We went down to a caravan park in Katherine for four days with three other families, our second trip in the camper trailer. Everything went really well and the kids loved it. On the first full day we went to Mataranka and Bitter Springs, I was surprised that Bitter Springs was much better. I had never been there before. On the second we went to the caves which was interesting but expensive and I would not repeat it – I have been to much better caves before, e.g. Buchan.
Our group is well over 50+ years of camping here each Easter, so it was great we were able to fly down. Maggie loved it much the same way I used to, swimming, kayaking, she was even keen to do the great walk. Eddie also loved it, probably more than all of us. Mud, fires, sheep, tents, easter bunny on a truck, kangaroos, and going on the kayak with me and his sister. Even better that Pa and Gaga was there.
We went down to Paradise Valley for Gaga’s big birthday for 4 nights. We had to spend one of them away as it was very hot and windy and we were concerned about the fire risk. Camping during the Victoria summer is interesting with the kids, particularly for the light as it was dark around 9pm and light at 5.30am.
Eddie was loving the sheep and the water, but mostly the dirt and being able to play his trains in there. Maggie played with her cousing for the most part, equally loving the water. It was our first camping trip with the full family but it worked really well and we are now hopeful that we can do more this year.
Maggie and I went down to Paradise Valley for easter. Quite an expensive flight! But anyway – it was a lot of fun. The weather was absolutely ideal. Hot in the day, cool at night (Wed/Thurs night were freezing) and zero wind. Even rained on the Tuesday we left!
Maggie had loads of fun and was full of stories when we got back. Apparently equal best was kayaking, Kay’s pesto and the dunny run. She spend nearly every day in the water playing. We made the older kids do the big walk. Maggie did not like it – and had trouble watching where she was going. Ended up with quite a few scratches from the blackberry bushes.
We decided to book a room in Batchelor and take an extended trip in Litchfield.
We went straight away to the Buley Rockholes. Eddie was very excited and it was a huge amount of effort to keep him from hurting himself. Maggie thought it was the best and was happy jumping and swimming around and playing in the small waterfalls. Clarie did her best to keep up with a broken foot (and was thankful for the footware that I’d bought her).
That night we had a parma and a pint and there was a karakoe night on which made it difficult for me to sleep – but not for the rest of the gang.
The next morning we went to the Walker Creek day area, which was alright but probably not worth a revisit. Eddie had slept the whole way there so it made things awkward and we went to Wangi straight after and he was not in the best spirits, although Maggie was loving it, and we touched both waterfalls.
It was an extended trip back home as we got 45 minutes of sleep into Ed and we all got in the pool when we arrived back.
The next morning we went to the picnic spot and Florence. It was Claire and my favourite and the kids were in good spirits. From there we headed home.
