Clear Skies and Waterfalls

Even though I know I've said that we are not a camping family, it seems I can't let it go entirely, and the girls are still so delighted with nature that it seems it would be a waste not to embrace it even a little. Steve was going to Canberra for a week with his new job, and since it was holidays, I figured what better time for a spot of mid-week camping at Springbrook.

I'd gotten rid of a stack of stuff after our last camping trip, but had kept the essentials. All I did was spend $50 at Kmart to get a slightly larger pop-up tent, so that we all had a bit more space. Last time I took the girls in the 2-man pop-up we had, we had a lot of trouble with condensation on the inside of the tent. I'm sure there were other factors, but I thought with a bit more breathing room we'd have a greater chance of staying dry. 

Not being committed campers means that the set up is easy, since all you do is throw out a tent and put up a gazebo. I guess it also helps that I forgot the camp stove, but really, that wouldn't take too long to get out anyway. We also forgot pillows and paper towel. The pillows were solved by putting clothes in the sleeping bag covers, and the paper towel was replaced with the box of tissues I'd thought to throw into the car. When I'd been sorting through the kitchen box, I'd taken out the tea towels, and discovered that they didn't make their way back into the box. Luckily I'd packed a towel, so we were ok. 

We did the Purling Brook Falls circuit, and never have I seen so much water in that waterfall! Last time we were able to paddle quite comfortably in the water in the pool at the bottom, but this time there was so much spray that we didn't spend time there at all. The girls had a blast taking photos with their hand-me-down cameras. Those bucket hats they are wearing are the reversible ones I made for them in Isolation earlier in March. 

We saw these very cool orange mushrooms, a bug that curled up into a ball when Rachel touched it, a blue tongue lizard and a stack of leaches. Thankfully, most of those leaches were just looking to be friends with us and could be relocated pretty easily. Just one attached itself to me and drank it's fill before I'd even realised. 

Day two we did more of the Purling Brook Falls and played in the water. Then the girls made lunch on the BBQ while I did some pack up at the camp site and after lunch we headed off to do the Twin Falls circuit before heading home. 

Initially we had been planning on staying for two nights, but there was rain on the way, and I figured it would be better to pack up in the dry and have solidly good memories of this trip, than to push it out and leave with everything sad and wet. When we weren't bush walking, the girls were searching for the paddymelons that live around the campsite and chasing away the bush turkeys. And also reading. Of course.  

Sometimes I wonder why I take them anywhere when they just do what they would do at home anyway. We also started reading The Secret Animal Society together which they have been very happy about. 

Here ends our April camping trip for 2022. Not sure if we'll do another this year, but I'm hoping to convince some friends to come along next time. We shall see.