Hyams Beach - a Dummy Free Zone

We checked out the map and found a lovely little town, called Hyams Beach, not far from Greenpatch. Jane tracked down a great old beach shack which we booked for the week. Ahhhh – hot showers, washing machines, beds and TV.

For quite a while Jane and I had been appalled by our kids’ ongoing love affair with dummies. Dirty, gross, annoying little things (but occasionally very useful) – it was time for them to go.

We checked with the local bush gnomes who told us the Dummy Fairies visited every 2^nd night and took away dummies from the older kids for the newborn babies and left treats in their place. The kids were very excited by this news and eagerly left them out. Free from dummies at last!

When the kids hiked up into the bush the next morning to collect their treats, two huge grey kangaroos were there to greet them.

Had a lovely pancake breakfast down on the local BBQ overlooking Jervis Bay - 2nd best breakfast ever!

Two weeks later we were still there.

Love from the Darvall menagerie

Greenpatch Paradise

Throw out your travel guides! The best source of travelling and camping knowledge is your fellow nomads around a campfire. As we have moved up the coast, everyone kept raving about Booderee National Park (Jervis Bay National Park).

A quick look on the internet and apparently “Greenpatch Camping Ground” was the go. We arrived at a slightly underwhelming campground (after the magnificent Prom and luxury of Durras). Not happy until we walked down onto possible the most magnificent beach in Australia – Greenpatch Beach.

Silicone sand so white it blinds you, crystal clear, warm, azure water in a sheltered cove – teeming with the most amazing collection of fish life and sea life. Lightly wooded bush ringing the cove - Robinson Crusoe would have been right at home.

We spent a very happy week at Greenpatch saying hello to the various denizens of the deep including: Six foot wobbegong shark (gave me a hell of a fright), dolphins, stingrays, drummer, whiting, seahorses, massive groper, garfish, angelfish, elephant fish, pike, magpie perch, penguins and cuttlefish. Ollie’s snorkelling and swimming improved dramatically and he was transfixed with the sights below the waves.

Jane and the kids also discovered some lovely trails through the native heathlands which were perfect for mountain bikes big and small.

Meanwhile I was transfixed by the navy Frigates, Minehunters, Sea King and Squirrel Helicopters that did exercises off the beach every day. Jervis Bay is home to HMAS Creswell Navy training base and nearby HMAS Albatross Navy air base.

By the end of our week, we were itching to get into a house, wash up, sew some orders and live the domestic life for a while and generally take it easy.

Love from the Beach Bums

Empire of the Rascal

The Red Rascal Empire continues to build. Jane has proven herself to be a very successful saleswoman. At virtually every decent sized town we have passed through, she’s found a local potential stockist and gone in for the kill.

After a bit of lippy, clean shoes and her trusty green bag of samples she’s in to show her wares. To date, her success rate has been very high – the shops love the unique, hand crafted and interesting designs and can’t resist Jane’s sales charm.

Meanwhile the kids and I head for the local park, beach or milkshake shop eagerly awaiting her news.

After gathering her orders together, she often sews well into the night getting the stock ready, cuts fabric next to the pool/beach or relays the orders back to Melbourne where Kris and Ciz are holding the fort. The Rascal rolls on!

Love from the Rapscallions

The best Breakfast Ever

Since leaving Melbourne we’ve been boasting how we hadn’t stayed in one single powered camp site let alone a caravan park. We were real “bush campers”. Well all that went out the window yesterday when we stumbled on the Eco Point Murramarang resort at South Durras Beach. We’ve officially sold out – powered site, carefully manicured lawns and gardens, kids playground, swimming pool, 2 bars, restaurant and kids club for Ollie 4 hours a day – we’re in heaven!

The resort is right on the most magnificent beach (teeming with fish – caught 15 flathead today) and home to various kangaroo families that are very kid friendly (they apparently don’t like the taste of small children).

We set up for breakfast this morning overlooking the beach – the photo says it all.

Love from Lord & Lady Darvall and the Children

Dog on the Tuckerbox

Our longest one day road hop – 7 hours – from Beechworth to the historic town of Braidwood (OK, it seems every town we visit is historic). Stayed in a very unusual old eco hotel/motel run by a very eccentric English fellow who was determined to cut off all outside supplies – power, water, gas, rubbish – very admirable but not appreciated by the local shire who didn’t share his enthusiasm for not paying the rates. He had a great collection of chooks and goats which the kids loved and a huge, soft queen sized bed which Jane and I loved.

Tomorrow off to Murramarang National Park on the coast north of Bateman’s Bay – look out fish!

Love from the Wandering Darvalls

ps. Ollie met the Dog on the Tuckerbox as we sang "there's a track leading back to an old fashioned shack in a town called Gundagai..."

Death by Easter Egg

After our narrow escape from the deadly chestnuts of Omeo, we thought Beechworth would be a safe haven. No surf beaches to drown in, no tiger snakes to munch the kids, camp fires to incinerate them …. we didn’t figure on “death by Easter Egg”.

We’ve been going to Beechworth for Easter for the last 5 years or so and the highlight (for the kids and Cadbury Limited) is the massive Easter egg hunt with assorted cousins. This year Ollie, Squimpy (Eloise) and Hoopsy (Henry) consumed about 1 tonne between them. It took Ollie days to come down from the sugar high.

Meanwhile Jane and I were trying to corner the Beechworth property market – I think the local agents must ring their hands with anticipation of the out-of-towners descending on them each year dreaming of a tree change. Anyway, we put an offer on a property – stay tuned.

Love from Eloise, Henry, Ollie and their parents

PS. Matt and George kindly let us put up our camper trailer in their front yard for a week – they didn’t know what they were in for!
PPS. Everyone must check out George’s fabulous Fromagerie “The Larder” in Beechworth.

Death by Chestnut

We stopped for the night in the high country town of Omeo as we crossed the mountains from Wilsons Prom to Beechworth. Picture the idyllic scene – collecting freshly fallen chestnuts with the kids below the beautiful copper autumn leaves in the fresh mountain air, then to the open fire to roast our harvest….STOP...WARNING…KIDS ABOUT TO DIE AN AGONISING DEATH…the lady from the hotel kindly advised us that just one of the horse chestnuts we had lovingly collected would kill the kids. So we had pizza instead. If you ever stop in Omeo – have dinner at Diane’s Pizza shop – bloody best pizzas ever!

Looking forward to catching up with Matt and George over Easter at Beechworth and consuming tonnes of Easter eggs and hot cross buns.

Love from the Darvalls

PS. There is some fascinating Federation civic architecture in Omeo – the courthouse and post office are brilliant.
PPS. Don’t eat the chestnuts!