After purchasing these two ladies over 5 weeks ago ( it feels so much longer) we were able to get away for 4 days up to Moffatdale to visit my Parents and spend time with them and the grannies, Hunter and Sophie.
Now, I thought I was ready for anything – camping, storms, thunder, tsunami, windy gales, floods, crocodiles but I was NOT prepared for the onslaught of Pokemon on the drive up and the drive back! That’s nearly 6 hours of Pokemon!
Katie was even kind enough to buy Hunter a manual of normal and evolved Pokemon including the elusive Legendary Pokemon which we were told about with in-depth explanations and descriptions that lasted from town to town. Also a much loved game of ‘Man Man Man, what do you see?’ which was played from Blackbutt to Kilcoy nonstop – no breaks – did I say nonstop?
Needless to say, the Bruce Highway had the standard accident with rubber neckers causing a few delays but soon enough, we had reached the Kilroy turn off and on our way to Moffatdale! Lunch and toilet break for all at Woodford then another at Blackbutt.
Blackbutt provided a huge amount of giggles for Hunter and Sophie. Hunter wondered why there were no Whitebutts and if there were both Black and White butts, that would be better! Bless his little heart this one! Already closing the gap and so young 😛
Cruising into Moffatdale, Chessie started to figure out where she was and the nose went out the window and the tail got working overtime. Pulling into Mum and Dad’s she bolted out of the ute to welcoming hugs and kisses! That dog true god! She is one spoilt pooch!
We set to putting Ginger up and got it done ( complete with the annex) in just an hour. We had some iffy moments but it was great to set it up and see what it looks like on level ground! Bar some little bumps and blobs in the canvas, it was great.
Our first night in the camper was pretty good actually. The mattress isn’t as tough as I thought it was going to be though that may have been the glass of wine ( or 3) I had before hitting the hay. In the morning, we cooked breakfast for everyone complete with the camper cuppa tea and coffee!
Saturday, Mum, the kids and I hit the Murgon shopping strip and because it was a rainy day, we just relaxed at home. The kids played in the backyard, we made peg creatures including Mermaids and Superheros, read, played with the dog and Hunter finally got to cook dinner for everyone.
The little chef worked hard in the camp kitchen with Poppy while his sister played ‘sleeps’ in the bedroom. Dinner was McDonald style burgers cooked by Hunter and they were yummy!!!
Hunter got a wee bit excited and grabbed the pan which left him with a bit of a sore hand but after a bit of TLC from everyone and Chessie, he was on his way to healing. Like any good chef, he saw it out, bandage and all!!!
One of the nicest things about going to sleep and walking up in the camper was being surrounded by all the morning birds. There was a beautiful peacefulness of an evening, a galaxy of stars and then the crystal clear chorus of birds walking us up. I am looking forward to experiencing this across the country as I am sure by the end, we would have listened to millions of chirps and whistles and tunes.
Sunday morning was GLORIOUS! Not a cloud in the sky and Hunter was super excited because that meant we would be able to have a fire at night and toast marshmallows! Sophie was excited to be able to have sparklers and use her glowing wand! Winning for everyone!
It was too good of an opportunity to pass up a morning down by the dam trying our hand at freshwater fishing. Best to get some practice in getting our meals on the road and the dam was really quiet. The pelicans were everywhere and beside the jet boat competition, it was surprisingly quiet. I have to admit, I kind of felt a wee bit powerful driving the Ginger mobile across the slope instead of sticking to the tracks – gammon wannabe 4wheel woman!!!
Soooooooo…we didn’t catch anything. Well, except a turtle which was quickly cut loose, de-hooked and set free! Sophie wanted us to re-catch it and keep it as a pet because ‘ She loves them so much’ and Hunter was a little concerned that it could drown because we had hurt it.
I got sunburnt – always taking the opportunity to work on my identity – and while we didn’t catch anything, we were super relaxed! Time to kick back and enjoy the beautiful sunsets that this part of the world offers.
A big shout out to my parents as well. They have done amazing things with this house since they have lived here and everything is done with love and care.
The kids had such a great time in the yard playing, picking and eating mulberries, collecting the passionfruit, finding the tomatoes and having so much space to run around in. By the end of the weekend, I didn’t know who was more buggered – the kids or the dog!
The boys took some time out to watch the footy. I think G-Pop loved having Huntter there on the big couch cheering the teams on and getting right into the game!!
It was finally fire night! Glow sticks, sparklers and marshmallows! What more could you ask for??? That and a beautiful sky of stars to sit under = paradise!
One moment over the weekend that melted my heart a little was walking into the lounge room and seeing Sophie reading Chessie a story. Chessie had cut her foot at the dam and Sophie was making sure she was okay while she went to sleep.
One more sleep and then we had to pack up and leave. What a wonderfully relaxing weekend. It was finally great to be able to set up the camper trailer, find out what works and what doesn’t, what we need to make it more comfortable, what the ensuite looks like and generally begin the journey of setting up our home on the road.
Mostly, it was lovely to spend time with loved ones. Travelling on the road away from everyone for a year or so will be hard so taking the time now is very important.
I honestly can’t wait to venture out of Wynnum West and follow the sun on an adventure of a lifetime. Who knows where these two little Gingers will take us but every day, e are getting closer to freedom.
#philandnadinegapyear2016
phil and nadine's gap year 