The Spring holidays this year fell at the start of October, and we were blessed (for at least the first week of holidays) with beautiful weather. The kids enjoyed lots of outside time, hanging in the garden and eating meals outside. As a bonus less mess for me to clean up and less noise! Zinnia loves outside time as much as her older siblings.
Banished outside…..
The big kids had created some custom ‘treat’ icecreams, which were definitely outside food!
Bubble magic…….
Astrid and Soren discovered that Zinnia loves bubbles. So now every time we walk the alpacas, it’s an excuse to crack the bubbles out. She is fascinated with watching them float past her!
Trying to catch and pop the bubbles is pretty awesome! As is enjoying sunshine without jumpers and this sitting on the grass thing……
The rest of the first week of holidays for the big kids was filled with movies, rock climbing and several trips to the shops…….. amongst individual sleep-overs at Granny’s house where they were spoilt rotten.
Bateman’s Bay
In the second week of the holidays we made a short getaway to the South Coast. It wasn’t quite the US trip we had hoped to tack onto Anto’s planned Boston work trip over the holidays, but it was nice to escape Canberra and all the jobs around the house for a few days.
On the way down the coast we had to make a stop in Bateman’s Bay for a fish and chip lunch by the water. Of course the previously lovely Spring weather had turned nasty on the day we left, so it was a cool and rainy lunch, but the kids weren’t complaining!
Mollymook
By the afternoon we’d reached our Airbnb in Mollymook, and despite the weather still being rather unpleasant the kids ‘had’ to go to the beach for a run.
The stormy skies were rather impressive, even if the temperatures were not!
Dinner was pizza and burgers at the golf club, watching the storms roll in. Zinnia discovered that teeth make short work of pizza!
Beach time
The next day we awoke to blissfully sunny skies. It was whole 16 degrees, but that didn’t stop the kids wanting to go to the beach……
Zinnia wasn’t sure about the sand thing but pretty soon she loved it. Her older siblings were straight into frolicking on the beach and building sandcastles……..
Astrid and Soren didn’t care they were freezing, and the water was freezing. There were sandcastles to be built! I’m pretty sure Zinnia was watching what to do, even if mean Mum wouldn’t let her near the cold water…..
We are pretty lucky to live near such beautiful coastline, with clean sand! Much of the world would be jealous. A few degrees warmer and it would have been perfect.
After a good play in the sand, Zinnia napped in the ergo as I walked the beach, and the big kids kept playing until they were utterly soaked and freezing! They did not enjoy the rather cold 800m walk back to the house!
Japanese
We did find a really impressive Japanese restaurant for lunch in nearby Ulladulla. Yep the kids all love Japanese and Anto lost most of his sashimi to them! Zinnia scoffed half my bento box……
Rock pools….
The afternoon, post resting for Zinnia, was an explore of the rock pools down by the beach. The kids found plenty of creatures hiding amongst the rocks and enjoyed the clamber over the rocks and along the beach.
Zinnia hitched a ride in the ergo, thoroughly enjoying our hour or more walk. We even spotted several large seabirds sitting on the rocks, eyeing off their fishy dinners.
Windy beach fun
The next morning was no less cold and even more windy, but the big kids were determined to hang out at the beach. We started with cartwheels on the grass and a play in the park while the adults enjoyed some coffee.
Zinnia had her first go on a swing, a really cool double swing she shared with Astrid. She was kicking and squealing with delight the whole time!
Then it was down to the beach for more sandcastle building and a walk with Zinnia through the sand as she again napped in the ergo…..
Again we had to drag the big kids away, kicking, screaming and soaking wet!
Afternoon hikes
After a fabulous lunch at a cafe called Milkhaus (no photos as we were too busy eating) it was rest time for Zinnia while the big kids wore themselves out on the trampoline at the Airbnb. Not done with activity for the day we’d decided to visit the lighthouse in Ulladulla for an afternoon hike.
The access road being closed made for an interesting scramble through bush. We did eventually get there for some nice views, although the lighthouse also had construction around it.
We decided to take the track along the headland back, which was an easier walk and gave much better views.
Fish, chips and pelicans……
During our lighthouse adventure, Zinnia had voted it was most definitely dinner time. The kids had voted for one more fish and chips. We decided to have picnic fish and chips down by the boats at the harbour in Ulladulla.
Zinnia is quite the fan of fish and chips and we even had some pelican friends to entertain us!
The last day of our coast trip turned out to be freezing and raining, so we made an early getaway back to Canberra. Stopping in Braidwood for the coffee and scones with jam and cream at a cute cafe. Despite the weather the kids had enjoyed their few days away and were complaining it wasn’t a long enough holiday.
Soren agreed it was a pretty good way to round out being 5 and we spent the last couple of days of the school holidays celebrating his sixth birthday! The year is flying by and it’s time to think about our next adventure, maybe if the kids are lucky it will be for longer and possibly further from home……..