8 go Bush!

For the past four years its been a yearly excursion our trip to the bush...one that takes a great deal of prep, list-making, baking, cooking, shopping, and packing.  Every January we pack up the car (or in our case two) and head off into the back and beyond to a place called Clements Clearing.  It is truly isolated - no cell phone coverage (unless you hike up the hill, stand in a particular spot and hold out your phone until you get a bar or two), no power, no running water and a long drop for a toilet.

 

Not sure why, but it seems as though we are always the ones with the messiest campsite.

 

 

Its summer time here but here it still gets F_R_E_E_Z_I_N_G over night.  We are talking thermal underwear, woollen hats, winter pjs, thick socks and that's just to sleep in.  This year we had the added challenge of taking along our newest addition to our family, seven week old Jesse!   Finding winter clothes for him proved to be a bit of a mission in the middle of summer but we got there in the end thanks to my find of woollen jerseys in the local op-shop.  Once asleep though he just got to snuggle in bed next to me!

There is three families that make this annual trip now. Jamie's brother and his family and Jamie's Mum and a brother and a sister. That's 16 in all. So we take up a bit of space.

 

 

 

There is not much to do here but that is the beauty of the place.  Just peace (well until we turned up) and tranquility.  A place to connect with each other, a place where the kids can de-tox from all technology and get their fill of nature and all its glory.

It looks a little boring at first, very bland and dull but if you look closely the bush holds a rainbow of delicate colours.

 

 

Thanks Uncle Mike for hitching up this awesome swing in the trees. It provided tons of entertainment.

 

Camping with babies presents itself with a number of challenges, bathing being one of them.

But camping with little people cannot possibly happen without the 'having-a-bath-in-a-bucket' photo!

He doesn't look very impressed by it does he?

 

We are very blessed to be a family of 'game players'.  The bush provides numerous hiding spots and great opportunities for games like 'hide-and-seek'  and family games of 'capture the flag'. I really don't know what the people camping near us thought with 15 people (Grandma included) commando crawling, stalking, sneaking, hiding, pretend shooting, yahoo-ing and running through the bush - all after the elusive 'flag'. 

 I am thinking they either thought we were all nuts or they desperately wanted to join in.  I'll go with the latter.

 

Summer Fun!

 

Thomas's hiding spot, camo gear is a must!

Check out the grin on this wee girl!  Its the anticipation of roasted Marshmallow I think!

 

 

One of our newest traditions is having dessert camping style! 

Beautifully cooked Apple Pie served with Dairy Whipped Cream!

DIVINE!!!

 

Jamie took us all on a bush walk, he told me that it was ten/twenty mins on a 'yah-wide' track.  Well I just have to say that it was hardly a track!  Over and under giant  fallen logs we went.

Jesse and I did very well I thought!

 

Just to be clear this was not the track but the road to get to the track!

 

Now does this look like a track to you!

 

 In saying all that the walk itself was heaps of fun and very energising.  It was so nice to be out in the clean fresh air!  I loved it.  I did however palm Jesse off to Jamie to wear on the way out.

This is what we walked to, an old forgotten log splitter huts from years ago - 35 years at least!

Since it was a bit of a hike in we were wondering if Jesse was the youngest person ever to have visited the old hut?  Maybe.

 

 

To mark the occasion of our holiday and a new addition to the Budd family, we took this photo!

We have a Budd children photo from the time when there was only three of them!

I love this photo!

Standing Row: Casey 11, Tahlia 10, Jayden 9,
Sitting/Crouching Row: Amber 12, Jesse 7wks, Thomas 7. Sophie 3, Kaysha 15 and Kaitlyn 5
 

 

Holidays are all about fun, rest, family and memory-making.  They are all about getting out there and doing it and being together!

Bring on next year!