Adelaide with Mum and Dad

Okay, so lately I have been questioning this trip and feeling fairly home sick.  So you can imagine how good it was that Mum and Dad came to visit.  Mind you by the end I asked them to be more difficult and less fun so I would be glad they left.  Didn't work though!!
We all picked them up from the airport.  I love airports and that moment when you see that familiar face get off the plane.  Oh and so do the kids! Lots of hugs and smiles! We settled Mum and Dad in (they are in a cabin close to us), and took them to see West Beach.

Look at Jake's sand sculpture!! Just kidding I told him I would tell people he did it.  Was pretty cool, not sure I'd have the patience.

Going strong with my morning walks, so Mum and Dad joined me.  Except Dad walks fast!!  But that was ok.  We were walking along one day and Dad started to laugh and pointed to these Pelican statues.  I wasn't sure what he meant to start off with.   But if you can see, the last two are real!!

Was so special seeing the kids interacting with their Grandparents again.  Love this shot of Dad holding the kids hands.  As apparently grumble guts (Dad) only came because Rosie wanted too!!!  We had quite a few swims.  Mostly it was pretty rough though, still nice.  Jake and Dad had a go on the boogie boards.  And we made sand castles of course.

We also managed to find time for shopping.  Mum spoilt the kids by buying them a new outfit of clothing and dolls clothes.  I got new bathers and a new dress.  And Mum got herself a lovely purple handbag.  Big shopping for us!!

We arranged to have tea at our place with Auntie Trudy, Simon and Courtney.  Weather played up a bit though, windy!.  We put up part of the annexe and that worked well for a shelter.  We had a BBQ dinner together, was nice to have family around. We haven't really seen much of these guys as we have never lived near them.  Hopefully we will spend more time with them over the next few months!

Much to Mum and Dads delight (not) the kids wanted a sleep over.  They were in a fairly small cabin with one bed.  Charlotte did suggest she could sleep in between Gran and Grumps and Jake could have the couch.  But they declined.  Jake ended up sleeping on the couch and we set a lilo up for little Miss.

Mum has retired this year (finally says Dad).  So we went out for a 'slap up' meal to this fabulous Thai restaurant at Henley Beach.  Had a window table overlooking the jetty and had probably the best Thai we have ever had!!! Yum Yum.  Then we finished it off with a ice cream and a walk on the jetty.  Happy retirement Mum, thanks for dinner. xxxxx

 

 

We met up with Marks old friend Adam and his wife Cath who were on the way back to Kalgoorlie.  We went down the beach with them as they had their dog.  Was lovely to see Adam again after all these years, and to meet Cath.  They also came out for drinks that night at the pub, with Mum, Dad, Trudie and Courtney.  We had arrange to go to this pub that said it brewed it own beer.  Mark had been on about going their since we arrived.  Can you imagine his face when he was told that they don't brew anymore...... not happy.  Was great to sit around and have a few drinks.  Am enjoying friends and family at the moment :)

I took this photo one evening when I was out for a walk.  Thought I'd include it, its West Beach.

We had such a great time with Mum and Dad.  Not sure I say it very often but I was blessed with fabulous parents.  I love them to bits and miss them every day.  So we said a sad farewell again, but bravely we survived.  Maybe its getting easier.....

Mark and Dad were driving through the city when Mark thought he recognised the car of some people who had met last year.  I had their phone number so I contacted them and it was their car.  What a small world??  We met up with Tom, Lisa and Milly and had a great arvo the next day.  Milly was very excited to see Charlotte again, was very cute.  We chatted to Tom and Lisa and heard about their travel out West.  And they gave us lots of hints which was great.  We said farewell, you never know we may run into them again, we have twice now!

 

 

We ended up having to stay a few more days in Adelaide as we were waiting on parts for the Landcruiser.  Luckily we found plenty to do!!!

 

 

So that's it for West Beach, feels like we have spent lots of time here now!!  Off to the Yorke Peninsular for a week before work and school starts.

Fleurieu Penninsular

Years ago Mark and I went to Victor Harbour and had a fabulous weekend.  So we decided to visit again.  Only problem was it wasn't a sleepy seaside town anymore.  It was school holidays, tourist season and oh my gosh the people around!!  Was crazy, not exactly as we remembered it.  It even had show rides on the foreshore.  But we decided to give it a chance, where else could we go to be away from the crowds anyway.

We checked in at a caravan park for a few nights.  Jake made fast friends with the boy next door, Oliver.  He was disgusted that we actually wanted him to go out, he was far too busy with his new friend. 
We ended up enjoying Victor, even with the crowds.  We spent our time bike riding, playing tennis, going for walks etc.  Victor is well set up for this sort of thing. It was too cold for swimming, which was a pity but anything under 30degrees is too cold for us now.  Man I sound spoilt!!  Sorry....



People having Camel rides along the beach

Our favourite day was when we walked over to Granite Island.  Really enjoyed that, had as nice walk all around the top.  Didn't see any penguins, apparently the population has been reduced from 1000s to under a hundred, very sad.  There is a penguin centre but we couldn't deal with the crowds, so we avoided it! And of course we caught the horse drawn carriage on the way back.  Kids thought it was fabulous.

On the causeway, once again standing out with our cowboy hats!

Jake saw this sandy area of the causeway and stated it was almost the shape of Australia.

Looking back from Granite Island to Victor

ooohh the token family shot

Jake found this rock.  Made him giggle as he proclaimed it looked like a but!!

on the horse drawn tram

Jake yelling out hello to everyone, and I mean everyone the whole way back!!

Thomas the horse

Charlotte thought the draught horses were beautiful.

 

 

We met our friends Joel, Meg, Khai and Eden for lunch after at Victor. We originally met these guys in Alice, after their car broke down.   They were staying at Rapid Bay, where we had planned to go next.  Unfortunately its a really popular spot and was basically full.  And with our big ass van, its hard to squeeze in anywhere.  Luckily for us though, our friends managed to save us a spot the next day right next to them.  So we cut our Victor Harbour time short and high tailed it there.

And are we glad we did.  Rapid Bay rates as one of our favourite places so far.  For us a place can be special for one family but not the next, as we've found when talking to other travellers.  For us it really also depends on the weather, who we meet and how we are feeling at the time.  We managed to score fabulous weather, and met some great people.  Yep so Rapid Bay rates for us.

our camp spot

 

We spent our days getting to know our fellow campers.  We had Joel, Meg, Khai and Eden on one side and Bruce and Karen on the other.  Was lovely to meet fellow travellers, who were such nice people.  Karen and I would go for long walks.  The kids played lots.  Was interesting watching Khai and Jake sort out how to play together.  Khai ended up loving Charlotte, was very cute.  Charlotte loved Eden, thought she was so so adorable and so did I! But Charlotte found a kindred spirit in Megan, who has a love of horses and snakes.  Karen is a massage therapist so Mark and I both had a massage.  We read books and just enjoyed spending time together.

We swam lots, the water was amazingly blue.  Looked like photos of the Mediterranean.  We all had a turn of snorkeling, most days the water was crystal clear.  Joel and Mark had some kid free time snorkeling near the Jetty.  Mark and I even got to go by ourselves as Megan and Joel watched the kids for us.  Mark managed to score ten or so squid jiggs of the sea bottom. That had been caught in the reeds.  Mark tried his hand at fishing, but alas no fish.  It was pretty popular and think all the fish had already been caught that day!!

Joel, Khai, Boy and Girl.  As Khai referred to them as!!

And of course it was New Years Eve aswell.  We had a great night chatting to the other guys.  Listening to everyone else's loud loud music, luckily they had pretty good taste.  The kids had the necessary sparklers, wouldn't be New Years Eve without them.  The kids went to bed and the adults stayed up, as it should be.  We even got a fire works display courtesy of other campers who set them off on the beach.  Was pretty nice!! Hopefully 2013 will be as good as 2012........

The drive into the camp site was pretty hilly, but breath taking scenery.  Joel mentioned that you can climb one of the big hills overlooking the camp ground.  That the view was amazing, and it wasn't too hard!  Well I believed him, knowing I hate hills.  We climbed the hill and the view was amazing.  So definitely well worth it, thanks Joel.  I must get better at climbing hills!!!

The weather cooled down and got a little windy towards the end of our week long stay.  We decided to head off and check out Cape Jervis.  We watched the ferry go to Kangaroo Island (but didn't go due to the cost of it), then went to have a play in the sand at Morgans beach.  We drove the Cruiser on the sand, lugged down a bit with Marks tool box in the back. We met Joel and Co there, but didn't stay long.  We had thought the beach would have been sheltered but nope.  It was so windy there, horrible.  We climbed the sand dunes then took afternoon tea home!

The kids wanted to practise Monopoly before Gran and Grumps arrived.  So out the board came.  And little Khai wanted to play too.  They all did an awesome job of playing together, was lovely to see.

On our final night we had a communal tea.  We all cooked some very yummy food and sat and ate, drank and chatted.  Was a great night to finish our time here with.

Charlotte and Eden

See what I mean

Great mates????

I love this shot.  Jake is being silly as he hates having his photo taken.  Khai is busy kissing Charlotte and Charlotte is too focused on Eden to notice!!



Me, Mark, Bruce, Karen, Eden, Meg, Khai, Joel, Jake and Charlotte

We had such a nice quiet and relaxing week at Rapid Bay.  Would have stayed longer but Mum and Dad are coming to visit.  We said goodbyes to Joel, Megan, Khai and Eden who are heading to Victoria.  And to Bruce and Karen who are staying a bit longer at Rapid Bay.  Then we drove back to Adelaide and set up for Mum and Dads arrival.