Faster than a speeding bullet

We have been under the radar for the past week or so. Following our 6 nights on the Gold Coast we have been making our way slowly back towards home. We have had some marvellous adventures on our drive south. For the last five nights we have been free camping in truck stops and back streets and so we have been off the email and no real chance to post our adventures.

We are almost home - But we do need to update about our theme park frenzy. Lars bought the VIP pass enabling us to visit Wet 'n' Wild (hereinafter referred to as WW), Sea World and Movie World as frequently as we pleased. We decided to spend two days at each. We started with WW simply because the weather was wet and we figured this wouldn't impact us too much since we would be wet anyway. My brother Andrew thoughtfully informed me that his kids had very much enjoyed the Kamakaze ride when they visited last year. Having never been to WW we figured that the Kamakaze was a great place to start. It is like a massive half pipe. Two people sit in an inflatable thingy and drop over the edge into the half pipe and up the other side. It looks pretty tame. In reality it is quite terrifying and on reflection was not the best place to start the day. I went on with Charlie and Lars went on with Hannah. After some intensive therapy I'm sure the kids will both learn to talk again.

Gracie was a little short for many of the rides - Lara got quite good at stretching poor Gracie's neck so that she reached the magic 1 metre mark. At times, I'm sure her feet were dangling in the air as Lara held her by the head to ensure that she was tall enough to ride. There was something for everyone at WW. In particular the kids loved the water slides and the spa. Lara and I tried out a new ride called the aqua loop. Hard to describe, but it commences with you dropping through a trap door and free falling into a large water slide. It was a heart stopper.

One of Gracie's favourite rides - Mammoth Falls

Gracie's neck was stretched 3 cm for this ride

The boys enjoyed racing each other on these slides

Mum and Dad enjoy a ride together on the giant surf board

William loved this ride - We must have gone on it 10 times - it's a climb of 121 steps to the top!



Gracie sucking in the action

William uses a drying trick he learnt from the sea birds we saw along the way

We were pleasantly surprised by Movie World. I'm not certain that it has any connection whatsoever with Hollywood or the making of a movie of any description. It was, however, a great couple of days. Lots to do and see. It is a great place just to sit and soak up the atmosphere. We found some really good rides that we could all go on. The family favourite was the Road Runner ride. It was a smallish roller coaster that everybody enjoyed. The kids just ran around from one turn to the next. Gracie had to be accompanied by an adult and so Lara and I shared the honours. Hannah often travelled with Charlie and William seemed to enjoy his own company. The bumper cars were also a great favourite. We managed to talk Charlie onto coming on the Wild West Rapids ride. This was a mistake. More therapy required.
The Stunt driving show was great fun as was the street parade, where Hannah scored a free Magnum (icy-pole not gun - It is probably different in the real Hollywood).

I only recognised Wonder Woman - The others looked important

Batman was a pretty serious bloke

The theatre in Main Street

The girls immediately after Super Man Escape

The Road Runner ride was a big hit

Charlie said he would go on it again if we paid him $10.00 - We didn't!

 

You get quite wet

William and Charlie loved looking at the Pokemon machines

Lars and Hannah about to shoot away on the Batman ride

Hannah and Gracie have emerged as the real adrenalin junkies. Hannah went on all the scary rides first. If she emerged still able to function then I would go on too. This included the Batman ride and the Superman ride. She and Lara couldn't get enough of these. I needed to be eased into them. Gracie would have gone on them all if she was tall enough. Sadly she missed out by miles for the really fast rides.  Despite all manner of stretching, William didn't make the cut either. Charlie was content to stay grounded, preferring to search for discarded money in the arcade games and ride the dodgems.

Sea World is an old favourite and we enjoyed our time there as well. The shows were good fun and the rides were family friendly. Charlie and Hannah loved the Jet-rescue ride, but the highlight was the double scoop ice-cream. We needed to extend our line of credit to buy them but the looks on the faces of the kids was worth it.

Pure joy

I would have smiled more but with the price of these ice-creams this was all I could manage

We always like to get a photo with our old mate

Gracie and Mum enjoying a plane ride



Gracie's first turn on Big Bird Bounce

The Flume ride

 On our final day at Sea World we had a wonderful time at the new Castaway Bay water park. Those that are silly enough can travel around a course in a boat, while the spectators fire water pistol type squirters at them. Charlie and I teamed up to unleash a monstrous water attack on the ride-goers. We preferred to direct our attention at well dressed mothers with children. It provided us with a great deal of entertainment.



Charlie getting the hang of the water gun



Dad and Charlie giving grief to the ride goers



We stayed at the Treasure Island Caravan Park. It was not on an Island and there was no evidence of any kind of treasure. But the name appealed to Lara. It was clean and tidy and the people were very friendly. We played mini golf and swam in the pool. We drove Bustin' off each day to the various theme parks and backed her in again at night. It was a very painless way to get around and much cheaper than going on a shuttle bus. She was also very easy to spot in the carpark at the end of a big day.
 

Bustin' was easy to find at the end of the day

On our final night at Treasure Island we signed up for the buffet tea. This was a great way to end a week of fun and frivolity. On the morning we were leaving, William and Charlie arrived back at the bus puffing and panting. They had disappeared with Gracie to play on the bouncy pillow. When they arrived back at the bus (minus Gracie) we noticed they were both looking quite distressed. It was then that we noticed approximately 5-6 largish kids on their tail). Their nationality is not important (although at a national level they are quite good at Rugby). William had apparently injured a little girl while on the pillow. He thought it better to bolt rather than wait around for her recovery. Shortly after arriving back at the bus the father arrived with the "victim" and the appropriate apology was offered and received. I thought for a moment that I was going to have to put my BJJ into action and put the father in arm bar. Lara diffused the situation well. We told William to run faster next time (not really).

We are currently in a caravan park in Glenrowan of all places! After 5 nights of freebies (Ballina, Taree, Sydney, Canberra, Gundagai) Lara wanted to plug in the heater. It has been an amazing week and so I will do one final post once we get home.

Suffice to say that it is with mixed emotions that we bed down for our final night on the road. Bustin' has served us so well. We have learnt a lot about each other and we have thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. I look forward to uploading our last post next week.

Leaving Movie World for the last time

Bye for now.

Phil, Lars, Hannah, Charlie, William and Gracie

Finding Nemo

Our stay at 1770 was a great success. It was everything I had hoped it would be and a little bit more. On Friday morning I took the boys up the beach and we played cops and robbers amongst the rocks. The boys bought themselves el-cheapo cap guns in Coolum and were keen to try them out. Rather than frighten the campers we found a quiet spot and had a fantastic time sneaking around behind the rocks and through the bushes. I felt like I was 10 years old all over again.

We then spent the arvo untangling the fishing rod, before finally getting it back in the water. It was a unique feeling to just sit in a chair and have the time to untangle fishing line. It must have taken over an hour. I certainly wouldn't have taken the time had I been going about my normal life. I have to say I found it very relaxing. Charlie found a new sinker on the beach. It turned out to be much more effective than the ones we were using. A fisherman with a large beard gave us his remaining prawns. These were just the tonic for catching fish. All the kids caught at least 1 fish each. We weren't concerned with size. The aim was just to pull one in. All of fish ended up back in the water. It was a terrific experience for the kids. The weather was quite cool and so not much swimming happened on Friday. We stayed on the beach with the fishing rod until nightfall.

Charlie assists Gracie with the casting process

Gracie bags her first fish - she caught it all by herself

This is William's offering - He was very pleased with himself

For a number of days we had been considering a trip to Lady Musgrave Island. It is the southern most coral cay of the Great Barrier Reef. It was quite an expensive proposition. But after a bit of haggling with the tour operator we crunched a deal. It turned out to be an excellent decision.

We got up early on Saturday morning, packed up Bustin' Loose and drove the short distance to the harbour. We then boarded the "Spirit of 1770" for our 75 minute trip to the Reef. The lady at the check-in said that there was a 2 metre swell. That didn't sound too bad to me. So off we went. Nothing could really have prepared us for what a 2 metre swell felt like on a smallish vessel. It was incredibly rough.  We were on the top deck of the boat and we were getting sprayed by the water. Lara pumped the kids (and herself) full of anti-spew tablets, and I'm pleased to say that they served their purpose. There were, however, some tense moments.

This was our trusty boat

Charlie maintained this look for much of the trip to the island

Mum is deep in concentration - Just trying to keep it together

We started off with a walking tour of Lady Musgrave Island before returning to the pontoon for lunch and then a snorkel. This whole experience was an absolute highlight for all of us.

Lady Musgrave Island

The kids enjoyed exploring the island - Gracie found some coral shaped like a gun!

Gracie enjoying her pontoon lunch before having a snorkel

Lady Musgrave boasts a huge protected coral lagoon with a smallish opening to the ocean. The water is crystal clear and a deep blue/green colour. The fish were amazing and they were everywhere - It was like swimming in a massive tropical fish tank. Hannah and I were fortunate enough to spot a massive turtle. It was swimming along very slowly just below us. We swam with it for a few minutes and it was something we won't forget. Later in the day, Lara also managed to spot a large turtle. It was a real treat. Charlie, William and Gracie spied a turtle and a stingray from a mini submarine type boat we went on.

All togged up and ready for action - A very James Bond moment

Lars and Hannah swimming with the fish

Dad and Hannah setting out for an expedition

Afternoon tea was served before we cruised back to harbour. The ride home was much more sedate. It was a very full day (8.30 am - 5.00 pm) and it was worth every cent.

After getting back to Bustin', we fed the kids and then started heading south. It was dark by this stage. The highway was not overly busy and consequently I didn't hold up too much traffic. I did, however, get some serious CB time with the interstate truck drivers. They nattered away to the "southbound bus" and provided me with condition reports as necessary. The only thing missing was Bandit and Snowman. It certainly kept me entertained and made the time pass quickly. We finally stopped 12 km's south of Gympie, out the back of a 24 hour truck stop. My major objective was to buy Lara a Mother's Day present. There aren't many options at 11.00 pm on Mother's Day Eve. The options are even more limited when the only retail outlet caters predominantly to truck drivers. I was pretty sure she didn't want a Ralph magazine (though it was an option at one point) or a Deals on Wheels.  She ended up with an  iced coffee, some Pineapple lumps, a Twirl and two Wagon wheels. Not exactly a scented candle, but my choices were limited.

We woke early on Mother's Day and presented our offerings to Mum. Lars made the appropriate noises and everyone seemed happy. She requested a Maccas breaky. Off to Gympie for breaky, (I think Charlie and I were the only ones not in our PJ's) followed by a quick muck around at the skate park.

Gympie Maccas - We only spilt one drink - It was full though

Mucking around in the park after breaky

Dad and William did their best to maintain the pace

This is Mum's scooter - She is a very good sharer

We then hit the road and reached the Gold Coast at around 12.30 pm. We did a spot of shopping before a Mother's Day lunch to remember. Sushi rolls on the nature strip outside the Helensvale Shopping Centre. It was a pleasant place to stop for lunch. At one point a long haired bloke wound his window down and yelled "go hippies." We took this as a compliment. At this point Gracie was standing in a shopping trolley (in her nightie), eating her lunch. I suppose I can see where he was coming from.

Helensvale Shopping Centre on the Gold Coast - A great place for Mother's Day lunch

Moments after being called hippies by a long haired lout

Mother's Day finished with tea in the eatery at our caravan park. It was very nice. The kids were reprimanded by management at one point for not wearing shoes. He was lucky they were wearing pants!

 We are now neck deep in the theme parks. More of that later.

Cheers for now

Phil, Lara, Hannah, Charlie, William and Gracie.

Captain Cook woz ere 1770

We very much enjoyed our time at Bargara Beach. We ended up spending 4 nights there. The water was fantastic and there was just the right amount of surf. It was a very safe swimming beach. Even Lara got the hang of the body board. We walked into town most days. Lara discovered the book shop and the kids discovered the bakery. We bought a number of tasty treats.



Man and his machine - Leaving Bargara Beach

When we were back in Mooloolaba, Hannah found herself a book of Australian birds. Since then, both her and the other kids have been identifying all the birds that they come accross. She was overjoyed when some campers near us at Bargara had a couple of parrots with them. 

A couple of friendly birds at Bargara Beach

 We left Bargara on Tuesday - After an icy-pole (with Nana's money - It still hasn't run out) and a quick shop (with our money - It's almost run out), we were on our way. We stopped in Bundaberg and filled up with gas and then we were away. The road to 1770 is not fabulous. It is quite bumpy, with a number of decent hills. We ended up getting here after dark. We didn't come here on our last trip and I had always wanted to have a look. It is a magnificent place. The caravan park occupies absolute beach front. It is on an inlet and so the water is very calm. The tide goes out a long way each day and the ground is quite muddy. The slimy ground does take a little getting used to. 

Gracie worked hard collecting sticks





Gracie has taken to making her own jewellery - just add sticky tape



The weather here so far has been superb. We swam yesterday and today. While the little kids weren't in for too long, Hannah and Charlie were in for ages. I lost the DONKEY skim ball challenge today. Charlie pipped me at the post which was quite humbling. A few technical errors and it was all over. I'm pretty confident I'll snatch the title back tomorrow.



Gracie trying out the diving kit she got from Leo for her birthday



We had a walk into town yesterday. 1770 doesn't have much in the way of a township. There are plenty of houses but the main shopping area is in Agnes Waters, which is about 5 or so km's away. We opted for the stroll along the beach to the local park.



Walking along the beach near the caravan park



Charlie and William having some time out - They were directed to resolve their differences



Yesterday (Wednesday), William decided that it was time that he tried out his new fishing rod. So we found a good little spot and I imparted all my fishing knowledge to the kids. That took roughly 17 seconds. After that, I was making it up as I went. Nobody was severely injured and we ended up brining home the rod in one piece. It did, however, require some untangling. While we didn't catch anything yesterday we did get a few nibbles. We had another go this morning off the sand. Within about 1 minute, Charlie had pulled in a little fish of some description. I took control of the situation. I removed the fish from the hook (eventually) and we tossed it back. We were all delighted to have actually caught our very first fish. Despite many subsequent nibbles we didn't land any more on the beach. Hannah did get dangerously close.



Dad is a very knowledgable fisherman - Full of handy instructions for the kids

 

William having his very first turn of the fishing rod he got for Christmas

 

William tries his luck - He got a few nibbles



Hannah almost landed one - It jumped off at the last moment



Gracie getting into the spirit



We went on rather a large walk this morning. We walked up the hill to the headland and saw where Captain Cook and Joseph Banks anchored in 1770. It was fascinating to see the monument and read some of the history. The kids did really well as the sun was hot and there were lots of hills. Following this outing it was home for a swim and a lazy afternoon.



The Captain Cook monument 



Morning tea overlooking Bustard Bay - The place where Captain Cook landed



The butterfly landed on Hannah on the headland walk



Later in the day today we fired up the fishing rod again. It was low tide and Charlie, Hannah and myself fished off a little rock near the caravan park. Again, a few nibbles, but nothing to show for it. Despite this, enthusiasm remained high and Charlie ended up fishing until after the sun went down. It was a beautiful day here and the sunsets for the last two nights have been amazing.

 

Charlie perfects his cast







Looking out to sea



Charlie & William fish together





Charlie the lone fisher boy remains on the beach



We are planning another couple of nights here before the rampant commercialism of the theme parks pull us in their direction. My suggestion of driving to Mackay instead was not met with the enthusiasm I had hoped for. I am hopelessly outnumbered. So the theme parks it is.