High School Begins!

It was Katy's first day in Year 7 at Canberra High School today! New uniform and new look with the mandatory face masks!! An enjoyable day was had figuring out how it all works and meeting many new people.

Wombat Holes Tournament

On Saturday with heavy rain forecast later that afternoon, we all made the decision to cut our beach holiday short. We did squeeze in a round of mini golf at Wombat Holes. This course is the best - with interesting features and hole designs. We all had fluke shots and shocker holes but most of all we had many laughs!

Tura Head Rockpool

On the way home from tree climbing and after a spot of lunch, a handful of us went searching for the Tura Head rockpool. We wandered down the trail from the carpark stopping at various lookouts. The northern side was wild and windy while the southern side was much calmer and we spotted several dolphins in the surf below. The end of the trail was at the rocky headland, where we scoured the northern side for the rockpool. Coming across a small pool of stagnant water we were disappointed with what we saw. It was only while we went exploring over the rocks, that we discovered the real rockpool. Another group were having a dip in the icy water! This inspired us to go in too! The water was freezing but invigorating and we couldn't stay in for very long at all. It would be a great spot to return to on a warmer sunny day.

Tree Top Adventure

The tree top adventure has been on the to do list since last year! We booked in for the whole group to attempt the three courses. It was forecast to be a warm but calm day. Harness and helmet fitting first followed by a safety briefing before letting loose on the course.

The first course was tedious going thanks to a very slow group holding everyone up. Luckily they decided not to venture on to the higher more challenging second course. Lots of fun was had by all!

Surf Lesson

Surf lessons were next on the list of things to do at the coast. All the kids signed up as did Rob and Al. First up was fitting wetsuits - took a bit of time for everyone to get the right fit. Then on to the beach where our instructors had spotted a good spot only to be shooed off by the drone surf patrol people saying we were in their way. 

The group then moved further down the beach to try to find a calm spot. A quick tutorial on the sand then it was time to test out the waves with their new surfing knowledge.

The waves were unfortunately not ideal for a beginner surfing lesson however everyone managed to stand up even if it was for a split second!! As the lesson ticked by, the smaller kids of the group were struggling to lug their boards out through the white wash and were having longer rests. They were glad eventually when it was time to finish. Coffee and brunch was well deserved after!

Exploring New Territory

Local knowledge led us to the hidden gem -  Nelson's Creek to try out drifting. Now for one to drift there needs to be ideal conditions - namely an outgoing tide. We were perhaps a little early for the outgoing tide but couldn't leave it much longer as the sun would be setting.

A short walk was required from the carpark to the creek. The colours in the creek were gorgeous especially in the sunshine. We all hopped on a surfboard or boogie board and began paddling over to the sand bank islands created in the middle of the creek.

It was all quite relaxing really. From there the tide was suppose to float us down the creek however as I mentioned before we were a little too early and hence paddled most of it. The current was a little stronger closer to the river mouth and quite tense at the actual narrow channel of the river mouth. We all managed not to be swept out to sea, landing on the beach only to walk the short distance back to our bags and then the car. A great way to finish off the day.

Beach Time @ Tathra

Our annual week long summer beach trip was lovely. Surfing conditions weren't ideal but we still tried each day. The water temperature dropped over the week along with the air temperature meaning less time spent in the ocean. We found some new running trails. Enjoyed breakfast and coffee out each mornings post run/swim./surf! The girls tested out their skateboard and scooters down at the skate park. Plus we explored new territory - more posts to come! All done with great company of two families - Jones/Walters and Chalmers/Rothery gangs.

School Holiday Activities

 A trip to the aqua park on Lake Burley Griffin. With new inflatables the girls always love this water park.

Family Christmas #2 with the whole gang at the lake

Ice skating session

Progress with renovations #2

Escape room challenge - we eventually escaped from The Vault in a little over the hour mark with a few helpful clues!