Camping at Berlang

Post Christmas we were to head from Guthega through Thredbo to Geehi Flats meeting up with Al, Rob and family for a few nights of camping. However Al, Rob and co had to bail and head home early due to food poisoning from their extended family christmas lunch!  Andy and I discussed our options and also decided to return back to Canberra to recover from Christmas.

However after a few days of hanging around at home we were keen to do something before I returned back to work. Rob suggested a campground in Deua National Park where he'd been a few time as a child.

Located about 30mins from Braidwood, Berlang Campground nestled in Deua National Park adjacent to the Shoalhaven River turned out be to a fantastic spot. After meeting in Braidwood for coffee, we arrived at the campground early in the afternoon.

The warm weather sent us straight down to the river where we spent the rest of the afternoon. A perfect spot - small sandy beach with some shade, a fairly shallow section of slow flowing river. The children were straight on to their boogie boards playing numerous games - boat rescues, being dolphins,  collecting stuff, stone skipping and playing in the sand...

With signs of tiredness and hunger emerging we returned to the set up camp and cook dinner. The girls were excited to be using their christmas presents - camping mats and head torches (even though it wasn't dark yet!) After dinner, we failed at using the fire sticks to strike up a blaze, instead resorting to matches and soon enough the fire was crackling away. The sun set, the possums came out and eventually the children were asleep.

The proposed agenda for the next day included girls run, boys run, girls pack up and take children on bush walk meeting boys somewhere along the way. And this pretty much happened!

Our bush walk involved a 4km return trip to the Big Hole. Our first hurdle was to cross the river and thankfully no one fell in!ax the children along. Al and I had run the track that morning, so we knew if was fairly challenging - small, quite rough, rocky and with a descent climb. We had come prepared though with a variety of treats to coax the children along. They were beginning to fade when the boys came into sight which momentarily boosted their spirits as did a few chocolate biscuits and some lollies! With the added extra adult support we continued on playing the new 'Hungry Alphabet game' as a distraction.

As we crested the top of the ridge, the track gently sloped down through the trees and the big hole platform came into view creating a wave of excitement along with boost of energy. The Big Hole is a large limestone roofless cave, approximately 100m deep and 50m wide. Rumour has it that a lyre bird lives at the bottom but we saw no evidence of it.

After a brief stop to refuel with food and take numerous photos, it was time to head back down the track returning to the campsite for lunch. Post lunch activities included packing the cars before cooling off in the river once again. This time games included water pistols, swimming shows, boat rescues, stone skipping and of course some very funning attempts at surfing....

Both families thought that the overnight camping excursion was so much fun and vowed we'd do something similar again soon. We had a quiet drive back through Captains Flat with both girls falling asleep (second time this year!)