Quick getaway.

It dawned on me in the middle of last week that a Church camp had unexpectedly crept up on us!  So we threw some bedding and bits and bobs in the old caravan for a quick get away with friends.  We are getting pretty good at getting away now, though I have come to the firm conclusion I do prefer bush camping rather then being cooped up in a caravan park.  Its what I grew up doing and whilst a caravan park is convenient.....It does lack the soul of being out in the bush, surrounded by nature without another person in sight.   

We stayed at a small caravan park in Port Pirie and spent a couple of days exploring the Southern Flinders Rangers.  The scenery was truly spectacular and we spent most of our free time bush walking and 4WDing, making the most of exploring all the local landscape had to offer.     

Aggie had a blast exploring with us, scrabbling up rocks hot on the scent of all kinds of wildlife.  She was rather dismayed to be on a leash the whole time I think!  

 I love that camping invites slowing down and playing games. 

This fellow is ultra competitive.  He lost this game.  Hence the photo....bahahahah!

Much love, 

Emma

xx

A quick camping trip.

We had a quick camping trip togeather over the weekend.  Checking out free camp sites.  This one was lovely, and importantly not a long drive away seeing as we were only nipping away for a weekend.  At a place called White Cliffs.  Beautiful river, lovely bushy area.  We recently decided to commit to go camping one weekend a month, with the challange to do it as cheaply as possible, and as easily! 

Our set up might not be fancy, but it does us just fine!  We didn't bother setting up the annex, it was a short trip and we were not expecting rain. 

The old Franklin, hitched up.

Our campsite - a little muddy!  But very pretty.

Getting in some studying in.  And a vintage van simply MUST have bunting - yes?

Our big comfy bed, Henry often joins us.  ;)

The river, a beautiful crisp morning.

The boys exploring the bush.

This wee girl came home three shades browner from all the mud - she had a blast!

Here Aggie is trying to look dignified - dont be fooled.....She is anything but!

Ronnie had a good time too - he loved exploring with the boys.

The boys had the most wonderful embankment to slide down - though I will be soaking their socks for a week!  So. Much. Mud.  Mud - glorious mud!

Henry doing his tricks! 

There are planty of ways to explore cheap/free camping.  Looking at your states national parks is one, going to an powered or unpowered site of a smaller, simpler country caravan park is another.  We have paid as little at $45/night for a powered site before in the off peak season, and had a lovely time.  There is something so beautiful and invigorating about the beach in winter! 

There are also RV friendly towns.  HERE is a website to explore. 

A camping set up does not need to be expensive.  Ours has been built up over a couple of years.  The van itself was $1000, and came with a working duel power fridge and oven.  It was in a real state mind you.  But then we spent another $1000 fixing it up, over a period of 6 months or so, buying things we needed as we went along.  The little air con was second hand and works very well, the lino the end of a roll and out for clearance.  The timber for the benches was old timber we slavaged from somewhere for free.  The dining table is new plywood, cut around the old table shape and the old leg attached.  Many things can be bought second hand over gumtree, the boys tent was.  It was brand new with tags on for a fraction of the price it would have been to buy it new.  It just takes a bit of patience and searching to find what you want.

You can spend a huge amount buying a van and setting it up - but the thing is you don't HAVE too.  A bit of elbow greese, patience and thrift can do you well.  Then you get to spend the money actually going on trips and enjoying your time off.  I reckon avoid camping shows - they make camping look far more complex then it needs to be.  It makes them plenty of $$$.  ;)

Alternatively, you can camp with tents and keep it simple.  Though I know people who have spent as much as we have on our van, by the time they have put togeather their camping set ups, and it takes them a whole lot longer to set up and unpack their camp.  It depends on your season of life, your energy, your budget, and what you want to get out of it.  It can be done on any budget, I do believe. 

Also camping things make for wonderful, practical birthday/christmas pressie ideas.  The boys swags have been joint gifts from Grandparents, same as torches, chairs etc.  Corckery/pots/pans can easily be op-shopped.   

By keeping things ready to go in the old van, or otherwise in big plastic tubs, it makes camping a quick and easy option.  We can be out of the house and hitched up within 2 hours if we try hard from the time we start packing.  For us it's about keeping it simple.  By keeping the van stocked with it's own bedding, it means we are not in to rush to wash it all when we get back.  An extra load a day until it's gone is all it takes.  Then it all goes back into the van clean and waiting for the next trip.   
It takes a few trips to get a pattern and routine down pat - but once you have there will be no looking back I promise.  Paying for nice accomodation is simply not in our budget - but it is important for our family to get away and spend time in nature.  In a time where modern lives are often dominated by technology, to be free of it, to sit around a campfire and talk, I mean really talk.  It's a beautiful and powerful thing. 

Much love,
Emma
xx

A weekend away!

Our sweet William turned 8 on the weekend - can you believe it?!  A whole 8 years this little man has blessed our lives! 

We went camping so I thought I would share some photos.  Here is the old van we renovated - you can see clear pictures of its inside HERE (the old van reno's)

This caravan has allowed us to have cheap, quick local weekends away.  We pack all our own food (with a few holiday treats!) and a quick BBQ for dinner with fresh bread and salad, the ability to pack lunch, drinks and snacks also is fantastic. 

Setting up Williams birthday pressie - very special bought off Gumtree for an amazing bargain of $275 and with the aid of grandparents as a joint present. 

 Henry has found his spot!

 William setting up his tent.

 The beautiful jetty just a short stoll form our campsite.

 Where is Henry's legs?!

 Coloring in a quiet moment.

 This sweet babe, melts my heart.  Each night as I went to bed, my heart was full from the time we all spent together.

 beep beep!  At the adventure park!

 Check out that concentration!

 WEEEEEEE!!!!

 Little boys won!

 Paddling on the lake.

 Finding natures treasures.

 RUNNING FREE!!

 More treasures!

 Exploring the shallows - it never grows old does it?

And the happiest of birthdays to my darling William, the child that made me a Mother, together we fumbled through those early days, clinging to each other, relying on each other while I found my feet in this thing they call motherhood.  I am still learning every day, still exploring and somehow even more in love with him today as I was the day he was born.  A kind of fierce love I didn't know possible until this babe was laid in my arms. <3

Much love,
Emma
xx

Our old van!

A few months back we went on a random road trip and bought a beat up old Franklin caravan.  Im sure I blogged about it but I cant seem to find it now!  She was $1000, rough and needing a whole lot of TLC.  Most things my husband buys tends to buy do so I have gotten used to his crazy hair brained plans and find life is much more interesting if I go along with them.  

So after many hours of repair work, rebuilding, painting and welding she is ready enough to use.  There is more work to be done, small jobs really but the bulk of it is complete.  We painted her green and white to keep it bright, airy and fun, the laminate cupboards were chipped and damaged so it really needed it.  Grant built the bed frame which is a full queen and it has hydrolic hinges so the storage under it is easilt accessible.  There is heaps of room under the bed.  Its where all the camping gear like tarps, BBQ, chairs, outdoor table and so forth fits.  I also have a clothes horse/pegs etc so the van is fully set up ready to be packed at a whim.  I whipped up some curtains from some rubber backed curtain fabric I found at $7.0/m which toned in nicely.

Here is Grant working away.  He spent many late nights out in the cold.  

The queen sized bed, which has space around the sides and hydrolic hinges to help it lift with ease.  We will pop a bit of storage in and there is also a gap for Henry to have a little mattress that links up to ours. 

Busy sewing curtains - I got off lightly in this project!

A family member had a little old aircon we installed for free which is excellent for powered sites and also my parents were getting rid of an old queen mattress we grabbed for it.  We just bought bits and peices as we could every week and eventually it all got done!  We estimated we spent a total of about $2500 on it and it wont take many weekends away to get our value out of her!

old reclaimed timber tops for the benches.  One side lifts up and it houses a little grill and electric stove top. 

The dining area with the origional cushions.  Grant build a new table out of ply and when it drops down it makes a bed the size of a king single so both the bigger boys fit with ease. 

The old stove and grill was in good nick, she just needed a bit of a scrub and she is as good as new! 

I plan on having everything in her ready to go.  Fresh, clean linen in big plastic tubs washed and put away after every trip, all the bits and bobs so all we have to do is grab some clothes, some food and we are ready to go!  We look forward to many weekend adventures exploring our local parks and forests with the boys. 

We did our first little trip away on the weekend.  It was a great little trip.  We took it gently and stayed in a caravan park by the river.  I even got an en-suite site, which was a luxury but totally worth it!  It made for a gentle introduction into camping and caravaning.  When we were younger Grant and I used to lots of rough and ready bush walking trips and camping but since we have had children we have gone for long weekends away in simple holiday houses for the ease.  Frankly we have been too tired to manage much else!  But as the boys grow older life gets easier and we are ready to explore these options. 

Goodness the time away did both Grant and I some good.  I cant say it was a relaxing trip, nor did I get much rest but despite that I have come back energized and ready to face the world again! 

xx