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Published: September 8th 2012
all 4 of us
On the rainforest walk in Hat Head National ParkI feel like we are becoming seasoned family holidayers already. I can feel the coating of salt on my skin, but I guess this is from the sea rather than from being seasoned. My attempt at humour aside, those first 7 (to 9?) months of the girls' existence where we struggled to even get out the door seem a distant foggy memory, touch wood. Holidays can exist with two babies afterall, despite often held scepticism (my own included.)
Yeah, there's still dishes and laundry and nappies but each day so far we have swam and walked in the bush, done yoga, read books, gazed at sunets and stars... wow. The girls have been sleeping all night every night and having great naps during the day EVEN THOUGH big painful pre-molars are starting to poke through their poor little gums.
South West Rocks is proving to be a super choice for a baby-friendly holiday destination. The village has everything you need and there are two coastal national parks right on its doorstep (Arakoon and Hat Head) which means you can drive for 5 to 10 minutes, do a (short) walk, have a swim and get home all between naps -
and that is exactly what we have been doing.
On Friday we went to Hat Head National Park and did the 'rainforest walk' -- which was on an old national park PDF but was not very well sign posted and involved walking down an apparent 4-wheel drive only road which we struggled to see the justification for. The walk was only a couple of kms but went past a coastal swamp and through a section of palms and paperbacks to a windswept white sandy beach. The walk even had a teeny adrenaline-pumped moment as my not very sensibly sandalled feet nearly landed on a black snake as it slithered under the fallen palm fronds. After the walk we went for a short drive to Trial Bay Gaol in search of a more sheltered beach for the girls -- one of the few west-facing beaches in NSW apparently. The girls were not so keen on the swim but enjoyed watching a goanna hunt for food as they ate a picnic by the beach. And all this before their afternoon nap.
Yesterday involved checking out the local markets and swimming at the main beach -- which features beautiful granite boulders
Leila enjoying herself
I think she likes bushwalking - yay! and a child - firendly estuary. It is great to find estuaries without signs warning of pollution. We are finally making beach babes out of the girls who enjoyed splashing around in the warm shallows of the estuary.
This morning when the girls get up we are off to Yarriabini national park, which features a picnic area about 500 meters above sea level, good views and a stroll through a rainforest.
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Arthur
non-member comment
So glad you're having such a great time, Dans, Jono, Ameya and Leila. Beaut pics and wonderful commentary Dans. What about a future career change to travel writer?