Our first full day was fantastic. As I had decided it was a "real" holiday the boys easily negotiated some cartoons in the morning (after I had returned from cleaning up the beach). Isaac, Sascha and I did some
drawing in our journals so I did not even feel guilty about wagging school! We got going round midmorning so the tide was on its way out and we had a good 4-5 hours of time on the beach ahead of us.
Riding up and down the beach highway over rocks and through some tough terrain made us fall in love with our car all over again. It performed perfectly! The boys and I did some climbing up and down the "dunes" as they called the sandbank. We spent some quality time with the tripod up at the Maheno wreck and got some dingo track photos as well. Next thing was the REAL thing which we snapped at quickly from the car. Dom was the first to spot the dingo and we were all suitably impressed with his powers of observation. The boys and I had a little splash in the crystal clear Eli Creek on the way back home for an early dinner, with doughnuts from the local backer, to round things out!
Riding up and down the beach highway over rocks and through some tough terrain made us fall in love with our car all over again. It performed perfectly! The boys and I did some climbing up and down the "dunes" as they called the sandbank. We spent some quality time with the tripod up at the Maheno wreck and got some dingo track photos as well. Next thing was the REAL thing which we snapped at quickly from the car. Dom was the first to spot the dingo and we were all suitably impressed with his powers of observation. The boys and I had a little splash in the crystal clear Eli Creek on the way back home for an early dinner, with doughnuts from the local backer, to round things out!
On our last day, I woke Isaac to share an early walk with me as my last one had been so lovely. We got plenty of shots of a beautiful sunrise and dingo tracks but things went down hill with an inquisitive and slightly aggressive dingo and we headed back early, pleased to have not had anything worse to report to the others. (At least I was pleased, the whole incident seems to grow with every telling by my eldest offspring - we are currently lucky to have survived the attack by the vicious, and likely rabid, dog. It is possible I am exaggerating a little. I wonder where he gets it from?)
The whole family then attacked the breakfast buffet with aplomb aiming to have this meal last til mid afternoon, which it did with ease! We headed up the beach to report the dingo incident to the rangers but gave up when we couldn't find the information centre with the pressure of having to be at the ferry by early afternoon. We took a 2.3 km walk to Lake Wabby via the Hammerstone Sandblow, replete with dingo sticks and a more wary attitude. Isaac carried two large chunks of pumice almost the whole way (Paul helped him out with one for the last 1/2 km) so he could launch them into the lake and see them splash and float! There were a few grizzles but all manageable and it was my favourite walk of the year.
The lake and the sandblow gave the kids some perspective about what constitutes a dune. Lake Wabby is getting swallowed up by Hammerstone (Check it out on google maps satellite image. It is really very impressive.) We made excellent time back to the ferry, filled the tyres back up without incident and relaxed til the ferry left.
The lake and the sandblow gave the kids some perspective about what constitutes a dune. Lake Wabby is getting swallowed up by Hammerstone (Check it out on google maps satellite image. It is really very impressive.) We made excellent time back to the ferry, filled the tyres back up without incident and relaxed til the ferry left.
We picked up the van and stayed at a nondescript freecamp called Wallum Reserve, just south of Bundaberg. We are getting right into this free camping caper. Nothing like having to work less, I think!! Sure makes the kids appreciate the little things, too... like flushing toilets!