Gold Coast

It's Sunday and we're still here. No buffet breakfast though.

Geez it's nice here. There are Kids Club activities twice a day which the kids have been partaking in. Yesterday there was a mini golf tournament and Nate won! This morning was meant to be a go-cart rally which would have been wonderful because they have been asking if we could hire a few, but the weather is very unpredictable - bright sun one minute and torrential rain the next, like an inch in 10 minutes. Instead they are doing craft which they look to be enjoying. Masks and finger puppets so far.

Craft has always been one of those things that I wished we did more of because the kids love it, but I am a bit of a control- and neat-freak so I find it hard. Eli also tends to want to destroy whatever Nate and Maya are doing while they are in the process of creating it which means that I have tried to limit that kind of activities to when he's asleep. Then I find myself feeling disappointed if he wakes up before we're finished, and that sucks for him. Right now though, Eli is happily sitting between Maya and another kid, colouring on a mask with some textas. You wouldn't know that it's Eli sitting there. You know, Eli. The one man whirlwind of terror. He isn't that person at all right now. It's interesting when we decide who our kids are, give them a label, and then don't let them be anyone else in our eyes. Sitting here writing this is really good for me as a parent, and obviously really good for Eli because he will benefit from it.

Speaking of Eli, he is loosening his grip on me a bit. Whenever Nick heads off to do something, Eli wants to go with him rather than sticking with me or trying to make me go. He is willingly going to Nick in the pool instead of insisting on me holding him 100% of the time. It's a big relief for me, and I know it's nice for Nick who doesn't like to feel like he isn't pulling his parenting weight (which anyone who knows him knows he always is). I'm happy to see that Eli seems to finally be feeling comfortable, after a few months of big changes.

The biggest challenge for Nick and I so far has been the lack of alone time - individually and as a pair. For me personally, I have always taken time away from everyone to recharge when I have felt overwhelmed or irritable. I have found that being home, even in a different room, just hasn't been good enough. Taking a book to a coffee shop for an hour (or two) has been my favourite escape. Since we have been travelling though, we have been spending all of our time together. This Kids Club experience has been good because it is a perfect opportunity for us to go do our own thing/s (well, our own thing/s with Eli tagging along, but he's so easy when Nate and Maya aren't around - one kid is SO EASY when you have three kids). It has occurred to me, though, that this travelling experience is the perfect chance for all five of us to develop our own recharging skills. If we can find time and space for ourselves with four other people constantly around, that will serve us well for the rest of our lives. We will be able to channel inner peace no matter what the circumstances. Great life skill.

Banana bending

And all of the sudden, we were in Queensland!

We are staying at a real resorty type place called Treasure Island. The kind of place that could be anywhere in the world really, because you don't really ever leave. The pool has a waterslide for goodness sake. There is a massive shopping centre within walking distance, a bistro, mini golf, a jumping pillow, etc etc etc. It's kind of wonderful. There is a buffet breakfast on Sunday morning. I'm not sure if we'll be here then - probaby not - but it's worth noting. I love breakfast.

We weren't sure what exactly we were going to get up to on the Gold Coast. There are loads of theme parks and stuff here, all really expensive and mostly too old for our kids with crazy rides and stuff. Nick and I mentioned Seaworld in passing, and Maya said, "Seaworld?? Can we go right now??" Treasure Island offers discounted theme park tickets which was an added bonus. Screw the budget.

Last night Nate and I discovered that our tent leaks. You get what you pay for I guess, and our $30 2 person Big W tent doesn't stand up to subtropical storms. At around midnight I got Nate out so that I could pull it under the awning, but at around 3am the wind was blowing the torrential rain sideways, the thunder was booming, and we were getting very wet. We had to take our wet selves inside the motorhome. Nate was amazed at the colour of the sky - "It's orange!" But the Queensland sun has dried everything up already as if it never happened. Weather can be amazingly strong and intimidating.

Raise your hand if you climbed a mountain today.

25 January, 2010

We are a family of champions. Maya in particular was really excited about Mt Warning aka Wollumbin, so after our stay at the clean but strangely unfriendly Murwillambah caravan park last night, we headed for the mountain.

Now this is an Australian mountain, which people in my hometown of Portland would call a hill, but in Australia it is fairly sizable: 1150ish metres. The trek to the top is an 8.8 kilometer round trip with a "challenging final rock scramble" and is estimated to take 4-5 hours. Without little kids it would be a nice afternoon hike, and with little kids you would just assume it wasn't going to happen. We brought some Anzac biscuits and a couple of litres of water and set off, planning on turning around whenever the kids had had enough. With Eli on my back in the Ergo, we set off around noon. There were a few initial, unrealistic complaints: "My legs hurt." "Do you mean they are tired? Because we have only walked like 300 meters." That kind of thing. But soon we got into a rhythm and the kids became more eager to get to the top. Wow. So up we went.

Nate said he wanted to be a mountain climber when he gets older, and we talked about that a lot, and just how tall the tallest mountains are. He thought it was amazing. Maya said she wants to be a jungle girl. When asked what that entails, she explained that she would be saving animals. Awww. We read all of the signs about the climb and talked about why it had changed from subtropical rainforest to warm temperate rainforest, and then higher up to something else (I forget what, but I do remember that there were a lot of massive Gymea Lilies up there). Of course there was plenty of spectacular scenery.

Here's me and Maya (and Eli back there) taking a little break. I'm already feeling it.



The last bit is so steep and rocky that there is a chain to hold onto to help get up. If I had read the sign, I might not have attempted it with Eli on my back, and might have tried to persuade the kids to just be happy with how far we had come. Here's the sign:



It says "Only fit and experienced walkers to proceed beyond this point." That doesn't really describe the average 4 year old, 7 year old, and woman with a two year old on her back. Well I guess we're all experienced walkers since we, you know, walk a lot. I don't think that's what they meant.

Here's the steep bit:



And Eli having a go at the bottom:





Anyway, those kids were spectacular. They did it. They did it because they wanted to and they thoroughly enjoyed the whole way up. The views on all four sides were just amazing. It was a little bit hazy, but we could see the sea and we could see where Byron Bay would have been if it had been clear enough to spot it. Interesting looking back there from here after looking here from back there.

So we climbed a mountain today! I am so incredibly proud of them. I'm proud of myself too, to be honest, for carrying a 13ish kilo kid on my back for almost 9 kilometers, half of which were up a mountain. Go me.

Because we underestimated our kids' endurance, we were under-prepared in the food and drink departments. We finished everything at the summit which left us with nothing for the 4.4 ks down the hill. Silly me, I thought the downhill part would be easy. Well, I knew the rocky chain part would be slow going, especially for Maya as her legs just aren't long enough to reach a lot of the crags. Nate was like a rocket though, so fast and so agile and declaring, "I'm not tired at all! I could walk up and down this part all day! In fact, I want to do it again!" Nick helped Maya down though. Then surely the rest would be simple. Geez, I was so wrong. It was completely exhausting. Nick piggy-backed Maya for awhile to give her little legs a rest as her ankles were bothering her. With a couple of ks to go I finally had Nick carry Eli for awhile so that I could just carry my own weight, much to Eli's protests. Nate started slipping a bit and then getting increasingly emotional about it. We knew they were completely exhausted, so we just tried to be as encouraging as we could and remind them that they had climbed a mountain! That is a huge deal. We talked about how good it would feel to turn that last turn and see the carpark, and to have a big drink, and when the time came it did feel so good.

We didn't have long to travel after our almost 6 hours on the mountain - just a short jaunt to the Mt Warning Caravan Park. We had some well earned dinner, scrubbed the dirt off of ourselves in a nice cool shower, and look forward to spending tomorrow hanging out by the pool and relaxing. Like a holiday.

Lighthouse

23 January, 2010

On Thursday we made it to the lighthouse, and it was beautiful.







We made it to the most easterly point of the Australian mainland. So there you go. Tick. From the lookout, we spotted another lookout point, much farther below.



It required lots and lots and lots of steps, and the worst part of those steps was going to be the way back up.



But the kids were AWESOME! They wanted to go, regardless of the amount of exertion involved, and they didn't complain at all. Except for Eli, and he didn't even walk any of the uphill part. Huh, go figure. We did cheat a bit though and used the path up rather than the steps. Shhhh.



Here are some of Nate's gems:











It was too bad we chose a hazyish day to go up there, because the views would have been unreal. They were pretty awesome as it was though.

The kids and I had sushi for dinner. Nick isn't a fan, so he went to Abra-kebab-ra (which has to be one of the best names I have ever heard and has given me much joy over the last few days, every time we have driven down the main street in Byron) for a falafel roll. We went to O-Sushi, and they had some really good stuff. Brown rice sushi, which I love (and felt so wholesome and just like what my body needed after the extreme hiking of the day - well, extreme with a big toddler strapped to your back), crispy tofu rolls, yum. And really good spring rolls. The wait staff started the bill in the middle and cleared away plates as we ate. At first this felt very thoughtful and like great service, but at the end I realised it made it harder to keep track of how much we had eaten. It was a big bill. The plates were more expensive than the ones at our local sushi train, but the atmosphere was great and the orders going by looked amazing. It was lucky we got there at 5:30 because by the time we left there was a line to get in.

We had a few things we wanted to do in Byron yesterday morning before we took off. Not that I was eager to leave. I could honestly live in Byron Bay forever. I love it. The beaches are fantastic, especially The Pass. The locals are friendly. I love the scantily clad bodies of all shapes and sizes all over town - boardshorts and bikinis in Woolies is the best. I love the food options available. It is a bit crowded during peak season, and I can imagine how wonderful it would be to have a little bit more space on the beach and in the shops, but it manages to be great anyway.

We aren't looking for a new place to live though, we're just passing through, so off we went. First stop, Byron Bay Cookie Company. I had never had one of their cookies (it does seem a bit silly to pay for a cookie when you bake hundreds at home each week), but I have seen them in countless cafes around Sydney. I figured they must be good to be so widely carried. I was wrong! They must just have great marketing. We tried a chocolate chip cookie first, split four ways for me and the kids. They ate their cookie quarters and didn't say a word, didn't ask for any more even though they knew I had bought more than one which is completely unlike them - usually any cookie is a good cookie. Eli wasn't even interested in finishing his little bit. Later I tried the triple chocolate one, and you really can't go wrong with chunks of chocolate, but this cookie was also dry and crumbly. Bummer.

So we headed for Nightcap National Park to see Minyon Falls. The kids and I were there in October and there was no water falling, so it was definitely nice to see an actual waterfall this time. The river bed was still pretty dry and we were able to walk through the rocks which the kids love. I read that there was a camping area at Rummery Park just a few kilometres up the road, so we thought we would check it out as a possible place to stay for the night. I'm so glad we did, because it is fantastic! We pulled up to see a couple of kids playing cricket in the grass and they immediately asked our kids to play, which they happily did. There are lots of different little areas to set up tents, a nice big grass area where the kids could play games, toilets, fire pits and even firewood provided, and even a little camp kitchen with wood stoves. Nick set up the tent (it's nice to have an extra bed when we can) and made a beautiful stirfry with vegetables, tofu and hokkien noodles on the camp barbeques, and our kids played cricket into the evening with their new friends until it got too dark to see the ball; then they brought out torches for a game of spotlight. Eli retired first, then Maya, and Nate lasted as long as the rest of them, loving the kid company.

At least one of the families with kids are sticking around for another night. We think we will too. It is a beautiful place, the kids are happy, we have plenty of food to eat, and it will help get our budget back on track. We'll go for a nice long bushwalk today. Hopefully it won't be too hot!

Byron Bay

We started out the day with a trip to our favourite beach - The Pass. It is amazing. Shade to sit in on the beach, or sun if that's your preference, and crystal clear turquoise water galore. It is very shallow for a good way out and the waves roll close to shore rather than breaking, making it an immensely kid-friendly beach. There are good waves as well if you paddle out, and abundant surfers. Loads of kid surfers and beginners closer in which gave us the idea of hiring a surfboard for the kids to have a go one of these days. They'll love it.

I love Byron Bay. I love that even the Woolworths supermarket is loaded with organic and local stuff, not just the specialty shops which are amazing. Yesterday we stopped by Byron Gourmet Pies and have had them for lunch for two days now. We stopped into Santos to buy a little snack of organic dark chocolate covered blueberries and organic dark chocolate spelt licorice. I want to pop into the Byron Bay Cookie Company shop while we're here. You can get anything worth eating in Byron Bay if you know where to look. Raw milk and cream, cane juice lightly flavoured with ginger and lime, raw cacao butter, local bananas. If you know me at all, you know that I love good food. There is LOADS of good food here.

We are lucky to have some friends in Byron, albeit temporarily. My friend Suzy is visiting and we are parked in her holiday house driveway. We're so grateful, because we are waaay overbudget (due largely to our internet dramas) and sleeping here means that we aren't paying to stay at a caravan park; there isn't a lot of free camping in the popular Byron Bay. It's just really easy to spend money here! I know though that as soon as we aren't on the east coast anymore, our expenditures will do right down. Except for fuel.

Happy Birthday, Eli!

18 January, 2010

My baby is 2.

Two years ago this evening, I was sitting in a blow up pool in my candlelit garage with Nick by my side. Nate was sleeping over at his cousin's place and Maya was sound asleep in bed. It was my third day of labour, just like my other two, and set to be a nighttime birth, just like my other two. Eli made his appearance at 10:15pm, 1:45 shy of his January 19th "due date". He was born peacefully into warm water to his eagerly awaiting parents. We wrapped him up and held him close and he drank milk and slept, and that was his introduction to the world. No harsh lights, no strangers, no drugs, no separation. We appraised him and decided, yep, that's about right, and estimated his birth weight to be 8 pounds and 7 ounces like his brother and sister had been, because he looked and felt the same size. His birth story has been published in Simply Give Birth by Heather Cushman-Dowdee.

Eli is a lucky little boy in the sibling stakes. They both adore him. His sister, 2 1/2 years his senior, is incredibly understanding and nurturing. His brother is old enough now to be able to appreciate Eli's babyness and is more patient with him than he was able to be with Maya when she was the baby 2 years and 8 months his junior. We just love him.

For Eli's birthday, we had lunch at a place we had been given a lunch special flyer for ($5 burgers and $2.50 middies of Byron Bay beer) as we were walking down the street. It is an out of the way but still close to the action place called Buddha Bar, a lunchery by day and happening music venue by night. It was a beautiful place, really nice to be in.

We bought a simple cake as we couldn't find anything wholesome or organic other than by the slice at cafes. Oh well. It was enjoyed.



Thank you to everyone who sent birthday wishes! It's nice to know that Eli was in your thoughts. He's a special little kid.

Byron Bay

Let's see, where did I leave off?

Oh yes, Ballina being beautiful. I wrote that before we visited The Big Prawn.

Now for those of you who don't know, Australia, and particularly the east coast of Australia (I don't think the rest of the country partakes), likes to create giant tributes to local produce. In Coffs it is The Big Banana. The Big Banana is exactly what it sounds like - a large replica banana that you can take your picture in front of and an accompanying gift shop that sells all things Big Banana. At that particular Big tourist attraction there is also a banana plantation tour, a cafe where you can get banana splits (as we did) or chocolate covered bananas (as we wished we did), a big waterslide complex, a confectionary maker, and an unlikely ice skating rink. It's huge, and a bit of fun.

Ballina is a prawning town. You can see the big prawn trawlers (I'm not sure if that is the right name but it sounds good so there you go) travelling down Richmond River to the sea. Local prawns are on sale everywhere (and cheap! Another reason to eat locally). So we thought we'd check out The Big Prawn and grab some dinner in the restaurant underneath that advertised its prawns and chips special on a sign out the front.

Unfortunately, the restaurant was closed for renovations. Or maybe fortunately. This south end isn't the best representation of Ballina, and the whole Big Prawn complex (which also has a truck stop) is fairly dingy and icky. It was also abandoned, and we weren't the only ones to take advantage of a free place to park for the night. When we woke up, we discovered that the little playground was sticky and gross and the whole area was fairly depressing.

So on that unfortunate note, we decided to move on. We didn't even check out the lake or the river, or so many of the beaches. But the best medicine for a yucky place is to move on, so we did.

First stop Lennox Head, just a few kilometres down the road. We decided to check out Lake Ainsworth which I had read is brown because of the tannins from the tea trees on the shores. It was! But not in a dirty, off-putting way at all. It was just like swimming in a cup of tea. And it was almost unsettlingly warm. Usually there is a bit of a chill when you get into any body of water, but none here. Tepid bath territory. Weird. But nice.

We are now in beautiful Byron Bay. We went to The Pass this morning, which is an incredible beach backed by lovely trees which means... shade! Always a plus in Australia in summertime. It was weird though - last time I went to that beach (in October) there was gobs and gobs of sand; the water was so far away from where we sat up near the trees. This morning when we got there, there was only a few metres of sand, so it was like a completely different beach. But still gorgeous. Calm bay waters, and crystal clear. Awesome.

I scouted around a bit for a birthday cake for Eli who turns 2 tomorrow! My baby! We'll have a little celebration, and then celebrate again with a mini party on Wednesday with my friend Suzy and her little fam who are coming to Byron for a few days. That will be a lot of fun. Our kids have a ball together, and I adore Suzy.