One Mile Beach and Summer Fun

Oh goodness, so much has happened since I last posted! I'll stick to highlights which included a lovely beach holiday with gorgeous friends, and then launching back into school and pre-school and everything else the last few weeks!

First things first, the holidays. Well it was a pretty soggy summer here in Sydney, but thankfully the week we went away with friends to One Mile Beach, despite of forecasts for a week of rain, was pretty fine. Not to roasty hot which was great, and only about a day of rain with more at nights which was just perfect for us. Lots of boogie boarding, playing in the spa, bike riding and eating! I panicked the week before we went away and made a whole load of plaster animals (3D - the cutest things you ever saw) and packed them up with paints to amuse the kids. We did use them, but not because it was raining - just for fun. And everyone, from an 11 year old boy down to 4 year old Maddie loved them! I think Lucy would have too if she could get her little hands on them.

I had a little dream come true while we were away - riding bikes with all my girls - no training wheels in sight (yes Lucy goes on the back of my bike!). Just gorgeous, and Madeline, our most recent graduate to 2 wheels was VERY happy with herself.

I was even lucky enough to be able to go quad-biking with Brendo, Steve and Josh. It rained the whole time, but it was unreal! The sanddunes at Stockton Beach are just unbelievable - and we all want to go back for more. Josh (who's 11) was the biggest daredevil of the lot of us!

Tormenting a poor koala who decided to sit very low down in this gum tree!

Chillaxing in the spa

Riding to the beach 

Quadbiking at Stockton Beach

We opted for full blockout protection with zinc - that wouldn't come off. I think the girls started school with remnants of pink and blue in their eyebrows!

The lure of the beach in the evening

The rest of the holidays passed all to quickly - but we did squeeze in a little trip to the mountains to see the Noakes before they went back to Adelaide. We even managed a bushwalk with all 7 children!

We had a few other fun outings in the holidays, including a fun trip into town on a ferry (called "Friendship" - reminding us of Justine Clark's song...). We went to the Opera House where they had free activities for the kids including hearing stories read and made up by authors, and making bugs and flowers to contribute to the display in the foyer.

Special bike ride and park outing with Maddie.