It was the first time I've had the mad rush to the hospital. Now I feel like I've been part of the millions of dads everywhere who panic.
Lil is a great and very confident mother so feeding routines are easy and settled prett quickly. We then hit the road on Boxing Day on our new adventures with our extra passenger.
We checked out a new website called youcamp and found a nice looking spot in the strezlecki ranges that would be quiet and scenic for our new year.
Youcamp.com organise camping on private property and have numerous spots all over the country, the one we went to didn't seem to have a. Huge history in camping themselves which led to a pretty uncomfortable few nights.
Our spot was on top of a hill with a stunning view ........but there was no flat area and we camped on the forest part possible, but it was on about a 10-15 degree slop and the kids kept sliding out their beds. The bracken had just been cut so it was like walking around on short spikes and it cut your ankles and feet up in no time.
We asked to move and got put on a better spot on an adjacent hill. This spot was next to the drop dunny ( poorly designed and erected) which also had the shower. The shower was a Coleman aqua cube and worked although there was no water to be had.
The owners eventually got some water up the hill in the form of a barrel on the back of a trailer. As much as it worked I had expected a lot more bang for my buck.
It cost us $24 per day which was the same as a caravan park on lake Hume with hot showers/ water/power.
Anyway the next week was terrible we consistent wind and storm warnings for the area. Being on top of the hill we copped t full force of the he wind and it got up to 120kmph at one stage and we had to evacuate the kids into the car whilst I stayed inside the tent holding the poles down.
We decided it was time to go and left looking for salvation in the king valley.
Lils aunt runs a winery in the king valley which is a real destination for wine and food lovers. Camping there is great with the king river nearby and plenty of things to do.
We arrived and got setup in the back garden and then the weather changed for us with temps in the he mid 30's. I spent a day helping john out erecting some fences in return for allowing us to stay there which took us a day to finish off.
We had a great time and spent some time down the river and exploring the winery and farm.
After our lovely week in the king valley we headed to Tallangatta lakeside caravan park , right on lake Hume. The camp is $25 per night for a powered site. Hot showers, water and washing machines are available along with lovely friendly and helpful residents and owners.
The weather was turning the complete opposite for us.
From windy, cold and rain it was now a week of over 40 degrees and that's hot for anyone. The camper trailer doesn't have aircon so you have to figure out other ways to keep cool. We soaked a muslin wrap for Maeryn and she lay on it which she loved and the kids got some water pistols and spray bottles today with. They loved them and it also wore them out playing all day. We also took them down to the lake for a swim but it was a bit murky with the boats and you couldn't see the big holes until you walked into one and then disappeared.
The swimming pool had just been completely refurbished and it was free during the hot days so we headed there for the day and the kids had the best time. Our good friends Ned and Den bought them some floaties for Christmas so they got kitted out and hit the water. I always worry about the water as I'm not fond of deep water but the kids are fearless and kept me on my toes.
One of the residents at the caravan park offered us his fan to use in the tent to help keep us all cool and it was great. We ran it non stop and got some good sleep with a bit of air coming through. There was one big storm came over just before Australia Day and we heard the rumble about 4am. I jumped up and went down to the foreshore to take a look and it was epic.......
The rain came belting down and before long we were digging trenches to keep the water away from the tent. The rain lasted till late afternoon and everything got a thorough soaking. It also helped put out most out the fires in the area that had been burning for a while.
We had decided, to stay at the park for another week as it was nice and very relaxing.
I think lil was glad of a washing machine and she hogged them like a mad woman......
Next stop was going to be Methoura on the Murray river. This park was expensive at $35/ powered site. We decided to give it a miss and head the other direction and found a great spot using wiki camps app.
This spot was also right on the Murray on a wildlife reserve outside Tintaldra.
This is a free camp so we had to be completely self sufficient carrying our own water and having power to run our fridge. Having a toilet has always been in the back of our mind, more so for the girls and especially the kids. Keeping the kids accustomed to using a toilet stops those embarrassing moments when they strip off and pee on the grass in public areas.
We invested in a portable toilet and the kids and the wife are very happy campers now.
More from our free camp adventures next time...........
Location:Welaregang Road,,Australia
