Holiday Mode: Activated!
We went to bed last night with bags (mostly) packed, clocks synchronised, alarms set and a plan to leave the house by 7am this morning. Sure enough, floorboards started creaking and showers started spraying sometime before sunrise and we emerged, some with less sleep under their belts than others, excited and ready to embark on our long-awaited escape from the city. Yeehah!
Ross excelled once again in packing the trailer, his tessellation skills second to none. It’s been a while since we’ve headed off on a road trip, a fact highlighted by Maisy referring to her backpack as “carry on luggage”. We had forgotten though, the freedom that comes with carting everything to your destination by car, so took advantage of every available inch of trailer space by cramming in every piece of sporting equipment and beach gear we have ever owned: soccer balls, tennis racquets, golf clubs, surfboards, snorkels, flippers, umbrellas, chairs, bikes…you name it. Try getting that in your average overhead locker.
Molly had a few social engagements to attend to today and is holidaying with friends after our trip so drove down separately a little later than the rest of the Jones crew, earning herself a little sleep-in.
The not-so-summery weather - overcast and cloudy with a chance of light showers and a top of only 19 degrees - made for good travelling conditions. (At least we weren’t wasting a good beach day and no-one was getting sunburnt through the car window). After a quick stop for bacon and egg rolls and our morning coffee fix, we were on our way.
Opting for the scenic route through the Royal National Park afforded us spectacular views of the coastline, a trip over the breath-taking Sea Cliff Bridge included. It’s definitely like being in a James Bond movie, just incredible to drive right out over the ocean like that. The low-hanging clouds we shrouding the top of Mt Keira with an eerie mist, hovering over us as we wound around the cliffs, the grey sky somehow making the green rolling hills even greener. We stopped at Austinmer, just before Wollongong, to admire the view and attend to nature’s calls and then motored down through Nowra and onto beautiful Jervis Bay, Our very generous friends, Stu and Deanne, have allowed us to stay a couple of days at their salubrious holiday house in Vincentia. Stu gave us explicit instructions to go to a certain address to pick up the keys but there was a slight hitch in the plan. When we arrived to pick them up, they realised that the person who Stu had entrusted with the keys, had accidentally locked them in her filing cabinet and gone away on holidays. Uh oh.
We left the matter in their capable hands and went and had a lovely slap-up lunch at the “Husky RSL”, overlooking the pretty bay. By the time we finished lunch, a spare key had been procured and the crisis was averted. The house is absolutely gorgeous and it was a mad dash through the front door as the kids tripped over one another to snag the best rooms for themselves. Toby emerged the victor, with a room the size of a small football field, complete with the hugest ensuite you’ve ever seen and the bonus of a luxurious spa bath. Once he saw the calibre of his accommodation, he did graciously offer to swap with us but we were happy for him to enjoy his spoils.
The afternoon was spent playing some pool and table tennis (this house is more resort than house!) -Rossco bringing his tennis skills to the table (literally), wiping the floor with us all = followed by some fun games of Uno, where there was a more even playing field. The competition was hot, not only with who could slap down a +4 or change the colour on a whim, but also over how you actually pronounce the name of the game. Ross and I have always called it “Yoo-Noh” but the kids inform us we are wrong and it’s obviously pronounced: “Ooo-Noh” , because after all, “that’s how you say it in Italian”. Derr. The debate rages on.
While waiting for Miss Molly to arrive, the rest of us had a quick bushwalk, taking in the beauty of Jervis Bay’s exquisitely beautiful beaches. It was sprinkling slightly but even the grey clouds couldn’t detract from the stunning clear green of the ocean, as we sashayed along the sand, said to be the whitest in, not only Australia, but the WORLD! In fact, it’s more like talcum powder than sand.
Once Molly arrived, we hit the Husky pub for dinner, along with 95% *of the locals (*actual figure) who came out in force to enjoy the delicious pub fare, before dancing amongst the tables as the lights went down, the music started pumping and the beer garden turned into a fully-fledged night club.
It’s so nice to be away!
