Jan 7th – Merimbula to Sydney – or Why You Should Never Move Motorhome in 40° Heat

So buoyed by that resounding endorsement, we set off the next day for our longest stint – just under 500km to Parklea, one of Sydney’s North West suburbs. Left ridiculously early about 6.30am and made good progress north.

The journey north was through some of the most beautiful countryside we have ever seen – green rolling hills, blue mountains, flowers, pretty little towns... Would definitely recommend anywhere between Merimbula and Kiama for a holiday.

Had read that Hyams Beach near Jervis Bay supposedly holds the record for the whitest sand anywhere in the world, so obviously we had to go there.

Jervis Bay looked really stunning too and these pics show the kids on Hyams Beach (or very nearby – it’s hard to be sure we were on the right one...) so you can judge the colour of sand for yourself...

Great rock pools and stunning shells all over the beach, and we would have loved to stay longer if it were not for the fact that we had arranged to swap the van overat the Sydney Kea depot.

Needless to say, trying to keep to any deadline with four sandy, cranky, tired and hot children was never going to be easy and by the time we got to Sydney, it was 4.40 and in theory we only had 20 minutes before the depot closed – so we lugged stuff from one van to the other, yes, really in 40° heat. It was one of the most unpleasant things I have ever done, and I have to say the depot staff were pretty shocking - reminded us we had to do the transfer quickly, and then did nothing to help...

Anyway, we finally got to our campsite about 7pm, and discovered two things – (1) the DVD player did not work and (2) I had left ALL of my clothing (all, really all – had a pair of pyjamas and a swimsuit to my name) in the other van. Swore. A lot. Probably in front of the children. Considered returning to Geelong again, though quickly dismissed this due to lack of suitable travelling attire...

So, again felt better after a good night’s sleep, phoned the depot and arranged to have the stuff sent over in a cab, along with a portable DVD player. Won’t tell you how much that little moment of absent mindedness cost, but it was a lot...

Had a quiet day investigating the park – a bit of a hidden gem really, with its weird suburban location, but a busy place too with loads of other hired motorhomes in the middle of North/South drives.

Kids loved the two aviaries in the park, and the pool with the Jacuzzi in the middle, and I loved how spotless it all was – and the cracking sunsets!

Went by train in to Sydney on Friday 9^th and met up with Peta whom we met in 2001 when her husband Pete was doing a fellowship in Edinburgh – these are her two children making silly faces with our three...

Took the obligatory pictures of the bridge and

opera house – last time we were in Sydney as a family, James was three months old... so needless to say, our agenda this time was a little different – a little less parent-centred, shall we say...

So we had a long trek across town to the Powerhouse Museum to see the Star Wars Exhibition – it was a really good exhibition which we all really enjoyed – James did actually insist on being photographed with every single costume on display, but I won’t show you them all here...

Left there, went on a round-Sydney tour on the Monorail, then found a Wagamama’s (probably Nick’s and my favourite restaurant ever and 4 blonde children again a great source of interest for the oriental wait staff) ) on the way to get a train home.... which we eventually did and finally made it home about 9pm.

On the subject of blonde children, it seems there may be an aberrant gene somewhere in our collective ancestry as Phoebe is showing signs of... well, a slight... strawberry tinge to her hair. This has been suggested to me before, and I have dismissed it, but the longer her hair gets, the more I am confronted with the incontrovertible truth – Phoebe’s a ginger.

Now let me make it clear that we know lots of people with red hair and red haired children (you know who you are), and we even like some of them; it’s just that on previous form, we weren’t expecting one of our own... So Nick and I are now playing Hunt The Ginger Gene in our family histories but so far haven’t come up with much – though I’m wondering if my maternal grandfather was maybe a bit reddy blonde – I’d ask my mother, but have no internet access here and am not phoning Scotland on and Aus mobile. Maw – comment please?

Went on Saturday 10^th for lunch with Jill who used to share a flat with me and Nick in Edinburgh in 1993 – haven’t seen her since then, so much reminiscing was done. Kids seemed to decide that a house with no children needed some serious ‘noising up’ and did so with gusto – so we didn’t subject Jill and her husband to our holy terrors for too long – Back to the caravan park for a swim, pack –up and early night in preparation for the next stage of our trip...