Camping Trip to WRS - Day 3 - Tuesday 22 January

Another night of no sleep - if I don't get sleep tonight when we are back home I will be murdering someone!
Again the horse came rumaging - this time we were ready and had put all things edible away in the eskies. Ha!
At one point we were invaded by two cattle dogs who came tearing along the field. We tried to scramble to pick Bella up but the dogs were all too quick for us. Mindy went off to hide but Bella faced up to the two big dogs and they were soon having a great game of chasies round the camp site. The cattle dogs were called Bob and Cindy so when we called Bella, Bob would come running up and when we called Mindy, Cindy would come too!
This morning the mist and rain was cleared and, although cool, sunny. After breakfast the children got into their swimming gear, lathered themselves in sunscreen and got in the water. But none of them lasted very long, even the youngest three - despite the sunshine the water was colder, or felt it.
The Laurences and Colquhouns were all leaving for home today - Holly has work tomorrow and we are expecting Jamie back from Japan - so we spent the late morning pottering about taking the tents down and packing the cars up again. Mindy tried to stow away, spending most of the morning in our car.
Our tent is the one Ian and I bought for going on holiday in Queensland my first Christmas here (20 years ago) and has definitely seen better days. The ease with which the new tents go up and down, and the much lighter weights has me convinced we need to get a new one. Ian is convinced he'll be able to sell it on EBay. I am to be convinced we could even GIVE it away!
Just before going I dosed Ben, Bella and myself up with travel sickness pills. Bella spent most of the time on the dirt track out leaning out of the window and was quite happy with her nose in the wind. Ben fell asleep. In short we all got home without chucking so I was quite happy.

Camping Trip to WRS - Day 2 - Monday 21 January

I had an awful night. The airbed Ian and I were sharing started out OK, but deflated as the night went on. I woke at whatever time it was, dark, with my hips touching the ground and needing a wee but not wanting to go outside by myself. There were lots of noises in the dark, including the sound of things entering the water - crocs maybe? I certainly didn't want to go to the camp ground toilets which were nothing short of revolting. I woke Ian up and did a "picnic wee" while he stood guard with Bella and the torch.
The day really started though with the horse rumaging through our kitchen. By the time Sharon shooed it off it had eaten all the fruit in the fruitbowl and had a go at the couscous box! There was horsey-appley slobber all over the kitchen table and the chairs.
We got up to a cloudy day that didn't get any better. It rained on and off all day. Despite that the kids all had a swim. Ben, Georgia and Ishbel, especially had a good day. Apart from a walk we all went on (except Ian who had hurt his back) they spent almost all day on the water. When we weren't pottering about taking walks, we collected wood for the fire or sat around eating and nursing the fire.
There wasn't much wood to be had. We collected all we could everytime we went for a walk and Steven took the trailer back up the track towards Mittagong and got a little bit. On one of our walks we launched a commando raid on one of the camp fires on the other side of the river - complete with commando face paint (will post picture later).

Camping Trip to Wollondilly River Station - Day 1 - Sunday 20 January

Today we went to Wollondilly River Station (WRS) between Mittagong and the Wombeyan Caves on a camping trip with the Addisons (Steven, Janet, Kate and Georgia), the Laurences (Sharon and Holly), Ian, Robbie, Ishbel, Heidi and Ben.
We were up early (relatively anyway; this holidays the children have turned into vampires, going to bed late and rising late also) and starting to pack. We borrowed a trailer from our neighbour, Bev, and loaded up tent, tables, chairs, clothing, food, etc.
At around 10am Karen came over with Ben and had a cuppa with me while Ian did fiddly things to the car and trailer like check tyre pressure. At 11ish we headed over to rendez-vous at Steven and Janet's but it was about 11:30-11:45 before we got on the road.
WRS allows pets to camp too so, while Karen was organised to come and feed the cat, we were able to take Bella with us. I wasn't very confident about how well she would travel, she winges the whole 1 1/2 km from Springwood home and I wasn't disappointed - she must've vomited about 10 times between home and WRS.
Ben also has a history of travel sickness, especially on bumpy, winding dirt tracks such as could be expected between Mittagong and WRS. When we stopped at Mittagong for lunch I got some travel sickness tablets and made him take one, by then Bella had chucked six times and I really wouldn't have coped with anyone else chucking up in the car. I gave Bella 1/4 tablet too but it didn't seem to make much difference.
Camping with the Addisons is quite an experience! We had a HUGE tarpaulin kitchen/dining area complete with kitchen sink and massive chest esky. We had 6 tents between us - Robbie is in his new cocoon tent (gives me claustrophobia just to look at), Kate and Holly are sharing, Sharon has her own tent as does Ben, Ian, Ish and I are in our big tent and Janet, Steven and Georgia are in their tent.
Now it is dark. We have a flashing collar on the Addison's dog, Mindy, a lovely fire going, citronella torches going and we are just waiting for Sharon to have her shower before we tuck in to marshmallows. Steven is distributing sparklers to the children.
But before that, during the HOURS it took us to set all this gear and tents up - someone likened it to playing cubby houses, quite aptly I think - the kids got themselves organised for a swim in the river. It is flowing well after the rains and is a smooth, 20m approx. band of brown.
There is a horse that wanders about the paddock we are camped in, much to Ishbel's delight, although she is worried it is too skinny. Bella and Mindy are able to roam freely - an absolute delight for our Bella who is usually either confined within the house or in a small pound in the garden. Mindy on the other hand isn't the back-to-nature type and has spent the afternoon firstly in the Addison's boot, then in Sharon's driver's seat and finally in the back of our station wagon!
A couple of ducks have also visited us this evening - almost had roast duck for dinner.

Camping Trip to Wollondilly River Station

Tomorrow we are going camping with Janet, Steven, Kate and Georgia Addison and Sharon and Holly Laurence. We are going to a spot that Janet and Steven have been to frequently, Wollondilly River Station http://www.wollondillyriverstation.com/ .
It has been chucking rain down for several days here so there was much debate this morning about whether to go or not, but the website, and Janet and Steven, assure us that the weather will be much drier at WRS than here so we are biting the bullet and all going. We are also taking Ben with us. We can also take Bella so we just needed to worry about Abi Cat but Karen will check in on her for the couple of days we will be away.