A birthday with the Giants.

We had bad weather for two days in Walpole so thankfully the wonderful caravan park loaned DVDs and they had a fabulous rec room so we could keep the kids entertained. When the weather permitted we ventured to Mandalay Beach, did the Swarbrick Forest Art Trail (although we actually did this in the pouring rain) and explored the picturesque Coalmine Beach which the caravan park was adjacent to. We found a fabulously steep,but very quiet, road to the sailing club (no-one was sailing in the cold, wet and windy weather) and the kids let off some steam careening down the hill then zooming around the roundabout at the bottom. I spent the whole time in a ball of anxiety waiting for one of them to stack in the gravel but thankfully no injuries occurred.

Understory Art Trail - they closely examined these 'forest dweller' sculptures.

Sunset over CoalMine Bay, Walpole - just in front of our caravan park.

I had a fabulous birthday doing the tree top walk through the Valley of the Giants, near Walpole. The 'Giants' are huge Tingle Trees that grow to 75m in height and 24m around the base and are up to 400 years old. Many are also hollowed out at the bottom from fungal growth and fire so they are like little hideaways. The Giant Tingle Tree (which we did not get to see as the road was closed from the bad weather- we will go back with Dave and Bec) can fit 100+ people inside the base! We all loved climbing inside them. It would be really cool to camp in one but most of them are now protected as they have very shallow root systems so walking near them degrades the roots and they die. Before the tree top walk I was woken to a lovely singsong of Happy Birthday from my kiddies then Daniel cooked a delicious breakfast. Daniel also surprised me with a handbag I had coveted at the Fremantle Markets, he very sneakily purchased it and managed to hide it away for a month! 

In the afternoon we went to Mt Frankland. We had tried to take a short cut and got within a kilometre of the turnoff when we encountered a road closed sign. Daniel decided he was going to try and get through but after several more road closed signs we understood why it was closed. The river that used to able to be crossed had been washed out and the banks were very soft, deep mud. Totally impassable. With much frustration we headed 20 min back to the point we decided to take the short cut! Thankfully Jackson was asleep so our extended journey (40min extra) wasn't complemented by screaming and whinging!

Mt Frankland involved a climb up a very steep path then 300 steps up to the top of the rocky mountain for some spectacular views. Jackson decided he desperately needed a wee though I suspect he just wanted to see how far down the mountain he could wee (typical boy!).

The day ended with a cheese platter and pork roast back at camp. I was subjected to another bird attack by a cheeky and very bold kookaburra. 5 kookaburras surrounded us as we ate and we couldn't watch all of them. One dived towards me, hit my wine glass, spilt my red wine and smashed the glass! 

Doing the tree top walk (notice my new handbag!)

On top of the world.

Racing down the wobbling walkway.

We were very high up

Playing among the trees.

Grandma Tingle - a huge old Tingle tree

Inside a Tinge Tree

It is incredible some of them are still standing considering how tall they are and how little base they have.

The closed road on the way to Mt Frankland - the short cut was not so short after all!

Steep steps to the top of Mt Frankland.

Using the compass on top of the rocky mountain.

He was very proud of the waterfall he made down the mountain!

Kangaroos in our campsite.

The kookaburra that attacked me, spilt my delicious Cab Sav and broke my wine glass!

My birthday cheesecake - thanks Daniel xx

My gorgeous handmade leather handbag - what a surprise Daniel - I love it   xxx

Funny story from Walpole. We had a few kangaroos in the park (as it was very quiet due to school hols ending and the wet weather). Anyway one afternoon Daniel took the kids for a walk and decided to use a grass tree flower (the metre+ long stick like flowers) that the kids had collected to emulate a kangaroo tail. He put it in his belt and hopped along for the whole walk. The kids were in stitches when they arrived back but that is not the funny bit. While we were packing up the next day Daniel got talking to a couple from overseas (Canada/Sweden) at the playground. He left to help me pack up and he saw Milly talking to the lady. We were pleased as she is often very shy around other adults. Anyway later Daniel asked her what they had been talking about. Emilia said 'I was just telling the lady how you put a stick up your bum and hopped around like a kangaroo'. Daniel was mortified but we had already left so he couldn't even explain the stick was definitely not 'up his bum'! 
The other exciting occurance at Walpole was the loss of Emilia's first tooth. She actually lost it on the top of the Tree Top Walk (40m up) but thankfully I was able to keep it safe. She did some craft for the tooth fairy and was rewarded with a visit from the tooth fairy that night. There was much excitement in the van the next morning. I can't quite believe she has lost one so early and I am thinking about all the 'gummy' travelling shots of her I will now have!

Emilia's toothless grin after her tooth came out on the top of the Tree Top Walk.

The tooth fairy found out campervan and left Emilia a little note, $2 and lots of 'fairy dust', much to Daniel's disapproval!