Camping Again
At this point it is clear that our regular camping trips are at least as much about me taking a mental break as they are about giving the kids the outdoor experience.
The long weekend was forecast to be wet, with a chance of drying out a bit in time to pack up.
We were late heading out post-fencing, but our camping buddies were even later so we still got there first. My GPS again failed, announcing in the middle of a mountain road 10 minutes or so from Kinglake that I had reached my destination, then showed me moving about a trackless grey expanse of map as I proceeded.
Fortunately Google Maps knows about the campground, and I've been there often enough now that I only need a little help finding the right path out of Kinglake.
On arrival there was a break in the rain, so I jumped out and set up camp in record time. We have a new larger tent, and a gazebo, technically for sun shade rather than rain, but combined with the tarps it did a good job of keeping us and our stuff comfortable.
The first day dawned unexpectedly sunny, and the kids set about amusing themselves by finding the "lake" (a part of the creek which resembles an adventure playground - they got very muddy but Mr7 at least managed to avoid falling in this time), and trekking the 500m walking trail circuit.
Then at some point Mr7 announced they were going on the longer walk to the picnic ground and they disappeared (Ms4 stayed with me). Some time later I decided I'd better go find them and eventually met them about halfway along the track, returning home. They hadn't quite made it all the way before turning back, and were pleased to see me with water bottle and snackfood, it being a 1.7km linear trail.
Mr7 was determined to try again the following day, but other things happened in the morning, and the rain set in during the afternoon. He has vowed he will conquer that walking trail on the next visit. I am pleased he is enjoying the hiking, hopefully it will continue.
Meanwhile, I was spending a lot of time sitting and enjoying the fire and not thinking too much about anything except maybe the next meal. When rain set in I sat in the gazebo. It's good to take a break.
The second morning began foggy, but then brightened up and the wet forest around us started steaming in the morning sunshine.
After that deceptively sunny start, things became quite wet. Ms4 didn't mind though, she had a grand time helping to pour water off the tent awning, splashing in puddles and generally defying the rain. Mr7 hid in the tents with his friend watching iPads, I sat in the gazebo reading my book and keeping an eye on the fire to make sure it didn't go out.
Eventually the rain eased, and the kids set out to conquer the campground again. By this time they had started playing with the other kids and happily visiting one another's campsites, it turned out that our neighbours also went to Mr7's school.
A wild night followed, but tired kids slept right through it and the tent held up well. The final morning was indeed dryer, but too cold for things to really dry out. We burned the last scraps of kindling and coals for warmth as we breakfasted.
Once the campsite was packed up we had a light lunch, then headed for home via the Chocolaterie in Yarra Glen. I then worked frantically for a couple of days to get all the camping stuff cleaned and dried before the rain returned again.
Nonetheless, it was nice to get away into the trees for a little while, and I'm already trying to work out when I can find time to escape again.
The long weekend was forecast to be wet, with a chance of drying out a bit in time to pack up.
We were late heading out post-fencing, but our camping buddies were even later so we still got there first. My GPS again failed, announcing in the middle of a mountain road 10 minutes or so from Kinglake that I had reached my destination, then showed me moving about a trackless grey expanse of map as I proceeded.
Fortunately Google Maps knows about the campground, and I've been there often enough now that I only need a little help finding the right path out of Kinglake.
On arrival there was a break in the rain, so I jumped out and set up camp in record time. We have a new larger tent, and a gazebo, technically for sun shade rather than rain, but combined with the tarps it did a good job of keeping us and our stuff comfortable.
The first day dawned unexpectedly sunny, and the kids set about amusing themselves by finding the "lake" (a part of the creek which resembles an adventure playground - they got very muddy but Mr7 at least managed to avoid falling in this time), and trekking the 500m walking trail circuit.
Then at some point Mr7 announced they were going on the longer walk to the picnic ground and they disappeared (Ms4 stayed with me). Some time later I decided I'd better go find them and eventually met them about halfway along the track, returning home. They hadn't quite made it all the way before turning back, and were pleased to see me with water bottle and snackfood, it being a 1.7km linear trail.
Mr7 was determined to try again the following day, but other things happened in the morning, and the rain set in during the afternoon. He has vowed he will conquer that walking trail on the next visit. I am pleased he is enjoying the hiking, hopefully it will continue.
Meanwhile, I was spending a lot of time sitting and enjoying the fire and not thinking too much about anything except maybe the next meal. When rain set in I sat in the gazebo. It's good to take a break.
The second morning began foggy, but then brightened up and the wet forest around us started steaming in the morning sunshine.
After that deceptively sunny start, things became quite wet. Ms4 didn't mind though, she had a grand time helping to pour water off the tent awning, splashing in puddles and generally defying the rain. Mr7 hid in the tents with his friend watching iPads, I sat in the gazebo reading my book and keeping an eye on the fire to make sure it didn't go out.
Eventually the rain eased, and the kids set out to conquer the campground again. By this time they had started playing with the other kids and happily visiting one another's campsites, it turned out that our neighbours also went to Mr7's school.
A wild night followed, but tired kids slept right through it and the tent held up well. The final morning was indeed dryer, but too cold for things to really dry out. We burned the last scraps of kindling and coals for warmth as we breakfasted.
Once the campsite was packed up we had a light lunch, then headed for home via the Chocolaterie in Yarra Glen. I then worked frantically for a couple of days to get all the camping stuff cleaned and dried before the rain returned again.
Nonetheless, it was nice to get away into the trees for a little while, and I'm already trying to work out when I can find time to escape again.