4 Stray Katz: A wet and wild birthday in Tathra

Tathra, NSW

Tuesday 5th April - Friday 8th April

Emilia had one request for her birthday - to be on the coast so she could swim in the ocean. As the weather was predicted to be very poor we let her choose a place and caravan park she thought looked good, as we were pretty sure she wouldn't get a swim in the ocean on her birthday. We were right, but thankfully she got to swim, and boogie board, in the beach at Tathra the day before her birthday.

It was a lovely afternoon when we arrived. We got the boogie boards out so the kids could make the most of the little waves. Daniel and I had a swim as well, before the stormy weather clouded the sky and turned the air cool.

On Emilia's birthday (after presents at 6.30am!!) we managed a walk/run/bike ride along the beach before the rain started pelting down. It rained all day, and not just a drizzle. It was that sideways rain that drenches everything!

To ensure she still had a good day we decided to take her out shopping for the day to spend her birthday money (which had the added bonus of keeping us inside and dry). We stopped in Merimbula first for cake and coffee, then we went to Eden for lunch (an exceptional pub lunch) and a spot of shopping. She managed to spend all her birthday money and vouchers and she left Eden a happy girl.

When we got back Daniel took the kids for a swim in the heated pool at the caravan park - so Emilia still got to swim on her birthday, just not in the ocean.

That night we cooked burgers with 'the lot' for dinner (her request) and a chocolate cake. Thankfully there was a large camp kitchen at the caravan park as it was STILL raining. Then we tried out one of her presents, a kareoke microphone. We had a ball!

We decided to stay the next day as the weather was predicted to be terrible again and we weren't sure where to go (and we also wanted to stay off the roads and there was apparently lots of debris and road closures due to flooding). Luckily enough the storms seemed to skirt around Tathra and we had a cloudy, but reasonalby dry, day. The kids did LOTS of activity as they had both just bought Garmin watches so were competing to get the most steps and activity for the day. We took them on a bike ride (and found a very muddy mountain bike track), walking on the beach, to an adventure playground, swimming in the pool and go-karting. They were suitably exhausted by the end of the day.

On Friday we packed up in the rain and left Tathra unsure of where we were heading, but praying for a reprieve in the weather.

Taking advantage of a break in the weather to catch a few waves

The waves were small but the kids were so excited to use their boogie boards for the first time on the trip.

"Use them or lose them!' - Daniel set them an ultimatum as he didn't want to cart their roller skates and roller blades all around Australia without them getting regular use.

Birthday morning - among other things she got a pair of flippers........

......a kareoke microphone........

.... and a book about inspiring women.

Some of her gifts (including what she's wearing). She got a lot of her birthday presents before we left so it's been a neverending birthday this year!