4 Stray Katz: Hanging with my Bro (aka Daaamo)

We arrived in Kalbarri a few days early to prepare for the arrival of Mel and Damo. They got up to Kalbarri from Perth in 6.5 hours with the help of copious bags of lollies. We managed to set up their roof top tent then all had a good laugh at their camp chairs (tiny folding stools) and camp table (that was 10cm high). The kids played the shy card for a while but Damo and Mel won them over with the gifts Mum had sent (so many gifts that poor Damo couldn't even fit in his sleeping bag!). From then on Mel and Unca Daaamo (as Jackson called him) became the kids besties and poor Damo couldn't sit down without one, or both, of the kids trying to tackle him or drag him across to the jumping pillow.

Unfortunately the weather wasn't as great as it could have been, with a few windy days, but we still managed some swimming and Mel got her fill of sunbaking.

The highlights from their stay with us included:

-Taking their Wicked car 4wding on the sand to Lucky Bay. They felt like the car was actually touching the sand and it was making some interesting noises. We spent a few hours there exploring the rockpools and spotting crabs while Daniel went spear fishing for dinner. On the way back we all did a rescue of a car and trailer that was slowly bogging into the wet sand as the tide came in. The owner had got stuck when his JetSki got a cray pot rope caught in it, so he was stuck trying to swim his JetSki in while he watched his car and trailer getting covered in salt water.

- Daniel getting several lobster and Mel trying lobster for the first time.

- Watching the sunset from the Red Bluff lookout.

- Flying kites at the footy oval and watching Jackson run as fast as possible trying to keep his kite up.

- Exploring several beaches and having a huge pelican sneak up on us while we were having a snack. Mel took the kids to have a closer look and the pelican spread its enormous wings and started running towards them. The squeals and facial expressions were priceless but unfortunately I didn't have my camera out quick enough.

- Eating fresh fish several nights in a row (thanks to Daniels spear fishing). Damo wanted to go out but he couldn't get a snorkelling mask over his Ned Kelly beard!

- Walking down to Mushroom Rock on the cliffs of Kalbarri National Park and watching tremendous waves crash against the rocks whilst the sun set.

- The funniest incident of their visit happened when we took the kids to pelican feeding on the foreshore. Volunteers feed them every day so they know to come at a particular time, however the seagulls also know to some. Anyway after the lady fed each one she got all the kids up to have a go. Both kids threw their fish to the same pushy pelican who was getting a huge feed. After all the kids had a go she asked if anyone else would like a turn and we all persuaded (forced) Mel to have a go. As she raised the fish to throw it to some of the pelicans at the back of the group several seagulls came in on the attack. Poor Mel was flailing her arms around trying to shoo the persistent birds away but she still had the fish in her hand so they they kept swooping near her hand. After the lady and several other people helped shoo them away Mel finally got to feed the pelicans! We were all in hysterics and thankfully Mel was a good sport about it. I had the camera on sports mode and so got the whole incident, including her loving boyfriend Damo laughing his head off whilst filming her on his phone!

Mel and Damo also did one of the hikes in the National Park and then we all spent a bit of time chilling at the caravan park which had a great playground, jumping pillow and pool. It was great to have them visit and the kids thoroughly enjoyed their company. Unfortunately it poured rain the night before they left and they had to pack up in the rain but at least they had a night in a nice hotel in Perth before heading back to Melbourne to show off their newly acquired tan lines!

After they left we spent some time with a couple of families we met. There were 8 kids in total and they all had a great time in the playground and at the beaches we went to together. We kept extending our stay in Kalbarri as the wind was bearable in the sheltered caravan park and we were reticent to move down the coast any further and be stuck in more wind. However after 2 weeks we finally decided it was time to go and we headed south to Geraldton.