Shoal Bay and South West Rocks

Shoal Bay is officially the most beautiful place we have stayed. We only had 2 days there and would have been very happy to have had a week or two. The caravan park was a council owned one without many 'bells and whistles' but it was across the road from the most fantastic beach - all aquamarine and turquoise colours with the striking feature of the heads in the background. I'm clearly no poet so look at the pictures and see what I mean. We got the surf mat out at one of the other beaches and I must have looked a complete sight daringly catching those 1/2 metre waves the 50 m to shore. Isabella woudn't have a bar of it, not being keen on the surf, so I had to make sure she was nearby so that it was clear that while I was sad enough to be using an inflatable surf mat that at least it was my child's.

South West Rocks is also spectacular, managing to combine a village feeling with an amazing headland and little protected beach called 'Horseshoe' due to the shape. I did the Holly version of a triathalon this morning - rode 500m to the beach, walked 50m down to the beach, jumped about in the surf for 15min. Then we all went for a drive and had a look at the ruined Trial Bay jail and the lighthouse. Isabella is now officially completely OVER looking at 'sights' and was slumping around the jail so I tried to make it more dramatic by telling her that 100 years ago, her Daddy could have been sent there because of his German background (his grandmother) (the jail was used to intern German citizens during WWI). This strategy was somewhat successful, but I think it's good that our sightseeing is officially over now - next stop is Yamba, which we have been to 3-4 times now, so no need to see 'the sights' any more!

Craig's birthday on SUNDAY for any who would like to ring and wish him well!

PS. Apologies to those who thought the 'Princess Toe' photo looked like Isabella's foot had been in a horrible industrial accident. Princess Toe is actually wearing a red scarf made of knitting thread - and a ring on her 'head' as a crown.