Seventeen seventy

 I was really looking forward to visiting this little town - I'd heard good things and seen some gorgeous photos. It definitely lived up to my expectations. 

We stayed at the seventeen seventy campground and we're lucky enough to get a beachfront site which also meant we could have a fire every night. Bliss

We did a tour on the amphibious boat - meaning it could drive on land and water. It was a really fun way to learn about the area. Our guide was great and even let our three kids have a go at driving, which absolutely made their day, particularly Jackson. 

As we were driving into town we had seen signs for the captain cook festival which was planned for the day we were leaving. At first the campground guy said that he was fully booked for that weekend but a little sweet talking and we managed to extend our stay for the festival without having to move sites. The festival included a reenactment of captain cooks landing in 1770. It was actually hilarious - everything about the town itself and the festival was all so laid back. The times listed for tours, events, opening hours were a rough guide only in this funny little town. Captain cooks landing was performed in a different spot to where it was listed and a different time. Despite all this we did manage to catch it. 

What really made the extra few days in seventeen seventy special was crossing paths with our travelling buddies. We all had a blast hanging out with this lovely family and we got to show them our favourite spots. We particularly loved the paperbark walk we did. It was a magical little walk via a boardwalk and stepping stones through the paperbarks. 

We are now in Airley beach - a stunning part of the world. We have two whole weeks here so plenty of rest and relaxation to be had as well as lots of adventures! 

Too much fun (part 2)

From the Sunshine Coast we moved to a tiny coastal town called tin can bay for 4 nights. This was mostly a stop to prepare for our trip to Fraser Island but it was a cute and quirky little town and a nice little rest stop too. In tin can bay you can feed Dolphins in the bay which Jackson and Brendon loved. The girls were a little wary about getting close but enjoyed watching. 

We also had our first beach driving experience while staying here, at Rainbow beach. It was surreal and awesome. 

Next up was our epic adventure across to Fraser Island. Fraser Island is 4wd only territory and has dingoes so needless to say, I was nervous about going. Piece of mind came though in the form of friends coming along so if either of us got into trouble i.e. Bogged we had another car to help with the recovery, and a dingo proof fence around our campground. I am really glad that I pushed past my anxiety because Fraser Island was really rather spectacular. The driving was a bit rough at times but nothing too scary. The tracks were in pretty good condition and being midweek not too many people around. I'll let the photos say the rest!

Beach Driving 

Lake Mckenzie

Indian head beach

Champagne pools (unfortunately no actual champagne available)

Eli Creek

Lake Wabby

Too much fun (part one)

Obviously we have been having too much fun for me to keep up with the blogging! It's been about 3 maybe 4 weeks, I can't remember and really, who cares! 

So after the Gold Coast we stayed with some friends in Brissie for two nights. We mostly just relished the time catching up with friends and a visit to the museum - an attempt to provide an educational experience to the kids!

Whilst in Brissie my friend in Perth sent me a weather warning for South East qld warning terrible weather to come in the coming days - right where we would be camping, on the Sunshine Coast. None of us were feeling adventurous enough to risk flooding - in a tent. Luckily we were able to find an apartment with undercover parking for the same cost as a caravan park. The rain was incredible and we were grateful for a solid roof over our heads and liked it so much in fact that we stayed for 8 nights. 

Sunshine Coast was gorgeous but really busy. The day we went to explore Noosa we couldn't get a park and couldn't be bothered with the crowds. The beaches we did spend time at were lovely and you are spoilt for choice along that part of the coastline. One day we hired a boat to explore the inlet at Caloundra when Brendon's cousin and her family came to visit which was really fun and a highlight of the trip so far. 

Possibly the highlight of the Sunshine Coast was the Australia zoo. It is our favourite zoo we have been too. 

Lots of opportunities to get up close with the animals and super informative. 

Moving onto Goldie

We hit the gold coast last Friday. It was a busy day as we only got our car back from the mechanic on the same day that we had to pack up and leave Byron bay. Luckily it was only about a 90 minute drive - albeit hairy, as our surfboards flew off the trailer on the highway and were run over by a campervan - miraculously they are still all in one piece.

Weather has been mostly great at the Gold Coast and the caravan park is rather luxurious. It's very well set up for families with lots for the kids to do and a few added bonuses for parents (barista made coffee in the morning or cocktails by the pool in the afternoon)

We have ten days here and they will mostly be spent visiting theme parks (this is what convinced the kids that this trip is a good idea) and a visit to tambourine mountain. We are trying to slow down a little as the pace has been a bit too much for Lucy. 

Next stop after Gold Coast is Brisbane to stay with friends and catch up with family!

2000kms down

I won't lie - the trip from easter in echuca to byron bay was tough. We encountered  freezing cold weather, rain, hail, thunder and lightning. We covered a lot of km's in a short amount of time. In case you are wondering this is not the recipe for family harmony. 

In all of this though we had some ripper times. We visited 'The Dish' in Parkes, NSW, which, despite my reservations, blew my mind. The best bit though was watching the kids soak it all in. I love watching them loving learning. 

We also took a day out of driving to go to  Dubbo zoo. It was a fabulous zoo and we had a great day. You can ride your bikes around it, drive your car, hire a buggy or walk. We opted to ride our bikes, along with another family we met in our travels, and had a great day. 

So after 4 long car days, and a day at the zoo, we finally made it to Byron Bay!! 

We are staying in a caravan park at Broken head, about 7kms South of Byron. The beach is gorgeous and the forest surrounding the park is just beautiful. The weather is lovely - not too hot, not too cold and the best thing - the ocean is warm! (By Victorian standards anyway)

The only down side is that the caravan park is really NOT kid friendly. Which means that down time is stressful. Three kids and  two adults in a small confined space is challenging. The kids aren't allowed to ride bikes or scooters at the caravan park, there's no playground or recreation room so very little opportunities for the kids to meet other kids and play outside. The facilities are not all that nice either but it just means that we spend all our time at the beach (which is gorgeous- I Know I already said that) Byron itself was super busy (school holidays in NSW) and chaotic so hard to get a sense of what it is really like. The kids loved wandering through the shops, soaking it all in. 

(Most of our photos are stuck on the camera as we have lost the cord to download them to the computer) I just have this one photo to share at this stage ( the rest are on either Facebook or Instagram)

The girls getting their Byron vibe on

Three days in

We are having a lovely time in Echuca with family for Easter. However three days in and two out three kids have been vomitting. Slight challenge but I am happy to get any illness over and done with in the first week!

Little sis taking care of big sis ❤️

Eve of take off

Everything is packed, everything is cleaned, emptied, bought etc. we are as ready as we will ever be. 

I have been feeling intensely anxious all day today for reasons I do not know! Perhaps it is just that we are doing something different, changing things up. 

Hopefully that all disappears once we are settled into the travelling life!