempting to resist


The famous white sand was perfect for sandcastles

The Little Fisherman was determined to add to his catch of a single flounder on our last expedition. At school he had recently presented a short speech about how much he loved fishing and one day he hoped to catch a fish big enough to eat. Unfortunately it was not to be.. but that's not the point is it?


It is all about having fun


Especially when your fishing friend Dave is on hand to untangle the lines!

Of course the Little Helper had lost all interest in fishing by this point in time, much preferring to dig more sandcastles and swim some more. And who could argue with him. The water, whilst chilly was crystal clear and the beach sheltered with barely a ripple save for the tiny waves breaking on the beach. Green Patch is one of the few truly north facing beaches on the east coast, and when the sun did appear for its brief moments, it was really very pleasant.


When the fish aren't biting there is plenty of sand to play with


Or water to swim in

The main aim of any such weekend is to take some time out of normal routine and relax. And in such a beautiful piece of paradise it is easy to do so. Of course you have to be careful that:


the kookaburra's don't steal a sausage from the electric BBQ...


or the rosellas and parrots don't eat all your bread...


or you trip over the kangaroos!

Of course we all appreciated the down time and break from our seemingly hectic schedules. We loved the fact that we could sit and relax. The kids conducted numerous laps of the camping area on their bikes. Time trials were a great challenge that never seemed to lose their appeal. They also frequently raided the comfort of Dean and Mandy's new caravan to enjoy drawing and colouring in (or was it DVD's?) in the comfort of the settee.


If you look carefully you might see some of the campers flat out enjoying the serenity

The facilities of the camp included hot showers, electric BBQ and washing up facilities. Each campsite is clearly marked, and separated by landscaped boundaries. For a long weekend, the area was surprisingly empty with only a handful of us braving the weather and enjoying the campground. The Rangers were friendly and helpful, however when booking our sites, the office seemed a little disorganised and our sites were moved a couple of times before we finally arrived.

In all we had a great long weekend camping in a winter paradise. More photos of our adventure can be found at our Gallery, and more information on Jervis Bay generally can be found at Jervis Bay Tourism.

Thank you to Dean and Mandy for tolerating our little helpers who made themselves at home in your new caravan, and to Nic and Dave who helped keep the little ones amused by day, and the bigger ones amused, fed and watered by night. A huge thank you to my wife, Jo, who pulled it all together after a challenging week home alone with two boisterous lads.

Deua National Park - March 2011

With foreboding skies we escaped from the grind for a much anticipated trip into the Bendethera Valley, south of Braidwood. We planned on camping with a group of friends for a couple of relaxing nights in paradise.

The mighty Terracan was packed to capacity with essential supplies for a successful weekend in the bush – bikes, cricket set, totem tennis set, soccer ball and matchbox cars for outside play, with colouring-in books in case of poor weather. We also fitted in a tent, some bedding and some food… little did we realise until after we arrived that we had left the milk at home!

After rendezvousing with our good friends in Braidwood we pointed the vehicles south for our entry to Deua National Park. We let our tyres down while the kids attempted to fill the Shoalhaven River with pebbles. After a nervous look at the sky we crossed our fingers and engaged 4WD for our entry into the park and the trek into the Bendethera Valley.

Successfully across the Shoalhaven River From Deua NP March 2011

Our friend's Hilux takes the plunge From Deua NP March 2011

As we headed into the valley the rain continued to fall which made for a picturesque journey in. Some of the sections in the mist of the clouds were positively eerie, however the track was in good condition and being rocky based, we left little trace of our passage.

The misty trip in From Deua NP March 2011

The descent into the valley From Deua NP March 2011

Unfortunately on our arrival in the valley the Deua River was too high and fast flowing to cross safely. With evening approaching and the little helpers restless, we decided to make camp. Our resultant camp was with the leeches on the junction of the Dampier Mountain Fire Trail and the entrance into the valley. Not the picturesque haven he hoped for, but at least we were able to get out of the valley if we desired. Some other poor party had been stuck in the valley for three days and things were getting desperate – they had run out of beer!

Camp From Deua NP March 2011

With the rain continuing to threaten, we were all thankful for the dinner that was sitting in the thermal pot. Some good foresight by SWMBO resulted in a delicious caserole for minimum effort. The thermal cooker has become one of our most used kitchen items, being used to prepare a delicious creamy porridge in the evening, so that when the hungry little helpers awake, we can rest a few moments longer knowing that breakfast is already cooked.

The other accessory that has become essential in our travels and at home is our travel mug. This mug by Contigo is hard to find, but is spill and leak proof. It also keeps my coffee really hot. As I am the only coffee drinker in my family (apparently it makes me a nicer person), a full plunger is too much coffee to drink in one session. With this cup I can pour one for me now and one for later. I have been told it works well on peppermint tea also!

Aaah.... coffee :) From Deua NP March 2011

The following day our camp expanded with two other families arriving from the west. Another two tried to make it in from Mourya, however were thwarted by the mighty Deua River still flowing far too strongly to cross. We made the best of our time enjoying watching people enter the valley full of bravado only to have second thoughts when they saw the river. Unfortuately with the river so high and fast the Little Fisherman was bound to be disappointed, however a lot of assistance was required in freeing lines and hooks from obstructions and tangles, so as a time killing exercise the fishing was a success.

The Little Fisherman... dejected isn't the word From Deua NP March 2011

The first lads across the river were a group of young fellas from the Thong Strap 4WD club – and to tell the truth we were a bit relieved. With camping equipment consisting of a swag and an esky, these young blokes proved that after a few considering ales, nothing was impossible. Thankfully they all made it across with a lot of right foot and luck, and took their vehicles and doof doof stereos well into the valley.

The young lads make their crossing... just	Lots of right foot and a loud stereo helped From Deua NP March 2011

On Sunday we broke camp and bid adieu to our friends and returned home. The skies had cleared and apparently the river continued to drop, although crossings into the valley remained challenging. We heard on the grapevine that a Hilux was swept off one of the crossings on Sunday afternoon. I guess it goes to confirm the advice that you should plan Bendethera valley for dry weather only.

As usual, more snaps of the weekend can be found