Archive for the ‘NSW’ Category

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Charlotte Pass


22 Dec

Posted in Nathan the preschooler, NSW, Toby's third year, Travel | No Comments »

All Imported-201

Today we decided to drive to Charlotte Pass and walk the circuit track as far as the Snowy River crossing. When we got to Charlotte Pass the sky was looking quite ominous in the distance, and though there was an almost constant rumble of thunder we decided to do the short walk. It may have been short, but it was quite steep. Toby walked down but was carried up, Nathan walked both ways, and Andrew took our food, water and rain coats. It was a lovely spot, and we found some rocks to eat lunch on. The sky and thunder prompted us to return to the car park.

We went on the short walk to the lookout, and Nathan climbed on the rocks around the start of the lookout walk. We then went to Jindabyne for a few items, and then came back to the campground. It started raining quite heavily in Jindabyne, and it was very wet at the campground when we got back. I think we were quite lucky to not get a drop of rain at Charlotte Pass.

All Imported-168

All Imported-183

All Imported-192

All Imported-174

All Imported-173

All Imported-171

Happy Birthday Toby


21 Dec

Posted in NSW, Toby's second year, Travel | 2 Comments »

Last Import-8

Toby turned two years old today, and he was very excited about his birthday. We gave him a card with a steam train on it, and he spent the next 20 minutes playing with his card and totally ignoring his present. Finally he unwrapped his book, called ‘Again’, and of course he wanted it read again and again! His other present was Nathan’s old balance bike, which he has been practicing on since we have been in the mountains, and he is starting to be quite confident on it now.

The other thing Toby was really excited about was having cake, and he was quite upset when we told him we would make it in the afternoon and not straight away. We had breakfast and decided to go to the pool at Thredbo. Our plan had been to go up in the chairlift to Thredbo top station and go for a walk, but the mountain tops were in the clouds all morning, so we changed to going to the pool. Toby had a ball at the pool. There was a very fast water slide and Toby couldn’t get enough of it. He had to go on it with Andrew or me, and as soon as we got to the end he would get out of the pool and start up the steps again, so one of us would have to run after him. It was actually quite exhausting for us, and even Toby had slowed down a little by the end.

Toby fell asleep in the car on the way back to the tent, but didn’t transfer well and I was trying to get him back to sleep in the tent when Nathan mentioned cake. Well, that was the end of Toby’s sleep because he wanted cake! So we made the cake and put it in the Weber, then Nathan and Andrew went for a drive to get some ice and milk for Jindabyne while I tried to get Toby to have some quiet time.

We iced the cake, and when Nathan and Andrew got back we took the cake up to the people we met the other day who were nice and gave the kids some biscuits. We asked them of they’d like to have some cake with us, sang Happy Birthday to Toby, and ate most of the cake.

We had another flat chicken for dinner with veggies. Andrew lit the fire so we could have toasted marshmellows, which we had also promised the kids. Luckily the rain stayed away until marshmellows were eaten, the kids were in bed, and everything packed up. I think Toby had a great day.

Last Import-13

Last Import-33

Last Import-61

Last Import-67

Last Import-71

Last Import-80

Last Import-88

Last Import-3

Last Import-6

Last Import-105

At the end of this video Toby says “do it again”.

Another lazy day


21 Dec

Posted in Nathan the preschooler, NSW, Toby's second year, Travel | No Comments »

Last Import-1

The morning started with a bath for Toby because he wet the bed last night. He doesn’t often do that, but I forgot to put him on the potty before bed so it is probably partly my fault. I was just lucky that the weather was fine all day and I managed to get most things dry after washing.

We did some more splashing in the river, and we saw a water rat quite close up. I now suspect that the ‘platypus’ we saw swimming in the river yesterday morning was, in fact, a water rat. Andrew and Nathan walked across the river to the other side of the river. Nathan really enjoyed it, despite the waist-deep cold water.

Last Import-0

Last Import-4

Last Import-6

Last Import-7

Last Import-8

Last Import-9

Rain…..


19 Dec

Posted in Food, NSW, Travel | 2 Comments »

Camera Roll-6

…and rain, and more rain.

The rain was pretty heavy last night and continued as showers throughout the day. We went for a drive to Lake Eucumbene. There wasn’t much there, but it was a nice drive anyway. Back to the tent site via Jindabyne and the shops for a few supplies, and we tried it the aluminum foil theory by cooking a cake in the Weber…all this effort to work out baking in the Weber is because I want to make Toby a cake for his birthday. Toby is into the whole birthday thing….he keeps pointing to things and saying “I want that for my birthday”. The cake worked perfectly, even though it was in the BBQ for over an hour. Seems like the foil made a huge difference. We gave half the cake to a family camping near us (Nathan visits them a lot), and they were very appreciative.

Since I don’t have any other photos for the day, here are the ones of our baking efforts in the Weber.

Camera Roll-2

Camera Roll-1
No foil in the BBQ and all the biscuit bases burned, making them all but inedible.

Camera Roll-5

Camera Roll-7
Perfect!

Thredbo River


18 Dec

Posted in Nathan the preschooler, NSW, Toby's second year, Travel | No Comments »

Last Import-6

We spent a lot of time at the campground today, loathe to be too busy when we can finally relax after a busy week. A lot of the day seemed to include the river. This morning we watched a platypus swimming in the river while the kids threw stones into the water. Toby had a very early day sleep, and while he was sleeping Nathan and Andrew walked/rode the Bullocks Track loop, some 4 km or so. The kids did a lot of bike riding, though Nathan managed to get his bike confiscated until at least tomorrow. There was also a lot of paddling in the river, by not just the kids and myself, but we also saw a couple of emus cross the river. We did make a trip to Thredbo to find ice and have a jack play in the playground, but then it was back to the campsite for dinner and more paddling.

Talking about dinner, so far the Weber has revolutionized our camping meals. Last night we had a whole BBQ chicken, flattened and marinated by a butcher at Chadstone with potato salad (made at home) and a tossed salad. Tonight it was sausages, roasted potato and carrot mixed together, haloumi cheese cooked on the BBQ and grilled mushrooms. We also tried to cook biscuits in the BBQ today, but I think we need to make some simple modifications to (hopefully) stop the bottom of them burning next time.

Last Import-7
Nathan riding Toby’s bike

Last Import-5
Toby wishing he could ride Nathan’s bike

Last Import-6
Finally Toby gets to ride his bike

Last Import-0

Last Import-2

Last Import-9
Mummy, I’m up to my knees now! He wasn’t allowed to go deeper than his knees.

Last Import-16

Back in the Mountains


17 Dec

Posted in NSW, Travel | No Comments »

Last Import-3

I love the mountains! Andrew and I have spent the last few days debating where to go for our holiday. The weather forecast for the mountains included a substantial amount of rain, and camping in the rain isn’t much fun but camping in the rain with kids is worse. We really didn’t want to spend our holidays holed up in a tent with two stir-crazy kids.

We finally decided to brave the weather and set off yesterday for Albury, arriving today at Thredbo Diggings campground in the Snowy Mountains near Thredbo. Although rain was forecast for this afternoon, so far there is no sign of it and we have enjoyed a mostly sunny day. There were five tents in the tent area when we arrived, but two of them packed up and left after we arrived.

The big downer of the trip was that Toby was very upset in the car today. He slept most of the way from Albury to Corryong, but from Khankoban he was pretty unhappy. We couldn’t work out what the problem was until I asked him if his tummy felt sore and he started screaming even louder. I thought he might be motion sick, and we had to stop a couple of times because he was just too unhappy. The issue became blatantly clear when the crying increased and then Toby vomited. Several times. And Nathan, the sympathetic vomiter that he is, joined in.

Anyway, we are here now, the tent is set up, and this year we decided to bring our WeberQ so that we don’t have to put as much effort into cooking as we usually do..hopefully. I’ll report back on that.

Last Import-1
Tent site set up

Last Import-10
Toby riding his balance bike, new for his birthday

Last Import-5
The ducks are here, as always

Last Import-12
Dinner cooking on the WeberQ

Sunny days


25 Dec

Posted in Camping, Nathan's third year, NSW, Toby's second year, Weather | No Comments »

Thankfully the bitterly cold winds have gone, as well as the rain and the cold. Tuesday was our first sunny day. We went for a walk along the Bullocks Track, with Nathan riding his bike. It was about a 4 km return trip, but Nathan got tired and wanted to be carried some of
the way back from the hut.

Wednesday was a very sunny day, so we went in the chairlift from Thredbo to
the Thredbo Top Station. Nathan had fun on it, and then he walked the entire 2 km to Kosciuszko Lookout and back again. I have done the walk many times, but the snow that was lying around really made it different. There were still a couple of snow drifts across the
path as well. It really was spectacular.

Thursday we dropped in at Charlottes Pass again to see if there was any snow left there, but there wasn’t. We had planned to walk a bit along one of the walking tracks there, but since the day started off quite windy we aborted and went for a swim at the pool in Jindabyne instead. We were really feeling the need for a wash, but the Thredbo River, which runs through the campsite, is a lot too cold to be appealing.

Yesterday was another perfect day for walking, so we took the kids on the Porcupine Track. It was nearly 3 km to Porcupine Rocks where there’d is a lovely view of the Thredbo valley. Nathan walked the entire way there and back again, carrying his backpack which contained his water bottle, a sandwich, his jumper, Toby’s jumper (Nathan insisted he carry it), and some sultanas and popcorn that we popped yesterday. Toby, on the other hand, slept on my back almost the entire way.


On the Bullocks Track


Carrying both Nathan and Toby on the Bullocks track


Andrew and Nathan walking to Kosciuszko lookout from the chairlift


Nathan modifying a snowman someone made at Kosciuszko lookout. He decided it needed boobies and 4 ears.


Nathan at Porcupine Rocks


Too tired to sit up to eat sultanas at Porcupine Rocks


There are lots of flowers around

Snow


20 Dec

Posted in Nathan's third year, NSW, Toby's first year, Travel, Weather | No Comments »

All night we could hear rain on the tent, and this morning the peaks of the hills around the camp site were covered in snow. We made our second trip to Charlottes Pass in two days, but today we found ankle-deep snow, mid-calf deep in places, and more snow falling. Nathan had a ball. It was hard to get him back into the car and out of the cold. For Toby it was very serious business which became unbearable for him when the wind blew, even though he was warm in many layers of clothes and snuggled in the mei tei on Mummy’s front.

Camping holiday: rain, hail and sleet


19 Dec

Posted in Nathan's third year, NSW, Toby's first year, Travel, Weather | No Comments »

Before deciding to head to the mountains for our camping holiday, we did check the 28 day forecast and there was a low possibility of rain for yesterday and a medium possibility for today. Unfortunately the reality of the current weather and short term forecasts is that it is looking more like we may have 3 dry days out of the 8 we are in the mountains. It’s just a good thing that Andrew and I quite enjoy camping in the rain…at least now that we have the ‘taj mahal’ of tents….but two small kids are challenging in inclement weather. Still, it’s all good as long as we can keep Nathan from (literally) bouncing off the walls of the tent, waking Toby when asleep, keep him from playing with the torches so much that the batteries go flat, stop him from squirting sunscreen or toothpaste or lip balm all over himself and everything else in the tent (we just found that the tent has high pockets so that will help keep small things out of reach) amongst other things, then all is good. The only problem we have with Toby is that he doesn’t have a rain coat, so with the wind and cold it is hard to keep him warm outside the tent.

Eh, the weather could be better but it is still nice here.

Camping

Pasha Bulker


03 Jul

Posted in Friends, NSW, Travel | No Comments »

Pasha Bulker

The Pasha Bulker got stuck on Nobby’s beach in Newcastle some 25 days ago during the massive storms that we had. It was one of the many ships waiting to pick up a load of coal in Newcastle.  It had ignored advice to move further from shore during the storm while it waited, and so it was pushed onto a beach. Last Wednesday night was the first planned attempt to refloat the ship, and using three tug boats pull it into deep water. The timing was due to a full moon on Saturday night, which means that the tides will be high for about a week.

The attempt on Wednesday night didn’t happen, Thursday night the ship was moved about 9 degrees before a couple of cables attached to the tug boats broke. Friday and Saturday night’s attempts were postponed, and so on Sunday we decided to go and have a look at the ship.

We picked Iris up at Redfern station just after 10 am and then headed north. In Newcastle we found ourselves a parking spot and started walking towards the ship, but I think that none of us realised how far we’d have to walk to see it. Because of the salvage operation there was an exclusion zone about 500 metres around the beach, and so we walked a long way before we found somewhere that we could see the entire boat from. It may not have been clear from our sightings how close it was to the shore, but we could tell it was very close. From photographs in the news papers, it looked less than 100 metres from the water’s edge!

Walking back to the car we stopped for a late lunch of fish and chips. The shop we got them from had a board saying “seen the ship, now have a chip”. hehe. We detoured through The Entrance on the way home. Unfortunately we missed the pelican feeding, but the sunset was stunning. Andrew took some photos (he also took the one of Pasha Bulker above), and this is one of them.

Sunset at The Entrance

Sunday night the Pasha Bulker was successfully rotated so that she was ready to be pulled out to sea, and last night it seems that it all went well and she’s no longer beached. She has sustained some damage, so I guess she’ll have to get repaired before she can go anywhere. It’s amazing that three little boats could pull such a huge ship stuck that was stuck in sand around and then out to sea. Well, I’m amazed, anyway. 🙂

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Cork’s Corner

My little corner of the internet